Home For Christmas

chapter 5

Chapter 5

Home for Christmas

Holly’s POV

It had been two days since Ethan and I agreed to this fake dating arrangement, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Part of me enjoyed the idea of being close to him again, even if it wasn’t real. But most of me hated it—especially the rules.

Why wouldn’t he let me hold his hand or kiss him? How were we supposed to convince anyone we were in love without those things? This fake relationship was already exhausting, and I was beginning to regret agreeing to it.

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, too lazy to get up. “This is the worst holiday ever,” I muttered to myself, groaning.

Just as I was sinking deeper into my pity party, I heard a knock at the door. I sat up quickly, staring at it.

“Dad? Is that you? You can come in,” I called.

The door opened, and my dad walked in, his face practically glowing with excitement.

“Okay, Dad, you’re scaring me. Did you win the lottery or something? Please tell me you won a jackpot!” I joked, sitting up straighter.

He handed me an envelope, barely able to contain his grin. “The house has been saved. We don’t have to move anymore!”

His words took a moment to sink in. When they did, I jumped out of bed, spinning around in joy. “What? Are you serious? Oh my God, Dad, this is amazing!”

I was so caught up in the excitement that I didn’t notice someone else had entered the room. I froze mid-spin when I spotted Ethan standing by the doorway, a small smile on his face.

“Ethan,” I said, my voice quieter now, filled with confusion. “What are you doing here?”

My dad turned to me, still beaming. “He paid for the house, Holly. And not just that—he promised to cover my medical expenses too. You should thank him.”

I stared at my dad, speechless. Ethan hadn’t told him anything about the deal.

Slowly, I walked over to Ethan, feeling overwhelmed. I lowered my head slightly. “Thank you,” I said softly.

My dad smiled, clearly pleased. “I’ll leave you two alone,” he said, heading toward the door before I could stop him.

As the door closed behind him, Ethan moved closer, shutting the door fully. The sound made my heart skip a beat.

“What are you doing here, Ethan?” I asked, crossing my arms. “You said we’d only meet when we needed to, so why are you here now?”

He walked to my bed and sat down, patting the space beside him. “Sit,” he said simply.

I hesitated but eventually sat down, making sure to keep a small gap between us.

“Thanks,” I said quietly, keeping my eyes on the floor.

“It’s nothing,” he replied, his voice calm. “It was part of the deal. Now, it’s your turn. My family is hosting a gala this weekend, and I need you to come. Just as we planned, you’ll act like my girlfriend, and that’s it. Don’t worry about what to wear—I’ll take care of it.”

I nodded slowly, still staring at the floor. Should I feel happy? Grateful? Angry? I couldn’t figure it out.

“This weekend,” I whispered, more to myself than to him.

Ethan leaned closer, tilting my chin up to meet his gaze. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.

I pulled away quickly, not wanting to lose myself in his eyes. “You know,” I said, my voice trembling slightly, “seeing you like this… acting so kind… it makes me feel like the last three years were a joke to you. But a deal is a deal. Just promise me that after all this, I’ll never have to see you again.”

He paused, his expression unreadable, but then he nodded. “Fine,” he said, standing up. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow so we can go shopping for the gala.”

I nodded but didn’t say anything as we walked out of the room together. I avoided looking at him, trying to keep my emotions in check.

Just then, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and stepped into the hallway to take the call.

I watched him from a distance, noticing how his face suddenly changed. The confidence he usually carried seemed to slip away, replaced by something I hadn’t seen in him before—fear.

When he returned, his voice was hurried. “I’ll see you the day after tomorrow,” he said. “Something’s come up, and I can’t meet you tomorrow.”

Without waiting for my response, he walked out to his car and drove away.

I stood there, watching his taillights fade into the distance, feeling a heaviness settle in my chest.

---

Back in my room, I sat on the bed, staring at the ceiling again. This time, though, my mind was racing with questions. Why had Ethan looked so worried? What was he hiding?

As I shifted to lie down, I noticed an envelope on my pillow. Frowning, I picked it up and opened it. Inside was a note—and what I read stopped me cold.

It was a hospital bill, dated three years ago, for a series of surgeries and treatments.

My heart raced as I pieced it together. All this time, I’d thought Ethan had broken up with me because I wasn’t good enough, but this… this changed everything. He’d been going through something serious, and I’d never even known.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized the truth. Ethan hadn’t abandoned me out of cruelty. He’d done it to protect me, to keep me from being hurt.

Did that mean he still cared about me?

I clutched the note to my chest, overwhelmed by a mixture of guilt, sadness, and something else—hope.