Page 53 of Can We Skip to the Good Part?

TWENTY-SIX

The Ghost of Christmas Present

“Merry Christmas,” Ella whispered, turning her body toward Max and kissing her cheek softly. “Do you think Santa came?”

“I know he did. He brought you.” Max smiled, though she’d yet to open her eyes.

“You’re being cute in the morning again,” Ella said. She kissed Max’s nose this time. “You’re also indescribably warm, which makes staying in this bed entirely tempting.”

“See?” Max mumbled. “I know what I’m doing.”

“Not so fast, though,” Ella said, giving Max a squeeze. “There are presents to open. There’s hot chocolate with marshmallows to sip. We need to absorb every Christmassy detail of every tinsel-lined minute.” She stared at the door and called out, “Alexa, play my Holiday Crunk It List.”

“You are on Christmas crack,” Max said with a laugh. She peered at the clock over Ella’s shoulder just as the living room erupted in a club mix of “Deck the Halls.” “And you’re five minutes early.”

“I couldn’t wait,” Ella said with a triumphant grin over the music. “And it’s close enough. Come on. Let’s go.”

“I have to kiss you first. Christmas rules.”

Ella looked skyward and slid on top. It was becoming her favorite good morning spot.

“I never argue with Christmas rules,” she said solemnly and let Max pull her down for a wake-me-up kiss that did its job, sending tingles to her toes and making her yearn for things definitely on her Christmas list. “We’re not going there right now,” Ella said as Max’s hands began to wander. “Uh-uh.”

“Are you sure, though?” Max asked. “Because the level of cute also makes me want to do sexy things to you, and the way you’re looking at me isn’t helping.”

“And trust me, I want to do all the things back.” She sat up, straddling Max’s stomach, and hooked a strand of hair behind Max’s ear. “And I plan to. Just not before Christmas cheer.”

“Then I’m accepting a rain check. Take me to the predescribed cheer.”

“You got it,” Ella said, erupting into her biggest grin.

After grabbing robes and brushing their teeth and fluffing their hair and kissing up against the bathroom door like damn professionals, Ella tugged Max’s arm and got her seated on the gray and white couch in her living room.

She assembled a tray of breakfast pastries she’d shopped for specially, and once they each had a piping mug of decadent hot chocolate, they opened presents.

Max beamed at her new black leather attaché, her cheeks coloring rosy pink. “Stop!” she said, holding it up. “I’m so particular about my work bags, but you nailed it.” She clutched it to her. “It’s like you know me or something.”

Ella held her thumb and forefinger close. “Little bit.”

Max leaned in for a kiss and then went right back to ogling the bag that had stretched Ella’s new income. “This is honestly the best and so generous. It’s also very much my style.”

“I have another one for you.” Max bounded to the tree and back with a small square box wrapped in a big silver bow.

She’d already given Ella a box of romance novels from past book clubs she’d missed before arriving in Everly Springs and an adorable new white cardigan with navy piping, knowing they were what she liked to wear when she worked.

“You didn’t have to get me anything else!

” Ella said, accepting the gift with a colossal grin probably extending off her face.

It was a perfect morning, and it made her wonder if missing Christmas with her family this year was how it was meant to be.

Perhaps today was an arrow sign to nudge her further along the path with Max.

Sure, they’d had their hiccups, but the love between them seemed palpable—even if they’d yet to voice it to each other.

“Well, I wanted to. It’s nothing big, but it makes me smile, and I’m hoping it does the same for you.”

Ella unwrapped the box and opened the lid.

Inside, nestled in a white mat and silver frame, was a 5x7 photograph of the two of them grinning at the camera with Max’s arms around Ella.

It was the night Max was all wound up from a tough afternoon at work, and Ella suggested they get ice cream at the cute place with the twinkly lights and picnic table seating.

Just the simple outing had made all the difference in Max’s demeanor.

Her shoulders had relaxed, and she’d breathed a little deeper.

The two of them had laughed together and stolen bites from each other’s dishes, even swapping again when it became clear they’d ordered all wrong.

Max had snapped the shot just before they’d left the little shop and sang along to Lady Gaga’s newest on the drive back to Max’s.

It was a beautiful gift, and Ella’s immediate reaction was to stare at it in awe before moving into Max’s arms. “It’s perfect.

