Holly Garland on Santa's Lap [COMPLETE]

CHAPTER 17 ~Mi casa es su casa~

The hot water from Nick's rain shower is unreal! Now this is one rich guy's gadget I can totally get behind.

He had Thai food delivered for dinner, and the three of us sat down to eat together in his kitchen. Guess Tony doesn't live solely on a diet of small children after all.

But I'm still not totally comfortable around him. He's not exactly chatty. The vibe at the table was seriously weird, though I probably shouldn't be surprised—everything's been strange since I met Nick. But, is that really a bad thing?

Nope. I have to admit, like he sweetly said it earlier, if I could go back and change things, I wouldn't touch a single thing that brought us together.

Yeah, my life's been turned upside down, but it hasn't all been bad. Honestly, way more ups than downs.

Even if we don't know what tomorrow's gonna throw at us, there's no turning back now. No more pretending it's not happening. Gotta see this wild adventure through.

I step out of the shower and wrap myself in one of Nick's massive towels I find in the mirror cabinet. And when I spot a hairdryer in there too, I'm thrilled.

This is luxury, people!

I blow-dry my red hair, and without a straightener, my curls have a mind of their own, but hey, I'll take it. Better than falling asleep with wet hair.

As I brush my teeth, I realize I have to head back to the living room in just a towel, with no clean clothes. Here's hoping Tony already grabbed the stuff from the dryer. Otherwise, it's just me and my oversized t-shirt again. I tiptoe out, praying not to run into anyone. Especially Tony—I'd probably drop my towel if he startled me.

Whew, the coast is clear. I sneak over to the couch for my shirt... but nope, it's gone!

"Seriously?!" I mutter, annoyed. "Where the hell are my clothes?!"

"They're in my room," Nick calls out from his doorway.

I walk over calmly and head inside, and he closes the door behind us.

He opens the doors to his massive closet and shows me a section he's cleared out just for me. My clean clothes are all folded or hanging beside his, which is kinda surreal.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to push you, but you looked too much like a homeless person with those bags," he says.

"Yeah, well, honestly," I smirk, "that's kinda how I feel right now."

"Aww, Ginger..." His voice softens. "I want you to feel at home here. Mi casa es su casa... for as long as you want."

I know it's probably just polite talk, but his words are actually pretty comforting.

"Muchas gracias, señor," I reply, smiling for real this time.

"And you're not obligated to sleep here if you don't want to. I mean, you could s—"

"No, it's fine," I cut in. "I'll stay here."

"Thank god!" he sighs. "I was about to offer you the bed while I took the couch..."

"How noble of you," I tease.

"Yep, that's me." He smirks. "You want me to turn around or close my eyes while you change...?"

I laugh, remembering that infamous night. At this point, he's seen me in all my glory.

"No, better if you keep them wide open," I warn him, then let the towel drop.

"Oh... damn... It's Christmas!" he gasps, wide-eyed.

I giggle as he steps closer, reaching his hand toward my chest.