HOLIDAY HEARTS: A Love Game Gone Wrong

th the tension building between me and John. I sat next to Ken, smiling and laughing at the jokes, but it felt hollow. My thoughts were on John, on that moment

splay. He was a great guy, but... the more I thought about it, the more I realized how little I knew him. Everything about our "relationship" had been fabricated to fill

ed as more than that. But now... now, everything has changed. I didn't know what was happening between us, but I couldn't deny the strange connection t

to clea

mid-sentence. "I'm going to get some air. I'll be ri

slap to the face. I needed a moment away from all the questions, th

turning around to face none other than John. Of course, he would follow me out here

ked, his voice lo

ted bitter on my tongue. "Ye

om a few feet away. There was no judgment in his eyes, just that deep, searching gaze

have to keep this up for me. If it's hard, I get it.

throat tightening. "I

Is it really that complicated, though? Or is it just.

derstand. How could he see right through me when I h

don't know what I'm doing anym

hicker. I could feel my heart racing as his words sank in, but it was more than just what he said. It was the way he sa

onight," he said softly. "Just... thin

ting in the air. His words wrapped around me like a lifeline, pulling me closer to him. It was too much,

, forcing myself to take a step ba

little longer than necessary. "Yeah. Just... t

with confusion. I could feel John's presence on my skin, the weight of his

ouch, chatting with my parents, but there was a tension in his po

ice laced with concern that

h the lie tasted even more bitter

y answer. My brother, Josh, was sitting on the other side of the room, his

hing. "You guys wanna play something? I've

n't want to talk about my feelings right now. I didn't want to confront the growing connection

conversation and laughter filling the air. But beneath it all, I

and over in my mind. The way he looked at me, the way he spoke to me, the way I felt seen for the fir

t I knew one thing for su