Chapter Text
December 24th
When Matt wakes, he feels a spring in his back. He opens one eye to confirm his suspicion. He ended up in the middle of the bed last night and by the looks of it, Sylvie met him halfway.
Her head is resting on his chest, and her hand is over his heart.
He doesn’t understand how they keep gravitating toward one another at night. She put up a third pillow barrier, and it still didn’t do anything.
At this point, he honestly doesn’t even care. He’s slept better the last few days compared to the last year.
He feels Sylvie stir, her fingers curling around the material on his t-shirt.
“Oh, damn it,” she whispers with her eyes still shut.
He cracks a grin. “Good morning to you too.”
She opens her eyes, tilting her chin up to look at him. “Good morning.” She looks over her shoulder at her side of the bed. “Well, at least we’re both to blame this time.”
“Seems so.”
Sylvie yawns. “What time is it?”
Matt glances at the clock. “Almost six thirty in the morning.”
Sylvie groans, “Crap. It’s about to begin.”
He’s not sure what the hell she means by that.
He raises his eyebrow.
“You’re about to experience Christmas Eve with the Brett family,” she explains.
That doesn’t sound any different than what he’s done thus far. He’s been with them three days already.
“And that’s cause for concern?” He questions.
She pats his cheek with a sarcastic smile. “Oh, you’re cute when you’re naïve.”
It’s not even seven yet. They could probably go back to bed for another hour before getting up.
She’s worrying him.
There’s a quick knock on the door. Before either can respond, it swings open.
“Entering. You better be decent,” Tyler pokes his head inside the room. “Morning lazy folks.”
Matt has a lot of questions. Sylvie’s brother and his wife have been staying in a motel just down the road. They left around eleven last night. Why would they be here before the sun even comes up?
Sylvie pulls the comforter over their bodies. “Tyler! Did you ever hear of knocking?”
“I did,” he defends.
She drops her forehead against his shoulder. “It’s not even seven yet. Why are you here?”
“They are my parents too, Sylvie,” Tyler teases. “Just because they gave you the one spare room doesn’t mean I’m not welcome.”
She rolls her eyes. “Your room is a construction zone which was not my doing.”
Tyler nods his head at Matt. “Morning, man. Sleep well?”
The Brett family friendliness is a tad bit unsettling, but he didn’t exactly grow up in the best home.
“Morning and yeah, I did,” Matt replies.
“Until you barged in,” Sylvie grumbles. “I ask again…why are you up so early?”
Tyler shrugs. “The motel starts serving complimentary breakfast at six. Gwen and I need to get our money’s worth, so we like first dibs. Then we drove over here.”
Matt has definitely picked up on the fact that Tyler is a bit stingy. Gwen seems to just go with it.
Tyler points over his shoulder. “She’s already helping mom with the baking…a job you should be doing.”
The sibling teasing reminds him of he and Christie.
“Fine. Fine,” Sylvie sits against the headboard. “I’ll be out to help in a few.”
Matt sits up too. He looks at the window and notices at least three or four inches of new snow.
“Did it snow overnight?” He asks.
Tyler nods. “Yeah. Dad’s already out shoveling the driveway for the guests this evening.”
Sylvie’s dad is in his sixties, and they have a very long driveway. There’s no way he should be out in the cold doing that by himself.
“He’s shoveling now?” Sylvie asks. “Why aren’t you helping him, Tyler?”
Her brother splays his hands. “Hey. I offered. He told me to get lost and that my accountant hands are not made for labor apparently.”
Sylvie laughs.
“Hey, that’s not funny,” Tyler says.
“I’ll get dressed and take over,” Matt says, kicking off the covers.
“Do you have a death wish?” Tyler retorts. “My father does not just hand over manual labor.”
Matt doesn’t care.
“I have to agree with him,” Sylvie replies, getting out of bed too. “As much as I appreciate you wanting to assist my dad…I would also like you alive for Christmas.”
They are both being ridiculous. It’s not that big of a deal that he offers to help. It’s the gentlemanly thing to do.
Matt throws on a sweatshirt. “I’m a firefighter, remember? I can handle stubborn old men. I get paid to do it. It’ll be fine.”
It’s like pulling teeth to get Hermann or Mouch to accept his help with anything. He’s used to this.
Sylvie pulls on a fuzzy cardigan. “Okay, but…” she grabs his beanie off the dresser and tugs it on his head. “Bundle up out there. It’s cold. I don’t need you catching pneumonia.”
Her care is very sweet.
He smiles. “Yes, miss paramedic.”
Tyler makes an overdramatic gagging noise. “You two are nauseating.”
They’re not. They are just friends who care about one another.
Just friends.
***
The day went by quite fast once Matt went out to help Bert. Together, they shoveled the sidewalk and driveway. Afterwards, he helped Tyler set up for the party while Sylvie, Gwen and her mother baked all day. By the time three o’clock rolled around, the house smelled like cinnamon, vanilla and warm chocolate.
The rest of the family who are expected to come are supposed to arrive by 4:30 pm. He hopped in the shower first and now Sylvie’s drying her hair in the bathroom and changing into something other than her pajama pants.
They have about a half hour until the party starts.
He waits in the bedroom while she gets ready. His phone buzzes on Sylvie’s old makeup desk.
It’s Severide.
Matt answers. “Hey.”
“Hey Case. Stella told me I needed to call and wish you a Merry Christmas Eve,” Severide says. “So that’s what I’m doing.”
He guesses it’s the thought that counts.
“Merry Christmas Eve,” he says. “What are you two up to?”
“Binging Christmas movies at the cabin,” Severide replies. “You know how hard it is running an ethernet cable up here?”
Matt chuckles. “Sounds fun.”
“Yeah. What about you?” Severide asks. “How’s the future Mrs. Casey 2.0 doing?”
He’s such an ass. Stella must have told him that Sylvie lied about an engagement. He knows that Sylvie called her earlier in the day to say hi.
“It’s a part of the ruse,” Matt rolls his eyes. “I’m going with it.”
His best friend scoffs on the other line. Matt can hear Stella’s voice in the background shouting something about bad reception.
“Was the ring a part of it too?” Severide asks. “Cause according to my girlfriend…it’s a stunning piece of jewelry. Her words. Not mine.”
“What was I supposed to do?” He lowers his voice incase anyone is just outside the door. “We’re supposed to be engaged. What kind of couple gets engaged without a ring?”
“Sounds like you’re putting in a lot of effort for Brett,” Severide comments.
Of course he is. That’s what he agreed to do early last week.
“You need to stop spending so much time with Kidd,” Matt says. “You’re starting to sound like her.”
“Just an observation, Case.”
“I made a commitment to her that I would get her through this holiday. That’s what I’m doing.”
“Sounds like maybe she’s getting you through too.”
