CHAPTER 16

KYLE

8 Days 'til Christmas Eve

It's been five days since the Christmas party, and Julia has been brushing me off at every turn. "Too busy with work," she claims, though I'm not buying it. Sure, Julia's dedicated to her job, but this sudden dive into hyper-productivity feels like an elaborate excuse.

I wonder if it's because of the kiss. Did I screw things up? Misread the moment? Or worse, was it nothing to her? Every unanswered text or delayed response feels like a confirmation that I messed up.

But the wedding is approaching, and we don't have the luxury of avoidance. With only eight days to go, we've got tasks piling up, and Penny doesn't need more stress. So, I pull out my phone and shoot Julia a text.

Me: We need to finalize stuff for the wedding. We're running out of time. Can we meet today?

A few minutes pass with no reply. My patience is wearing thin, so I text again.

Me: Seriously, Jules, we can't wait on this. Let's get it done.

When my phone buzzes, relief and annoyance battle for dominance.

Julia: Fine. Where?

Me: The venue. Two hours.

The venue is quiet when I arrive, its winter wonderland decorations halfway finished. Julia is already there, clipboard in hand, looking as poised and professional as ever. I want to ask if she's been out here while ignoring me, but the tension in her posture makes me hesitate.

"Nice of you to make time for us common folk," I say, playfully, though even I can hear the irritation in my tone as it bleeds through.

She barely looks up, face half covered by the clipboard. "I've been busy, Kyle."

"With work. Yeah, I've heard," I say, taking a step closer. "Funny how you suddenly became so swamped right after the party."

Her pen pauses mid-note, like my words have frozen her solid, and my chest tightens. Her shoulders stiffen, correcting her posture. It's like watching a door slam shut, and I hate it.

"Are we really doing this?" she asks, her voice clipped. It's a complete turn around from where I thought we were headed, taking me back to that day when I screwed things up with Penny.

"Doing what?" I ask, feigning innocence, though my racing pulse knows exactly what she's talking about.

"This," she says, gesturing between us. "Turning everything into an argument. We're here for the wedding, remember?"

I cross my arms, dejected, stomach sinking at the failure. "Right. The wedding. Let's get started, then."

The stagnating tension between us doesn't budge as we work through the list of decorations, seating arrangements, and final guest confirmations. With so many things to do, every item on the list feels like a major hurdle. I try to focus, but my mind keeps drifting back to the kiss, to the way she pulled away and hasn't let me in since.

"So, I noticed there's no guest gifts on your list. Won't they be expected?"

Julia stiffens, her grip tightening on the clipboard. "I was getting to that."

"Were you?" I push, unwilling to hold back. If 'friendly' doesn't work, perhaps we can go back to snarky bickering instead. At least she showed some sort of emotion then. "Because it kind of seems like you've been avoiding everything. Including me."

Her head snaps up, eyes blazing as she narrows her focus on me. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what it means, Julia. Ever since Friday, you've been acting like-" I force myself to stop and take a breath before I go too far. This isn't how I wanted the conversation to go. But damn it, I'm tired of pretending nothing's changed.

"Like what?" she presses. Her voice is sharp, daring me to say the words.

"Like the kiss didn't happen." My heart pounds as if I just bungy jumped right off a cliff. Her eyes widen but I don't know whether it's with surprise, fear, or maybe even regret. Guilt churns my stomach. Did I just make this worse?

"We don't have time for this," she says, turning away. "Not with everything we still have to do."

"So that's it?" I ask, frustration boiling over. "You're just going to pretend it didn't happen?"

She whirls around to look at me, but her eyes reveal sadness rather than fury. "Kyle, I can't-" She exhales sharply, then hangs her head. "This isn't the time or the place."

"Then when?" The words harsher than I intend, but the ache in my chest is too much to ignore.

"I need to focus on Penny and Chase, and their wedding. That's what matters right now."

Her words are a punch to the gut, and I swallow hard, forcing a nod. "Right. Got it."

Julia walks away towards one of the tables, fidgeting with a centrepiece, I can't even force myself to move. The knot in my chest tightens as she distances herself from me. She pulls out a bundle of lights from a box, resting on the tabletop, and drags a stepping stool over to hang them. Balancing precariously, she twirls the end around the beam above her, then continues wrapping the lights along the beam. She reaches further and the stool begins to wobble.

"Be careful," I say instinctively, rushing forward, but she ushers me back.

"I'm fine," she snaps, finding her balance again, before reaching over once more.

But it's too far, and the stool creaks as if shifts, tipping sideways. I rush towards her, catching her just as she falls from the top of the stool, tumbling forward into my chest.

"Gotcha," I murmur, holding her steady as she finds her feet. Her hands clutch my shoulders, chests touching, and her breath warm against my neck. Against my cheek, her soft, familiar hair brushes against my five o'clock shadow, and I can feel her pulse picking up pace beneath my hands, wrapped around her waist.

"You okay, Jules?" I ask with concern.

"Yeah," she says, breathing shakily. "Thanks, Kyle."

Neither of us moves. She glances up, meeting my gaze - just for a moment. My hands still wrapped around her waist, bring me back to that first kiss. Her eyes drop to my lips, and I wonder if perhaps she's thinking about that moment too. Biting her lower lip, I tip my head forward, but her gaze switches to something else, taking a step back and pulling away from me.

She shakes her head. "I should've just asked for help." Her cheeks flush a pale shade of red. And I reach out, rubbing her arm reassuringly.

"Glad you're okay," I say, trying to mask the ache of her retreat.

We carry on setting up the wedding tent silently, though the air feels even heavier than before.

"I think that's everything for today. The rest can wait until the day before the wedding," she says, pulling on her coat, and grabbing her handbag. "Thanks for helping today." Julia flashes a small smile.

"Julia," I say, without thinking. She pauses but doesn't turn around. "I'm sorry. I never meant to make things weird between us."

Over her shoulder, she glances back at me, then turns halfway to face me. "Kyle, it's fine. Really."

I shake my head. "No, it's not. I never meant for things to get so complicated. I just miss when we were," I clear my throat, trying to find the right words. "Good." The last part sounds more like a question than anything but saying what I really think is happening - a potential 'thing' - well, that would only serve to scare her off entirely.

A small smile tugs at her lips, like maybe she understands. "You didn't mess anything up, Kyle. I just need some time. That's all."

She strides for the door before I can say anything else, as if walking away from more than just the venue. And maybe I deserve that. But damn it, I can't shake the feeling that whatever is between us, it's not over yet.