Christmas Break

Chapter 25

Sterling

If Sterling had thought Olly was a terror before Christmas, it was nothing compared to the actual day. When Celeste and Sterling got to the loft the next morning, Alicia and Olly were waiting for them in matching festive pajamas. And worse, there was a set for each of them, too.

"I'm sorry to inform you," Olly continued, putting on his most official voice, a strange pseudo-British accent, as he handed them over, "but I've declared these pajamas are a requirement in participating in the day's activities."

"Here, here!" Alicia cheered in support from her spot on the couch where pillows currently bolstered her ankle. The sprain hadn't turned out to be that bad, but she was still supposed to stay off it. Olly had volunteered to look after her so she'd been here since last night.

"What are you even talking about?" Sterling asked, frowning as he looked over the set of pajamas. They were bright green and patterned with sexy pinups of elves and even one of Santa.

Olly huffed, already pouting that Sterling wouldn't play along.

"What he means," Alicia translated, leaning on her pillows. "Put on the pajamas or you don't get any French toast."

"You're really going to withhold breakfast?" Sterling shot back.

"Them the rules," Olly nodded, folding his arms to show he meant business. "No jammies, no toast...ies."

"Fine," Sterling said, taking Celeste by the shoulder and turning her back toward the door. "We'll go back to Celeste's place. We were having a nice time there, on our own, anyway."

"Actually," Celeste said, coming to a stop. Sterling stopped alongside her. "I... I want to put on the pajamas."

Sterling just sighed while Alicia and Olly cheered.

"It'll be fun!" she said, her green eyes shining. "Please?"

Sterling inhaled through his nose and looked up at the ceiling like he was pretending to think about it. But he already knew that he was doomed to put on those damned pajamas. How could he refuse when it made Celeste so happy?

"Alright," Sterling said, dropping his gaze to her smiling face again. "But I draw the line at pajamas. That's it."

🎄

After the pajamas were on and Olly's French toast spread had been thoroughly demolished—Sterling had to admit it had been worth the pajamas—Olly called them all over to the tree. He insisted they sit on the ground, except for Alicia, around the tree's base. A small selection of gifts had appeared since last night. Considering the place's open floor plan, Sterling wondered where Olly had been stashing all of them. Olly began doling them out.

"First," Olly said with a grin, picking up a large, squishy package wrapped in the same garish green and red paper Sterling had seen before, "a gift for Sterling—"

Something told Sterling that it was one of Olly's horrible Christmas sweaters. He wished the fireplace that was playing on Olly's TV was real, so he could toss it in and forever rid the world of its evil—

"Wait!" Celeste cried.

Olly stopped mid-hand over. "What?"

"I want to give Sterling my present first!" she said, hopping up from the floor. She ran back over to her bag and dug out a small package before returning.

"You got me a present?" Sterling said. In the madness of yesterday, he hadn't been able to get her anything else.

"Of course," she said, hurrying back and reclaiming her spot by his side. She handed it over. "Merry Christmas, Sterling."

Both the paper and the wrapping job were much prettier than anything under Olly's tree. The paper was pale white and patterned with silver snowflakes, tied off with a few loops of thin red ribbon that had been curled at the ends.

"When did you get this?" Sterling asked.

Celeste just gave a coy shrug. "Open it."

Sterling did as she said. He slid the ribbon off and carefully pried off the tape—the paper was too pretty to rip into. Eventually, he uncovered a simple brown gift box. Pulling the lid off, he revealed a small leather keychain embossed with a single evergreen tree.

"It's to remind you of Winter Grove," she said, "when you leave."

"I don't have any immediate plans for that," Sterling admitted, turning the keychain over. He recognized it. "You bought this, at that leather goods booth at the festival, when I was donating my gift, didn't you?"

"That's right," Celeste said, grinning back at him.

"But that was before we..." Sterling said, his brow tensing up in confusion.

"I know," Celeste said with a gentle smile.

"Why?"

"Because everyone deserves a gift on Christmas morning," Celeste says.

Sterling couldn't help but feel that he'd already gotten his gift. Olly and Alicia heckled them as Sterling reached over and pulled Celeste in for a kiss.

🎄

I hope you enjoyed this story and reading along as we counted down to Christmas together!
Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

~Evelyn 
ChristmasRomance

🎄