She is. He’s honestly had a great time with her in Fowlerton. It’s so enjoyable to see her surrounded by so much love and positivity.
He’s lucky to be apart of it.
“She has,” he replies. “She’s incredible. You know this.”
Kidd yells again on Severide’s end. Whatever it is, it’s likely going to need his best friend's full attention.
“I gotta go,” Severide says. “Have a good holiday and I’ll see you back in Chicago in a couple days. You gotta get back here because drinking with Cruz isn’t the same
Matt laughs. “Understood. Enjoy your time at the cabin.”
“Enjoy playing house.”
Matt rolls his eyes and ends the call. His best friend is ridiculous.
The hairdryer turns off.
“Who was that?” Sylvie’s voice echos from behind the bathroom door.
“Severide. He was calling to wish us a merry Christmas,” Matt replies. “And congratulate our engagement.”
She grows quiet for a moment, and he swears he hears her cuss out Kidd.
“Sorry about that,” she says. “Stella is quite talkative.”
Like he didn’t notice.
“It’s fine,” Matt paces towards the closed door. “I’m pretty used to it.”
“Hey, you wanted her on your truck,” Sylvie reminds. “I don’t feel too bad for you.”
“Yeah, well, I also want you at 51,” he replies. “What does that say about me?”
She goes silent. The door unlocks and she pokes just her head out in the gap between the door and the frame.
“You’re bringing this up again?” Sylvie asks. “I’ve made that clear.”
He knows although she’s never given him a legitimate reason for not joining. Until she does, he’ll keep pressing.
“Can’t a guy hope for a Christmas miracle?”
She smirks. “That is so unbelievably cheesy.” She slips her head back into the bathroom and shuts the door again. “You’ve been around us Brett’s too long. You’re starting to talk like us.”
He laughs, leaning his head against the door. “Maybe that’ll work out for me. Severide tells me frequently I need to stop being so damn serious all the time.”
A hairspray can rattles behind the door. “You do. It’s nice to see you joke and laugh these last few days.”
He has been quite upbeat lately. It’s hard not to when you’re pretending to be in love with a literal ray of sunshine.
Pretending feels like the wrong word.
“I don’t do that typically?”
“Not always around me,” she says. “Sure, we kill at game night but that’s about one of the only times I see you let down your walls. This week has been different. I’ve had so much fun.”
Matt nods. “I have too.”
“Good.” He hears a small struggle from inside the bathroom. “Oh no.”
“What’s wrong?” He asks.
“Oh, nothing,” she sounds frustrated. “I can’t get the zipper on my skirt to come up.”
The door opens.
Sylvie steps out with one hand holding up the red mini skirt and the other around her back holding the zipper.
She looks adorably festive in the red skirt and white knitted sweater. She has black nylons on underneath the skirt and frilly white socks.
“Can you zip this for me?” She asks.
He nods. “Of course.”
She turns around. He grabs the zipper from her. It’s stuck on the seam. He holds the pieces of fabric together and first pulls the small zipper down. It frees the piece of fabric, so he pulls up, zipping the skirt.
“There you go.”
She spins around. “Thank you.”
She’s just so beautiful. The crazy thing is, she never realizes it.
She furrows her brow. “What?”
He’s thrown off. “What?”
“You’re staring.” She combs her hair with her fingers. “Is something wrong? Do I have something on my face?”
He didn’t realize he was staring.
He shakes his head. “No. No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Sylvie,” Matt chuckles. “Yes. I’m sure. You look amazing.”
“I do?”
He nods. “You always do.”
It’s true. He’s never once looked at her and thought she didn’t look good. She looks beautiful without even trying.
She blushes. “Thank you.”
They are interrupted when the doorbell rings.
She pats his shoulder. “And so it begins.”
He’s not too concerned.
***
The party is in full swing. Most of the guests arrived right on time for dinner and afterwards, mingling, games and Christmas music began.
Sylvie’s happy to reunite with some family members she hasn’t seen in awhile. Her Aunt Anne, her mom’s sister, and her husband Uncle Paul made the hour commute to their home. Her dad’s brother Uncle Ron and his wife Aunt Cheryl are here. She hasn’t seen them in person since the year she left. Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Ron’s son Langdon and his wife Missy also stopped by this year with their two-year-old daughter Evelyn.
Sylvie’s only met the toddler over FaceTime when she called to congratulate her cousin and his wife on the birth.
Her mother also invited her elderly childhood neighbors Doug and Carla. Sylvie’s known them since she was a baby. Carla used to babysit both her and her brother for her parents.
It may not be everyone from the family like previous years due to travel conflicts or familial obligations but it’s still a great turnout.
Sylvie refills her mug with another ladle full of eggnog. She looks out into the bustling living room at all the happy faces and festive outfits
She’s missed this.
Evelyn crashes into the back of Sylvie’s calfs with a small huff. When she turns, the little girl is sitting on her butt. Her brunette braided pig tails are half falling out. She pops up and giggles, curling her little body around Sylvie’s calf.
She knows why as soon as Matt comes running into the kitchen with a big smile on his face.
From the moment Langdon and Missy arrived with Evelyn, she’s been attached to Matt’s hip. The little girl loves him which makes complete sense.
Matt Casey is phenomenal with children. He always has been. They gravitate towards him and her sweet second cousin isn’t any different. They’ve been playing together all evening after dinner.
She likes the game where Matt chases her around the house. Sylvie’s surprised he’s not exhausted yet.
“Are you hiding behind Sylvie?” He teases.
Sylvie nods. “She is. You’re getting her all wound up before Santa comes.”
Matt feigns offense, pointing to himself in quite a dramatic fashion. “Me? She’s the one going after me. Plus, she’s obviously already excited about Santa’s arrival. You can’t pin her Christmas joy on me.”
He’s a dork.
Evelyn jumps up and down. “Matt, get me.”
Sylvie picks Evelyn up in her arms, propping her on her hip. “Is he being mean to you?”
Evelyn sticks out her pouty lip which effectively turns Matt into a puddle of goo. He gives up the chasing and walks over to her.
“Fine. Fine. You win tag,” he says. “I cave. You’re too fast.”
She shoots a toothy grin at him. “I win!”
Sylvie laughs. “Good job, ladybug.” She leans into whisper. “Now why don’t you help me settle him down? Ask him to read one of the books Aunt Betty bought you.”
Evelyn nods. “Books!” She reaches her arms out for Matt and flexes her tiny fingers in urgency. “Read please?”
Matt takes her from Sylvie’s arms with ease. “Okay, kiddo. Reading it is.” He bounces her in his arms which makes her giggle loudly. “But only because cute drill sergeant over there said so.”
She scoffs at that. She is not a drill sergeant and how dare Matt turn her sweet second cousin against her on Christmas Eve?
