The Hazards of Mistletoe by Alyssa Rose Ivy Page B

me.”
    “Layden? Do I want to know?”
    “He also wants her happy.”
    He smiled. “I guess there’s a lot of people rooting for that.”
    “No one more than me.”
    “Good luck.”
    “Thanks.” I started heading back toward Savy. As we walked over she was laughing at something Winston had said. Despite some of his annoying habits, Winston was really good at doing that.
    “Are you done talking about me?” Savy set her eyes on me even though she was asking both of us. I was glad. I wanted all of her attention to myself.
    “I just wanted to make sure you could trust him.” Dalton spoke slowly, seeming to be carefully selecting his words.
    “And what’s the consensus?” she asked in a playful way. Playful was good. Playful was the Savy I knew.
    “You can. He knows he’s a goner if he does anything to upset you again.”
    “A goner?” Savy and I both asked at once.
    He was unmoved. “You don’t want to know.”
    “Is this when I discover that the college student thing is just cover, and you’re really in some secret government agency?” Savy laughed.
    “You’re laughing now.” He seemed to be trying to hide a smile.
    “So what’s it going to be?” I took a step toward Savy. “A sleigh ride together with me?”
    “It’s lovely weather.”
    Dalton groaned. “Did you just quote Christmas music lyrics?”
    “I told you she’s obsessed with this time of year.”
    “I’m not obsessed.” She gave me her pouty face.
    “Not obsessed, passionate.”
    “Passionate is an acceptable term.”
    “Does that mean you’re going to come?”
    She pursed her lips. “I don’t think I should.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because you only did this because you feel guilty or something. I already told you that you don’t have to worry about it. I got the hint, and I moved on.”
    “The move on comment aside, we’ll talk about that later, but what if that’s not why I did it? What if I did it because I really want to go on a sleigh ride, and you’re the only one into Christmas enough to do it with me?”
    “So now you’re saying you’re desperate.”
    I shook my head. “You are making this way too complicated.”
    “Oh, so it’s my fault?”
    “No. I’m not saying that.”
    Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Dalton walking away. Winston followed with a wave. Savy was completely oblivious, and I tried to hide my smile. It looked like Dalton was going to help me out.
    “Then what are you saying? You keep telling me how I’m wrong. How you didn’t reject me, blah blah blah. So give me answers.”
    “Blah blah blah?” I moved toward her. “Are we back at that point again?”
    She broke into a grin. “You remember that? Do you remember how mad my dad got when I said that to him?”
    “Of course. You got grounded, cancelled on me, and I ended up sitting in my room alone. What a lame night.”
    She laughed. It was her natural laugh, the one that made it impossible not to smile. “I can’t believe you remember that.”
    “I remember everything about you.”
    “So do I.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I mean about you.”
    “Come on a sleigh ride with me.” I spoke quietly this time.
    She nodded. “It doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you.”
    “Deal. You have the right to go back to being mad at me afterward. Just give me this.”
    She laughed again. “I hope they have blankets. It’s freezing tonight.”
    I lightly tugged on her arm, pulling her toward me. “I’d never leave you to get cold.”
    She looked away. “You’ve done it before.”
    “And it’s my biggest regret.”
    She turned to look at me. “I wish we never kissed.”
    “Please don’t say that.”
    “It’s true. If we hadn’t, none of that other stuff would have happened. We’d still be friends.”
    “It would have happened eventually.”
    She shook her head. “Not without the mistletoe.”
    “I’ve been into you for years. It was going to happen with or without mistletoe.”
    “Then why did you do it?