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Bella
Preston left Bella standing in the hallway without another word. Her skin tingled where his lips pressed into her forehead, and the envelope clutched in her hand.
When her world stopped spinning, Bella returned to Santa, his village, and the kids and tried to act normal. And she ran straight into Lucas, who hadn't put her coat away yet. She'd taken her jacket back for something to do. As well as something to pull and tug on when her thoughts turned right back to Pres.
No! I spent so much time getting over that asshole! And I finally did it.
Hours passed by making crafts, talking with parents, and hearing from the kids what they wanted for Christmas.
At the end, Lucas' big reveal stunned the crowd. He returned with Santa and bags of gifts. Kids rushed the pair, but Santa got their attention. Lucas waded through the kids and handed out gifts with Santa. Paper went flying. Squeals of delight filled the room even louder than when they'd first arrived.
And Lucas, for his part, seemed thrilled.
Bella ached watching him. His sweet smile sliced deeper each time she saw it. She needed to escape. Wrapped in her coat, squeezing it tight, Bella rode down to the first floor and stepped onto the packed afternoon sidewalk. Shoppers bitched and moaned that she was in their way, but Bella needed space and time. She stepped out of the iconic glass doorway and shivered under the first awning for the windows.
Be happy. Be happy.
She clung to the chant.
“Hey, you.”
"Why are you stalking me, Preston?" Bella asked. She took one step onto the sidewalk, and people complained; Preston blocked foot traffic
and no one batted an eye.
Preston jabbed a finger towards his car and asked, “Need a breather?”
“Not with you.”
“It’ll be worth it.”
No, it would not be worth it. Because nothing with Preston had ever been worth the pain afterward. Strictly speaking, that wasn’t an entirely accurate statement.
“Come on. I’m not trying to seduce you.”
“As if you could anymore.”
“That, Miss Astor, sounds like a challenge.”
“It’s not a challenge.”
"I could take it as one." Preston stepped up within inches of her, took a lock of her hair, and gave it a couple gentle tugs. That sent her heart into flutters in the past, but not now. "Promise it will be the most perfect five minutes. Ten, at most. Then I'll drop you back off here. No one will be the wiser."
She'd heard that before.
***
Stupid. Why did Bella get in Preston’s car?
And why did she ask such stupid questions when she knew exactly why. Each little glance stolen by Melissa and Lucas was another stab in her chest.
ARGH!
Bella didn't recognize Preston's driver today. He was quiet, and his hat was drawn down, hiding his face. Was he refusing to look her in the eye? Then once in the driver's seat, he was hidden behind a window separating them. Indeed, Bella was alone with Preston Warren.
Well, Bella Astor was known for her idiotic decisions, so this newest stupid decision shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. And who knows? Maybe her mother would catch a glimpse of Bella on the cover of another tabloid and a ridiculous article about her and Preston reconciling.
The drive was short, just to Rockefeller Center and its towering Christmas tree and skating rink, packed with more crowds than Macy's.
Preston opened his door and held his hand out for her, waiting. Resolute, Bella blew out a puff of air and folded her arms over her chest.
“You’ll only get angry if he opens the door for you, so...?”
Wow. It was as if Preston actually had listened to her all those years they’d known each other.
“What are we doing here?”
“A breather. Like I said.”
"There are more people here than at Macy's."
Truly. People packed into the iconic skating rink and crowded around the sidewalks. Children ran among the trees and decorations, dragging their parents by the hand. No snow fell, but low-hanging clouds threatened another coating for New Yorkers to slip and slide on.
She should get back to their Astor Pharmaceutical event, but...
"Come on. Real quick." Preston walked ahead of her towards the tree. "Then you can have fun playing Santa's elf," he teased.
“I’m a cute elf!”
An abrupt stop on Preston’s part ran Bella right into his back. He turned to catch her, his rich dark brown eyes grabbing her attention. Warm and captivating.
“Most beautiful—”
"Don't!" Bella snarled and pushed him onward. "Just show me whatever you wanted to—"
But Pres moved too slowly for her. She jostled past then it was her turn to stop.
At the base of the iconic tree, one of her patients, a little boy named Max, with thick straight brown hair cut short, leaped into the arms of an older man. His mother, Jenny, clutched a baby to her chest. Max's dad had been deployed; there was no chance for leave, yet here he was.
"They were supposed to be at your little event thing, but father and I didn't want to take away from the other kids' moments." Preston lightly placed his hands on her shoulders. "And the tree here is a bit more magical."
“What? How?”
"Doesn't matter how." Preston gathered her blond curls and dropped them over one shoulder. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Merry Christmas."
***
Horrible mistake. Mistake to end all mistakes.
What in the name of all things holy and sacred had Bella been thinking?
Short answer, she hadn’t.
Long answer... this gave her a reason to let Lucas have room to make a life. His life.
Bella let Preston sleep as she got out of his bed, slipped on her shoes, and left his condo.
***
Lucas
Early Sunday morning, before Lucas had time to finish his coffee, Chris had complained so much Lucas' ear might fall off.
"Bella's not stupid."
Sunday work was a rare occurrence, but all the directors worked overtime ahead of the holidays to shore up the loose ends with current shipping crises, manufacturing crises, and more before heading home for the holidays. If Lucas worked at most companies, he'd probably be on vacation. Still, he couldn't leave this mess behind for Bella's father, Eli. Even if Eli wasn't with them anymore, he would disapprove. Eli Astor would have stayed to get the work done.
“I literally know that,” Lucas complained right back.
“You literally don’t.”
“I’m fixing it. I already talked to Melissa!”
“You NEED TO TALK TO BELLA.” Chris jumped on Lucas and started ripping reports out of his hand. “I’m going to fire you if you don’t!”
