Chapter Nine

Star

We were ten minutes away.

I had made the drive from Flagstaff to Redmond more times than I could count, but this time was different. Axel was behind the wheel with his hands relaxed on the steering wheel like this was just another drive and not a lead-up to the most stressful family Christmas of my life.

I stole a glance at him and took in his calm expression. His confidence was reassuring, but it wasn’t enough to settle the knots twisting in my stomach. “Should I run over everything again?” I asked, my voice breaking the quiet hum of the truck’s engine.

Axel chuckled, and the sound was low and warm. “Honey, I think I’ve got it all. Your mom is Carmen; she’s married to your stepdad, Jim. Your dad passed away when you were five.”

“Four,” I corrected him automatically. It didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but I couldn’t help myself.

“Four,” he repeated with a slight nod, not missing a beat. “Your sister is Rain, who’s married to Ben, and their son is Woods. Rickie and Davis are your aunt and uncle.”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“And we started dating right before December last year,” he added with a smirk and glanced at me briefly before focusing back on the road.

I couldn’t help but smile, even as nerves prickled in my chest. I’d told him way more about my family than I expected him to remember, but Axel had nailed the essentials. Maybe this would work after all.

We made the turn out of town and started the climb up the winding hill toward my mom’s house. The pine trees lining the road blurred together, and I clasped my hands tightly in my lap. My heart felt like it was trying to escape through my ribcage.

“I think I could puke right now,” I groaned and leaned back in my seat.

Axel’s laugh rumbled through the truck. “It’s probably the pork rinds and Slim Jims.”

I rolled my eyes, but a small laugh escaped me despite myself. “No, it’s introducing you to my family. What if they take one look at us and instantly know this is fake?”

Axel didn’t respond right away, but I could feel his gaze flicker toward me for a second before returning to the road.

“If that happens,” I continued, “we’re getting right back into this truck and going home. Hell, I might not even talk to them again until next Christmas.”

“Star,” he said firmly, but his voice was calm.

I ignored him and kept my eyes glued to the passing trees as I spiraled deeper into the what-ifs.

“Hey,” Axel called again, but louder this time.

I tore my gaze away from the window and looked at him. “Yeah?”

He held out his hand, palm up. “Everything is going to be fine.”

I hesitated for half a second before I put my hand in his. His warm and solid grip was a tether that pulled me back from the brink of my swirling anxiety. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze, and for the first time in miles, I felt myself start to breathe a little easier.

“I really hope you’re right,” I said softly.

Axel brought my hand to his lips and pressed a firm, lingering kiss to the back of it. The gesture was so natural and seamless that it made my heart skip a beat. “I’m always right, honey,” he said with that self-assured grin of his.

I let out a shaky laugh, and some of the tension in my chest eased. If he could be this confident, maybe I could fake a little of it myself.

The road curved sharply, the trees thinned, and it gave way to the familiar sight of my mom’s house at the top of the hill. The house was decked out in strings of white Christmas lights that were starting to glow in the late afternoon. My stomach lurched again, but Axel didn’t seem fazed. He pulled in front of the garage and cut the engine. He turned to me with that calm, steady gaze that I was quickly learning to lean on.

“You ready?” he asked.

“No,” I admitted, and my voice was shaky. “But I’m going in anyway.”

Axel smiled and gave my hand one last squeeze before letting go. “That’s the spirit.”

I took a deep breath and unbuckled my seatbelt. The cold air hit me as soon as I opened the door, but it wasn’t enough to shake my nerves completely. Axel came around to my side of the truck and offered me a hand to help me down.

I took it and felt the reassuring strength of his grip as my boots hit the snow-dusted driveway. He didn’t let go immediately and kept my hand in his as we walked toward the front steps.

“Remember,” he said quietly and leaned close, “you got this.”

I glanced up at him and took in the confidence in his eyes and the small, reassuring smile that tugged at his lips. “We’ve got this,” I corrected, my voice steadier than I felt as I tried to channel even a fraction of Axel’s calm confidence.

His smile widened, and before I could say anything else, he leaned in and brushed his lips softly against mine. The kiss was warm and sweet, the kind that made time stop for a moment. His arms slid around me and pulled me close, and I felt the world shrink until it was just the two of us. His lips moved gently against mine, coaxing away the last of my nerves, and I melted into him. My hands rested lightly on his chest, and I just enjoyed being this close to him.

For a brief, blissful moment, the kiss was everything. Comforting. Grounding. Perfect.