She shoots him a glare as he exits the kitchen with Evelyn in his arms. “Not very nice, Lieutenant!”
She chuckles to herself while she gathers her freshly poured eggnog. She wanders back into the living room with the family. There are tons of chatter going on all around her, but she finds herself zoned in on Matt.
He’s sitting in one of the chairs by the fireplace with Evelyn on his lap. He has a book with a multicolored fish on the cover spread open on his thighs. As he reads to her, she seems to sink further and further into his chest.
She’s never met any man so good with kids before. Harrison used to hate having to babysit with her. He’d rather watch TV but Matt has been at Evelyn’s disposal all night without one complaint.
Her whole family seems to really like him, but Evelyn loves him. She feels a bit guilty that the eventual truth may break this sweet toddler’s heart.
“He’s so good with her.”
Sylvie turns just as Missy joins where she’s standing. The other woman smiles in awe at the interaction between her daughter and Matt.
Sylvie nods. “He really is. Matt’s amazing with children. He always has been.”
All of that is true. She’s seen it dozens of times over the last two years. He’s the type of guy who deserves to have his own.
Missy nudges Sylvie with her elbow. “I see kids in your guy’s future.”
The comment stings. That will never happen. She knows Matt will end up with children one day, but they likely won’t be hers.
She laughs it off. “He’d be a great dad for sure but we’re focusing on the wedding at the moment.”
It’s huge lie. There’s no wedding and there’s no future kids.
There’s no future…period.
“Right,” Missy nods. “Makes sense. I’m just saying…you two would both make great parents. Evelyn adores you both.”
She appreciates the compliment. She loves kids too. However, with Matt, she knows he’ll be a great dad. There’s no doubt in her mind. Sylvie’s just not so sure she’ll ever be as good as him in that capacity.
“Thank you,” she replies. “She’s a wonderful kid. You and Langdon are so lucky. Although, I would definitely say Matt’s her favorite.”
She looks back over at them just as Langdon approaches. They exchange whispers since Evelyn is probably a few moments away from falling asleep. Langdon goes to take his daughter, likely to put her down for a quick nap, but Evelyn refuses. She pushes her dad away and cuddles further against Matt’s shoulder.
It melts her heart.
Missy chuckles. “You may be right but I wouldn’t take it personally. She just chose him over her own father. Wow…look at the pure deception on Langdon’s face. Now he knows how it feels to be the least favorite parent.”
“Trust me, Matt Casey is worth the favoritism,” Sylvie comments. “Makes sense he’s her new favorite person in the world.”
Missy drinks from her red solo cup. “He’s probably yours too, huh?”
Sylvie nods, eyes drifting back towards the scene in front of them. Matt’s rocking her and when he looks up, he catches her gaze. He smiles.
“He really is,” she whispers.
For once, it’s the total truth.
***
By the time midnight rolls around, the guests have filtered out and gone back home. Soon it’s just Sylvie’s immediate family.
Matt is aware of a lot of Sylvie’s qualities. He’s known her long enough to pick up on a lot but tonight, he learned that she’s crazy competitive against her brother.
They started an intense game of trivia about an hour ago that resulted in yelling, arguing and even throwing a timer at one another.
Sylvie Brett is stubborn as hell, so she refuses to give in. She wants to keep playing until she’s winning again but that all falls apart when she falls asleep in the chair.
Matt is not surprised. They’ve been up since six thirty and now it’s nearly one in the morning. She had a very busy day so her crash out was inevitable.
Matt stands from the couch. Both he and Bert declared they wanted nothing to do with the sibling rivalry going on. They’ve been spectators the whole time, casually sipping on the best bourbon Matt’s ever had.
Gwen dragged Tyler back to the hotel twenty-minutes ago after Sylvie fell asleep. Betty went into the bedroom to do some last-minute gift wrapping.
While Matt’s been waiting for Sylvie to wake up, he helped her dad set out all the presents under the big tree for tomorrow morning. Once that was done, he realized that Sylvie’s not waking up on her own.
He grabs the plaid blanket off the back of the couch and drapes it over Sylvie. She’s sleeping too peacefully to disturb but he doesn’t want her to freeze either.
Once she’s covered, he smooths his hand over her hair and presses his lips to her forehead.
He tells himself the sign of affection was for her dad’s benefit, but he knows that’s also a cop out.
He grabs her empty mug off the coffee table and takes it into the kitchen. While he rinses it out in the sink, he hears her father’s heavy footsteps trail behind him.
“You really do love her.”
Matt turns to face her dad. The older man peers at him like he’s something he’s studying under a microscope.
He can’t tell if that previous comment was a statement or a question.
Matt nods. “Yeah. I do.”
It’s one of the first statements that doesn’t stem from a lie. It’s the first time he’s ever acknowledged the feeling.
He does love her. He doesn’t have to put on an act for that. The truth is, he’s not sure if any of this week was just a performance.
He loves Sylvie.
Her father nods, completely oblivious to the emotional realization Matt has just unveiled. “You know, I was a bit weary at first.”
Matt forces himself to focus on the present again.
“As a father, it’s hard to ever accept that your little girl is going to fall in love with any guy and move off and get married.”
Matt leans against the sink. “I can’t even imagine.”
“And then she brought home that punk Harrison and he broke her heart. As a dad, that’s the worst thing to witness…to know some man could promise to take care of your daughter and then break her heart.”
A wave of guilt washes over him. Is Matt essentially doing the same thing? Sure, they aren’t actually together but he’s made a lot of false promises to her family this holiday fully knowing none of it would ever happen.
Sylvie asked him to do this as a friend. She needed somebody and he was available.
She doesn’t actually love him the way she’s pretended to.
“After meeting Harrison…the guy never deserved her,” Matt says.
“But you do,” Bert replies. “You’ve shown that this week.”
Matt doesn’t deserve her. She’s this incredible, kind, strong, gorgeous woman and he’s a divorced mess.
Matt shakes his head. “Respectfully, I don’t think I’ll ever truly deserve her. I mean, she’s…she’s the most remarkable person I’ve ever known.”
He means that with everything he has. He’s thought that since she first walked into Molly’s with Stella Kidd.
Her father flashes a rare smile. “The way you describe her…treat her…it’s every father’s dream for their child to find someone like that.”
God, he’s a total piece of shit.
Her dad takes a seat at the breakfast counter. “Can I admit something to you?”
He’s not sure that’s a great idea but what else is he supposed to say.
“Sure.”
“I was heavily against Sylvie’s job pursuit to be a paramedic,” he admits. “The thought of your pride and joy going into a big city and risking their life everyday is a hard adjustment. I know she’s capable. She always has been, but I worry.”
He gets that completely. Their jobs are not always safe and easy. They’ve both had close calls over the years.
“Trust me, I get it,” Matt replies. “It’s understandable.”
