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“Brielle’s fa,” Kitty says

“Let’s just do it, then,” I say “Can we, Daddy?”

“Well, if Brielle’s fa it,” Daddy says

We drive out to the Christmas tree farm an hour away, because that’s where the really nice ones are Kitty insists on seeing each and every tree to make sure ours is the best one I vote for a plump balsam fir because it so for a Douglas fir instead, and the whole drive ho

Josh runs out of his house when he sees us struggling to get the tree inside He and my dad heft it up and take it inside the house He holds the tree up straight as ht I have a feeling like he’s going to want to stay and help decorate the tree I can’t stop thinking about what Peter said How Josh could maybe like ht enough”

I bring down the box with the twinkle lights and the ornah thearten out of dough It’s my favorite because there’s a bite taken out of it—I told Kitty it was a cookie and she choht into it like the Cookie Monster And then she cried, and I got in trouble, but it orth it “Should we do colored lights or white lights this year?” I ask

“White,” Kitty says “It’s classier”

“But colored lights are whiic”

I roll my eyes “Whimsical, Josh?” And then Josh proceeds to ue back and forth until Daddy intercedes and says we should just do half and half This is when things finally feel really and truly norain like old ti about Josh

The tree is so tall it nearly touches the ceiling We run out of lights, so Daddy goes to buy more at the store Josh puts Kitty on his shoulders so she can put the star on the tippy top

“I’h, falling back onto the sofa and looking up at the top There’s nothing cozier than a Christo in to the hospital, and Kitty goes over to our neighbor’s house because they’res’ up I’s and Josh is loading up a cardboard box with the ornaments we didn’t have room for He hoists the box in his arlass ornaroans

“Jo-osh,” I say “I made that in home ec”

“Sorry”

“It’s okay It wasn’t my best work anyway I put in too lass ball hite feathers and white sequins inside

I go get a broom, and when I come back, he says, “You act different around Kavinsky Did you know that?”

I look up fro the broken ornament “No I don’t”

“You don’t act like you You act likelike how all girls act around him That’s not you, Lara Jean”

Annoyed, I say, “I act the same as I always do What would you know about it, Josh? You’ve barely ever even been around us” I crouch down and pick up a shard of glass