Once Upon A Christmas

Chase leaned back against the leather seat, his mind replaying the moment. Lisa. He hadn’t expected her. Not here, not now. The girl he had kissed six years ago, the one who had haunted his thoughts more than he cared to admit. He exhaled, a slow smile tugging at his lips. Fate had an interesting sense of humor. “Well, Lisa,” he murmured to himself, “looks like we meet again…..” Chase Belmond didn’t believe in Christmas fairytale. He was a hardcore … after meeting Lisa at eighteen who disappeared on him. He couldn’t forget the first woman to refuse him, and fate working in his favor never intended for their chapter to end. Lisa Orwells is anti-Christmas and doesn’t want to be roped into the holiday festivity. What happens when she decides to let go, and live intentionally again. Does the holiday have a miracle awaiting in store for its antagonists? Or will it present another sad end? Meanwhile Max has a secret he hasn’t told Lisa. Is their little family bond about to crash or will it work for the best? Find out in this thrilling holiday romance.. Chapter One Ever since I was a teenager, my nose was buried in novels. My dream life lived in fantasy, and attending an all girls boarding school only made it worse. Deep down, I suspected I was gay. I had little interaction with boys, and the few times they noticed me, I laughed too loud, got too excited, as if I was acting out a scene. Later I realized I saw men through the lens of fiction, never for who they truly were. I joined f*******: in my teenage years, and my first crush was a guy whose friend request I accepted. Scratch that, I had a crush before him, but that one hardly counted. It was Christmas season, my favorite time of year. My family was busy with preparations, which gave me enough room to slip in and out of the house with excuses. I had a few admirers in real life who drove me around since I had little money for Uber. Chase invited me to a garden. We were supposed to meet at a cinema, but since we hadn’t checked the movie schedule earlier, he suggested the garden instead. With the few makeup products I owned, I applied on mascara, dabbed red gloss on my lips, and dusted my face with powder. I pulled on my favorite skinny jeans and a fitted top, then headed out. One of my admirers was already waiting to drive me. I told him I was visiting family, but he later discovered through my call conversation that I was meeting a guy I liked. Entrance to the garden required a code that day, since it was members only. I kept texting Chase, but he wasn’t responding. I tried calling, but his number wasn’t reachable, and worry gnawed at me. My designated driver tried talking to the security guard, asking me questions I couldn’t answer. Just as we were about to leave, a message from Chase came in “Sorry, I came out to get you but couldn’t find you.” “I’ve been calling you,” I typed back. “My phone fell into the toilet. Haven’t fixed it yet. I’m chatting with my laptop.” An unknown number called my phone. “Hey, it’s Chase. Let me speak with the security.” I passed the phone to the security guard, and shortly after, we were let through. My driver muttered that he didn’t have time to spare and left me standing there, dust in his wake. I walked quickly toward the first gazebo and spotted a very attractive guy seated, his gaze fixed on me. His lips were full and kissable, his skin more tan than in the photo I had seen. In that moment, I was thankful I hadn’t gone back with the driver. Chase looked better in person. A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he called my name, rising to his full height. “Lisa, yeah? I didn’t know you were this little. Good to finally meet you. You’ve been toying with me all the while.” His arms opened wide, urging me forward for a hug. Heat rushed to my cheeks. I was guilty—guilty of answering his questions with more questions, guilty of turning our chats into interrogations. My distrust and lack of experience seeped through every conversation, yet here I was, about to hug the stranger I had been talking to for two weeks. I couldn’t help it, I had seen him in my dreams. I slept and woke to his texts, pretending I wasn’t expecting them. If he replied late, I grew restless, wondering what he was up to. I even set notifications for his messages. Hugging him felt like sinking into a teddy bear. His warmth spread through me, and I pulled away quickly. “Are you shy?” he asked. “No,” I replied too fast. “Let’s go in.” “In where?” “There’s a lounge behind. That’s where I want us to chill. I have a few friends over. They won’t be a bother. I hope you don’t mind.” We walked side by side into the lounge. It was my first time in such a