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With the weeks before Christmas passing in the blink of an eye, Carrie made sure to ask Izzy out for another coffee date. She wanted to make sure that everything with Richard had been settled before they would be away from campus for a few weeks. This was about more than her promise that she’d made to Jace and Rory, she genuinely enjoyed spending time with her. It was important for her to make sure that Izzy was doing okay.
She walked into the coffee shop and put in her order, and as she was sitting down with her cup, she saw Izzy come through the front. She waved to show her that she was waiting, and just a few minutes later, Izzy was taking the seat directly across from Carrie.
“How’s everything going?” Carrie asked her.
“Good. Just studying up for finals.”
“Is there anything I can help you with?” She remembered the stress of the first semester’s finals. Not really knowing what to expect didn’t do anything but make her imagine the absolute worst.
“I think I’m doing well so far. The study groups are really helping.”
“That’s good.” Carrie took a drink of her coffee before bringing up the subject that she was eager to get out of the way. “How’s everything on the romantic front?”
Izzy sighed. “Back to boring old normal.” She gave her a small smile before continuing. “The whole thing with Richard is dead and buried now. You don’t have to worry about that.”
Carrie lowered her voice and placed a hand comfortingly on top of Izzy’s. “I know that you really liked him.”
Izzy waved her hand dismissively. “It was still relatively new. It was just nice to have the hope that he might’ve been something more. I was just seeing him through rose-colored glasses, and you helped me see the red flags.”
“What red flags?” Carrie was immediately worried. Was there something going on that she needed to be aware of? Should she have already alerted Jace to what was going on in Izzy’s life?
“He was just a little too overbearing. At the time, I thought it was a little sweet, but when I told him that I’d heard about some of his past hookups, he got really defensive. He just told me that I was overreacting and that he didn’t do anything that the other woman hadn’t wanted.” She shrugged her shoulders. “After that, I told him that I couldn’t be with him and that we needed to end it. He seemed to think I would come back to him, so he kept showing up at my dorm and texting me.” Fear filled Carrie’s throat at those words, but Izzy was quick to reassure her. “He hasn’t shown up in a while, and the messages stopped coming. I’m pretty sure he’s forgotten all about me, and when he graduates, I’ll never have to see him again.”
“Well, I’m still sorry that it went like that, but I’m glad he’s stopped harassing you. The next guy you pick will be different. You’ll see.”
Izzy sighed. “But how will I know? I thought that Richard was different, and that clearly wasn’t the case. It’s like I’ve always expected to be let down by the male species, and now that I’m finally trying to open myself up, the universe is just telling me that I was right the whole time.”
“There are good guys,” Carrie promised. “Look at Jace, David, and the rest of the guys. They all started a little rough around the edges, but with the right motivation, they grew up. You just have to wait for the right guy to come along and sweep you off your feet.”
Izzy nodded her head, but Carrie could see that she didn’t fully agree. She knew enough not to keep pressing the subject. They talked about other things for the next hour before splitting up to go back to their separate dorm rooms. Carrie also had finals that she needed to make sure she was prepared for and papers that weren’t going to write themselves. Until Christmas break came, she was going to be very busy indeed.
~~~
BESIDES BIRTHDAYS, Christmas was the biggest time of the year that reminded Carrie of her parents. She wasn’t lying when she’d told David about them taking John and her to the family cabin each year. Those were some of her best memories with the four of them. They would open their presents in the morning, and then she would help her mom cook Christmas dinner while John and their dad would set up all of the toys that they’d gotten.
That last Christmas they were together, she had been fifteen. Right in the middle of her formative teenage years where everything and anything could put her in a bad mood, but that was the happiest she’d been that entire year. She’d gotten everything that she’d wanted. More than that, she’d gotten her parents gifts that made them speechless. She’d been excited to be able to spend some of her allowances on a beautiful necklace for her mom and a handsome watch for her dad. Besides the handmade gifts from when she was little, that was the first time she’d spent some of her own money on her parents. When she saw the look on their faces, she’d vowed to do it again every year from then on...
How she wished she could’ve known that it would have been the last time.
This year was hopefully the start of new memories. David was going to pick her up and take her to one of the few restaurants that were still open for the holiday. After that, they were going to John and Taylor’s house to spend the rest of Christmas with them. Compared to last year when it was just the two of them—Carrie and John—it was definitely going to be a louder holiday.
She couldn’t wait.
~~~
BEFORE SHE KNEW IT, Christmas was here. The campus was still open even though the dining halls wouldn’t be serving students, so Carrie decided to stay at her dorm even though John had offered one of his empty guest rooms for her to stay in. She appreciated the offer, but this way she could have privacy with David if and when they wanted it. She didn’t want John breathing down her neck when she would much rather have David doing something a little different to her body.
