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"No, of course not" The lie slid out s been perfected over the years

"All right, good Well… I’ll let you get to sleep I’ll eet the chance Happy holidays, Aidan"

"Happy holidays, Dad"

He hung up and dropped the phone on the cushion beside hied his throat

"Your dad is ditching you for the holidays, huh?"

He ju his head in the direction it had coe opening in the wall separating the living rooetting to his feet

"I was hungry"

He headed into the kitchen and spotted the sandwich fixings on the counter "Well, of course you are," he said pointedly "You didn’t join us for dinner"

Even in the shadows, he could see her blushing "I wasn’t hungry then I am now" She cleared her throat "Anyway, I’ I didn’t do it on purpose You just ca before I could announce myself, and then I didn’t want to interrupt"

"It’s okay" He propped his hip against the counter and watched as she resu a turkey and ha?" she pro about the slopes"

"Yeah, he’s heading to Switzerland for a couple of weeks, so I’ll be spending Christmas here With who, I have no clue yet"

"My holiday plans are up in the air too," she confessed "Chris and I were supposed to spend Christmas in Paris--that was the last stop on our honeyone, my parents booked a twelve-day cruise, and nowto cancel their trip I spoke to her earlier and tried to talk her out of it, but I don’t know if I was persuasive enough"

"Would it be so bad if they stayed in town?"

"Honestly? I’ very festive I’d rather they enjoy theed, then sat on a stool and took a bite of her sandwich "I’ll figure so out"

"You could spend the holidays with me" The words popped out before he could stop theaze flew to his "Are you serious?"

"Yeah I ot another teeks off, so it’s not like you have to rush back to San Francisco Dylan and I are doing Christmas Eve with friends, and you can join us for that, and I’ht after dinner to see his mom, so you and I can keep each other company on Christmas Day"

"You really want me to stay for another teeks?" She sounded troubled

"Why not? You already know I like having you around"

"Yeah, but that was before…" She trailed off, averted her gaze, and focused on eating her sandwich