UNDER THE WRONG MISTLETOE.

MADELINE'S POV

"Maddie, take the chicken out of the oven!" Mom's voice echoed sharply from the dining room.

I rolled my eyes at the ceiling. "On it, Mom," I muttered under my breath as I slid the mittens onto my hands. The oven heat rushed against my face, warm and suffocating, kind of like tonight's pressure. I pulled out the roasting pan, its golden-brown surface shimmering with heat, and placed it gently on the counter.

I hadn't even removed the mittens when Mom breezed into the kitchen, hair pinned, dress neat, looking ten times calmer than she actually was.

"Don't just stand there, Maddie," she said, dropping a knife into my hand like I had no choice in this godforsaken world. "Slice the onions."

I stared at her. "Why am I the one doing all the work tonight? Today's Betty's night. She's meeting her fiancé for the first time. Shouldn't she be in here doing all this?"

Mom froze for a second, then turned toward me slowly. Her lips pinched into that disappointed line she'd mastered over the years. "Maddie... you know how your sister is. And she's getting married to the Halstons. Do you know what that means?"

I sighed. "Yeah. I know exactly what it means."

"Then stop sulking around and be happy for your sister." She didn't give me time to reply before walking out of the kitchen, her slippers dragging lightly across the tiled floor.

I stared at the chicken again - perfect and golden, unlike me. I grabbed the knife and started slicing the onions, blinking rapidly as the sting hit my eyes. Maybe the burning was from the onions. Maybe not.

I wasn't sad that my sister was getting married. Not really.

I was sad that she had to marry him.

Calhoun Halston.

Even thinking his name made my stomach twist.

To be fair - to be very sincere - I had a massive, ridiculous, soul-damning crush on Calhoun since I was twelve. He saved me from a bully that year, while he was just visiting here for the holidays. I remembered crying, clutching my bleeding finger, and him tall, awkward, fourteen-year-old him lifting my hand and sucking the blood off my finger to soothe it.

Disgusting? Maybe.

But to a twelve-year-old me? It was everything.

He was the first boy who ever looked at me like I existed.

Every Christmas, my family traveled to this part of Texas, my grandparents' home. They missed us during the year, so we always spent the holidays together. Fifteen cousins, six uncles, too many family members to count.

We called this place The Family Tree, because everyone,and I mean everyone - came here for the holidays. This house always overflowed with laughter, chaos, and secrets tucked behind pine-scented walls.

This was where the Halstons first met our family.

The Halstons... the wealthy, prestigious, ridiculously powerful Halstons...owners of half the state, political giants, generational money, generational pride.

We weren't royal. We weren't special. We weren't poor, but we weren't even close to them.

Yet somehow, they decided one of their sons needed to be married into an "average" family. Not too powerful, not too influential - just balanced enough to keep the Halston bloodline's reputation "humble."

And guess what?

They picked us.

More accurately... they picked Betty.

It was arranged right from birth. We were kids. We had no idea. When I eventually heard about it, I felt sick. Betrayed. Like the universe chose the wrong person.

I knew Calhoun long before I knew he was betrothed to my sister. And by the time I found out, it was already too late. Feelings don't just dissolve because they're inconvenient.

I kept quiet. I swallowed the truth.

Because what would it change?

I was the spare.

The invisible one.

And tonight... the Halstons were coming to finalize everything - wedding preparations, guest lists, engagement announcements, everything.

Today was Betty's "coming of age," apparently. Whatever that meant.

I didn't know how to feel. I didn't even know what to do with my heart anymore.

When the kitchen work finally ended, I trudged up the stairs to get dressed. The house was buzzing downstairs - footsteps, murmurs, hurried movements - preparing for the guests who already made us all feel small just by existing.

I reached the room I shared with Betty. Well, technically our room, but almost everything in here belonged to her - the clothes, the perfumes, the decorations, the giant vanity table she made Mom buy her. I always felt like a visitor in my own space.

Betty was standing in front of the mirror, admiring herself like a goddess. She wore a pink dress, petals of embroidered flowers around the waist, with long white gloves that gave her a princess-like elegance. Her hair was pinned up, her lipstick soft but perfect.

She looked like she belonged in their world.

"Don't just stand there, Maddie," Betty said without turning. "Come help me."

I walked to her, picked up the belt of her dress, and began tying it neatly. Her reflection looked back at me in the mirror, beautiful and smug.

"You look beautiful, Beth," I whispered.

"Of course I do," she replied casually. "Someone has to be pretty tonight. Definitely not you."

