Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
I muttered, “Aw, poor guy,” and sent a reply before telling Lark, “Turns out, Hudson’s on his way home.”
His dark eyes went wide, and he shoved his phone at me and exclaimed, “It’s fate! Book the cabin right now, before someone else snaps it up! I’ll obviously babysit your chinchillas while you’re gone, so there’s no reason not to do this.” He adored my pets so much that he’d actually had T-shirts made up with their faces on them, and I knew they’d be in good hands.
I took his phone and scrolled through the list of amenities as I said, “This place sounds great, but it’s kind of expensive.”
“This is your first Christmas as a successful business owner, so you can afford to splurge a little.”
“You know what? You’re right. I’m just used to being broke, so the cost threw me off for a minute. But I’d really love this, and I think Hudson and Noah would, too.”
When Lark chuckled, I glanced at him and raised a brow, and he said, “See how inseparable you three are? It didn’t even occur to you that this could just be for you and your boyfriend, did it?”
I flailed around for an explanation. “I just…I mean, it wouldn’t be right to leave Noah out. He’s really outdoorsy, so this is perfect for him. Plus, our business is going to be closed and his parents are traveling, so what am I going to do, let him sit home alone on Christmas?”
“No, you’re definitely not going to do that.” Lark looked amused.
“But this has nothing to do with all that stuff you were saying about us being a throuple. At all.”
“I know.” No, he didn’t, but whatever. “Now hurry up and book the cabin, while it’s still available.”
“I’m doing it,” I said, as I started to type my information into the reservation form. “This is a better gift than anything else I could possibly come up with.”
“For sure.”
“Hey, you know what would be cute? Getting us knit hats and scarves for the trip. That way, they’ll have something to unwrap, and I can put an invitation to the cabin in with them.”
“Yes! You can all match.” Lark looked delighted.
“No way,” I said, “we’re not going to dress like triplets.”
“Of course not. You couldn’t be triplets, because Hudson and Noah are giant white guys, and you’re Asian. You know what you could be, though?”
“Don’t say a throuple.”
“A throuple.” Lark beamed at me, and I sighed and went back to filling out the form.
2
Hudson
A sense of relief washed over me as the cab pulled up in front of the pink Victorian where my boyfriend Kel lived. I’d been traveling all day, and now I was finally back where I belonged.
After I paid the driver and retrieved my luggage from the trunk, I paused on the sidewalk and looked up at the house. A huge Christmas tree filled the front window, festooned with multicolored lights and all sorts of quirky ornaments. Bigger colored lights haphazardly outlined the windows and several of the Victorian’s architectural features, while a large Pride flag waved from its permanent spot above the porch.
It all couldn’t be more different than the home I’d grown up in—the same one I’d fled from just a few hours earlier. Just like every year, my mother had hired a high-end designer to do the holiday decorating. This time, the color scheme was black, white, and silver. It was the least cheerful holiday décor I’d ever seen, and in that respect, it suited my parents’ house perfectly.
How had I survived, growing up in that place? It had been like living in a museum, where everything was beautiful and expensive and not to be touched. No wonder I’d been such a nervous kid. Hell, I was still like that whenever I visited—constantly feeling anxious, just waiting to do or say something wrong.
It was never a long wait, either. I always found a way to slip up, and that would immediately be met by the disapproving glare of my mom, or dad, or both. They always had to make sure I knew when I’d disappointed them, and every single time, it made me feel like shit.
Why couldn’t I outgrow that? I was twenty-eight years old for fuck’s sake, not five. Why did their opinions matter to me? They were both terribly unhappy people who took that unhappiness out on everyone around them—especially me, because I was such an easy target. I knew this, but I still let them get to me.
I was brought back to the present by the sound of a very enthusiastic Christmas carol that suddenly broke out inside the house. It was Sunday evening, so the whole Pink Victorian Crew was gathered for dinner—residents past and present who’d formed a family. I took a seat on the stairs, drew a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. The last thing I wanted was to bring everyone down with this black cloud that was hanging over me, so I decided the best thing to do was to sit here for a bit, just until I could manage to stick a smile on my face and join the festivities.