“But now knowing that you’ll be there for her when she needs you lessens that pain,” he says.
“I will.”
That’s another promise he will keep. They might not be a real couple, but he’ll always show up for her if she needs it.
That’s what friends do.
Since her dad is being honest, he feels like being honest too.
“That’s exactly why I want her to relocate to 51,” Matt admits. “I’ve been asking for months because the truth is, yes, she’s a wonderful paramedic and 51 would be lucky to have her, but I want to be able to keep her safe.”
It’s why he’s been pushing it so much. He wants her under his watch. She does a dangerous job and before, Kidd could look out for her. Now Kidd’s gone. Matt wants to be able to give her backup if she needs.
“I didn’t realize she had a job offer,” Bert replies.
Shit. Sylvie’s probably going to kill him for bringing this up.
“How would that work though? I mean, isn’t it a conflict of interest to work with your fiancé?”
It is but that’s not applicable to their situation since they aren’t actually together. He can’t exactly clarify that for her dad.
“It would complicate things,” Matt replies. “But it would be possible. It’s not that I don’t trust the men and women at her firehouse. I’m sure they would look out for her but it’s different when it’s me. I know that I can do everything in my power to protect her and keep her safe. I have that control.”
“You want to do everything to protect her. I get it.”
He really does.
“She’s had close calls before and I’ve suffered enough loss in my life. Years ago, I was engaged and I lost my fiancé in a fire. It ruined me and I’d be lying if I said that same worry over Sylvie doesn’t keep me up at night.”
What is he doing? He shouldn’t be talking about this right now. He shouldn’t be laying himself bare to her father while simultaneously lying to his face.
“Sylvie never mentioned you lost a fiancé before,” her dad says. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
He probably shouldn’t have revealed that.
“Thank you. It was a long time ago…long before Sylvie.”
He was also married afterwards. It was a lifetime ago.
“Point is, your daughter is not only the kindest person I’ve ever known but also the most stubborn and resilient. She’s a great paramedic and regardless of where she’s working…I got her. That I can promise you.”
He will always look out for her whether she needs it or not.
“I’ll take that promise,” her dad replies.
It’s one of the few true ones he can make. That and the confession he loves Sylvie.
***
December 25th
Matt’s jolted out of a mediocre sleep when the mattress springs and two sharp knees dig into his back.
He left Sylvie in the living room to sleep last night because he didn’t want to disturb her. It seems now she’s up.
Her hands land on his back. “Good morning. It’s Christmas.”
He slept like hell last night. He wonders if it was partially because Sylvie wasn’t with him. He must have gotten used to her over the last few nights.
He cracks one eye open, peering at the alarm clock. It’s not even seven yet.
Matt groans, burying his face back in the mattress. “It’s not even daylight out yet. Why are you all morning people?”
She huffs. “Matt, it’s Christmas morning. Most people get up early.” He feels her cheek rest on his back. “My brother and Gwen are already here.”
Of course they are. Tyler’s addicted to getting his money’s worth.
“Right,” he grumbles. “Your brother is insane. I forgot.”
She chuckles. “You’re grumpy this morning. That’s not very christmassy of you.”
Maybe he’s being a bit difficult, but he really only got two hours of sleep.
Sylvie rubs his back. “My family sent me in here to get you up. They want to open presents.”
It’s so damn early.
Her tone switches to forced sweetness. “My dad already has some very strong coffee brewing and my mom’s working on the bacon. Either you get up with me, or my dad comes in here and dumps a shovel full of snow on you.”
That possibility wakes him up. He pushes himself off his stomach, twisting to sit up. Sylvie’s perched on the end of the bed like he expected. At some point this morning, she changed out of last night’s outfit into Christmas pajamas with candy canes printed on the pants.
“Okay. Okay. I’m up.” He yawns, stretching his arms above his head. “How did you sleep?”
“Pretty good,” she replies. “Someone covered me up with a nice warm blanket for the night.”
He has a feeling she knows that was him.
He plays it off. “Must have been Santa.”
Sylvie laughs. “Right. Of course. How silly of me.” She climbs off the bed, stuffing her feet into a pair of fuzzy red slippers. “Get yourself decent in here and I’ll go get a nice, caffeinated cup of coffee ready for you. My family isn’t very patient.”
That doesn’t surprise him one damn bit.
“Like daughter like family,” he teases.
“I am very patient,” she argues.
She is not. Sure, she can be when it comes to waiting on food at a restaurant or getting someone to call her back. She’s very understanding in those situations.
She’s not so patient when it comes to her wanting to get something done. She has a tendency to do it herself before anyone can even offer to help her.
“Oh right. You’re actually stubborn. I get those two confused,” he says.
She has her hand on the doorknob. “Okay, smartass. Get dressed. I’ll get your coffee.”
She shuts the door behind her as she goes. He gets out of bed and changes into a warmer green sweater instead of a t-shirt.
When he gets into the hallway, Sylvie’s family are already seated in the living room. Gwen and Tyler are on one end of the couch, and her dad is on the other.
“Look who is finally up,” Tyler retorts, sipping from a cup of coffee.
Matt needs the caffeine himself.
“Leave him alone,” Sylvie replies, coming out of the kitchen with two Santa mugs filled with streaming coffee. “Matt didn’t grow up in a family that has to get up before the rooster crows every holiday.”
He takes the coffee from her. It warms his palms. He blows on the surface before taking a sip.
It is good coffee.
Sylvie’s mom follows her out of the kitchen with a cup of tea. “Good morning, Matt. Merry Christmas.”
“Good morning,” he greets. “And Merry Christmas as well.”
“Are we going to stand here and trade pleasantries or are we going to open gifts?” Tyler asks.
He’s definitely a younger brother and also clearly hyped up on a lot of caffeine. He probably had as many shots as possible of free espresso that he could get at the motel.
Sylvie rolls her eyes at his antics. “You have not changed one bit, Tyler. Not one.”
She grabs Matt by the hand and leads him into the living room. He wordlessly takes the same chair they always get stuck in and she settles in next to him.
Her mom slides beside her dad. She puts on a pair of readers and then gestures to the tree. “Go ahead, Ty. Grab your gifts.”
Tyler pops out of the chair and grabs one box wrapped in glittery red paper, a gift bag with a Santa on it and a small rectangular box with a green bow.
Gwen shakes her head. “My gosh. What is our Christmas’s going to look like when we have children? I don’t know who is going to be more excited.”
Sylvie sips from her drink. “Definitely Tyler. He’ll probably shove his own children out of the way to get there first.”
Tyler settles back into his spot. “That is so not true. The kids will obviously be more excited…they just may have to wait.”
He’s a very unserious guy.
