Juliana Woodland and Nate Jacobs have been best friends for as long as they can remember.
They are now in their junior year at East Highland High School and things are starting to get complicated.
*Had this story up on my old account and it got dele...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
As always thank you so much for reading and the feedback! Here's part 40🩶
Juliana's mom, Maria, always had a soft spot for Nate. It was the way he would pull out her chair ever since he was a kid when he was over for dinner, and the gentle charm with which he would ask about her work or if she needed help with anything around the house.
But the main reason was because she knew how much he loved her daughter and could depend on him to take care of her, unlike her own father. That was why she always treated him like family and welcomed her into her house with open arms, including for holidays and celebrations.
Despite everything that had happened between Juliana and Nate, this Christmas Eve was no different. The three of them sat in the Woodland living room, surrounded by twinkling lights and the faint scent of pine.
Juliana and her mom had gone all out, as usual, with help from Nate. He did the more difficult tasks, like putting up the lights and bringing the tree home to set up after following Juliana around for ages until she found the perfect one. She chose a towering one that nearly touched the ceiling, that was now decorated with ornaments that had been collected over the years.
Juliana and Nate always spent the holidays with each other's family's, planning around her mom's busy work schedule. This year Maria was off on Christmas Eve, so they would spend it with her, then go to the Jacobs house on Christmas Day. The familiarity of this annual tradition always brought him comfort.
As they sipped on eggnog spiked with just the right amount of whiskey, Maria couldn't help but beam at the sight of the two of them together. Her heart swelled with a motherly affection that was as genuine as it was misguided.
The conversation drifted to memories of past holidays, and Nate found himself thinking about his own family, and how much at ease he was with Juliana and her mom.
"It's always so great being here during Christmas." He said, sipping his drink.
Juliana reached over and squeezed his hand, her thumb brushing over the knuckles in a gesture that was both comforting and loaded with meaning.
She knew that he meant compared to his own house. His relationship with his dad had gotten even worse recently and she was aware that he was dreading having to be with his own family the following day. She wasn't looking forward to it, either.
"You two always make it look like something out of a Christmas movie." He chuckled.
"Well, it wouldn't look half as good without you doing the heavy work." Maria laughed.
Her laughter was the kind that filled the room and made you want to laugh along, even if you didn't quite get the joke. She had a way of making everyone feel included, a trait that Juliana had gotten from her.
"And I can't imagine you not being here during Christmas time, or any time. When it comes time for you two to move in together, there won't be any adjusting at all!" She continued.
They had agreed to keep their friends with benefits arrangement under wraps, not only from their families, but from everyone.
It was a little complicated; her friends thought they were strictly platonic again, and their parents thought they were still in a relationship. Neither of them wanted to get into the details with their families about it.
Yet here they were, playing house in a way that felt eerily authentic, their palms pressed together as they continued to chat and laugh with Maria.
As the morning grew later, they moved into the kitchen to help prepare dinner. Nate peeled potatoes while Juliana chopped the other vegetables, their movements synchronized from years of doing it together.
Her mom sang along to a holiday playlist, her voice slightly off-key but filled with joy. It was in moments like these that Nate really believed he and Juliana would be back together soon, for good, and he would fully belong to this world of stability and happiness that he didn't have with his own family.
As they worked side by side, he stole glances at her, noticing the way the light reflected off her shiny hair and how her smile grew when she started singing along with her mom. Even though she appeared happy, he could sense that there was something else underlying.
He couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia for the innocence of their early friendship, a time when love had been an implicit promise and things were simple, rather than the tension that now danced between them. At the same time, though, he wouldn't ever change the fact that they got together, no matter how difficult it had been.
As the kitchen filled with the aromas of roasting turkey, Juliana and Nate cleared the dishes while Maria went to the living room. He took the opportunity to talk to her, their eyes locking for a moment that seemed to stretch longer than it should.
"Are you enjoying the day?" He asked, his voice low and filled with a genuine concern that only she could hear.
She nodded, her expression a mix of amusement and resignation. "It's just weird, you know?" She whispered, glancing towards the kitchen door where the sound of her mother's singing was faintly audible from down the hall. "It just feels different than every other year, with us."
"I know, Angel." He took her hand, giving it a squeeze that sent a shiver down her spine. "And it is different. But just know that I care about you more than anything. And that's not going to change, no matter what."
The air grew thick with unspoken emotions, and for a moment, it seemed like he might say something more. Instead , he cupped her face with his hands and leaned down to meet her lips with his. It was a soft and gentle kiss, and she instantly felt herself melting under his touch.
"I love you, Juliana." He murmured when they pulled apart.
Her heart pounded as her eyes searched his. She was very aware that the last time they said they loved each other was at the homecoming dance. Before everything that happened, they used to say they love each other every day, even before they were in a relationship.
When they agreed to be just friends that night after the dance, a lot of aspects of their friendship came back naturally, but saying they love each other was not one of them.
She wasn't sure how he felt about it, but for her, it almost felt wrong saying she loved him once they were just friends again, after being in a relationship and saying it all the time.
She stood on her tippy toes to wrapped her arms around his neck and kiss him again. "I love you, too." She breathed, unable to stop the words from slipping out.
They joined Maria in the living room, where they found her setting up the Christmas village that had been in the family for years. Juliana was pretty sure her great grandparents were the ones who bought it, and it had been passed down since then.
The tiny houses were adorned with lights that twinkled in time with the music playing quietly in the background. They took their places beside her mom, each taking a delicate figurine to place in it.
Maria looked up at them, her eyes misty. "You'll be setting this up with your own family one day," she sniffed.
"Oh my god, mom, you always get so corny during Christmas." Juliana forced a laugh, already feeling emotional from what had just happened with Nate. She tried to keep her focus on what she was doing.
"I know, I can't help it. I still remember when we first moved here and you and your parents came over to welcome us. You were so shy," she looked at Nate, her voice filled with fondness. "But I could tell you had a good heart. And look at you now, all grown up and still the sweetest boy I know, taking such good care of my daughter. I always knew you two would end up together."
Nate's cheeks flushed at the praise as Maria as she put her arm around him. Juliana felt a swell of affection for both her mother and her best friend, and for a brief moment, the weight of their complicated relationship didn't seem so heavy.
