3:26 am

o n e

o n e

3:26 am
unknown number
hey

3:29 am
unknown number
quinn !!

3:31 am
unknown number
don't break my heart all over again :(((

3:41 am
unknown number
quinn? :(

3:42 am
quinn
what the fuck?? who is this?

3:44 am
unknown number
you don't have my number saved??? that really hurts my feelings, squint :-(

3:45 am
quinn
"squint" ??

3:45 am
quinn
oh my god, is this holden??

3:45 am
unknown number
ding ding ding!! we have a winner :)

3:45 am
quinn
and this winner is going back to bed. don't drunk text me, holden. im not in the mood.

. . .

"You'll never believe who texted me last night," I said as I threw my bag to the floor before sitting on my favorite stool of the bar that my best friend worked at. "Wow, is the bar decorated for Christmas? Do you guys always do this?" I asked as I looked around at the twinkling lights.

"Hello to you, too," My best friend Ellie said sarcastically as her brown eyes rolled. She handed me my usual drink and I gave her a big smile before opening my mouth to speak.

"Hello, love of my life! How are you today, pumpkin?" I asked her and she shook her head at me before laughing quietly.

"I'm great, thank you for finally asking," Ellie responded with a smile and I smiled as well, laughing to myself as I pulled my phone out of my coat pocket. "Peter agreed I could hang up some lights, and I'm hoping he'll let me decorate some more once it's actually December. So, someone texted you last night?" Ellie asked, turning the attention back on what I had brought up previously.

"Yes, but... actually, no. Someone texted me very early this morning. It was three in the morning, and it woke me up," I corrected myself from earlier and Ellie arched her eyebrow, clearly intrigued by my updated information.

"Was it your mom? Telling you that this better be the last year you don't bring a guy home for Christmas?" I stifled a laugh at Ellie's words and she gave me a wide smile before turning her attention to the cash register.

"I'll give you a hint. It was a guy... who I've brought home for Christmas," I watched as Ellie's eyes widened, and I took a sip of the drink Ellie had mixed for me as I waited for her to say something.

"Holden fucking texted you?" Ellie asked, her voice raised in surprise and shock. I laughed at her tone and began to shush her, even though I didn't know anyone around us, nor did I care if they heard what we were talking about.

"Yeah... I think he was drunk or something," I told Ellie as my shoulders shrugged, and I focused on taking another sip. "He called me squint, can you believe that?"

"Did you reply to him?" Ellie asked, eager to know.

"Well, I deleted his number when we broke things off, so I had to reply to find out who was texting me... and then as soon as I guessed, I told him not to drunk text me anymore," I told Ellie, making it seem just as simple as it had been.