She was zipping up her coat and grabbing her beanie when she heard a knock on her door. Since she was the only one there (Lex was spending the holiday with her own family), she hurried to answer it.
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” David told her.
“Merry Christmas, baby,” she repeated. She gave him a quick kiss before pulling back. “Just let me grab my bag, and I’m all set. Am I dressed appropriately?” She wanted to make sure that she wasn’t too dressy or not dressy enough.
His eyes trailed over her body. She had decided on black dress pants with a long-sleeved red sweater. Over the top of her clothing, she had on her green parka and her red beanie. She’d left her hair down to add another layer of warmth to her neck and ears. On her feet, she had on her favorite brown winter boots that she’d had since high school.
“You’re perfect,” he told her.
She flushed. “You’re looking pretty perfect yourself, Mr. Clarke.” He had on a dark green sweater, black jeans, and a black parka. She could tell that he was very warm.
“So where are we going for lunch?” she asked as they were walking towards his truck.
“It’s a surprise,” he told her with a twinkle in his eyes. She wanted to keep pushing, but she knew from previous times that he wouldn’t budge no matter how many times she asked.
“Are you sure you’re okay with not spending today with your family?” She’d been worried about this ever since he’d asked if he could spend the day with her. She didn’t want his mom to think that she was trying to pull him away.
“It’s fine. In my family, Thanksgiving was always the big holiday and Christmas was a little quieter. My mom understands.” She was glad, but she still made a mental note to buy something to express her thanks to both his mom and stepdad.
During the ride, they listened to Christmas music and sang off-tune to the songs, but by the time they were an hour into the drive, she was starting to get just a little curious as to where he was going to take her. She couldn’t recall seeing a restaurant or even a rest stop for the last fifteen minutes. What was out here that he wanted to take her to?
About twenty minutes later, he pulled to the side of the road, but there were no buildings nearby except for an old farm almost fifty yards away.
“What are we doing?” she asked him.
He opened his glove box and pulled a piece of long black fabric out. “This is going to sound a little strange, but I want to blindfold you.”
“Kinky,” she joked.
He laughed. “It’s not like that, but I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” He gave her a wink. “I just want you to be completely surprised when we get to where we’re going.”
“Okay?” She turned in her seat so she was facing the door and let him slip the blindfold over her eyes. Once he had it tied around the back of her head, he placed a gentle kiss a few inches above the knot.
“All set.”
She turned so she was facing the right way again and felt the truck move forward. She wasn’t sure how long they were driving before she felt him turn off the main road and on to what felt like a gravel one. She tried to think about the possibilities of where he could be taking her, but nothing was coming to mind. She didn’t know of any restaurants out this far. She was completely lost.
They turned again and drove forward for just a few minutes before he put the truck in park and turned it off.
“Can I take the blindfold off now?” she asked.
“Not just yet. Let me help you inside first and then you can.”
She grumbled, but waited for him to walk around the truck before he reached for her arm and helped her maneuver her way to the ground. She was worried that she was going to step into a large pile of snow or something, but he was a good leader and warned her if there was anything in her way.
Just another minute later, he was leading her up a set of stairs. She heard him open a door before pushing her gently through it. He moved her so she was in a certain spot before untying the knot from the blindfold and slipping it off her eyes.
She gasped when her eyes immediately landed on her brother, Taylor, and Christopher. Jace and Rory were even there, and Simon and Luna were as well. Once her eyes found all the unexpected guests, she looked around at her surroundings.
She would know this place anywhere. She’d just been thinking about it earlier that day.
It was like stepping back in time. Everything was exactly the same.
The doorjamb that their mom kept track of their heights. The kitchen that she’d helped her mother cook countless dishes in. The living room where they opened the gifts together as a family, and the stairs that were to the left that she knew led to the bedrooms.
It was her family cabin.
“Oh my God,” she whispered.
As she took a few more steps forward, she was able to see into the living room and saw that it was set up the same way that their parents would every Christmas. The Christmas tree by the old fireplace, the stockings hanging on the wall, and the table decorated with the old Christmas tablecloth.
“What do you think, sis?” John asked as he slowly walked towards her. When his arms wrapped around her, she was able to think clearly.
“I can’t believe you did this,” she whispered into his neck.
He shook his head. “This wasn’t me. I mean, I helped, but the idea came from David. He put everything in motion for you.”
Carrie pulled her head back in shock. She figured he must’ve been joking. Although, she saw nothing but the absolute truth in his eyes. She turned to see David watching her from the doorway nervously like he was worried that she would somehow not appreciate this amazing gift.