Tyler unwraps all the gifts. His parents bought him a new blazer. Gwen got him a nice-looking watch and Sylvie bought him a wooden BBQ set for the grill they purchased at the end of summer. He knows Severide helped Sylvie pick one out before they left for Fowlerton.
Gwen goes next. Bert and Martha bought her a new cast iron pan. Her husband picked out a pair of gold hoop earrings. Sylvie got her a yoga mat with palm trees on it.
He’s lucky he’s exempt from all the gift giving to the whole family. Sylvie assured him he’ll only have to do that when he’s married to her which obviously will never happen.
He made it clear that Sylvie’s family did not have to buy him anything either.
However, he did purchase a gift card for her parents to thank them for their hospitality.
“You’re up, Sylvie,” Tyler replies.
She climbs off his lap and grabs two gift bags and two boxes, including the bracelet Sylvie’s mom so generously wrapped. Her real gift is hidden in his nightstand drawer. He intends to give her it when they find a moment alone.
She settles back against him, opening the gift box from her parents. It’s a pair of black winter boots.
She smiles. “Thanks mom and dad. These are perfect.”
Her mom shrugs it off. “Of course, sweetie. I’ve seen your current pair and they are rough.”
They are. They have salt stains from the Chicago sidewalks on the leather and the left boot’s sole is about to detach from the shoe.
Sylvie grabs the gift bag from her sister-in-law. She pulls out several scented candles and a self-care kit.
“You need it after all the ass you kick in Chicago,” Gwen says.
“Language,” Tyler teases. “But yes, you do.”
“I love them,” she opens one of the candles and smells it. “These are amazing.”
She passes the open candle to him to smell. It does smell nice. From the label, its banana bread scented. He agrees it’s pretty damn close.
“Time for my gift,” Tyler says. “You’ll love it.”
Sylvie moves the smaller gift bag into her lap, removing tissue paper. She chuckles, looking down into the bag.
She pulls out a bedazzled pepper spray on a matching key chain and a little coupon for self defense classes. “Pepper spray and self defense classes?”
Tyler nods. “For when you’re walking the Chicago streets. Matt here won’t always be around to protect you.”
He laughs. “Trust me, man. Sylvie likely does not need this stuff. I’ve seen her subdue men twice her size with ease.”
It’s true. His truck was once called to a house for backup with an unruly patient. When he arrived, Sylvie had the man down on the ground with her knees in his back and her hand holding his head down.
She handled it.
Sylvie nudges him. “He’s being dramatic. I could always use backup. Thank you, Tyler. I appreciate the thought.”
She sets the gift aside and picks up the smaller box. Her brow furrows as she reads the tag. She turns to him in surprise. “You got me a gift?”
“Of course he did,” her mom replies. “What fiancé wouldn’t?”
She wasn’t expecting a gift because they aren’t even engaged. He’s never even bought her any sort of gift before.
Matt shrugs. “It’s nothing crazy…just a little something.”
Sylvie looks at her mom. “No, I know,” she says. “We just both said we weren’t getting each other gifts is all.”
“Didn’t you buy him something too?” Her dad questions pointing to the box tucked in the corner. “Seems you both didn’t listen to your own rule.”
He didn’t realize that Sylvie got him anything. She had to have either snuck it in her luggage or bought it when she was out with her mom.
“Yeah, I did,” she replies. “You’re right.”
She tears the wrapping paper, holding the plastic box the bracelet came in. She pops up the lid.
It’s a generic gift for any woman. He’s not proud of this one but he needed something for her to open in front of her family.
“Matt.” She removes the bracelet, spreading it along her palm. “It’s beautiful.”
“Wow,” Gwen grins. “A ring and a bracelet. You’re very lucky.”
The true gift is the pair of earrings hiding in the drawer.
“I hope you like it,” he says.
She nods, eyes filmed with an emotion he cannot name. It could be joy or sadness or something else altogether.
“I love it,” she sets it gently back in the box and then pulls him in by the shoulder. She kisses his cheek quickly. “Thank you.”
He’s not sure if the kiss was for her family’s benefit or something she truly meant in the moment.
It shouldn’t matter anyway.
***
The day flies by quite fast after all the gifts are exchanged. They eat a nice long breakfast. Afterwards, Tyler and Gwen leave to meet with her side of the family. She and her parents take Matt to the diner again for their yearly family lunch together. By the time they get back to the house, they need to get ready for the annual Christmas Day event.
Every year, their small town gathers at the one banquet hall around. The county hosts it and encourages everyone to come for good food and holiday festivity.
Her parents have been taking her there every Christmas Day. It’s a formal event where they all are supposed to dress up.
It’s a great way to cap off the holiday and reunite with some old faces she hasn’t seen in awhile.
It starts in an hour at five. So far, she’s only curled her hair and put on her makeup.
Matt squeezes into the bathroom behind her as she’s applying mascara. He looks over her head, buttoning his freshly white ironed shirt curtesy of her mother.
He looks great. She tries not to stare at the way his shirt is tight around his muscles.
His cologne is also quite distracting. It was a terrible idea that she bought him a bottle for Christmas. Sure, it smells amazing, like smoked bourbon but it also makes him even more enticing.
“My god,” she comments. “You smell amazing.”
He smiles at her through the mirror, flattening his collar. “Well, that’s your doing. You generously bought it for me.”
He deserved it. He’s mentioned before that his current bottle is running low.
“It was the least I could do,” she replies. “You’ve really showed up for me this week. I really appreciate it.”
“I’m happy to do it,” he says.
“Being around my family hasn’t felt like pulling teeth?”
Matt shakes his head. “No. Not at all and even if it did…it would be worth it because I’m spending it with you.”
That’s incredibly kind.
He rolls his sleeves. “Shit. I left my watch in the bedroom.”
She closes the mascara tube. “That actually works out for me. I need to change. Can you grab the dress hanging off my closet door?”
He nods. “Got it.”
She packs up all the makeup items into her bag. Matt comes back in holding the dress.
She brought it with her from Chicago. It’s a dark green wrap-dress made from crushed velvet. The dress ties into a bow at the front and has a slight v-neckline that shows a little bit of cleavage but not too much.
Since it’s so cold, she’ll probably slip on some nylon tights to go with her white heels.
Matt glances at it. “This one?”
She nods, taking the hanger from him. “Yep. Thank you.”
“Anytime.” He shuts the bathroom door behind him like a gentleman.
She takes off her clothes, careful not to ruin her makeup or hair. She sticks her arms into one sleeve then the other. She grabs the velvet material and pulls it tight around her body, tying the remaining strap in a bow.
After that, she squeezes into some nylons, sitting on the edge of the bathtub to keep from falling.
Once she’s dressed, she stands in the mirror, ruffling her blonde waves.
The dress is both comfortable and elegant. She runs her hands down the material.