I forced a smile...the sarcastic kind that hid pain behind teeth.

Typical Betty. Confident. Blunt. Annoyingly proud.

And honestly... she had reasons to be. She was marrying the governor's son. Everyone praised her. Everyone loved her.

"What if he's not that handsome?" I asked, pretending to be casual. Even though I already knew how painfully handsome Calhoun was - dark hair, piercing eyes, defined jaw, tall enough to look down at anyone.

Betty shrugged. "Maddie, it's not about looks. The Halstons own half the territories in this state. I'm only doing this because I'm tired of being poor."

I breathed a small laugh. "Lucky you then."

For once, Betty turned around to face me. She took my hands into hers, and her eyes softened in a way I couldn't fully understand.

"I know it'll be hard for you," she said quietly.

My eyebrows furrowed. "Hard for me? Why would it be hard for me?"

She smiled - that smug little smile she wore like jewelry. "Because everyone can't be me."

My face dropped instantly. "I wasn't even-"

"Girls!!!" Mom shouted from downstairs. "Come down now! Our guests are here!"

Betty squealed excitedly and adjusted her gloves.

But me?

My heart stopped.

Not slowed.

Not stuttered.

Stopped.

They we here.

He was here.

Calhoun Halston. The boy who saved me once. The boy who grew into a man everyone wanted. The boy who didn't even know he owned pieces of my heart.

Tonight, I would see him again.

But not as Maddie, the girl he saved.

Not as the girl who crushed on him for years.

Tonight, I would see him as...

my sister's fiancé.

And that reality hit harder than anything I had ever felt.

I was already dressed and descending the stairs, one careful step at a time. My palms were damp. My breathing came shallow and uneven, like my chest couldn't decide if it wanted to collapse or explode. I didn't even know what I was more nervous about, the stupid crush I should've buried years ago,or the possibility that he might still remember me.

The staircase curved downward in a slow arc, and the warm chandelier light spilled over everything like melted gold. My dress brushed against my legs as I moved, whispering, mocking my heartbeat. I gripped the railing for balance, afraid my knees might give way at any second.

As I reached the last few steps, I caught a glimpse of the dining room...glasses clinking softly, murmured conversations, the soft clatter of cutlery. My cousins were already seated, faces eager and oblivious. My mom and dad sat together, straight-backed, performing elegance like it was a show.

And then...

him.

My eyes collided with his.

Calhoun Halston.

For a moment, the world muted itself. I couldn't even hear my own breathing anymore. He was... different. More solid. Broader shoulders beneath the black shirt he wore, the sleeves rolled a little up his forearms like he couldn't bother with full elegance. His jaw was sharper, a shadow of stubble defining every line. He looked older than the boy I remembered-but those eyes...

Those icy grey eyes that could pierce through bone and intentions.

I looked away immediately, heat rushing to my face.

Stupid. Why am I reacting like this?

I walked toward the table and sat next to Jeremy-my talkative, irritating, weirdly comforting cousin. But even with Jeremy's constant buzzing energy beside me, I could feel those grey eyes still on me.

Which only meant one thing:

He remembered me too.

"It's a pleasure having your family here, Mr. Halston," Mom said, her polite smile perfectly placed.

Mr. Halston smiled back. "The pleasure's all ours." His eyes swept calmly across the room like he was assessing some expensive painting collection.

Mr. Halston looked like he was in his early fifties-tall, dignified, with mostly grey hair that somehow made him look more powerful. His wife, beside him, was beautifully poised, elegant in a cold, quiet way. She didn't smile much. Actually, she didn't smile at all.

Suddenly, the soft hum of the room shifted.

The attention pulled-no, snapped, toward the stairs behind me.

Betty was descending.

And of course, she looked picture perfect. She always did, like the world simply adjusted to compliment her beauty.

"Oh my..." Dad said, surprised, sounding almost emotional. He stood up instantly, walking to Betty as though she were a bride already. He held her hand proudly and guided her toward the table.

Mr. Halston rose, smiling broadly. "Wow, Mr. Stewart," he said with a deep, approving tone. "I can see you've kept your end of the bargain."

Mrs. Halston nodded and added, "She looks gorgeous, Mrs. Stewart. You've done an excellent job raising this beauty."

I turned slightly and looked at Calhoun.

He didn't look impressed.

He barely even lifted his eyes, like he'd been forced to come here. He didn't look like a man excited to meet his future wife.

But just as I dropped my gaze, he lifted his.

