Christmas Catch: A Holiday Novella Read Online Free

much the same, no matter where you go.
    “Are you going to go back?” I ask as he helps me flatten out the hamburger meat into patties.
    “I don’t know. It’s hard, when you leave. Even thinking about going back makes my head hurt. I’m just afraid my brain is going to turn into mush and I won’t be able to catch back up.” That’s ridiculous. He’s smart. You don’t become un-smart overnight.
    “You’ll be fine.” We start cooking and talk about other things. I tell him about Allison and he tells me about taking over his father’s business. Despite being raised with it, he’d never wanted it, and his father had made it look easy. Dealing with a bunch of cranky fishermen is something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
    We sit down at his small dining table and eat. It’s quiet, but I think about how it was last night at my family’s house and I soak it in.
    “How long are you back for?” he asks when we’re done and he gathers our plates to put in the sink.
    “Until the day after Christmas. Then I’m headed back to stay with Allison. I don’t know how much more I can take of being here. No offense.”
    “None taken. Do you want some wine, or something?”
    “You have wine? Ain’t you classy.” He laughs and goes to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of moscato that I’m sure he only bought specifically for me.
    He pops it open and pours two glasses. He’s even got wine glasses. Damn.
    “Georgetown changed you.”
    “Not really. I’m still the same.” He pulls the vanilla Coke out of the bottom of the refrigerator and the Red Vines out of the cupboard. I have no idea where he got them, because I’m pretty sure they don’t sell them around here. We move to the couch and he asks me if I want to watch a movie.
    “I get to pick, though,” he says, getting up and getting one out of a cabinet in his entertainment center without letting me see what it is. He puts the disc in and the previews come on. He grabs the remote and skips through them to the menu. Dear Jesus.
    “Are you kidding me?”
    “What, it’s a classic.”
    I roll my eyes as Animal House starts. We always used to argue about movies. It was rare when we agreed on one. I don’t think we ever found a movie that both of us loved. But we would compromise, because we were young and in love.
    I sip my wine and bust open the bag of Red Vines, offering some to him. He declines, as usual. Sawyer is determined that Twizzlers are better than Red Vines. I couldn’t count how many times we’d “fought” about it. They were never real fights, of course.
    I finish my first glass of wine and then fill the glass with vanilla Coke and Sawyer does the same. We smile at each other and I wonder if he’s thinking about memories as well.
    “So other than Allison, is there anyone else special at Columbia?” Subtle, Sawyer. He wasn’t great at being stealthy with asking questions.
    “No, I don’t have a boyfriend, Sawyer. Do YOU have anyone special?” I can’t imagine that he wouldn’t. With his gorgeous face and heartbreaking smile, and his rocking body, he’s easy on the eyes. Plus he’s also a wonderful guy.
    “No, there isn’t anyone,” he says and it makes my heart lurch and start to race.
    “Has . . . has there been?” I have no right to ask this, but I want to know the answer. There hasn’t been anyone for me since him. There wasn’t anyone before him either. He’s been my only, in every way.
    He sighs and turns the volume of the movie down.
    “I tried, but nothing felt right. I’d be with someone and I’d just be thinking that her hair wasn’t right, or she had a weird laugh, or she’d not be as smart as I initially thought. No one seemed right.” I know exactly what he means. Sawyer sets his glass down and leans forward.
    “None of them were you.” I exhale in a whoosh and I don’t know what to say, how to react. I . . . I feel the same way.
    Sawyer looks away from me, as if he’s ashamed of what he’s said. He