Isabella
It's okay, Isabella, you still have three weeks to stay here, you don't need to attack the guy like that from one moment to the next, no matter how tempting it is, because in those three days we will be quite busy.
With that thought in mind I went to Gustaf in the lobby, he was carrying all the boxes away from the fireplace, separating some.
I kept silent, leaning against a wooden column, watching the way the muscles in his arms stood out with the effort, even though he was wearing a long"sleeved t"shirt.
" 'Are you going to help me or just watch me? " he asked as he bent down to pick up another box, giving me a privileged view.
I could have felt embarrassed about being caught spying, but I didn't really care.
" 'I'm tempted to keep looking,' I teased him, getting a laugh in return.
"These boxes here are from the fireplace decoration, I thought I'd decorate everything, and in the end, just put the armchairs in place," he pointed as I approached.
I bent down, opening one of the boxes, sitting on the floor before starting to remove the garlands from inside.
Gustaf sat down next to me, starting to untangle the ornaments, we worked in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, limiting ourselves to exchanging the occasional glance.
" So, what's your problem with Christmas? " he broke the silence.
" Problem?
I stopped what I was doing, devoting my attention to him.
" 'You seem to hate it, you've never put up a tree, that's a problem.
Hate... I don't hate Christmas, I never did. In fact, the date has always been insignificant to me.
" 'I don't hate it, but when you're alone all the time, you lose the will to celebrate these things,' I shrugged.
" 'Were you alone after the Monaghan's moved in? " he gave me a brief look as I went back to sorting the decorations.
I thought for a moment before answering, that was a delicate subject that I didn't usually share with just anyone, but maybe it was the time, the place, or even the fact that Gustaf was practically a stranger, but before I knew it, I was already opening up.
" 'I was alone before, and then, they came along and we didn't separate anymore, but even while we were together, it wasn't a celebratory date for either of us,' I shrugged, reaching out to grab another box.My heart raced as I opened the box, looking at the contents. Gustaf was still talking to me, but I couldn't pay attention to what he was saying anymore.
" Hey, tell me something, was this supposed to be broken?
I held up several red and blue shards, which were probably the colored balls we would use to decorate the garlands.
Gustaf was out of action for a second, before crawling over to where I was standing, looking inside the box.
" Is there nothing left?
" These crumpled bells.
We both stood in silence, thinking about how this would hinder our progress, but it didn't take him long to make a decision.
" Open the other boxes, see if there are any more broken ornaments, I'll call my cousin and ask him to stay with Danny until lunch " Gustaf stood up already taking his cell phone, while I followed his instruction.
In the end, we would have to replace most of the decorations, so after a few minutes of putting on all the layers of clothes needed to face the freezing temperatures outside, we both went out shopping.
Gustaf and I walked side by side through the streets of the North Pole, the sun had already risen, illuminating every detail of that peculiar city. After the initial surprise, I could not deny the charm of that place with all the Christmas decorations.
" Santa's house is a few blocks in that direction, we'll find everything there " he indicated.
I nodded, still admiring the contrast of all the white snow with the colorful Christmas decorations.
" Is that a man's coat? " Gustaf asked after taking a closer look at me.
" 'Yes, I got it from Zach's closet, I thought it would go better with this outfit,' I explained.
That statement drew a laugh from the boy.
" 'Shouldn't you raid Gwen's closet?
" 'And whose boots do you think those are? " 'It's the only thing of hers that fits me!
" How did you two meet? " Gustaf wanted to know, walking with his hands in his pockets.
" In high school. I was new to the school, I had just been expelled from the last one for puting booze in the punch at the spring dance " I related.
I thought he would find the story funny, like everyone else, but no, he stayed serious.
" Did you put booze in the punch?
" 'I put Vodka and Tequila in it, a student got very sick and ended up in hospital all night,' I sighed.
I wasn't proud of that feat, but I couldn't change what had happened.
" 'You seemed like the partying type,' his gaze on me became analytical.
" "Yeah, I was the guarantee that the party would be fun, I would always get drinks and come up with the craziest things," I admitted a little awkwardly.
" 'And you're still like that?
His gaze on me was increasingly intense, making me uncomfortable.