I diverted mine instantly, heart thudding.

"Come on, Cal... go kiss her hand or something," Mrs. Halston whispered sharply to him.

He exhaled quietly–annoyed? bored?-and stood up.

Betty reached the table, hands trembling just a little. I could tell she was nervous, though she tried her best to disguise it behind a small smile.

Calhoun took her hand gently and kissed it.

Something twisted inside me-tight and bitter.

I couldn't be jealous. No.

I had no right to be.

They sat down, everyone adjusting their positions. The room settled into an awkward quietness. Even Jeremy stopped talking for a second, which was shocking. I stared down at my plate, determined not to raise my head for anything.

"So, Calhoun... I heard you just opened a new company downtown," Dad said, trying to warm up the atmosphere. "It's cool. Your parents must be proud."

"Of course we are," Mr. Halston responded quickly. "He's been a good boy."

"Well, Mr. Stewart..." Mrs. Halston suddenly began, her gaze landing directly on me. "You didn't mention you had another daughter."

"Oh, right. I'm sorry, we should have..." Mom cut in, gesturing to me. "This is Madeline, my daughter. She's almost done with college and soon would be married off."

That stung.

It shouldn't have, but it did.

Like my entire existence boiled down to being "married off."

Like I wasn't a person-just a future bride on standby.

Still, I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced a small smile at the Halstons. "Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Halston."

"The pleasure is all ours, beauty," Mr. Halston said kindly.

But Mrs. Halston's face twisted ever so slightly, like something about me offended her.

"Well... I mean, the only beauty tonight is Calhoun's wife-to-be..." she began, before her husband shot her a silencing glare.

I already knew she didn't like me.

Honestly, I didn't like her either.

Her voice alone irritated me.

"Anyways..." Dad said quickly, trying to shift the air. "I believe we'll be starting the preparation immediately. So, Betty, what do you think?"

For the first time, Betty spoke. "I'd love that, Daddy."

"Wow! Betty, you've fallen in love already, I thought-ouch!" Jeremy gasped as Mom kicked him under the table.

Mrs. Halston chuckled softly. "Well, you can't blame her. Our son's a catch."

I glanced at Calhoun.

He was just eating quietly, like this entire dinner had nothing to do with him.

He hadn't said a single unnecessary word.

He was there, but not present.

The table buzzed with talk about weddings, arrangements, dates. All things I cared nothing about.

"You okay?" Jeremy whispered, poking my shoulder gently. "You've been so quiet tonight. Unlike you."

He'd always been closer to me than Betty. He knew more about me than almost anyone-except the crush. That part, I would take to the grave.

"I'm fine," I said softly. "This is Beth's night, remember?"

He shrugged, accepting my lie for now.

"I'll be in the States during that time, so it won't work for me."

Those were the first words I heard from Calhoun all night.

My body reacted before my brain did-a sharp vibration through my spine, heat crawling up my neck.

"Oh, is that so?" Mom asked, concerned. "Then I guess we'll have to reschedule it to some other date then..."

Betty dropped her spoon. "But... I want it as soon as possible. I mean, if we have to change the date, it should be sooner, right?"

"Betty..." Mom shot her a warning look before facing the Halstons again. "We'll figure out a date."

I felt invisible.

Like nothing at this table involved me.

Like I shouldn't even be here.

I wanted to stand and leave, but I didn't. Because those grey eyes were still holding me down-not aggressively, but intensely, curiously, knowingly.

Finally, I stood. "I'll be back, I just need to use the restroom."

Mom nodded absentmindedly.

The moment I closed the bathroom door behind me, my composure collapsed.

I let out a huge sigh and leaned against the sink.

My face in the mirror was a flushed pink. My chest rose and fell too fast.

Maybe he knew what his gaze was doing to me.

Maybe he did it on purpose.

Maybe I was imagining everything.

I splashed cold water on my face, trying to reset myself.

God. This is Beth's fiancé.

I need to snap out of whatever this is.

I can't be the girl who ruins her sister's marriage.

The doorknob twisted.

I turned sharply and almost fainted.

Calhoun.

Standing in front of me like he belonged in that small, warm-lit bathroom.

And somehow looking even more handsome up close.

The inky black hair falling slightly over his forehead.

The sculpted jaw.

The grey eyes that dragged every breath out of my lungs.

And those lips...

His presence alone made my body forget how to function.

"Wh... what are you doing? You shouldn't be in here," I stammered, my voice embarrassingly shaky, almost a moan.

