Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23556 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23556 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
His face lights up as he finds my hand and puts the ring on it. I don’t even care what it looks like because that doesn’t matter to me. All that matters to me is that this man loves me and I’m his light. Just as he is mine. Our lips meet, and I wrap my arms around his neck, holding him close. I hear everyone cheering for us, but all I feel, all I see, is Evan.
As our eyes sparkle with the promise of our future, he whispers, “Sorry I couldn’t get Nico and Aviva here. I guess he wasn’t ready to accept it was going to happen, but I couldn’t wait any longer.”
I shrug, too happy to be bothered. “You’re all I need,” I whisper, and his eyes darken as he moves in closer, his lips ever so close to mine. “He’ll come around.”
“And even if he doesn’t, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Neither am I.”
Once more, our lips meet as the snow falls and the lights twinkle around us. I miss my family and I wish they were here, but the more I think about it, I have my family in my arms.
Evan Adler is all I need.
Stupid Christmas
Quinn
Evan kisses his new fiancée with such love, even I get a little teary-eyed. Though, if you ask my mom, I’m a lot like Evan. Sensitive. I don’t agree. I think I’m more like Owen, commanding and badass, but my brother isn’t crying. Instead, he holds his soon-to-be wife while smiling widely at our newly engaged brother. Shelli and Aiden cuddle their son, and Posey leans into Boon, with Zac between them, everyone so excited and happy for the new future addition to our family.
Everything has changed.
It came out of nowhere, too. I feel as if we were all a unit, then Shelli found Aiden, Posey found Boon, Owen found Angie, and now Evan has Callie. It all happened so damn fast, and while I’m happy for my siblings, I find myself a little bit jealous. Which is stupid since I have a lot going on. I’m starting my second semester of residency this winter, and it’s not going to be easy. I am going into a tough specialization, where I’ll work solely on athletes who need sports-related surgeries. Mainly hockey players since that’s whom I’ve been raised to love and appreciate.
Yet, I want what everyone else in my family has. It’s really not fair to be raised by two parents who love so hard, their love for each other spills over onto you. I’ve watched my parents go through tough times, and even the greatest of times, and still, they stand together. I watched my brother-in-law Boon cry over my sister when he thought she might die. He stood beside her and even changed all the ways he eats just for her. Aiden is Shelli’s peace, her calm. Owen has never smiled the way he does when Angie is around, and then Callie, well, she saved my brother Evan completely. So, of course, how could I not want someone to do the same for me? Someone to be my constant peace and happiness. The missing piece of my life.
Crazy thing is, I’ve found her. I just gotta lock her down.
Emery Brooks stands beside me, her braid lying along her shoulders with a red beanie on her head. She has a thick scarf around her neck, and she’s wearing a big, poofy jacket. She hates being cold. When we were in Boston, she always had her hands up under my shirt or in my coat to keep warm. I let her, too, because I love her touch. I love how her nose turns red and how rosy her cheeks get. I move closer to her, snaking my hand around her waist. She looks up at me and then around at our families. Since they’re all looking at Evan and Callie, she moves into me, leaning on my chest. I prop my head on hers and sigh happily.
I fell in love with Emery a year ago.
I’d always loved her as a friend. But then we were around each other a lot more with Shelli marrying Aiden, and we fell into a best friend kind of friendship. We talked constantly, and I never thought anything sexual about us. She was a little sister, I guess, but then it all changed when she found out I was a virgin. I can still hear her cackling laughter and remember how stupid she made me feel.
But then she kissed me.
And everything changed.
It was as if I were seeing her in a new light. Her lips are dangerous, and her smile makes me forget every rational thought in my head. I was hooked from that moment on. Problem is, Emery doesn’t want to be tied down. She told me from the jump we were friends with benefits, and because I want her so badly, I agreed. Which was not a smart move, because instead of being just friends and reaping all the dirty benefits imaginable, I fell in love with her. I remember it like it was yesterday. We were at a Billie Eilish concert, and we were singing “Ocean Eyes” loudly and obnoxiously. She looked at me, laughing, and I was a goner.