Our Totally, Ridiculous, Made-Up Christmas Relationship

“Yeah, Daniel, keep laughing, because a person having an allergic reaction is funny.” Running in Kayden’s direction, I sigh and knock on the bathroom door. Dad sees me and hands me a glass of water and allergy pills, which I thank him for as I continue to knock.

Opening the door, he grins as he’s holds a wet cloth around his neck. “I’m so sorry, Sunshine. I should be good in a few. I’m sorry. Shit!” he mutters under his breath, and I step into the bathroom closing the door behind me, locking us inside. He’s pissed at himself for eating something that’s deadly to him. I know it’s awful, and I know I’m probably going to hell…but I find him extremely sexy right now. Pushing the glass of water toward him, I place the pills in the palm of his hand and he downs them quickly.

Gesturing to the toilet seat, I order him to sit down and he tells me he’s all right. “Please, Kay?” I beg, and he narrows his somewhat puffy eyes on me, and sits. Taking the cloth from his hands, I kneel in from of him and start holding it against his neck.

“I should’ve asked,” I say, feeling awful.

“Yeah, you should have. You’re a terrible, heartless person,” he laughs, closing his eyes. “So what happened exactly? With the whole Danny-and-Lisa situation?”

I sit back on my heels and rest my hands in my lap as he opens his eyes and finds my stare. “It’s a long story.”

“I have time.”

Wiggling my nose, I debate running away, avoiding speaking the memories out loud. But the way he takes my hands and holds them, even when people aren’t watching, makes me feel as if it’s not only information that he wants to know for character study. It seems as if he simply wants to know about me.

“We dated for three years. And well, as you know, for Danny being a Hollywood god, that’s a pretty long relationship. I loved him. Even though he only semi-liked me. When I told him I was thinking of giving up on the acting thing after not instantly breaking into the industry like Lisa, well…” My eyes shift to the floor, reliving the moment that changed everything.

“He never told me he wasn’t okay with it. He always put on a smile and kissed me like he meant it. But then again, he’s Danny Everson, one of the best actors out there. And right around that time, he was just hitting it big. Then, for Easter, we were all up here at the cabin—his family, my family. Just another holiday in my mind. You couldn’t believe my surprise when I found my sister making out with Danny in this bathroom. Apparently they fell for each other when they were co-stars in The Neverlanders.”

“It was a terrible movie.” The corners of his mouth turn up in a smirk, and a warm wave courses through my being.

“It was a fantastic film,” I disagree, but I secretly like the fact that he said it was bad just to protect my feelings.

“You’re right. I own a copy. But if you want, I’ll burn it. I will burn the living crap out of it.” His fingers brush under my eyes, and I realize I’m crying. The tears are streaming down my face. Clearing my throat, I go back to patting Kayden’s neck, studying his reddened skin instead of his sad eyes staring at me. I chuckle and shake my head back and forth. “It would have been our fourth year anniversary when Lisa announced she was pregnant with Olivia.”

“That’s messed up.”

“You know what’s even worse?” I whisper. “When we were kids, I told her I wanted to name my first kid Olivia after Olivia Newton John because I love the movie Grease more than life. And I just sat there for a moment wondering why Mom was crying happy tears. Why Dad was pouring everyone drinks and cheering. And why wasn’t I enough?”

Kayden takes my hand and we both stand up. He hovers over me and backs me up against the wall. The palm of his hand grips my chin and his face edges closer, so close I can feel his breath hitting my lips with every exhale he releases.

“Before we walk out of this bathroom and I become Richard again, can I say something to you as Kayden?” he asks. His eyes are intense, zoned in on me, and I have a strong feeling that if he were to look away I would crumble into nothingness.

“Yes,” I mutter, almost breathless by his touch.

“You’re more woman than Danny could ever have handled.” His thumb brushes against my lips, parting them. “You’re more of a sister than Lisa deserves. Your parents are talented as hell in movies, but they’re blind to the

truth of real life.” My heart picks up speed as time somehow stops completely. He inches closer and kisses my falling tears away. “And I am one lucky bastard to be your made-up boyfriend.”

I don’t know what to say, so I smile like a goof ball, feeling my stomach fill with all kinds of wonder. When words come to mind, I let them fly from my mouth. “You give the best pushed-up-against-a-wall pep talks.”

“Hey, do you see that?” he whispers, and I cannot help but take in every syllable he speaks, every word he somehow sings.

“See what?”

He looks up and points right above us. “The invisible mistletoe hanging above us.”

My cheeks heat up and my eyes move to the invisible mistletoe of his imagination. I love his imagination. “Well, look at that.”

“You know legend says it’s bad luck if two people stand under the invisible mistletoe and don’t kiss.”

“How much bad luck are we talking?” I smirk, feeling his hand tighten around my back.

“Well, I can’t say exactly. It’s different with each person. But the last time, a guy I work with who didn’t kiss under the invisible mistletoe grew an extra finger and lost a toe. No lie.”

The serious look on his face makes me want to crack up laughing, but the way his fingers are massaging my back makes me want to do everything in my power to avoid the bad luck. “Well, we wouldn’t want that, now would we?”

“I guess not…” He takes one finger and runs it up and down the side of my neck, making me sigh softly, wanting the invisible mistletoe to travel with us everywhere we go.