Page 37 of Under The Meh-stletoe

She leaned on the counter, resting on her elbows and watching me carefully.

Eva waited for my answer. In all our conversations, we hadn't really gotten personal like this, but I had to admit it was a good thing. It forced me to find the answer inside, because even if this scared me, I was not a liar.

I held my friend's gaze. "Because I don't know if the effort is going to be worth it."

"How do you know the work you're doing for Laguna Island will result in what you want?"

"Because I won't let it be any other way."

"I think you can think of relationships that way, too. As long as you and everyone involved are on the same page, you can make it happen. The question is, do you want to commit to it the same way you committed to Laguna Island?"

"I think…" I stood and stared out the window. "I think I want to see where this goes. Put work into it, too."

"Then go tell her." Eva stretched a hand; I gave her the duster. "See if she wants that, too."

I smiled at her. "Thanks, Eva."

She didn't say anything else; she gestured toward the door to get me out into the night.

I parked outside of Ale and Ren's house and watched the windows like a creep. The curtains were closed and I couldn't see inside; not even shadows hinted at any movement in the home.

The worst stakeout ever could end with a simple text. I could send Ale a message and tell her I was outside, but I stalled. Mostly because I wanted to know what the hell to tell her, and I wasn't sure yet.

I leaned on the steering wheel and rested my head on my forearms. A slow and deliberate breath made it through my lips.

How to tell Ale that, after only a couple of days, I had changed my mind and wanted to see where our relationship could go? Maybe I could give it some more time and see if she might start feeling the same way.

Waiting seemed like a coward's solution. Could it be smart, too?

Maybe I should go home.

Or maybe I should just go talk to Ale and end this uncertainty.

A knock on the passenger window had me jumping in my seat.

Ale stood at the other side, a worried wrinkle on her eyebrow. "You okay?"

"Fuck." I lowered the window between us. "Hi."

"What are you doing here?"

"I was... I thought... I wanted to chat with you."

"Wow." She smirked. "I've never heard you unsure like this. Should I be worried? No— don't tell me. Did we lose Santa?"

"No, nothing like that. I just—wait. What are you doing out here?"

"I was locking the door and peeked out the window— saw the truck. Come, let's talk inside. I'm cold."

Without waiting for my answer, she went back into her place.

"No—" I stopped when she was too far away to possibly hear me. I raised the window and got out of my truck. "I was trying to be stealthy."

She waited for me by the door; I entered the home to find Ren sitting on the sofa in a blanket nest. It looked like Ale might have been sitting with her sister.

"And here I was," Ren said from her spot, "giving Ale grief for bringing her city ways home and locking the door."

The sisters' home looked cool, an old-yet-modern vibe that I could appreciate.