She walked toward him as quickly as she could and buried her head in his chest. He didn’t hesitate before wrapping his arms around her and planting a kiss on the top of her head.
“Do you like it?”
She shook her head in amazement as she pulled away so she could look into his eyes. “This is the most... amazing thing anyone has ever done for me. I mean, where did you come up with this?”
“I remember you mentioning how much you loved spending Christmas here as a kid, but you hadn’t been back here since your parents passed. I could see how much you loved it, so I knew with John’s help that I could get it set up, and maybe we could create some more memories here.” He shrugged as he continued. “Maybe it would help you feel just a little closer to your parents.”
She was crying by the time he was done talking and, thankfully, she didn’t need to say anything else. She raised her hands to his neck and pulled him down so their lips could meet in the middle. She ignored the sounds of gagging that were obviously coming from her brother and lost herself in the kiss for a few moments before forcing herself to pull away from him.
This day couldn’t get any better, she thought to herself.
~~~
THE FIRST THING THEY did was get lunch put together in the kitchen. The girls all pitched in to help Carrie and, the guys even tried to help until they were kicked out of the kitchen due to their incompetence.
Lunch was served and, as they sat around the table, Carrie looked at all her friends, still floored that they would drive all the way out here for her and John. She didn’t know how she would ever repay them for their time.
David and John both handed out their gifts. Carrie felt horrible that hers were still at her dorm, but no one seemed to mind. She got a nice watch from her brother, a soft sweater from Taylor, and a gorgeous bracelet from Rory and Luna. Jace and Simon had pitched in on an at-home spa kit that she very much appreciated. Once she had opened her last gift, David whispered in her ear, “You have to wait till we’re alone to open mine.”
She hadn’t thought for a moment that he would get her anything. The cabin was enough of a present for the rest of her life. She wanted to shake her head, but didn’t feel like it was the appropriate time. Instead, she contented herself with watching her friends opening their presents.
Christopher had to be the highlight of the day. Each gift he opened received the same rapt attention, even the few pieces of clothing. He thanked everyone before he and John started to unbox the toys and put the pieces together.
It was so reminiscent of when Carrie and John were kids that she couldn’t help but watch John. She’d never thought of how much he resembled their father, but watching him do something that their dad had done countless times showed her how grown up he truly was. Yes, she’d known that he was grown—he was getting married, for Pete’s sake—but seeing him in his new role actually brought tears to her eyes.
When he stood up to grab something from the kitchen, she was quick to follow him.
“What’s going on?” he asked her as he opened the drawers.
She stood next to him and put her arms around his neck. He quickly dropped what he’d been looking for and returned the gesture. They held each other for a few minutes before she finally pulled away.
“What was that for?”
She gave him a sad smile. “I’m proud of you, big brother. Seeing you with Christopher today... just... you’re a freaking father,” she told him with a watery chuckle. “I’m just so proud of you, and I know that Mom and Dad would be as well.” She repeated the words he’d said to her outside David’s aunt’s house last month.
Tears filled his eyes for just a moment before he blinked them away. He gave her a sentimental smile.
“Thanks, sis.”
A few moments later, they rejoined the group. David sent a concerned look her way. She gave him a smile to let him know that she was okay before turning her attention to their friends.
About an hour later, Rory and Jace had to leave to get to her family’s dinner on time, and since Luna was eating with them, her and Simon left a few minutes after. So that just left Taylor, John, Christopher, David, and her. John and she decided on a DVD they’d watched every year with their parents.
The Grinch.
Carrie thought of how amazing it was to see the traditions that she and John had grown up with being passed down to the next generation. When Christopher was older, he could very well be doing the same things with his own kids.
As she laid on the floor, leaning against David’s chest, she had to smile at that thought. Maybe even one day she would have her own kids that would want to continue their traditions. Maybe she and David... She couldn’t even finish that thought. Not because she didn’t want it—because she wanted that future with him more than anything—but because she was scared that she was more into this relationship than he was. She didn’t want to be planning their entire future if he was having any doubts.
When night fell and she expressed concern about where they would be sleeping, John told her that the week before, he had cleaned out the bedrooms and put new linens on the beds. He barely even blinked an eye when she told him that David would be sleeping with her. So while the three of them got ready for bed, she pulled David into her bedroom—the bedroom that she had actually claimed as hers when she had been younger.
“Now that we’re alone,” she whispered before claiming his mouth with her own. It had been so difficult to keep her hands to herself throughout the night, especially after realizing how much he had truly gone through to get this ready for her. Even though her brother was right down the hall, she still wanted to give David something to show him how much she appreciated him.
She led him to the bed and forced him to sit down. Her hands slid around his waist and found the button on his jeans. When she unbuttoned it, he covered her hands with his own.