" 'About drinks or crazy things? " I stopped walking, frowning as I watched the man.
When he realized that I was no longer by his side, Gustaf returned, facing me, still with that indecipherable expression on his face.
" Usually madness and drinking go hand in hand. Do you ever drink? " he shrugged.
What exactly does he want to know, is this some kind of flirtation?
" Are you asking me out for a drink? If so, you were doing better before.
Gustaf gave a half"hearted smile before walking back, and I hurried to keep up with him.
" 'The store is just over there,' he pointed, changing the subject.
I felt a little bewildered by his behavior, but that feeling was soon forgotten when I spotted the large white building with red details.
I was amazed by the amount of decorations available there, that place was undoubtedly magical, and even I, who never cared about that date, felt complete at that moment.
" So, you said you met at the new school? " Gustaf picked up on the previous subject as he guided me to the decorations area.
" When I started at the new school I felt terrible because of the situation of the boy who was hospitalized, that's when I decided I wouldn't get involved in that kind of situation again, but with my personality there was only one way to guarantee that, so on my first day of school, at lunchtime I looked around, I found the table where a boy with slanted eyes and an expression that resembled a maniacal psychopath was sitting alone and I thought, no one will ever invite this guy to a party.
That last statement drew a laugh from Gustaf, breaking the awkward mood that had formed between the two of us.
" So what?
" I sat with him, and it was the biggest social suicide in the history of that school. We were never invited to anything " I couldn't help a small smile coming to my lips " What do you say we take the gold ornaments instead of the blue ones?" Of course. 'So you and Zachary met before?
I sighed, remembering that time, it wasn't something I often thought about, in fact, I preferred to pretend it didn't happen.
" Gwen arrived at school a few days later, and she sure kept her distance from Zachary and I, getting involved with the popular ones. She was pretty and charismatic, not hard to get along with.
I picked up some teddy bears with striped scarves from the shelves, showing them to Gustaf afterwards.
" Do you like them? We can take it," he assured me.
" We didn't become friends until a few weeks later, when one of her so"called friends found out about her family situation and spread it to everyone at school. Gwen was devastated and since I knew Zachary had a crush on her, I decided to intervene " I grabbed a string of blinkers " do we have enough of that?" he assured.
" Yes, we do " he assured me " How did you intervene?
" 'I warned her she'd better leave Gwendolyn alone or I'd break her nose. I never had to carry out the threat and Gwen identified with our group.
I finished the story, Gustaf watching me with an amused expression.
" 'And you've been friends ever since?
" 'They are my family, we went to the same college, and we were neighbors until they moved away.
I felt melancholy thinking about that time, I didn't feel so lonely having them so close to me. I gave up on one of the ornaments, returning it to the shelf with a sigh.
Gustaf seemed to have noticed my change of mood, as he came closer, putting his hand on my shoulder.
" 'How would you like to get over your fear of Santa Claus?
" What?
Gustaf pointed to an area where a large armchair was in evidence and a man dressed as Santa Claus was walking.
" 'Are you serious? 'I'm not afraid of Santa Claus,' I mumbled.
" "Then you can go over there and take a picture with him," Gustaf turned to face me, looking into my eyes.
" "I can go over there and sit on his lap now," I said back.
" 'I'll only believe it if you do,' he said back.
The intensity in his gaze made my heart race and the tension between us was almost palpable.
" 'Is this a challenge, darling? I might surprise you.
A small smile appeared on his face, causing a slight tingle in my intimate area.
" 'I have no doubt about that, Isabella. But you won't get away that easy.
I narrowed my eyes before turning my back on him, walking towards Santa's armchair.
" Isabella? " he followed me closely.
" 'You better get your cell phone ready, Gustaf,' I warned him.
" Are you serious?
Without bothering to answer, I went straight to the man dressed as Santa Claus, Elliot Jones if I remember correctly.
" 'Hey Santa, can we take a picture? " I caught his eye.
" 'Ho ho ho, of course we can, young lady,' he declared in a typical voice that almost made me roll my eyes before he approached.
" 'Aren't you going to sit down? " ' I forced a smile when I saw that he intended to remain standing next to me.
