Page 52 of All I Want is You this Christmas Final

“I’m sorry too.”

And then, something happened. Her aunt’s arms wrapped around her shoulders and they were hugging.

Anna Beth burst into tears, clinging to her aunt as she sobbed.

“Good lord, Anna Beth, whatever is the matter.”

“I’m so confused,” Anna Beth cried.

“Did something happen between you and Jared?”

Anna Beth pulled away, wiping at her cheeks. “We kissed. But then he isn’t sure he wants to start something if I’m leaving and I’m not sure I should have started something if I didn’t want to stay, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. It just felt right. Does that make sense?”

“You’ve always been in touch with your emotions. Do you think kissing him was wrong?”

“No, I mean...it didn’t feel wrong at all. But he is afraid of what people will say.”

Sarah snorted. “Sounds like he needs to care less what other people think and man up.”

Anna Beth burst out laughing.

“What did I say?” Sarah asked.

“Never in my life,” Anna Beth gasped, “did I ever expect to hear the words man up come out of your mouth.”

Sarah’s cheeks flushed. “It’s something Ernie says. Not to me, but to his kids and grandkids.”

“You’ve met his family?”

“Yes.”

“How was that?”

“Overwhelming at first, but we’ve grown close.”

Anna Beth couldn’t believe this conversation. She never could have imagined Sarah being close to anyone and now, she knew how it felt to be jealous of a bunch of strangers. Ernie’s kids got to meet the aunt she’d always wanted.

Suck it up, buttercup. You can’t change the past, but you can move onto a brighter future.

“I wish relationships weren’t so hard.”

Sarah patted her knee. “Nothing ever comes too easy, I’m told. Everything worth having takes work.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Seventeen

A shrill ring woke Jared out of a sound sleep Wednesday morning and he reached blindly for his phone. When he turned it over, Snowy Springs High School flashed across the screen.

Son of a bitch, Casey, what did you do now?

“This is Jared Cross.”

“Hello, Officer Cross, this is Principal Gayle Hastings at Snowy Springs High School.”

Jared chuckled softly. “I know who you are, Ma’am. I went to your school.”

He didn’t mention that Principal Hastings had thrown him under the bus numerous times and her stance on bullying nonexistent, when it should have been zero tolerance. He’d been thrilled to graduate from that hell hole.