“I don’t know what you’re trying to prove, but you’re doing an excellent job of acting like a spoiled brat. If you want to roll over and play dead, I should let you, but I know somewhere, maybe locked deep down inside, is the smiling girl I used to know. Where is she, Grace?”
“How dare you! You have no right to psychoanalyze me. You have no right to step into this apartment. Where in the hell were you when I needed you most? Was that your week with bimbo one or bimbo two?”
“What happened in the past is in the past. You need to let it go.”
“Please go away, Camden. I’m too tired to deal with you anymore today.” The fight had been drained from her. She needed to put on her happy face and pretend everything was copacetic.
“This isn’t over, Grace,” he warned as he moved toward the door.
“It never is, is it, Camden?” She sighed as he turned toward her, fire burning in his eyes. Yes, she knew there was still hunger there, but more than that, there was rage. Right now they both felt it in spades, each at the other.
“I’ll leave for now, but don’t think for a minute that I’m going to just roll over and watch you ruin your life,” he said as she yanked open the door to push him out if she had to.
“Trust me, Cam, I would never think you were the type to ever roll over,” she said, trying unsuccessfully to smile.
Cam said nothing else as he left her apartment.
Grace sagged against the door, allowing herself a moment of pity. Then, blowing out a breath, she pushed her worries from her mind. It was Christmas Eve and she was going to spend it with her best friend. She’d had enough anger and sadness to last her a lifetime. She was going to bury all of that for at least the next few days.
“Sage, wake up right this minute!”
Sage sat up, disoriented and rubbing her eyes. “What time is it? What’s the problem? Is everyone okay?” she blurted out, still half asleep.
She’d taken naps at the hospital before, and she knew how to wake up quickly and be prepared for an emergency, but with her recent insomnia due to high emotions, she was struggling to clear the fog from her brain.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Grace told her. “You just have to come with me right now.”
“What are you doing at my grandmother’s? I thought you were flying out tonight.”
“I was, but I got stuck behind a major pileup on the freeway, and I had no choice but to turn around.”
“Well, I for one am glad. Spending Christmas in Hawaii was a dumb idea, Grace.”
“With all of this snow, I thought it would be a nice change.”
“Of course lying on the beach and soaking in the sun is always nice. But Christmas is time for family, and since you’re basically my sister, I call it abandonment when you leave me like that.”
“Well, I’m here now, and very grateful to be with you. Now get your butt out of bed and come with me. I can’t believe you’re sleeping at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve. I’ve gone to bed early before so I can wake up in the morning, but never that early.” Grace tugged on Sage’s hand until she was standing, and then handed her a thick sweatshirt.
“Are we going somewhere?” Sage asked.
“You’ll see. Come on.” Grace shimmied Sage over to her UGG boots and stood there while she slipped them on, then dragged her down the stairs.
It sounded like music was playing, but that wasn’t a surprise. Her grandma always played Christmas carols when she was baking, and she always baked the night before Christmas. Actually, she baked the entire week before Christmas. Her pies had become quite famous in their little town.
Lots of people usually stopped by Bethel’s house during the entire month of December. All the neighbors wanted the woman to see their faces, a reminder they were still there so they could have some of her goodies. Then they acted all surprised when Sage and Grace handed out sugary confections. And Sage loved doing that. It was always a pleasure to see how much joy her grandmother brought to others.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Sage realized that the music was coming from outside the house. The entire downstairs smelled like gingerbread, and Sage’s stomach rumbled as they passed the kitchen.
“What is that?” Sage asked as they reached the front door.
“Come and find out,” Grace told her. She stood next to the door but didn’t open it.
Sage was suddenly afraid. The light in Grace’s eyes told her that this was something big, something special. Was she ready to see?
“It’s Spence, isn’t it?” she said, hope and fear dueling inside her.
“I guess you’ll have to open the door if you want to know,” Grace replied, a grin splitting her face.
“A true best friend would tell me what’s on the other side of that door. A true best friend wouldn’t leave me hanging like this.”
Sage didn’t do well with surprises. Or at least she hadn’t until she’d met Spence. Now, it seemed, she was more used to them, and even anticipated them. Her fear was dwindling as she stood there. In its place a calm acceptance was rising up—a feeling of security and warmth.
“A true best friend would be green with envy and planning on heading to the nearest voodoo shop to get a doll and stick pins in it whenever she thought about how sickeningly romantic your future husband is.”
“What’s he done now?” Worth a try to ask again.
“I’m still not telling you what’s on the other side of this door, Sage.”
They knew each other well—heck, they each knew what the other was going to say before she said it.