A Mistletoe Twist

Chapter 2: A Familiar Tension

The warmth of the house felt almost suffocating as Jenna stepped into the living room. Her mom was busy in the kitchen, preparing dinner, and Lucas was chatting with his friends, who had gathered around the small dining table. Sophie was happily playing with her grandparents, so for a moment, Jenna felt like she could breathe.

She tried to avoid looking directly at Nate, but her eyes kept drifting back to him, sitting casually by the fireplace with his old friends, as if nothing had changed. He was talking with Lucas, but every so often, his eyes would meet hers across the room, and for a brief moment, the world around them would fade. It was like they were the only two people in the room, even though Jenna knew that wasn’t the case.

Nate had always had that effect on her. The combination of warmth, strength, and something just slightly unpredictable about him. It made her both drawn to him and annoyed by him at the same time. She had to admit, she was curious about what he’d been up to all these years, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready to confront the past—especially not tonight.

The sound of Sophie’s laughter pulled her out of her thoughts. She turned and smiled at her daughter, who had somehow found her way into the kitchen and was helping Ellen decorate cookies. Seeing Sophie so happy, so full of joy, gave Jenna a quiet sense of relief. This Christmas, no matter what happened, was for her daughter.

“Mom, look!” Sophie ran over, holding out a half-decorated gingerbread cookie. “I made this for you! Do you like it?”

Jenna knelt down, her heart swelling as she looked at the lopsided creation in Sophie’s small hands. “I love it, sweetheart. It’s the best Christmas cookie I’ve ever seen.”

Sophie beamed and then ran back to her grandparents, leaving Jenna to watch her with a quiet sense of pride. The night was falling into a gentle rhythm. Everyone was busy chatting, laughing, and catching up. Jenna tried to lose herself in the joy of it all, but something kept pulling her back to Nate.

It wasn’t until after dinner, when everyone had settled around the fire for dessert and hot cocoa, that Jenna finally found herself standing next to him. She didn’t plan on it—didn’t expect to—yet, somehow, she ended up standing there, holding a mug of cocoa in her hands, staring down into it, unable to avoid the inevitable.

Nate was watching her, his eyes unreadable as he took a sip of his drink. “So, Jenna... What’s it been? Six years?”

Jenna felt a flicker of irritation. Why did he have to bring it up? She didn’t want to talk about the years that had passed, about how everything had fallen apart. She wanted to pretend that time had stood still and they were the same people they had been when they were young.

“Something like that,” she said coolly, lifting her chin. “Seems like it’s been longer, though.”

Nate’s lips twitched into a small, knowing smile. “Yeah. Time has a funny way of changing things.”

Jenna raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know if I’d call it funny.”

He chuckled softly. “I guess not for everyone.”

The unspoken words hung between them like a thick fog, neither one willing to fully acknowledge the past. Jenna felt the tension building, the same sense of frustration she had always felt with him. Why did he always seem to know exactly what to say to get under her skin?

“Are you still running the ski resort?” she asked, trying to change the subject. “It seems like you’ve done pretty well for yourself.”

Nate leaned back slightly, his eyes not leaving hers. “Yeah, it’s been good. A lot of work, but... it’s mine. I’m proud of it.”

Jenna nodded, her gaze drifting to the flickering flames of the fire. “That’s good. I’m glad things are going well for you.” It wasn’t a lie, but the words felt hollow. She wasn’t sure why she couldn’t just let go of the bitterness, but something about Nate made it hard to fully embrace the idea of him having moved on, of him having his own life while hers had been... complicated.

Nate studied her for a moment, and then, in a rare move, he reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. The simple gesture sent a shock through her body, and she froze.

“I didn’t mean for things to end the way they did,” he said quietly, his voice laced with sincerity. “I don’t know what happened between us, but... I never wanted to hurt you, Jenna.”

Jenna’s breath caught in her throat. She could feel the weight of his words, but her mind couldn’t fully process them. It was too soon. Too much to take in all at once. She had spent years convincing herself that the past didn’t matter, that it was better to move on. But Nate’s words opened up a door she wasn’t sure she was ready to walk through.

Before she could respond, Sophie’s voice broke the moment. “Mom! Can we make another batch of cookies?” Sophie’s excited face appeared at her side, eager for more holiday fun.

Jenna smiled, grateful for the distraction. “Sure, sweetheart. Let’s go make some more.”

She turned away from Nate, feeling the weight of his gaze still lingering on her. She wasn’t ready to face whatever it was between them, not yet. But there was something undeniable in the way he looked at her, something that tugged at the deepest parts of her heart. She wasn’t sure if she was strong enough to handle it, but she knew one thing for sure—this holiday wasn’t going to be as simple as she’d hoped.