NOELLE
Four days until Christmas
LAST CALL FOR FLIGHT 1719 TO ASPEN, COLORADO. THE BOARDING DOORS WILL BE CLOSING IN FIVE MINUTES.
Shit.
“We’re going to miss our plane,” my boyfriend griped for the fortieth time since he opened his eyes this morning. I felt Paxton’s glare as I shoved my beanie over my black hair, but I ignored him anyway and grabbed my coat from the bin. True, our flight was leaving in five minutes, and we’d just now made it through security, but how was this my fault? “Are you happy, Noelle?”
I turned to him since he was so determined to have this fight.
There was a gleam in his blue eyes as if I’d fallen for some hidden trap.
His dark hair was perfectly styled despite the early morning hour, and his long, athletic body was encased in a white sweater, gray overcoat, and blue jeans. I watched his jaw—which looked sharp enough to cut diamonds—flex as he waited for me to piss him off.
Paxton was breathtaking, but he may as well have been covered in boils and slime right now.
“Why are you blaming me?”
“Maybe because you thought it was a good idea to pack on the morning of our flight? We should have been here hours ago!”
“I’m sorry that I didn’t see the need to pack three months in advance or sit in an airport for six hours just so your anus could relax.”
“If you had let me pack for you, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“We’ve been dating for three years, and you still don’t know what brand of tampons I use. So why would I trust you to pack my clothes?” If I’d left it to Pax, I’d be spending my entire vacation with my headlights on and socks that didn’t match.
“You—”
“Guys?” The soft sound of my best friend’s voice drew my attention away from my prick of a boyfriend. Felicity’s green eyes were wide, and her cheeks were flushed pink. When I looked around, I realized why. All eyes were on us. “Please, let’s just go? We can still make it if we hurry.”
I watched my boyfriend as he visibly softened as he stared at my best friend.
Felicity playing referee was nothing new. In fact, she’d been doing it for most of our relationship, but lately, it’d become sort of a full-time job for her.
The first year between Pax and me had been great.
The sex was amazing, our conversations flowed, and even though we were complete opposites, I used to believe he was good for me. Balance, you know? Lately, though, I couldn’t help feeling more stifled than stable, and everything that once made me believe we could work had faded a long time ago.
First, the all-night pillow talks, and then eventually, the sex.
It’s been three months since Paxton and I fucked, and my fingers were no longer enough.
“Yeah, let’s go,” Pax agreed before flashing Felicity that same charming smile I’d fallen for. Felicity smiled back before looking at me, and I could see the question in her eyes.
Are you okay?
I answered the unspoken question with a shrug.
Paxton being annoyed with me was our new normal. I swear it was like if I breathed too heavily, he’d up and disappear for hours. I used to cry myself to sleep, knowing my boyfriend didn’t love me anymore, but now I’d grown used to being nothing more than his baggage.
I don’t know why I didn’t just end it.
I’d tried to work up the courage many times, but then I’d see his face and couldn’t imagine walking away.
Literally.
I’d see his face and get the urge to jump his bones rather than leave him. It was the strangest thing.
At this point, my only hope was to pack my bags and send him an email once I was gone. Harsh but necessary.
After a record-breaking sprint across the terminal, the three of us arrived at our gate with only seconds to spare.
Pax and Felicity immediately rushed toward the gate, completely unaware that my feet had become glued to the floor. Leaning over the gate desk was a familiar set of broad shoulders. The man attached to them had been flirting with the pretty agent behind it when he suddenly turned at the sound of our arrival.
Tall.
Dark hair.
Blue eyes.
Athletic body.
And a jaw sharp enough to cut diamonds.
Sound familiar?
“Hey, Pax! What’s your rush?” the man called out with a teasing smile.
Pax, already one foot through the gate, came to a screeching halt when he finally noticed his brother.
His twin brother.
“Nick?” Pax did an about-face and met his brother halfway for a manly hug. “I thought you’d already be on the plane.”
Excuse me…what?
I guess now I knew why he insisted we bring Felicity along. This was never meant to be a romantic getaway. Any hope I had of us salvaging our relationship died a quick and grisly death.
“And if I knew you wouldn’t be, I wouldn’t have bothered showing up two hours early. Thanks for the heads up, bro.” His gaze then shifted to Felicity standing next to his brother before quickly dismissing her and moving on. A deep frown covered his face when he didn’t find who he was looking for—me. “Where’s Elle?”