” She kissed her softly. “I love it. It’s going on the right side of my workstation, so I can stare at it throughout the day when you’re at work and I miss you. ”

“That’s fitting because I already have its twin on my desk at work.”

Ella’s chest burst with warmth. “I didn’t know that.”

“Well, of course not. It would have ruined the surprise.”

They filled the rest of the morning with a leisurely breakfast and a thorough dive into the stockings they’d filled for each other. When it got close to lunch, Ella turned to Max. “What are you wearing to your parents’ house? I want to make sure I’m not out of place.”

Max went still, and she frowned. “Um, I’m not sure.” She started to say more and paused, seemingly unsure what to do with herself.

What had Ella just missed? “Everything okay? You got weird.”

She took a moment. “No. Everything is—I didn’t realize you planned to come.”

“With you on Christmas?” Ella quirked her head, not exactly following. They’d planned to spend the day together. It was Christmas, and Max’s family was important. “Why wouldn’t I go?”

Max sighed. “With my mom’s illness, the day is already going to be incredibly stressful. If I bring you with me, I think it may add a certain amount of stress to the day.”

Ella blinked at Max, letting the meaning of the words wash over her. “You don’t want me at your family’s Christmas.”

“Of course I want you there. I always want you everywhere. I’m obsessed with you.”

“So, your mother is the one who said she doesn’t want to meet me?”

“No.” Max held her eyes closed, struggling. “She hasn’t said that she doesn’t want to meet you. I think I just figured?—”

“That it was more important to keep everyone happy.” She swallowed, taking a significant beat.

Control was important in this moment because she wanted to be heard.

“At the expense of my feelings,” she said calmly.

Max’s eyes widened, but she must have been at an impasse because she hadn’t said anything.

This would have been the moment to regroup, backpedal, tell Ella that it had just been a misunderstanding, and of course she wanted her there with the family.

“I’m sorry. I can tell that I’m screwing this all up. Just give me a minute.”

“It’s okay,” Ella said simply. She gathered her things, shifting into autopilot, hoping to get out of there before any true emotion spilled out. Her head ached, and her cheeks flamed. The embarrassment trickled in more and more as the seconds ticked by. It was happening all over again.

Max’s eyes were on her, tracking. She reached for Ella, but Ella stepped aside to avoid the contact. “What are you doing? You’re leaving?”

“I am. I’ll let you get ready, and, honestly, I don’t think I have the fortitude to argue, play the victim, or sit by and watch with my hands folded in my lap while another person who is supposed to care about me puts me in the back seat of their life.”

“Please don’t think that’s what I’m doing. My relationship with my mother is this unique house of cards, and my family has been through a lot recently.”

“I get it. They’re lucky to have you.” She walked to Max and met her gaze with intention. “But I want someone who feels lucky to have me.”

“I do. God, Ella, please. Don’t walk away.” Max pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. “What can I do here?”

“I’m not walking away. But you have somewhere to be, and I need a little bit of space. I think we have conflicting goals and that’s a problem.”

Max didn’t argue, likely because what Ella said was true. It meant they had a very big problem on their hands, and Ella didn’t have the solution at the moment.

She moved silently around the room, picking up stray ribbon and wrapping paper and placing her possessions into a neat pile.

The remnants of a beautiful morning now looked like rubble, debris reminiscent of her feelings in this moment.

She hadn’t expected Max to bulldoze her heart, especially on Christmas, but she was flattened all the same.

Max was sitting on the arm of the couch when Ella made her way out of the bedroom, dressed for the day. “I hope you have a Merry Christmas, Max.” She kissed her cheek. “Hug your loved ones. Keep them close.”

“Ella,” Max said quietly.

But Ella didn’t stop. She couldn’t.

The smell of cinnamon and pine hit Max the second she stepped through the front door.

It was thick with nostalgia and, in this moment, utterly unwelcome.

It was Christmas, a season she adored. It was the kind of afternoon she looked forward to.

Yet, somehow, she resented its presence now as something critical threatened to boil over from within, something brewing for far too long.

From further in the house, Bing Crosby was crooning about a white Christmas, and the hum of holiday cheer buzzed like static under Max’s skin. She wanted to scratch it away.