setting. An attractive guy with a smaller frame compared to Chase’s six‑foot build walked up to us. Words were exchanged, and the guy, Mike winked at me before heading to the far end of the room where smoke curled around his group. We sat on a long, comfortable sofa. “What are they doing?” I asked. “Oh, my friends. They’re smoking shisha and playing games. Do you smoke?” “No, I don’t.” “Oh, that’s a pot here. You could try it’s not bad.” “No, I’m good.” “You’ll have to play snooker. I’ll teach you if you don’t know how.” My brain froze as I took him in, his magnificent presence, the way he filled the room, his confidence despite being only a year older. He sounded sophisticated, and I felt a strong urge to act out of character in his presence. His brown eyes locked onto mine. “So, Lisa, will you be my girlfriend?” The words sounded like music to my ears. Surprise flickered across my face, logic clawing at me. Did I really want to hang out with a teen who clearly had a wild side, or remain the goody two shoes who experienced romance only through books? His soft chuckle broke my thoughts. “You really do space out often.” “I want to use the restroom.” I replied abruptly “Sure, it’s down to your left. You can’t miss it.” I finished my business and stepped out, my eyes catching the bar area. As I tried to retrace my steps, I noticed him standing to my left, a wide grin on his face. “I thought you might be uncomfortable in the open space. There’s a private lounge we could use.” He held my hand and led me through a doorway. Blue lights washed over us as he shut the door, trapping me between him and the wall. “Tell me, Lisa.” he slowly whispered “What are those questions you wanted to ask me? You seem to have lost your confidence. Are you shy?” His hands moved to tuck my hair behind my ears as he continued “Do you like me that much that—” “What! No!” I shrieked, lifting my face from its bent position to look up at him. Immediately, his face leaned forward, lips crashing onto mine before I could react. My eyes widened in shock at the suddenness. His tongue slipped in, prying my lips apart, demanding entrance. He pressed closer, urging me to surrender and fully open to him. One hand braced against the wall, the other slid beneath my top, heat flaring with every touch. My body betrayed me, I kissed him back, lost in the rush. The kiss lasted for what felt like minutes until reality struck like a slap. I shoved his hand away, breath ragged, breaking the spell. He pulled back slowly, lips swollen, eyes locked on mine, unrelenting. “You haven’t answered my question sweetheart.” “What question?” “Will you be my girlfriend?” I stay quiet a little. “Um… how old are you? Aren’t we too young to be doing this?” This time, he laughed out loud, the sound echoing in the cozy space. “Christ, Lisa, I’m freaking eighteen years old.” “I thought you were seventeen.” “I turned eighteen a few days ago. I didn’t post, that’s probably why you didn’t realize.” “So you’re a year older.” “You sixteen?” “Yeah,” I said with a nod. “Not a problem,” he replied, straightening to his full height, hands sliding into his pockets. His eyes gleamed as he leaned closer. “I like you, Lisa, and I want you. I want to see what you’re like when you let loose. Get naughty for me.” Before I could respond, my phone rang. My mom’s name flashed across the screen. I looked up at him. He gave me a nod, a silent signal to answer. “Hello, Mom.” “Lisa, where are you?” “I stopped by Uncle and Aunt Jay’s house.” “Oh! Are they home? What’s going on?” “Yes, they are. They called for me earlier. I was watching cartoons when you called.” “Alright, extend my regards to them.” “I will.” “Try to come home early.” “Alright, later Mom.” I hung up, my pulse still racing. Chase’s smile met me instantly, his breath fanning my face. “Uncle Jay’s house, huh? You little liar.” “I’ll be headed there, so technically it’s not a lie.” I say with a shrug to hide my nervousness “I need to make some calls, so I can leave.” He stepped closer so our bodies were touching, his hands gripping my shoulders, as he lowered his head to steal another kiss. This time I was ready. I turned away, my body stiff. “Playing hard to get? No girl’s ever rejected me,” his voice carrying a mix of disbelief and challenge. I ignored him as I used the opportunity to get out of his grasp, and open the door. My steps quick as I pulled out my phone to call another admirer that will serve as my driver. My fingers shook slightly as I dialed. Behind me, his footsteps trailed slowly, his presence heavy even as I refused to look back. His last words floated toward me, low and deliberate “Let’s talk tonight, so we make arrangement within the week.”