MY CHRISTMAS ROMANCE

CHAPTER 19: ELF'S STUNTS

In celebration of reaching 500 reads, here's another chapter!! I hope this gives you back a little of the warm joy you bring me everyday, my little elves 😁❤🎄

Another chapter, another dedication 😊 This chapter is dedicated to the great @RaeLynnWrites I think you know what it is to drink too much of a warm drink until you're sick, though your problem is with coffee 😉😅 Anyways, thank you for always making me laugh, I miss and love you 😘❤

"Do you need help?"

I almost fall from the first step of the stepladder when I hear the voice I've been avoiding for the last few hours.

"No, thanks." I turn to meet those sparkling green eyes I've recognized in the voice, yet a shiver still travels down my spine in front of their striking color. 

I blame this ridiculous forest green sweater flashing with lights for making his eyes stand out like this, though I know they would still be twinkling even without it.

It brings me back to when I've been staring at these eyes in that cold room just a few hours ago, and deeper, there is also this indelible minty taste. 

Though, who I am kidding? I don't need Theone to be standing in front of me to be reminded. It's been replaying in my mind since we've left that cold room, along with other worries knotting my brain, and even tying gift wraps and tinsels hasn't helped me clear my mind.

"You wouldn't know where and what to hang," I explain in front of his lifted eyebrow, and I walk down the stepladder because standing there makes me eye-level with him, and I don't need this. "Besides, I'm gonna try another point in my list."

This is what I need: something to go according to my plans, a little order in this confusion.

"No?! Don't tell me the 'fall in his arms' is this?!"

"Shh!!" I warn, glancing frantically around, even if he's still kept whispering in his shocked gasp. "Yes, it is. I'm gonna pretend to fall from the stepladder when he'll be near. He went to grab me more pins, and he should be back at any moment." 

I'm about to tell him to leave me alone, but I don't find the heart as his clear eyes focus on me under creased eyebrows.

"Are you crazy?! This is dangerous, Penny!"

"No, don't worry, Aden will catch me. I've everything under control." I try to shut down this little voice inside that reminds me that everything is slipping out of my control these days.

"Oh, yeah, like all the other lines on your list?"

I swear Theone is the same as my little voice inside, or maybe it's my little voice inside that is the same as him; no wonder why I always hear those doubts in his voice.

"Can't you just pretend to stumble on the ground, or something like that? Something that would not get you to end up at the hospital?" He sighs, rolling his eyes, but something in his tone, or maybe just his words, makes my stomach clench. 

For a micro-second, I even think about giving up this crazy idea – he's better than the little voice of my reason – yet I spot Aden coming back out of the corner of my eye, and I find back some determination.

I don't have time for something else. Tomorrow is already the 24th, and so far, we haven't really progressed; there are just new things that I need to sort adding up.

"He's coming. Don't worry, I'll be fine." I offer a confident smile to Theone when his frown deepening only makes my assurance shrivel down.

"This is a bad idea..." He shakes his head, glancing at me one last time. "At least, be careful, Penny."