Flawed Perfection (Beautifully Flawed, #1)

Chapter Fifty

I sat on the couch staring at the boxes of ornaments and the scattered pieces of a Christmas tree, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I sighed and stood, ramming into Adam who was standing with his arms crossed at the edge of the couch.

"I know it sucks," he said, his hands clasping my upper arms as he looked down at me. His thin lips were partially open as if he had more to say, but didn't know how to put it into words. Adam's mouth closed and his lips twitched. "I'm kind of glad, though."

"Why is that?" I asked as his hands slipped up to my neck, and I placed my own on his wrists.

He took a deep breath and looked away before his eyes came back to mine. "It's just us...it's kind of nice, right?"

"Christmas is for family," I whispered as I tried to keep the tears welling in my eyes in.

"Oh, Riv...I'm sorry," he said as he pulled me into his arms. "I know you miss your dad."

"What about Mom?"

Adam pulled away slightly and looked down at me with his brow risen, crinkling his forehead. "Really?"

I heaved a sigh. "I was trying to be fair."

"You know your dad would be here, or at least have you there if your mom didn't wear the pants," Adam reminded me.

I nodded as I looked over my shoulder at the boxes.

"I knew Bobby couldn't get away from your parents to be with us," I said.

"What's that?" Bobby's voice boomed into the room as the door flung open.

"Bobby!" I yelled as I raced into his arms.

He picked me up and spun me around before setting me on the ground. His lips pursed in amusement as he said, "If you always greeted me like that you wouldn't be with the skinny-mini-me."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You totally just ruined it."

He pulled me into a bear hug. "Did I? I don't think I did!"

I couldn't help but smile into his warm chest covered by a plum-colored cotton Henley.

I pulled away, crossing my arms as I looked up at him squinting. "Purple?"

Tara moved her head around his arm, appearing around his large mass.

"I've got him wrapped around my little finger," she said as she stepped around him and slapped his ass. "Right, honey buns?"

He looked down at her and raised and lowered his eyebrows quickly. "Mhmm...honey."

My chin tucked into my neck as I looked from them to Adam who was standing with his lip ring in his mouth as he chuckled at my disgusted expression.

"Grossness aside," I replied as I brought Tara into a hug. "I'm so happy to see you two!"

"I know it's kind of late, but can we still have eggnog toast?" Bobby asked as his stomach growled.

"Didn't you eat at Mom's?" Adam asked as he looked at our spent Chinese food containers in the trash.

"Yeah, but I saved room for dessert," he replied with a shrug.

"You didn't eat dessert?" I asked as Adam went into the kitchen to look in the fridge.

"I saved room for more dessert," Bobby said with a wink.

"What about you, Tara?" I asked.

She looked at me and burst into a huge smile. "Like I could eat like I normally do while I'm trying to impress his mother!"