Sylvie opens the bathroom door and heads back into the bedroom. She packs her makeup bag into the open suitcase on the floor.
“Wow.”
She startles, glancing over at Matt. He’s halfway done tightening his dark green tie, hands stilled as he stares.
She assumes the absolute awe in his expression means she chose the right dress for tonight.
“Is this okay?” She asks.
He nods. “Yeah. Yeah. I…Sylvie you look incredible.”
She didn’t feel that way until he looked at her like this. He has this crazy ability to convince her that what he sees in her is true.
Well, some of it at least.
“Thank you.” She blushes. “You look great too.”
Matt secures the tie and then shrugs on the dark grey suit jacket that matches his slacks. “I look fine. I mean, you…you look perfect.”
She’s not perfect.
Not even close.
“I appreciate it.”
She sits down on the bed and latches the clasp on the bracelet he gifted her.
Matt clears his throat. “You’re forgetting something.”
She is? Did she forget to remove her eye masks or a zit patch? What if she missed an area when she put on concealer?
She touches her face self-consciously. “What?”
He chuckles, nodding his head toward the ring on her nightstand. “The engagement ring. Might need that or Hope will start asking questions.”
Right. She needs to put that on.
“Good call.” She stands, sliding the ring onto her ring finger. “That’s the last thing we need.”
She can’t get over how damn good he looks. Matt is attractive as hell. She’s always known that but it’s really hard to ignore when he looks like this.
He smirks. “Now you’re staring.”
She definitely is.
“Sorry,” she looks down at her feet. “I guess it’s just hitting me that all of this is almost over. We go back to Chicago tomorrow. Reality resumes.”
She meets his gaze again and she swears that she sees a storm of disappoint in his eyes.
She’s probably just projecting.
“I know,” he looks toward the bed frame. “Speaking of, there’s something I’ve been meaning to…”
“Come on, honey!” Her mom interrupts, shouting from somewhere in the house. “Your dad has the car ready. We gotta get there a bit early. I promised Joanie we’d help set up.”
Matt’s mouth clicks shut. He looks like there’s more he wants to say but they’ve apparently ran out of time.
“Coming, mom!”
She wonders what he was going to say.
Matt gestures her ahead of him. “You go ahead. I’ll be right out.”
She heads into the living room like he instructed. After fifteen seconds, he joins her and her mother who is dressed and waiting by the door.
“Time to go,” her mom says. “There’s no time to waste.”
That’s all Sylvie’s done this entire trip. She’s wasted Matt’s time for her own selfish desire to fool her family.
And now it’s almost over.
***
Matt can feel the earring box burning a whole inside his suit jacket. He really wanted to give them to her before they came to the town hall, but he ran out of time.
They’ve been here about a few hours now and the perfect opportunity has yet to arise. In the meantime, he’s had the opportunity to meet a lot Sylvie’s neighbors or old classmates.
It’s been nice to see her catch up and laugh with all these people from her past. It brings a smile to his face but at the same time, he’s running out of time to give her the gift.
Christmas is about to be over in just a few hours and they leave tomorrow. His window is closing, and he feels that deep in his chest.
In all honesty, he doesn’t want it to end at all. He’s loved being with Sylvie this last week. They’ve developed something that’s been simmering under the surface since the day they met.
This fake relationship is the happiest he’s been in years and also the easiest relationship he’s ever had. He’s never had to really fake any of this week. Everything he’s done for her or said to her contains a sliver of truth.
The problem is, when they get back to Chicago, everything will return to the way it was. They’ll go back to only seeing each other through Kidd and Severide. She’ll start keeping her distance again.
It’ll all change.
Her conversation across the event hall wraps up. Her old neighbor she had been catching up with wanders away and she’s all alone, sitting at the table.
It may be the only opportunity he has.
He excuses himself from his conversation with one of the men Sylvie introduced him to. He makes his way through the crowded room to her.
Sylvie smiles as she looks up. “Hi. I was wondering where you went. I was slightly concerned Hope had cornered you somewhere trying to tempt you with her feminine wiles.”
He laughs at the absurdity of that statement. He’s not even remotely interested in Hope. She pales in comparison to Sylvie.
“No. Thank god.” He extends his hand to her. “Can I steal you for a moment alone?”
She looks a bit worried about his request but nods anyway, happily accepting his hand.
He leads them out of the party room into the hallway. He wants a private moment, so he directs her into one of the other open rooms.
It turns out to be an office of some sort with a wooden desk, two leather chairs and a filing cabinet.
Sylvie looks around. “Okay, now I’m a bit concerned. This feels like a principal’s office. Am I in trouble?”
Matt shakes his head. “Of course not, no. Plus, have you ever even been to the principal’s office? The girl I know was a teacher’s pet.”
He’s seen the photo albums and heard the stories. She was an all-around perfect child with great grades and remarkable attendance.
She crosses her arms, giving him a flat look. “Okay, maybe not but the observation still stands. What are we doing in here?”
Right. He brought her in here for a reason. He doesn’t know why he’s suddenly nervous.
He wipes his palms on the front of his jacket. “I meant to give you your Christmas gift earlier, but I never really found the time.”
She raises her eyebrow. “Uh, Matt? You already did.” She jingles the bracelet on her wrist. “You got me this wonderful gift.”
He barely put any thought into it.
“True but I got that because your parents would expect your fiancé to get you a gift.” He reaches into his jacket to retrieve the wooden box. “But I wanted to give you something without anyone around, so you knew it was only for you.”
“Okay,” Sylvie chews on her bottom lip. “You didn’t have to do that though. You’ve done enough.”
“I know.” He pushes the box against her fingers. “But just take the gift, Sylvie.”
She reluctantly does, sitting down on the edge of the desk as she holds the box in her lap.
He watches her undo the clasp and push the wooden lid upward. She audibly gasps when she realizes what’s inside. Her breath hitches as she brings her hand to her mouth.
He starts over explaining to ease the tension. “When I bought the ring at the pawn shop, I asked the owner if he ever sold them. You told me about a pair just like this the other day. He brought it out of the back…claiming he never could sell them. I’m not sure if they are the exact pair but…”
She cuts him off, bringing her hand down into her lap. When she looks at him, her blue eyes are as glassy as an ocean.
“They are the exact pair,” she says. “I…I can’t believe you did this.”
He shrugs. “You mentioned you always regretted not making the purchase. How they represented a possibility you never thought was possible. Well, now it is.”
Sylvie sets the box down on the desk, shaking her head. “This is too much.”
He wasn’t expecting that as a reaction. He figured she’d be really happy, but she seems more upset.
“Sylvie, it barely cost…”
She stands. “No. No. Not the cost. I mean, all of it.” She runs her hands through her hair. “All of this is just too much. The fake dating…the engagement…all of it. I’ve lied to my parents this whole week. I forced you into this.”