" Sit down? " he frowned.
" 'Yes, my friend over there sent me to take a picture sitting on Santa's lap,' I pointed to Gustaf, who was watching the scene with amusement.
The man seemed speechless at my explanation.
" 'Did Bergqvist tell you to sit on my lap? " the man asked, stepping out of character for the first time.
" 'You can thank me later, Elliot,' Gustaf joked, receiving a thumbs"up from his friend.I rolled my eyes, getting ready for the photo, I sat on one of the man's legs, offering my best smile while Gustaf photographed us.
" Are you ready? " I stood up quickly.
" You can take another one, to make sure it's good," Elliot Jones proposed.
" 'I'm sure it looks great,' I retorted.
Gustaf put his cell phone away still smiling, but if he thinks he's going to get away with this so easily, he's wrong." Your turn, Gustaf.
" What? " He raised both eyebrows.
" I took my picture, now you sit on Santa's lap " I smiled, to the surprise of the fake Santa.
" 'Guys, can we set a weight limit? " Elliot proposed, looking worried.
" 'That's not going to happen, Isabella,' Gustaf denied.
" 'Come on, don't tell me you're afraid of Santa Claus?
With an amused expression, Gustaf leaned down, coming closer to my face. For a moment I thought he was going to kiss me, making my heart pound harder, but contrary to what I expected, he stopped just inches from my face.
" 'The point is, I'm not going to fall for such a childish tease,' he scoffed, running his index finger along the tip of my nose, circling it until it brushed against my lips.
And to my utter frustration " and Elliot Jones' relief " he walked away, leaving me behind.
" 'Come on, we've still got an inn to decorate, Izzy.
IsabellaWhen Gustaf and I finally got back to the inn it was well past lunchtime, I made a quick sandwich for both of us before going back to decorating the fireplace." And how did you meet my friends? " I asked the boy as I sorted out the socks to hang on the mantelpiece." 'It was a little over two months since I had arrived in Alaska, I was occupying my cousin's couch, since I couldn't get a house to rent " Gustaf started narrating, taking one of the socks from my hand.I felt a shiver run through my body as his skin brushed against mine, chiding me for that reaction. I need to start controlling myself around him!" One day, I was coming back from a house I had been to visit and I saw this skinny girl with a boy literally strapped to her back helping a boy carry a big box into the house " I couldn't help but smile as I remembered how dependent Gwen was on Sling in Danny's first year.That seemed like a century ago. I had memories of when she and Zachary told me they were going to
Isabella" Hey, shouldn't you pay attention to the best aunt in the world? " I called out to my nephew, who came running towards me.Gustaf stood up, turning his attention to our previous work while I gave my attention to Danny.I missed that little boy so much and the thought that I would only have a few weeks by his side before I went back to Miami made my heart squeeze." So, I guess now you two are going to let me work alone? " Gustaf complained as I walked with Danny on my lap, and he told me all the details of his night.My nephews and I exchanged a complicit look." What do you think, Danny? Shall we let him sort it all out by himself? " I asked the boy, who then looked at his uncle with a thoughtful expression." Yes!" I think he's doing a good job too," I smiled at Gustaf.I walked back with the boy on my lap, already getting tired because of his weight, when I felt Gustaf's presence behind me, to confirm my suspicion, Danny brought both hands to his mouth, stifling a mischi
Isabella By the time I finished it was past the time Gustaf had told me Danny should go to sleep and I felt exhausted.Getting ready for another battle, I went to the living room where the boy was jumping on the couch." AUNTIE, NO! " What? " I was startled by his sudden reaction." Come quick, you'll get burned! " he waved for me to get on the sofa.My first instinct was to follow his instruction, climbing on the couch." What are you talking about, Danny? " The lava is very hot, it will burn you " He jumped on the other sofa." Lava? " 'Yes, the floor is covered in lava, don't you see? Lava. My mind took a few seconds to process what was happening." "Danny, it's past your bedtime, you can play tomorrow," I pondered." Now! " he laughed, running away from me.How do you get a hyperactive child to sleep? They shouldn't have left me alone with him, I don't know what to do!" A deal, if I catch you, you go to bed without complaining " I decided to try." No stepping on the floor!
