Page 67 of Christmas Coffee

Nova

I’m lying on Tinselly’s couch while the twins play with their new fire trucks. They roll them over my legs, pretending that I’m a road while I stare bleary-eyed at nothing. Tinselly’s tried to get me to move, wash, sit up—anything, for a while now, but I can’t find the strength to do it. Failure creeps through my spine and keeps me face down on the sofa.

One of the twins sits down hard on the remote and the TV turns on. I stare blankly, eyes open, but not seeing him until I hear his voice. Celyn? I look up and see the man I love wearing a polished suit, standing in front of Bardenbey. The ticker on the bottom of the screen says: Aldrich RYAN ARRESTED FOR MURDER.

I sit up suddenly and turn up the volume. Tinselly notices and walks in behind me. She’s watching as intently as I am. Celyn confesses that Bardenbey didn’t do its due diligence with the formula for the cancer drug RequimX. It was tampered with by his uncle, resulting in the poisoning and deaths of so many loved ones.

His voice is somber as he stands there in front of the cameras and adds, “I’m so sorry that this happened and I’ll do everything in my power to see justice served.” Before he can say another word, he’s ushered off stage to a waiting car.

The news reporter starts talking, saying, “It’s unclear what this means for the future of Bardenbey. The findings were brought to the attention of the police late last night by Celyn Ryan.” They go on to speculate that Celyn just forfeited his fortune and his family legacy. They talk about his late father briefly before switching to his uncle. My heart hurts when I look at Aldrich, when I see that horrible man.

Tinselly is standing at the back of the couch and looks down at me. “Did he know? When he was here last night, he seemed upset, but I don’t think he knew about this. It must have happened after he left.”

“I don’t care.” I’m about to flop back down on the couch and cover my head with the blanket when Tinselly yanks it away.

She snaps, “Yes, you do care. If anything, you care too much. How do you want this to end, Nova?”

I gape at her. “What do you mean?”

“With him? That’s the only question that matters. How do you want this to end with Celyn? Do you want to see him on the street with someone else? Do you want the brunette to help him through whatever happens next? He decimated himself to bring his only living relative to justice. It’s Christmas day and he’s alone.” She looks at me like I’m a heartless bitch.

“Tinselly, he betrayed me!” I’m on my feet and in her face. “I can’t believe you’re defending him.”

“I’m not. I’m simply asking you if you’d rather live with him or without him. You have a choice here.” She puts her hands on my shoulders and speaks kindly. “You’re good at protecting everyone except yourself. You have a good heart that’s been hurt too many times for someone so young. He made you smile again, Nova. I saw how you looked at him. If you can forgive him, with all the stuff going on today, well—it’s Christmas.”

My voice catches in my throat. “I don’t want to lose him, but I told you and—”.

“And I needed to know why my sister won’t go home. I needed to know what made you act like that. Nova, you moved out and I thought I’d never see you again. I thought Mom allowed you to be emancipated to get rid of you. You two were always fighting. I didn’t think you’d come back.”

My face pinches as my heart buckles. “Of course you’d see me again. I’d never let anything happen to you.”

Tinselly inhales deeply and nods a few times while blinking away the tears in her eyes. “I know that now, and that’s why I can’t let you mope on the couch all day. Nova, you saved me that night. Let me save you for once.” I can’t help it, the corner of my mouth rises a little. “I’m your big sister and I know better. I know that look on his face and I recognize it in you, too. You get to choose how this ends.”

“Tinselly, I can’t just walk back over there.”

“Why not?”

I start shaking in her grasp as I try to hold back sobs. “Because, I’m not the one who blew everything up, he did that.”

Tinselly’s expression softens. “You were the one who didn’t wait and talk to him. You were the one who tried to protect me for so long that you didn’t see what it was doing to you. Nova, you’re not wrong, and that’s not what this is about. If you want to work things out with him, you need to go talk to him.” She pulls me into a hug before shoving me down the hallway. “Go take a shower and then find him. Bring him some food. He’s probably eating Taco Bell or something equally unfestive.”

I snort. A holiday lacking proper food and decoration is Tinselly’s worst nightmare. I grin at her, “That’s what worries you the most about this? His meal?”

Her voice stops me in my tracks. “No, what worries me the most is that you found your soul mate and because of a manipulating, asshole of a relative, you’re going to lose him. Your chance at love doesn’t have to end like this. That’s what I’m afraid of Nova, that you won’t forgive yourself enough to be able to talk to him.”

I push my matted, frizzy hair out of my face and stare at her. “I love him, but I have no idea how to fix this. I still hurt, Tinselly. I feel violated, almost. Why’d he have to do that?”

Tinselly smiles softly. “You’re asking the wrong person, sweetheart. Get dressed and borrow my car. Go patch things up.”

I pad across the room and then turn back and ask, “What if he doesn’t take me back?”

“Then you’ll know and knowing is better than wondering.”