She did not force him into this. He chose to. He made that choice but suddenly she’s acting like he’s been burdened by this.
He’s not sure where all this frustration is coming from. They’ve made it five days living this lie and it hasn’t bothered her before.
“You didn’t make me do anything. I wanted to,” he replies. “It’s really…”
She shuts her eyes, groaning to herself. “This was such a terrible idea. I mean, what was I thinking? I brought you here and my parents now love you and it’s all a lie.”
It’s not all a lie. His feelings for her were never an act. The way he described her is how he truly sees her. The connection and compatibility they have wasn’t something he forced to appease her family.
It was just there.
She’s spinning out. He steps closer, trying to grip her arm in an attempt to ground her. “Sylvie, listen…”
She pushes him off and nearly trips over the desk. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I dragged you into this and I’m sorry that you did this incredibly kind gesture for me that I can’t accept.”
He doesn’t understand why she can’t.
“What do you mean you can’t accept it? They’re just earrings.”
“No!” She snaps. “They’re not. They’re…they’re more than that. It was one thing to buy this bracelet to impress my parents but this…this is too much. This whole stupid plan is too much.”
That’s not enough for him. He can see she’s upset but she’s not talking to him. She’s repeating the same phrases over and over without explanation like he’s somehow magically supposed to be on the same page as her.
She runs her hand across her face. “You already won them and my whole town over. You don’t need to go for the Oscar with something like these.”
She holds up the earring box.
He’s slightly offended by that accusation. He has no damn clue what she even means by that.
“What are you talking about?” He asks. “What Oscar? What winning?”
She shakes her head, looking over his shoulder towards the open door. “It doesn’t even matter anymore. Forget it.”
He’s not going to forget it. He wants answers. He wants her to actually talk to him.
“Sylvie, I need you to…”
They’re interrupted again by a new voice. Hope pops her head in with an overly pitiful smile.
“Everything okay in here?” She asks.
Matt really hopes she didn’t hear a word of that.
Sylvie pulls herself together quickly. “Yeah. Everything is great.” She barely even looks at him. “I’m going to go check on how my mom is doing with boxing the leftovers.”
He wants to demand she stay and talk this out, but he can’t with Hope there. Instead, he just watches her leave.
When he looks back at the desk, the earrings are still there.
Hope invites herself in. “Trouble in paradise?”
He hates this woman. She really is a complete bitch like Sylvie and Kidd described her.
He grabs the earring box and stuffs it into his jacket. “We’re fine.”
Hope’s hand lands on his arm and she edges closer, pushing her boobs into his face. “Are you sure? You look a bit down.”
He is not in the mood for this.
“Are you flirting with me right now,” he questions, irritated.
She shrugs. “If I was…what would you say?”
He rolls his eyes. “I’d say that you are a truly terrible friend and an even bigger downgrade from Sylvie Brett.”
Hope’s expression morphs into a mix of surprise and disgust.
“Go to hell,” he says, pushing past her out of the office.
Hope is the last thing he needs to deal with tonight.
***
She’s an idiot. She was so worried about Antonio getting caught up in the ruse and she’s the one who let things go to far with Matt.
The earrings were such an incredibly thoughtful gift, but she can’t accept them. She and Matt aren’t actually together. He doesn’t even love her.
The earrings will just remind her every damn day that Matt is a good actor.
This whole thing is a mess. She should have never invited him here. She shouldn’t have let herself get caught up in the fantasy he’s been selling.
His feelings for her are all lies but deep down, hers aren’t. She’s fallen in love with him or at least the life they’ve pretended to have.
The truth is, she should’ve seen this coming. In a way, she’s been in love with him longer than she wants to admit. It’s why she keeps her distance in Chicago and why she won’t transfer to 51.
She can’t be around him because doing that further develops the feelings she has been ignoring since he was a married man.
She did so good for two years stuffing it all down in the corner of her heart but now it’s out in the open.
Now her heart is beating for Matt Casey.
Now it’s breaking because none of it was ever real.
She finds her mother in the back kitchen. She’s sitting in a small plastic chair at a table as she fills Tupperware with even proportions for anyone who plans to take home the warm meal.
“Hey sweetie,” her mom looks up. “Are you okay?”
She’s not.
Sylvie wanders over to her. She sits in the other chair and slouches in defeat. It’s Déjà vu for all the times she came home in high school with boy trouble.
Although now this is worse.
“Mom, I have a confession,” she admits. “I lied to you on the phone when I told you I was in a relationship. I never was. Matt and I aren’t engaged. We’re not even dating. He’s just a great guy who offered to pretend to be my boyfriend to get me through the holidays and keep you and dad believing I wasn’t alone in Chicago. Matt Casey is just a friend through my best friend Kidd. That’s all.”
A weight lifts off her shoulders when she says it but then a new feeling settles into her gut.
Guilt. Guilt for lying to her loved ones like this for so long. She made them believe something that wasn’t real.
Silence blankets the kitchen. Sylvie expected her mom to yell or scold. Somehow the quiet disappointment is worse. It reminds her of all the times she unintentionally hurt her parents as a teen.
Her mom’s hands stay busy spooning soup into containers. “Honey, it hurts to think that you felt you needed to lie to me and your dad in the first place. We support you no matter what.”
She nods. “I know. I’m so sorry. It just happened.”
Her mom places the spoon on the tabletop. “Furthermore, the relationship timeline and engagement may have been untrue but the love between you two isn’t.”
Her words shock Sylvie.
She says it with such conviction.
“What?” She asks. “No. No. Matt doesn’t love me. I mean, he was actually married before. He got divorced about six months ago. Trust me, he’s just a good actor.”
“So?” Her mom responds. “Sweetheart, that boy is not a good actor. I’ve been on this planet almost sixty-years. I know when something is real and when it isn’t. He wasn’t faking his love for you. You can’t fake that.”
Sylvie has no clue where her mom is getting this. Clearly, she’s in denial and doesn’t want to admit that Matt is not Sylvie’s future husband.
“Mom.”
“Sylvie.” Her mom grasps her hands. “What you and Matt have is not an act. You two have a real connection. You have that thing that people search for their whole lives.”
They don’t. She wishes they did.
Sylvie shakes her head. “No, we don’t. I mean, we really barely know one another. I was friends with his ex-wife when we met. The beautiful love story we sold you wasn’t the whole truth.”
“Sylvie, I’m not wrong and I’m also not the only one who sees it. Your father told me that he had a conversation with Matt last night.”
That must have been after she fell asleep.
“You know how your dad is,” her mom says. “He has never approved of any guy who looks your way. Last night, he came into the bedroom and told me that he knew Matt was the right guy. He said that he had never witnessed anyone talk about you the way he did. Your dad told me about the job offer at 51.”
