Eddie Munson - Novel Like

030 - Mistletoe

I'll never outgrow the excitement of looking out my window and seeing the snow fall. Overnight a cold front had moved in, transforming Hawkins into a winter wonderland. Soft, white powder covered the ground in blankets, and icicles shimmered from the trees.

"Ali, you have a visitor" Dave called from the living room.

Reluctantly, I left the warmth of my fleece blanket and walked to the front door. I grinned, seeing Eddie standing with a to-go cup from my favorite coffee shop in town. "Merry Christmas Eve" he beamed, dimples dancing across his cheeks.

I smiled and placed a sweet kiss on each of them. "What are you doing here? I thought you had work?"

"Dave decided to close up because of weather, so I thought we could spend the day together instead" he explained as he offered me the warm cup. "What do you say?"

"Well, you're obviously trying to bribe me." I teased, holding the drink to my lips. "How could I possibly say no?"

Eddie's grin somehow deepened and I felt my stomach flutter. He was seriously so beautiful.

"Good, cause' I have the whole day planned out. But you're gonna need a few more layers—it's cold as fuck out there" he added, pointing his thumb towards the window.

"Language, Munson!" Dave yelled from the kitchen, causing Eddie to wince in embarrassment.

I giggled and scrunched my nose. "Ugh Eddie, you know how I feel about the outdoors" I whined.

He tapped my nose with his finger. "Come on, sweetheart. Live a little."

Eddie had me put on so many layers I felt like the Michelin man when I walked out the front door. The cold air grazed my cheeks, causing me to shiver and rub my hands together. Unexpectedly, something hard hit my shoulder, leaving a sprinkle of white glitter dusting over my jacket.

"What the—" I was cut off by another hit to the stomach.

I looked up to see Steve clapping his hands together, and Dustin forming another ball in the snow. "Oh, your ass in mine Henderson!" Eddie joked as he bent down, grabbing a handful of snow, and nailing the curly headed kid in the head.

The boy cried out in a dramatic scene before Eddie tackled him to the ground and they playfully wrestled each other.

"Duck and cover, Reed!" Steve yelled.
I couldn't contain the laughter escaping from my lips. The whole group was there. Robin, Max, Mike, all of them. Each of them bundled up in their winter gear and competing in snowball combat.

"Come on Munson. You said snowMEN, not snowBALLS!" Nancy shrieked.

"Ha, balls!" Mike repeated.

After Erica and Max teamed up and dominated the boys with their killer curveballs, we built snow men, made snow angels, and drank hot chocolate.

The sun was starting to set, and it was time to move on to the next unknown adventure on Eddie's list.

************

"You're seriously not going to tell me where we're going?" I whispered in his ear as we sat squished in the back of Steve's car.

He placed his hand on my knee and rubbed it softly. "Relax, Ali. It's a surprise, but I promise you're gonna love it" he reassured me.

The circular movements he made with his fingers gave me chill bumps. I hadn't been this close to him in weeks, and even now in a car full of people, my insides begged for him.