Beneath the mistletoe

chapter 7

The house was still settling after the storm of Julian’s intrusion. Emily sat on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, sipping tea her mom had made. The warmth of the fire crackled in the living room, but Emily couldn’t shake the lingering chill of the confrontation. Xander and Luca had kept her grounded, their presence reassuring and protective, but the events of the morning replayed in her mind like an unwelcome movie.

Just as she was beginning to relax, Xander’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and immediately answered.

“Charlotte!” he exclaimed, his tone softening. A smile spread across his face, but it quickly turned apologetic. “Oh no, I totally forgot about the time. You’re already at the airport? I’m so sorry, babe. I’ll leave now and come get you.”

Emily looked up, her brow furrowing slightly. Xander had promised to take her to the grocery store after everything settled, and she hadn’t had the chance to remind him.

Xander ended the call and turned to her, guilt written all over his face. “Em, I’m sorry. Charlotte’s at the airport, and I have to go pick her up. I completely spaced out. Can we go to the store later?”

Emily opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Mama Ruby stepped in.

“Luca can take her,” she said, her voice casual but skimming.

Emily froze, unsure how to respond. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to be alone with him. The idea of being vulnerable, of sharing space with someone who had seen her at her lowest, made her hesitate.

“I don’t want to be a bother, I'll manage.” she said quickly, avoiding Luca’s gaze.

“You’re not a bother,” he replied, his tone sincere. “It’s no trouble at all.”

Karen, who had been tidying up the kitchen, chimed in. “Emily, you know you don’t like driving in the snow. Luca said he has no problem with it, just let him help.”

Mama Ruby added from her spot by the window, “It’s better than risking you sliding off the road, child. Let the man drive you.”

Caught between their encouragement and her own uncertainty, Emily finally nodded. “Okay. Thank you, Luca.”

“Of course,” he said with a small smile, grabbing his coat from the rack.

Emily reluctantly put on her boots and coat, her mind racing as they stepped outside into the crisp winter air. She thought to herself, " this is going to be the most awkward drive." Snowflakes were still drifting lazily from the sky, covering the driveway in a fresh layer of white. Luca unlocked his car and opened the passenger door for her.

“After you,” he said, gesturing with a slight bow.

She managed a small smile as she climbed in, clutching her purse tightly in her lap. The engine hummed to life, and soon they were on the road, the silence between them thick and unfamiliar.

Emily stared out the window, watching the snowy scenery pass by. The quiet felt suffocating, and she could sense Luca trying to think of something to say. She wanted to break the ice, but her mind was a jumble of thoughts, and words failed her.

Just as the tension became unbearable, Luca reached for the radio.

“Any requests?” he asked, his tone light.

Emily blinked, caught off guard. “Uh… no, not really.”

“Okay, then it’s dealer’s choice,” he said with a grin, scrolling through the stations until he landed on an upbeat holiday song.

The cheerful melody filled the car, and Emily couldn’t help but c***k a small smile. Luca glanced at her, catching the shift in her expression.

“See? Music always helps,” he said.

She let out a soft laugh. “Yeah, I guess it does.”

The atmosphere began to thaw as they drove, the music acting as a buffer between their unspoken thoughts. Luca tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in time with the beat, his relaxed demeanor making Emily feel more at ease.

After a few minutes, he glanced over at her. “You know, I’ve been meaning to say you were incredible this morning.”

Emily looked at him, startled. “What?”

“The way you handled Julian,” he clarified. “You stood your ground. You didn’t let him manipulate you. That takes serious courage.”

Emily’s cheeks flushed, and she turned back to the window. “I didn’t feel brave. I felt terrified.”

“Bravery isn’t about not being scared,” Luca said, his voice gentle. “It’s about facing the fear anyway. And you did that. You were strong.”

His words settled over her like a warm blanket, easing some of the lingering tension in her chest. She had spent so much time doubting herself, questioning her decisions, that hearing someone validate her strength felt like a lifeline.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

They pulled into the grocery store parking lot, and Luca found a spot near the entrance. As they stepped out of the car, the cold wind bit at their faces, but the warmth of their budding connection made it bearable.

Inside the store, Emily pushed the cart while Luca walked beside her, occasionally tossing in an item with a playful comment.

“Do you actually need three bags of marshmallows?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Absolutely,” he replied with mock seriousness. “You never know when you’ll need to make an emergency batch of hot cocoa.”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress a smile.

As they moved through the aisles, the conversation flowed more easily. Luca asked her about her paintings, genuinely interested in her creative process. Emily found herself opening up, talking about the way art had always been her escape, her way of processing emotions she couldn’t put into words. It was easy for her to talk about it because that was her language.

“It’s like… when I paint, I can take all the chaos inside me and turn it into something tangible, sometimes I want to say something but I can't make out the perfect sentence so I just paint, it is like poetry for me.” she explained. “Something I can control.”

Luca nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense. It’s like you’re turning pain into beauty and words to vision. That’s powerful.”

Emily looked at him, her heart swelling with a mix of gratitude and something else something she wasn’t quite ready to name. She's never talked to anyone who fully understood the meaning behind her paintings, Xander was the only one but not even him got the full meaning.

When they finished shopping and loaded the bags into the car, the drive back felt lighter, the earlier awkwardness completely dissolved. The snow continued to fall, but inside the car, Emily felt warm and safe.

As they pulled into the driveway, Luca turned to her. “Thanks for letting me tag along. It was nice getting to know you better.”

“Thank you for driving sir,” she said sincerely. “And for… everything else.”

Luca smiled, his eyes meeting hers for a lingering moment. “Anytime.”

Emily stepped out of the car, her heart fluttering in a way she hadn’t felt in years. She was lost in thought that she forgot to watch her step and she slipped and fell in the snow she was so embarrassed but luckily for her Luca didn't see her fall he just heard a sound. "Emily are you okay?" he asked from the other side of the car. "yeah I'm fine, " she answered, her cheeks red from embarrassment she quickly got up before he could see her, meeting him by the trunk of the car. They both carried out the groceries making them only take one trip in.