Chapter 5 Two Holidays

Callie's POV

The movie continued to play, but I wasn't watching it anymore.

Snow fell softly on my laptop screen, the characters wrapped in scarves and happy endings, cups of cocoa held between smiling hands.

I'd seen The Holiday more times than I could count. I knew every line. Every predictable beat. That was why I'd chosen it. It required nothing from me.

And yet my chest felt tight.

My knees were pulled up against my chest on the bed, laptop balanced carelessly on my thighs. I'd been staring at the screen for minutes without blinking, my mind drifting back to the storage room. To the way Dominic had leaned in. To the way my body had betrayed me so easily.

God, I'd closed my eyes.

The realization still made heat creep up my neck in a slow, humiliating burn.

I hugged my arms tighter around myself, trying to shake the feeling. Trying to convince myself it hadn't meant anything. That I'd imagined the tension between us. That the look in his eyes hadn't been real.

But my body hadn't imagined it. I had seen it with my own eyes. Dropping my laptop, I let my head fall back against the pillow.

"What are you doing to yourself?" I whispered.

I stared at the ceiling, replaying the moment again and again until it felt distorted, like a memory worn thin from overuse.

Eventually, exhaustion won. I didn't remember falling asleep. Only the heaviness pulled me under.

I woke to a dull ache in my lower stomach that was insistent and grounding. The room was dark now, curtains barely glowing with the faint spill of streetlight outside.

My laptop sat abandoned beside me, the movie long finished. I checked the time on my phone. It was not too late.

I slipped out of bed quietly, tugging my hoodie tighter around myself. The hallway was dim as I padded toward the kitchen, my bare feet cool against the floor.

Halfway down the stairs, I heard a soft, breathy sound. It was a muffled moan that barely passed through the door.

At first, I frowned.

Jenna, I thought absently.

Then I felt heat crawl up my cheeks at the assumption. Of course, she'd have someone over. I almost laughed under my breath, shaking my head at myself for being startled.

I continued down a few steps, then stopped. The sound didn't come from her room. I knew the house too well.

The sound came again, this time lower, but steady.

Realisation hit me immediately, sharp and painful, my chest tightening. The sound was coming from the opposite end of the corridor. From Dominic's room.

And my heart stuttered. I didn't breathe. I didn't move. I just stood there, frozen, as reality sank in. So this is what that was.

I felt stupid, small and naive for ever thinking... I swallowed hard and forced myself to keep walking.

The kitchen light was too bright when I flicked it on. I grabbed a plate, with my hands shaking as I pulled leftovers from the fridge.

The sound still echoed in my head. I took one bite and nearly gagged.

"Couldn't sleep either?"

I jumped, spinning around too fast. I saw Jenna standing in the doorway, yawning, her hair pulled into a messy bun.

"Oh..." I swallowed. "Yeah. I was just... hungry."

She wandered in, opened a cupboard and pulled out a snack.

"Same."

I nodded, focusing on pouring myself a glass of water. My hands shook slightly. And I hoped she didn't notice it.

She leaned against the counter, glancing toward the hallway. "She's loud, huh?"

The word hit me like a slap. "She?"

"My dad's girlfriend," Jenna said casually, popping a piece of chocolate into her mouth.

"Mara. She's been staying over more lately."

Girlfriend.

I kept my eyes on the water as it filled the glass. "How long...?"

Jenna shrugged. "A year? Maybe two. I don't know. They're not exactly the PDA type, but when she's in a mood..." She grimaced.

"Soundproofing would be nice."

At that moment something sharp twisted inside me. It felt humiliating. I nodded, stilling my expression like the information didn't matter to me.

"Oh," I said. "I didn't know."

"Yeah. She's... intense." Jenna stopped and studied my face for a moment. "You okay?"

"Fine," I lied, too quickly. I took a sip of water that did nothing to soothe the dryness in my throat. "Just tired."