Gustaf The small smile that appeared on Isabella's face was enough to light up the room. Since the first time the Monaghan's had shown me a picture of her, I had considered her a beautiful woman, but I hadn't expected her to be even more beautiful in person, as well as funny and interesting.I took an interest in her as soon as I saw her in the arrivals area, and to my surprise, she seemed to reciprocate. The tension that surrounded us whenever we were alone was almost palpable, and yesterday, before Danny arrived, I was about to silence the voice in my conscience that screamed that getting involved with her would be a bad idea.Zachary and Gwen always talked about how much they considered the young chef as a real sister, despite having no blood ties, and after what happened with Katherine almost two years ago, I learned my lesson. I couldn't put our friendship at risk one more time.But I confess that conviction was fading every time I looked at her." So, what was the problem? " Iz
GustafIzzy took longer than I expected to finish getting ready, Danny had already gone to meet Stefan when she returned, prepared to face the negative weather outside.She remained silent as we walked to the car, she continued that way for a few minutes as I drove to the Pine Tree farm outside Fairbanks, until I decided to break the silence." Are you okay? She lowered her head with a weak smile on her face." 'Will you believe me if I say yes?" 'No, but I'll understand that you don't want to talk about it,' I shrugged, giving her a brief glance.After a long sigh, Isabella looked out of the window again, staring at the darkness outside. For a moment I thought how strange it must be for her to leave sunny Miami and end up in a place where it's only four hours of light during the winter. Sometimes not even that." What was I supposed to answer him? Are your grandparents so bad that your parents would rather pretend they don't exist? That's definitely not what I took a vacation for!
Gustaf It wasn't long before we were in the car once again, driving back to the inn, with the tree already in our possession. " 'I didn't expect that guy to know me,' Izzy commented after a few seconds in silence. " 'Almost everyone here knows you. Your friends talk about you a lot," I explained. " 'None of this here is what I expected,' she admitted with a sigh. We spent a few minutes in silence, until I decided to take the opportunity to quell my curiosity about my friends' lives once and for all. " 'You said your story was a fairy tale next to Monaghan's story? For a moment I thought she wasn't going to answer me, but Izzy started narrating next. " After a few weeks after we met, Zachary started coming to my house, we always did our chores together and I also met Katherine. Like you, I thought his parents had died, so I didn't touch the subject. I held back the urge to interrupt her to fill her with questions, waiting for her to finish the story. " One day when he was at m
GustafWe spent the next few hours setting up all the scenery outside, arranging the sleigh and reindeer on one side of the inn, decorating the windows and the front porch, all while chatting about our routine in the kitchen." Then this girl made me leave the kitchen only to complain that her dish tasted unbearably of fish.Izzy was finishing decorating the balcony fence while I looked at all the snow that had accumulated on the lower part of the roof. I'd have to take care of that." And what was wrong with her plate? " I asked, tilting my head and narrowing my eyes to see better through the sunlight reflected off some frozen spots." The problem was that she hated fish and had ordered a salmon dish. " Are you serious? " I stared back at her in surprise." That's better. She asked me to take the fishy taste out of the salmon " Izzy rolled her eyes, making me laugh." I'm going to get a ladder, I need to get that snow off before it falls and hits a guest " I said, heading for the st
IsabellaI was lying on the sofa, sipping a glass of wine, ignoring a movie playing on TV. Danny had been asleep for a few minutes and I had decided to save the night, even though I knew it was hopeless.I couldn't understand how I had ended up there alone after all the signals Gustaf had given me. Had I got it all wrong? His extreme reaction to my invitation clearly showed that I had.What's wrong with me? Doesn't he think I'm pretty? Or did I scare him off with all the talk about my bankrupt family? Or maybe he's one of those guys who believes that a woman should wait for the man's first move." What a nice vacation I've been on," I muttered, going back to drinking.And in the end, I'm watching one of those cheesy Christmas movies. It's not enough what I'm going through with this damn decoration. But deep down, I felt sad and lonely with my self"esteem wounded. I'd expected to spend a great time with my friends, and suddenly I'm stuck here alone with a boy of four and the only pers