“You don’t have to do this, sweetheart. We can just go to bed,” he tried to tell her, but the bulge beneath her hands told her how much he wanted this.
“I needed to thank you, and since your other gift is back at my dorm, I wanted to give you this...” She trailed off as she knelt in front of him so he would have no doubt what she was planning.
“Sweetheart...” He didn’t have it in him to fight her. She smiled triumphantly as he lifted his hips to help her remove his jeans and his boxers. He moaned quietly the moment she slipped his head into her mouth. “Fucking hell, minx.”
She enjoyed knowing that she was the one that was bringing this man to his metaphorical knees. As he fisted his hands in her hair and began to thrust his hips into her mouth, she felt herself grow wetter as she triumphed in all of this power.
When he tugged her hair and told her he was close, she didn’t stop. Instead, she increased her suction and swallowed every bit of his essence, not wanting one drop to pass.
Once she had him thoroughly sucked off, she stood up and gave him a victorious smile. When he reached for her pants, she put her hands over his and shook her head. She bent down to give him a kiss and trailed her lips to his ear.
“Wait for when we’re alone.”
The promises were clear in her voice, and the dark look that took over his eyes showed her just what he thought of her words.
She gave him another sinful smile before taking a few steps back. If she didn’t put distance between them, she wouldn’t be able to hold herself back if he tried again. Before she could go more than a few steps, though, he put his hand out and grabbed her wrist to stop her movements.
When she turned to look him in the eye, she was surprised at the abrupt change in his demeanor. Gone was the lustful look, now he looked serious.
“I love you, Carrie Lewis. There’s no doubt in my mind that this is the first of many Christmases we’ll be spending together. I want it all with you. Every little thing. I just... I love you, sweetheart.”
Her heart filled with warmth at his words. Of course, they weren’t the first time she’d heard them, but she would never get enough of hearing those three words come out of his mouth.
“I love you too, baby.”
~~~
THE NEXT MORNING, SHE woke up to the mouthwatering aroma of bacon, eggs, and, if she wasn’t mistaken, french toast. She groaned before she even opened her eyes, hearing her stomach growl at her.
She normally wasn’t a morning person, but the scent itself was enough for her to sit up. David squinted at her from his spot on the bed.
“What are you doing up so early?”
“Uh, food. Duh,” she told him with a sly wink. She stepped out of their room and followed the scent trail with her nose. She was surprised when she saw John in the kitchen, flipping the bread before putting it on a plate.
“How did I know that this was the key to waking you up?” He looked back at her with a grin.
She shrugged her shoulders, trying to act innocent, but she could tell that he wasn’t buying that for a second. “Maybe because it worked whenever Dad tried it.”
They laughed at shared memories of their father cooking breakfast in an effort to wake her up on weekends, otherwise, she would be liable to lay in bed all day.
“What’s the plan for today?” she asked him as she snuck a piece of bacon off the plate. He rolled his eyes, but didn’t react to her thievery.
“We eat breakfast, watch a few movies, let Christopher enjoy his new toys, and just relax. Enjoy our last day here.”
“You’re leaving tomorrow?” David and her hadn’t talked about when he was wanting to leave last night. She had kind of been hoping that they could spend the majority of their winter break here and go back in a few days. She wasn’t sure if he would be on board with that plan.
“Yeah, it’ll give you some time to enjoy this place with just you and David,” he told her, reacting only slightly at the thought of his little sister alone with her boyfriend.
“What do you mean?”
He gave her a mischievous smile. “He didn’t tell you?” She shook her head and waited for his response, but it was David that spoke up from behind her.
“I was wanting to keep you here for a few more days at least. That way you can make up for all the lost time you’ve had with this place.”
She strode over to him and threw her arms around his neck. It was like he could read her mind sometimes. She didn’t know what she did to get this lucky, but she wasn’t going to turn down the chance to stay in this cabin with her boyfriend.
“That sounds perfect,” she whispered in his ear.
~~~
TRUE TO HIS WORD, JOHN left with Taylor and Christopher after breakfast the next day, so David and her got to enjoy being completely alone. After a hefty snowball fight where she very narrowly came out as the winner, the two of them quickly took a hot shower together before bundling up in a blanket and sitting across from the fire.
She sighed. “This was the most perfect holiday. Thank you so much.”
“I’m glad, sweetheart. All I wanted was to make you smile,” he murmured as he softly brushed his hand through her hair.
She did just that, smiling so wide that her cheeks were beginning to hurt, but she didn’t mind that at all. She looked up at David, pressing her lips to his neck softly.
“I love you,” she whispered.
He mimicked her own smile. “I love you.”
It was the best Christmas she’d had in a long while.