Lucas tried to channel Chris and Bella’s mom with his intense glare.
“Fine, I won’t fire you, but come on! This is the most painful thing I have ever witnessed!”
In a rare moment, Chris looped his arm around Lucas' neck in an attempt at a headlock. It was weak and nothing like wrestling. Certainly no power behind the move like his sister.
“Just... freaking...”
"Uh? Hi, Bella!" Lucas choked on the last word as Chris squeezed.
Bella and Melissa stood in Lucas' office doorway. Chris immediately let go and stood to fix his shirt and flip his floppy curls to the opposite side.
Bella said, “I don’t even want to know.” More to herself than anyone else.
“What are you doing here?” Chris asked, turning his potent gaze to Melissa and giving her a thorough once over.
Bella held up a crushed envelope. “Met Melissa at security when I was coming in. Here." She tossed the envelope to her brother. "From Preston's father. I'll be on my way."
"No!" Chris and Lucas screamed.
Bella froze and shrugged. “It’s fine. Melissa has stuff to discuss and... I’m busy.”
“B-busy?” Lucas stuttered.
***
Bella
Busy screwing up her own life. Because agreeing to lunch with Preston was the icing on the ‘fuck up Bella’s life’ cake.
But each time Melissa yanked her shirt straight or primped her hair Bella knew she was doing the right thing for someone. The someone just wasn't Bella.
“Yeah,” Bella said, fighting to keep her voice level. “You boys are busy fixing stuff for the company. Don’t need me underfoot.”
Launching himself across the room, Chris grabbed Bella around the waist. "You, my dearest sister, have always been better at business-related... crap."
“Crap?” Bella smiled smugly.
“Stay? Help... Lucas?” Chris’ voice became pathetic and whiny. Her brother was actually pleading. “You’re better at this stuff than either of us.”
"I was better at plant design, not shipping or customs or whatever Lucas is fixing. Also, can't. Busy. Ish. Anyway, Melissa needed to talk to Lucas. So..."
Bella shouldered Chris off her and didn’t bother saying anything else, just tilting her head at the silent girl standing patiently in Lucas’ doorway.
"Bye," Bella ground out. "Good luck."
What remained of a smile on her lips wavered.
***
Lucas
The bounce in Bella's step was undeniable, yet something was off with Bella. Something Lucas couldn't quite put his finger on. Her eyes? Her stance? Definitely her smile. It was all reminiscent of something he'd seen before.
Chris smashed his face into Lucas' channeling an incorrigible twelve-year-old kid. "She will never know unless you grow some balls and tell her."
Scratch that. He was channeling a six-year-old. Flicking at Lucas' hair until Lucas couldn't stand it any longer.
Melissa giggled, pausing Chris from attacking again.
“I get it now,” she said. “You should tell her.”
A gasp echoed from the elevator. Lucas and Chris fought for who got to his door first. Melissa flattened herself against the wall to avoid being tackled.
“I knew it,” Lucas said as a strangled sound came from his throat.
Voluntarily hanging out with Preston after such a public fight always made her act weird. That look in her eye, that off feeling.
“Knew what?” Chris asked.
“She slept with Warren.”
“She slept with Pres? And you? You're just going to let her walk away. My dumbass sister will screw up her life, and you'll let her do it?"
Bella’s own words played on repeat.
“You should ask her out.”
“She seems pretty.”
Preston fixed a lock of Bella’s hair. First gut punch. She smiled up at him. Second gut punch.
But it wasn't what Lucas would call a 'happy smile.' Which tore at him even more.
“She’ll figure it out,” Lucas whispered.
“Just go out there and tell her.”
“Do you pay attention to your sister?”
“You won’t ever know if you don’t. I keep telling you this! She thinks you want to date M... m... I’m sorry. What was your name again?”
Lucas answered for her. "Melissa." Then immediately apologized. "Sorry. You can answer for yourself."
Of course – of course! – Melissa blushed at him.
“Waiting won’t fix this situation! It requires action. Stop Bella from going out with Preston.”
“It does require action,” Lucas agreed.
Chris would never like the action it required. Waiting and being there for Bella. Being the best friend he was to her. That was more important than telling her. Because thrusting his feelings on her, cornering her never worked to anyone's advantage.
Plus, something about Bella, something he'd never seen her
do before, told him to wait.
And, for as painful as it was, Lucas would stand by her.
***
Lucas crashed onto his couch, too tired to make dinner. When a text popped up, he thought about texting Bella to find out if she wanted to meet at her place and have dinner.
Bella: I think I made a mistake.
Lucas: I’m sure you didn’t
Bullshit. This was going to do with Preston, and anything with that man was a mistake. Not that he would say that.
Bella: Preston asked me to accompany him to my mother’s gala.
Gala. Her mother’s gala?
Lucas: Isn’t that the same night as the party at the community center?
Bella: I’ll be at both? I’ll only stay at mother’s for an hour. Tops.
Bella: Am I making a mistake?
The answer was obvious.
His mind screamed just say yes! Yes, it’s a mistake.
But another part of his mind told him to take a breath. Wait.
Lucas: I’ll help you get ready
The folded letter he meant to give Bella at yesterday’s event sat on his glass coffee table, the ribbon untied. He'd found the letter still in his jacket that morning and read it once he was alone in his office.
Bella: You didn’t answer my question
Lucas: It’s not a mistake if you want to go with him
She typed for a while. Bubbles dancing on the screen.
Bella: Is Melissa going to be at the community center?
Lucas: No
Bella: But she asked you out
Bella: She's gorgeous, you dummy
The letter he’d written taunted him. Nudged him to say,
Lucas: So are you
He pulled out the leftover construction paper and the silver paint pen and began rewriting the letter. Bella deserved better than what he’d written the first time.