embracing her, hiding her away. “He never called while he was in Costa Rica. Then, just a month after that, he moved to Montreal.” His whisper was soft, inviting.
“But…” She didn’t have an answer.
“It’s not a rebound if it’s real love.”
She rested her forehead on his shoulder.
He ran his fingers through her hair.
“Are you the sardine?” The whisperer had a deep voice and stuffed-up nose.
A girl giggled. “Did we find Heather in the breakfast nook?”
Several people pushed into the corner, pressing Jane into Jake. He tightened his arm around her. “See?” He tilted her face up with his thumb. “We’re predestined to do this.” He laughed, a deep, throaty chuckle, and kissed her, full on the lips, with people pressed around them in the dark.
She melted, from the top of her head to her toes. She thought she would slip through his arms into a puddle on the floor.
The light turned on.
Someone laughed.
Jane’s eyes flew open.
Jake stopped kissing her, but didn’t let go.
“Sorry! I just wanted to get the paper towels!” A red-faced woman with a Christmas light necklace that actually lit up laughed nervously. “Those rugs in there are antique.” She grabbed for a roll of paper towels on the counter.
The man who had been jostling Jane with his elbows grabbed Jake by the shoulders and shoved him across the room. “Get your hands off of her!” It was Isaac. He pushed Jake again, this time into the kitchen table.
Jake pulled himself up and sat on the table, a silly grin plastered on his face. “Hold your horses, cowboy.”
“What do you think you’re doing?” Isaac pushed him with his fingertips. Jake wobbled, but kept his seat.
“Kissing Jane. Did you not see?”
Isaac reeled back and swung. His fist cracked against Jake’s nose with a burst of blood.
“Isaac!” Jane screamed. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
“You were going to marry me, Jane. You were still going to marry me.” He brushed his eyes with the back of his hand. “We had one dumb fight. That was all. It was going to be all right.” Isaac wavered. He looked at his bloody fist and then at Jane.
“Have you been drinking?” Jane stepped back.
Two women pressed wet towels to Jake’s face.
“Isaac, have you been drinking?” She grabbed his arms in clenched fingers and stared at him.
“Maybe. Why wouldn’t I be? This Christmas is a nightmare.” He wrenched his arms out of her hands.
“Go home, Isaac. Walk it off.” She stared at him. His face was burning red, and droplets of blood from breaking Jake’s nose were splattered across his white shirt.
“You still love me.” He used his teacher voice. Like it was an assignment.
“I don’t even know you.” She swallowed. Nausea overwhelmed her.
Isaac’s face softened, and one tear escaped.
Her head spun. Isaac was broken. Completely brokenhearted. She touched his sleeve.
“I still love you.” Isaac’s voice was different now. Not fighting. Not demanding. Just sad.
“You don’t know me.”
“Can someone drive Jake to the hospital?” an older female voice asked.
Jane looked over Isaac’s shoulder.
Jake was staring at her, one eyebrow raised, half a smile on his face, a wet towel slowly turning pink pressed to his nose.
“I’ll dribe byself.” Jake hopped off the table.
“Don’t.” Jane reached for Jake, but he just smiled and ambled out of the kitchen. “Is he okay to drive?” Jane looked around the room, trying to catch someone’s eye.
The girl nearest her shrugged. “Sure.”
“He seems fine. They’ll stitch him up.” The older woman, not that old really, but with a tired, gravelly voice, waved her glass at Jane and then left the kitchen as well.
Jane spun around ready to yell at Isaac, but he had managed to slip out.
Instead, she found Gemma. Crying.
“I’m so sorry.” Jane stepped forward, her hand out to comfort her in some way.
Gemma scrunched her face up. “Whatever.” She pushed her way
“But…” She didn’t have an answer.
“It’s not a rebound if it’s real love.”
She rested her forehead on his shoulder.
He ran his fingers through her hair.
“Are you the sardine?” The whisperer had a deep voice and stuffed-up nose.
A girl giggled. “Did we find Heather in the breakfast nook?”
Several people pushed into the corner, pressing Jane into Jake. He tightened his arm around her. “See?” He tilted her face up with his thumb. “We’re predestined to do this.” He laughed, a deep, throaty chuckle, and kissed her, full on the lips, with people pressed around them in the dark.
She melted, from the top of her head to her toes. She thought she would slip through his arms into a puddle on the floor.
The light turned on.
Someone laughed.
Jane’s eyes flew open.
Jake stopped kissing her, but didn’t let go.
“Sorry! I just wanted to get the paper towels!” A red-faced woman with a Christmas light necklace that actually lit up laughed nervously. “Those rugs in there are antique.” She grabbed for a roll of paper towels on the counter.
The man who had been jostling Jane with his elbows grabbed Jake by the shoulders and shoved him across the room. “Get your hands off of her!” It was Isaac. He pushed Jake again, this time into the kitchen table.
Jake pulled himself up and sat on the table, a silly grin plastered on his face. “Hold your horses, cowboy.”
“What do you think you’re doing?” Isaac pushed him with his fingertips. Jake wobbled, but kept his seat.
“Kissing Jane. Did you not see?”
Isaac reeled back and swung. His fist cracked against Jake’s nose with a burst of blood.
“Isaac!” Jane screamed. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
“You were going to marry me, Jane. You were still going to marry me.” He brushed his eyes with the back of his hand. “We had one dumb fight. That was all. It was going to be all right.” Isaac wavered. He looked at his bloody fist and then at Jane.
“Have you been drinking?” Jane stepped back.
Two women pressed wet towels to Jake’s face.
“Isaac, have you been drinking?” She grabbed his arms in clenched fingers and stared at him.
“Maybe. Why wouldn’t I be? This Christmas is a nightmare.” He wrenched his arms out of her hands.
“Go home, Isaac. Walk it off.” She stared at him. His face was burning red, and droplets of blood from breaking Jake’s nose were splattered across his white shirt.
“You still love me.” He used his teacher voice. Like it was an assignment.
“I don’t even know you.” She swallowed. Nausea overwhelmed her.
Isaac’s face softened, and one tear escaped.
Her head spun. Isaac was broken. Completely brokenhearted. She touched his sleeve.
“I still love you.” Isaac’s voice was different now. Not fighting. Not demanding. Just sad.
“You don’t know me.”
“Can someone drive Jake to the hospital?” an older female voice asked.
Jane looked over Isaac’s shoulder.
Jake was staring at her, one eyebrow raised, half a smile on his face, a wet towel slowly turning pink pressed to his nose.
“I’ll dribe byself.” Jake hopped off the table.
“Don’t.” Jane reached for Jake, but he just smiled and ambled out of the kitchen. “Is he okay to drive?” Jane looked around the room, trying to catch someone’s eye.
The girl nearest her shrugged. “Sure.”
“He seems fine. They’ll stitch him up.” The older woman, not that old really, but with a tired, gravelly voice, waved her glass at Jane and then left the kitchen as well.
Jane spun around ready to yell at Isaac, but he had managed to slip out.
Instead, she found Gemma. Crying.
“I’m so sorry.” Jane stepped forward, her hand out to comfort her in some way.
Gemma scrunched her face up. “Whatever.” She pushed her way
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