“You all right, Elle?” Fred asked, as I looked for the perfect spot to take a photo of the lights, which were Christmassy but themed around protecting our oceans.

“It’s just…” I knew this was going to sound silly, but it was Christmas, so who cared. “It’s just ridiculous, isn’t it? Better than I ever thought.” I lined up the photo. “Holly might be on to something, you know!”

Fred laughed softly—I only really knew because his breath showed up in the cold. “Would this be a good time to tell you that you’ve officially overtaken Clara?”

Wowsers. I stopped taking the photo to check. He was right! @_Beckywiththemediocrehair_ had messaged to tell me too. I’d not only just tipped 10,000 new followers with only 4,213 to go, but I was 50 in front of Clara.

And as everyone bustled around us, and the sound of “Last Christmas” spilled out of the coffee shop as its door opened and shut, and Fred stood beside me, singing the “very next Dave you gave it away” and pointing out his favorite whale light, for the first time in forever, I felt something. A little spark of magical excitement I hadn’t had in years.

About all the things that seemed to happen on the cold winter evenings in December that couldn’t make sense at any other time.

About the way Christmas made anything feel possible.

Like this.

Me realizing this weird feeling, the one that had been fizzing up for days, wasn’t just Christmas magic.

It was because of the boy standing next to me.

Chapter Fifteen

Holly

“Still not over it.” I flicked a crumb off the train table at Nick. It bounced off his jacket with a satisfying ping. To help me get up so early for the train, he’d blared Sia’s “Candy Cane Lane” at full, and I mean full volume through the bedroom wall.

He looked out the window. “I thought you liked Christmas songs?”

I huffed, but it was more of an air laugh. I was no good at pretending to be in a mood when I was this happy. Today was the day I’d been dreaming of. For years.

And last night, out of the blue, Nick had asked if I would like company. Which I really did. I didn’t think this was his thing, but Elle must have twisted his arm.

And now I didn’t just have a New York buddy, I had a whole day to get to the bottom of what happened yesterday.

“Never forgiving you aside—thanks. For coming.” I found sincerity mega awks. “This is literally my lifelong dream come true.”

Nick grinned. “A lot of people say that about spending the day with me.”