Damn it. Matt must’ve said something about that last night. She’s never told her parents about it.
“He said that the reason Matt wants you there is so he can keep you safe because he doesn’t want to lose you. Does that sound like someone talking just to sell a ruse?”
Sylvie didn’t know that. She never once considered that Matt wanted her at 51 because he actually wants her close.
Why would he admit that to her dad? She doubts he was cornered into saying it to sell the lie.
Her mom gestures to her. “And what about you? I’ve never seen you so happy and in love before. The way you talk about him, the way you look at him…can you honestly say you’re faking that?”
She isn’t. Matt’s by far the most incredible person she’s ever known. It’s what makes it so easy to love him.
Sylvie shakes her head. “No. I wasn’t.”
Her mom grins. “Do you love him?”
She nods. “Yeah. I really do.”
That’s the first time she’s actually admitted those feelings. She does love Matt.
“Then you need to tell him,” her mom replies. “Sweetheart, maybe this whole ridiculous ruse was meant to happen so you could realize what was in front of you.”
Oh my god. Her mom’s right. She’s been so caught up thinking that it had all been an act on Matt’s part. She never stopped to wonder if everything he said and did was genuine too.
Suddenly, she realizes the earrings weren’t gifted to her as a part of this lie. He bought them for her because he listened and he cared enough to track them down.
She needs to find him.
***
Sylvie eventually tracks. Matt down outside the venue. She puts on her long black coat and exits out the swinging glass doors.
She can see his silhouette leaning against the side wall, staring out at the falling snow.
It’s cold out but her adrenaline causes her to barely even notice the brisk weather.
Her heels tap against the sidewalk. “You’re a horrible actor, aren’t you?”
Matt turns around. The evident furrow in his brow softens when he realizes it’s her. A slow smile spreads across his face.
“Yeah. I am,” he replies. “I’m terrible actually. I didn’t even get into the school play the one time I auditioned.”
She laughs, picturing a young Matt Casey auditioning for a school play. He was too much of a jock for that.
“But seriously.” He takes a step closer, his shoes scuffing against the sidewalk salt. “Sylvie, the things I said to you this holiday…I meant every word.”
She knows that now.
She wraps her arms around herself to preserve heat. “I told my mom the truth. All of it.”
Disappointment flickers across his features. “Oh. How’d that go?”
“Fine. She wasn’t really upset,” Sylvie replies. “But she did tell me that there was no way you were lying about loving me. She’s crazy, right?”
She needs to frame the question first to protect her heart. She’s giving him the chance to agree that he could never love her.
“She’s not.” He takes another step closer. “Sylvie, you and I have something. Deep down, we always have. I felt it the moment you walked into my life, but I didn’t think about it. I didn’t acknowledge it. We kept our distance.”
She felt it too. They clicked and it scared her, so she created as much distance as possible. She became Gabby’s friend and pretended like Matt was a stranger to her when he never was.
“I was married and you had your own thing going on so we just pushed past it but then I got divorced. Suddenly, there was no real reason to stay away so I found myself making excuses to see you,” he admits. “And through those moments, I realized that whatever was there before was still there.”
It’s so comforting to know that her instincts about him weren’t one sided.
She nods. “It was.”
“It’s grown stronger each time and after spending this Christmas with you…I finally found a name for it.”
She sucks in an anticipatory breath.
“I love you,” Matt whispers. “I’m in love with you. I’ve never forced that. I’ve never had to act at that. It just happened.”
She blinks away fresh tears. Hearing that word for the first time without having to worry if it’s genuine is the greatest Christmas gift.
“I love you too,” she smiles. “Everything you’ve said…I feel that too.”
“You do?”
He sounds unsure.
She nods. “Yes. I really do.”
Matt cups his cold hands around her face, pulling her in for the proper kiss she’s been dreaming about since the mistletoe.
She kisses him back, winding her arms around his neck. The kiss lasts until neither one of them can breathe anymore.
Matt smiles, forehead pressed to hers. “Does this mean that we’re no longer pretending?”
She giggles. “Absolutely not.”
“Good.” He pulls back a bit, keeping his hands low on her back. “Now, as much as I’ve enjoyed playing your fiancé. I think it may be better to try out boyfriend girlfriend first.”
“Yeah. No. Great idea.” She holds out her left hand. “Go ahead and take back the ring.”
“Well, I didn’t say that.” He pulls the ring off her ring finger. He then slides it on her pointer. It’s a bit snugger but still fits. “Hang on to it. I spent almost two grand, so I don’t suggest hurling it in an ocean or something.”
She cannot believe he spent that much. She really does owe him a lot of alcohol when they return to Chicago.
“That’s insane.” She admires the ring's new location. “But it is very beautiful.”
“Speaking of,” Matt says. “Are you going to accept the earrings now?”
Sylvie nods. “Yes. I’m sorry for freaking out. It’s just…I didn’t even realize you were listening that day.”
He furrows his brow. “I always listen to you.”
It’s words like that which make her the luckiest woman in the world.
“The earrings mean everything to me,” she replies. “Thank you.”
“Of course.”
He kisses her again. She has to put a stop to it a few minutes later when they are bordering on public indecency.
“Are we going to tell the rest of your family?” He whispers.
She will but just not tonight. She may not even tell them tomorrow. The truth no longer matters as much now that they plan to actually start a relationship in Chicago when they return.
“I’m sure my mom will tell my dad and brother.” She shrugs. “As for the rest, I don’t really think they need to know right away. All that matters to me is starting fresh in Chicago with you.”
“Me too,” he narrows his eyes. “Which brings me to another important question. Does this mean that you and Dawson are officially done?”
She’s thrown off guard by the name.
“Antonio?”
Matt nods.
She didn’t even realize he knew about that.
“Yes. Absolutely. You definitely don’t have to worry about that.” She chuckles. “How did you even know about his thing for me?”
“Kidd.”
She could have guessed that.
She gasps in realization. “Oh my gosh. Is that why you agreed to do this? You were jealous that I could take Antonio?”
He clears his throat, feigning innocence. “Okay, maybe a little bit. I mean, I know the guy. He’s not the one for you.”
“And you are?”
“I want to be.”
That’s so romantic but he already is.
She presses a quick kiss to his lips, smiling into it. “You have nothing to worry about. We went on one date and that was it. I’m completely in love with you.”
“I think that’s the best Christmas miracle I could ask for,” he teases.
That’s incredibly cheesy yet sweet.
She feels the exact same way. She can’t wait to get home and begin learning about Matt in all new ways.
However, she’s not looking forward to Kidd’s inevitable gloating about how she planned this whole thing.
Oh well.
Sylvie will happily admit being wrong about their connection.
Turns out, their connection solidified over this Christmas which makes it the best one she’s had to date.
Next year, she can bring Matt back here without living a lie.