Page 33
Story: The Christmas Bet
I wipe the tears from my eyes. I look down at the roses, my heart ready to burst from my chest.
“Lacy is going to take you home and get you ready for something special. Your final trip down memory lane.” Roland leans in and hugs me. “We love you, Allison.” He winks at me and grins. Looking up, I see Lacy waving at me to get a move on.
Once I’m safely off the ice and we’re back in the taxi, I turn to her. “What’s happening? Why all of this?”
“What’s happening is Conner is making sure you remember what got you here.” She shrugs.
We pull up to my apartment and hustle inside up to my floor.
“Do you still have the dress you wore for his Christmas party last year? You know, the day it all went to hell?” Lacy looks at me as I unlock my door.
“Yeah, why?” I furrow my brows, and the side of my mouth pulls up.
“Put that on. Those are the directions.” She gives me a sly smile. “Come on. I’ll help you with your hair.”
An hour and a half later, we come up to the hotel. I swallow over the lump in my throat and look up at the place where my world fell apart a year ago.
“What are we doing here?” I ask as we get out the taxi. My nerves are shot, and my stomach is doing somersaults as I balk at the last place I want to be.
“Go in.” Lacy pushes me towards the door.
I shake my head. “Lacy, this … Why would he bring me here?”
She grabs me by the shoulders and turns me towards the doors. “Go in and find out. I’ll be right behind you.”
I hesitantly walk towards the doors. My entire body is vibrating with apprehension. The only thing keeping me moving forward is knowing that Lacy is behind me. Which means she knows and she’s okay with everything.
When I get inside to the ballroom, there are candles lit everywhere. The lights are so low that the glow from the candles does most of the work to illuminate the space. My eyes try to take in the ambiance, but I can feel a nervousness that makes my stomach drop. I turn to my left as I scan the candles and see a carpeted walkway adorned with more flickering displays.
The balcony.
I slowly make my way along the red carpet, feeling like royalty with each step I take. I get to the glass door and push them open to a beautifully decorated balcony. Roses fill the planters, and petals are strewn about all over the stone floor.A balcony of roses.
I gasp at the scene around me. Recalling the text message from a year ago, and seeing it come to life before me. Tears start to well in my eyes when I hear a voice behind me.
“Allie, baby.”
Turning, I see Conner dressed in a beautiful black tuxedo, like the one he was wearing a year ago.
“Conner.” It’s all I can get out. My voice is weak, and my heart is beating out of my chest. My hands are shaking, and I’m doing all I can not to break down in tears.
“I know you’re wondering why I brought you here, of all places.” Conner comes up and take hold of my hands. All I can do is nod. “That night one year ago was the worst mistake of my life, and I know I broke us. I can never erase that memory from our history. I can never take away the hurt and the pain I caused you. And I’ll never forget that look on your face, the sadness and betrayal that was etched into your beautiful features. I never meant to destroy your trust in me.” Conner shakes his head.
“So, why are we here then?” My words come out in a whisper.
“I can’t erase the memory of what happened here, but I can create a new one.” Before I realize what he’s doing, he gets down on one knee and pulls out a black box.
Oh my god. My mouth drops open, and my vision starts to blur with tears.
“That night, I was going to tell you that I loved you. I knew from the moment I saw you in that bar … you captivated me. I brought the guys out here to tell them the deal was off, but before I could, you overheard. And at that moment, my whole world crumbled.”
Conner takes a deep breath, his eyes getting misty.
“I love you, and I’ll do everything in my power to never let you feel anything less than the love you deserve from me. You mean the world to me, Allie. I wanted you to relive those memories from a year ago so that we could make a new memory here. I want to fix the past and give you a new way to remember this place.”
“Conner …”
He opens the box to a beautiful princess-cut diamond ring. “Marry me, Allie. Be my wife and let me love you forever.” His voice wavers with emotion, and small tears fall from his eyes.
“Lacy is going to take you home and get you ready for something special. Your final trip down memory lane.” Roland leans in and hugs me. “We love you, Allison.” He winks at me and grins. Looking up, I see Lacy waving at me to get a move on.
Once I’m safely off the ice and we’re back in the taxi, I turn to her. “What’s happening? Why all of this?”
“What’s happening is Conner is making sure you remember what got you here.” She shrugs.
We pull up to my apartment and hustle inside up to my floor.
“Do you still have the dress you wore for his Christmas party last year? You know, the day it all went to hell?” Lacy looks at me as I unlock my door.
“Yeah, why?” I furrow my brows, and the side of my mouth pulls up.
“Put that on. Those are the directions.” She gives me a sly smile. “Come on. I’ll help you with your hair.”
An hour and a half later, we come up to the hotel. I swallow over the lump in my throat and look up at the place where my world fell apart a year ago.
“What are we doing here?” I ask as we get out the taxi. My nerves are shot, and my stomach is doing somersaults as I balk at the last place I want to be.
“Go in.” Lacy pushes me towards the door.
I shake my head. “Lacy, this … Why would he bring me here?”
She grabs me by the shoulders and turns me towards the doors. “Go in and find out. I’ll be right behind you.”
I hesitantly walk towards the doors. My entire body is vibrating with apprehension. The only thing keeping me moving forward is knowing that Lacy is behind me. Which means she knows and she’s okay with everything.
When I get inside to the ballroom, there are candles lit everywhere. The lights are so low that the glow from the candles does most of the work to illuminate the space. My eyes try to take in the ambiance, but I can feel a nervousness that makes my stomach drop. I turn to my left as I scan the candles and see a carpeted walkway adorned with more flickering displays.
The balcony.
I slowly make my way along the red carpet, feeling like royalty with each step I take. I get to the glass door and push them open to a beautifully decorated balcony. Roses fill the planters, and petals are strewn about all over the stone floor.A balcony of roses.
I gasp at the scene around me. Recalling the text message from a year ago, and seeing it come to life before me. Tears start to well in my eyes when I hear a voice behind me.
“Allie, baby.”
Turning, I see Conner dressed in a beautiful black tuxedo, like the one he was wearing a year ago.
“Conner.” It’s all I can get out. My voice is weak, and my heart is beating out of my chest. My hands are shaking, and I’m doing all I can not to break down in tears.
“I know you’re wondering why I brought you here, of all places.” Conner comes up and take hold of my hands. All I can do is nod. “That night one year ago was the worst mistake of my life, and I know I broke us. I can never erase that memory from our history. I can never take away the hurt and the pain I caused you. And I’ll never forget that look on your face, the sadness and betrayal that was etched into your beautiful features. I never meant to destroy your trust in me.” Conner shakes his head.
“So, why are we here then?” My words come out in a whisper.
“I can’t erase the memory of what happened here, but I can create a new one.” Before I realize what he’s doing, he gets down on one knee and pulls out a black box.
Oh my god. My mouth drops open, and my vision starts to blur with tears.
“That night, I was going to tell you that I loved you. I knew from the moment I saw you in that bar … you captivated me. I brought the guys out here to tell them the deal was off, but before I could, you overheard. And at that moment, my whole world crumbled.”
Conner takes a deep breath, his eyes getting misty.
“I love you, and I’ll do everything in my power to never let you feel anything less than the love you deserve from me. You mean the world to me, Allie. I wanted you to relive those memories from a year ago so that we could make a new memory here. I want to fix the past and give you a new way to remember this place.”
“Conner …”
He opens the box to a beautiful princess-cut diamond ring. “Marry me, Allie. Be my wife and let me love you forever.” His voice wavers with emotion, and small tears fall from his eyes.