"Same." Jenna grabbed a plate, piling food onto it. "You should eat."

I forced myself to dish out some food, though my appetite had vanished completely. I took a few bites, but each one was tasteless. My stomach turned with every muffled sound that drifted faintly from upstairs.

After a minute, I set the fork down. "I think I'm going to head back to bed."

"You barely ate." Jenna stared at me, her face twisted in a light frown.

"I'll try again tomorrow."

She nodded, her face relaxing. "Night, Cal." She didn't push.

"Night, Enna," I replied quickly and hurried to my room.

Back in my room, I crawled under the covers and stared at the ceiling. Sleep didn't come easily. When it did, it was shallow and restless, filled with fragmented images of his hands, his lips and his voice saying my name like a holy curse.

I woke up feeling worse. My eyes burned, my head throbbed, and my reflection in the mirror made my stomach sink. Shadows clung stubbornly beneath my eyes, and my skin was dull and tired.

I stared at myself for a long moment. Get it together.

I took my time with my skincare, like the routine itself might steady me. Moisturiser. Eye cream.

A touch of concealer to hide what the night had taken. The makeup was light, just enough to look like I'd slept.

When I went downstairs, the house was quiet again.

I poured cereal into a bowl, Golden Morn, the familiar comfort of it almost making me smile, and then I sat at the dining table alone. The spoon clinked softly against the bowl. I focused on my laptop's screen. I'm watching another Christmas movie.

I sensed him before I saw him. I felt a close presence behind me. Turning, Dominic stood there, dressed neatly in joggers and a sweatshirt. His expression was unreadable and colder than before. It felt more distant.

"Good morning," I said, automatically.

"Morning," he replied, his tone formal.

Silence stretched between us, awkward and fragile. I turned back to my bowl, suddenly hyper-aware of every movement.

Minutes later, footsteps echoed on the stairs. Then she appeared. Tall, composed, with her hair perfectly styled. Mara. She was beautiful in an effortless, polished way, at least ten years older than me, with confidence written into the way she carried herself.

Her eyes landed on me, sharp and assessing.

"You must be Callie," she said, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.

"Yes," I replied, still sitting. "Nice to meet you."

She glanced at Dominic, then back at me. "Likewise."

Dominic cleared his throat. "I have to step out for a run."

"I'll be here," Mara said lightly, kissing him on his lips.

His gaze flicked to me for half a second, too quick to read. Then he was gone. The front door closed after him.

"You're pretty."

I heard Mara say immediately that the door closed. I looked at her. Mara's smile had faded. She looked at me fully now, head tilting slightly.

"You're younger than I expected."

I stiffened, but didn't reply to her. Has she heard about me before now?

"Mmm." She glanced around. "You seem... comfortable."

I still didn't respond. I knew what she was doing.

Her eyes flicked to the laptop on the counter. "Accidents happen," she said. "Though it's interesting how often people trip over boundaries."

"I think I should go," I said calmly. She was in for trouble, but I wasn't.

She stepped closer. "Running away already?"

"I don't want any trouble."

She laughed softly. "Funny. You seem to have caused it and now you no longer want what you caused."

Her hand moved suddenly, shoving my laptop off the counter. It hit the floor with a sharp crack, the screen shattering completely.

Jenna's door opened upstairs. "What's going on...?"

Then I heard her hurried steps down the stairs. Jenna's eyes widened in shock, then anger when she saw my laptop on the floor.

"What did you just do?" She asked Mara, her voice rising and her eyes flaring with anger.

Mara, ignoring her, stepped closer to me and shoved me hard. I stumbled back, barely keeping my balance.

"Don't touch me," I said, my voice was loud but it trembled slightly.

She lifted her hand and I knew she wanted to slap me. From the corner of my eye, I saw Jenna hurrying toward me.

"Step away from her." A cold and controlled voice spoke in a flat tone.

Everyone froze. I didn't need to turn. I already knew that voice.