Then, out of nowhere, I heard a voice. “Star!”

I jumped, or at least tried to, but Axel’s arms tightened around me and kept me close. My heart slammed in my chest as I turned my head toward the voice. My mom stood in the open doorway, and her face was lit with excitement.

“Mom,” I gasped, my voice higher than I wanted it to be. “We didn’t even knock.”

Mom clasped her hands together, and her smile was wide and unfazed. “I watched you pull in from the living room window. We just got in from ice skating.”

I darted a glance at Axel, and he caught my silent plea instantly. Slowly, he pulled back, and his lips curved into an easy smile. But he didn’t let go of me completely, his arm stayed around my waist as if it belonged there.

“Well, Mom,” I began awkwardly, feeling like a teenager caught sneaking in past curfew, “this is Axel.”

This was not how I wanted their first meeting to go. Having my mom see us mid-kiss? Mortifying. But there was no undoing it now.

Mom stepped forward and reached out her hand. “I’m Carmen. It is so nice to finally meet you. Heck, it’s nice to know you exist . We were just inside talking and taking bets on whether Star was actually telling us the truth.”

I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut. My cheeks burned with embarrassment. “Mom…”

Axel chuckled, and the sound was low and easy as he took her hand in a firm shake. “I’m one hundred percent real, Carmen,” he said smoothly, and his grin was nothing short of charming.

Mom laughed, and her eyes flickered between the two of us. I could already see the wheels turning in her head. She wasn’t going to let this moment go anytime soon.

“Well,” she said, releasing Axel’s hand, then stepping back toward the door, “Don’t just stand out there in the cold. Come inside. Everyone’s excited to meet the infamous Axel.”

Axel gave me a quick wink before guiding me toward the door, his hand resting lightly at my waist. Mortifying as the moment had been, his steady presence made me feel a little more grounded. At least for now.

Mom disappeared into the living room and left us alone in the entryway. We paused to pull off our coats and kick off our boots, as the warmth of the house was a stark contrast to the cold air outside. My fingers fumbled with my zipper, and my nerves started to creep back in.

My family didn’t think Axel was real.

I had no idea they were even thinking that.

I mean, they weren’t exactly wrong, but now the pressure to sell this whole thing had me second-guessing every move. What if they saw right through it?

Lost in my swirling thoughts, I bent to tug off my boots and straightened up, only to find that Axel’s hand had slipped to my waist. He gently tipped my chin up with his other hand and forced me to meet his eyes.

“Look at me,” he said softly.

“I am looking at you,” I whispered back, and my heart pounded wildly in my chest.

“Stop worrying,” he murmured, and his gaze was steady and sure as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I’ll get right on that,” I drawled, sarcasm masking my anxiety.

His lips twitched in amusement. “When I’m kissing you, you’re not worrying.”

I scoffed lightly, though he wasn’t wrong. “Yeah, well, your kisses seem to make everything melt away. But I don’t think my family would appreciate you and me making out for the next three days, yeah?” Not that the idea sounded entirely unappealing.

“Take a deep breath and relax,” he said, his voice calm and even.

“I’m about to walk in there and pretend that you’re my boyfriend, Axel. There’s no relaxing to be had.”

“Then don’t,” he said simply.

I frowned, my brows furrowing. “Don’t pretend you’re my boyfriend. I’m pretty sure that’s the only reason you’re here.”

“Don’t pretend,” he repeated, and his voice dropped to a near whisper. His gaze flicked to my lips, and the intensity in his eyes made my breath catch. “I am your boyfriend, Star. We’re not pretending.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but he shook his head, silencing me with his lips.

The kiss stole every coherent thought from my mind. His hand tightened on my waist and anchored me to him while his other hand slid up to cup my cheek. The warmth of his touch and the deliberate way his lips moved against mine made the rest of the world fall away. It was soft but consuming, the kind of kiss that made me forget where I was, who I was, or that my family was just in the next room.

By the time he pulled back, I was breathless, and my head was spinning. He rested his forehead lightly against mine as his voice rumbled softly against my lips. “Did that feel like pretending to you?”

I shook my head slowly, still caught in the haze of his kiss.

“Then we’re not pretending,” he said firmly, and his tone left no room for argument. His hand lingered at my waist. “I’m your boyfriend. And now let’s go meet the rest of your family.”

Still dazed, I nodded. I let him guide me toward the living room. For the first time, I started to think maybe—just maybe—we could actually pull this off.