One corner of his mouth lifted.

"Wow... oh, so you did remember me."

He stepped closer,slowly, casually, hands still in his pockets.

He stopped right in front of me, only a breath away.

"And you didn't even bother to say hi."

My heart was thudding hard from how close he stood and the scent of his cologne wrapping around me.

"Um, I..." I swallowed. "Someone might see us."

"What does that matter?" His voice dropped. "It's not like we're having sex or something."

Oh my God. Did he just say that?

"It's not about that," I hissed. "You're supposed to be in there with Betty-"

He placed one hand on the sink behind me, effectively trapping me between his arm and the counter. "I looked for the girl I saved to come back and thank me," he said, eyes scanning my face, "but instead I found out how ungrateful she is."

"I'm not ungrateful, okay? I just didn't think you'd still remember me." I looked at him, then quickly at the door to make sure no one was there.

Calhoun glanced at the door too, then back at me. "What are you so scared of, Maddie?"

He was enjoying this. Enjoying watching me squirm. He had nothing to lose... but I did.

"Fine," I muttered, "what do you want? A thank you?"

He smirked. "I want more than a thank you. You owe me more than that."

"You do know you're supposed to be married to my sister..."

"Fuck that," he cut in sharply. "That's bullshit."

I clutched my chest dramatically. "Ouch. That hurts."

"Drop the act." He stepped even closer. "Steven snitched on you and-"

"Steven?" My heart skipped. Steven, Calhoun's best friend. Years ago, I had begged him to help me find out if Calhoun liked me too. God, what was I thinking?

I cleared my throat and looked away. "Whatever you heard, you heard wrong. I haven't even talked to Steven in forever."

Calhoun raised a brow. "You don't even know what I wanted to say yet. Which means... you actually told Steven something."

"We've stayed here too long." I tried to push the conversation away. "I'll go first-"

"I'm leaving for Canada tomorrow," he said suddenly. "Every time I come here, you're never around. So I figured I should tell you... this might be the last time we see each other. Until next Christmas."

I froze. My mouth moved before my brain caught up.

"Do you love Betty?" I blurted.

He looked shocked for a second. I cursed myself.

"You don't have to," I rushed. "I mean.. I'm sorry, I just-"

"No," he said calmly. "We're just meeting for the first time-"

I didn't let him finish.

I kissed him.

I didn't know where the courage came from...maybe because he was leaving tomorrow, maybe because this might be my one and only chance. But I grabbed it.

His hands slid to my waist instantly, pulling me closer. He kissed me back, slow at first, then deeper...taking control completely. He slipped his tongue into my mouth, exploring me like he had all the time in the world. My fingers tangled in his hair as I melted into him.

"Hm... hmm..." I moaned softly when his fingers gripped my waist tighter. Too tight. I knew those marks would stay.

His scent filled my head... god, he smelled good. Too good.

And then-

"Maddie?" Jeremy's voice echoed from behind the door.

My heart jumped out of my chest. I pushed against Calhoun, but he didn't move. I had to step back myself.

"You in there?" Jeremy called.

"No!" I said quickly, eyes darting to Calhoun who was already smirking. "Yeah-anything?"

"Any-anything?" Jeremy repeated. "You've been gone for ages."

I straightened my dress and my hair, which was a mess. "I'll be out in a sec. I just had a... um... runny stomach."

Calhoun chuckled under his breath. Heat crawled up my cheeks. I wanted to sink into the floor.

Jeremy tried the door, but it was locked. "Hurry up. Everyone thought you fell in. And their 'perfect' in-law is AWOL."

"I'll be there. Just go," I said until his footsteps faded.

I turned to Calhoun, cheeks burning. "I... I have to go."

"You should've thought of that before kissing me," he said, fixing his suit. "But I'll take that as your way of saying thank you."

Then he left.

The door closed behind him, and reality punched me hard.

What was I thinking? Kissing my sister's fiancé. Part of me regretted it-but another part... was glad I did.

Does that make me a terrible sister?

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. "Is this what I want? To hurt my sister because of my selfish feelings?" I whispered. "God, why did he have to be betrothed to Beth..."

I sighed, ran my fingers through my hair one last time, and opened the door.

But the moment I stepped into the hallway, Jeremy appeared out of nowhere. His expression was unreadable - furious, confused, betrayed. My heart pounded painfully.

He must have seen Calhoun walk out.

"Start explaining, Maddie," he said. His voice shook with anger. "Or I'm telling Beth."