Forbidden Christmas With The Bellamys

#3

Chapter 3

~ Hailey ~

"Merry Christmas to me," I whispered into the darkness.

The door opened behind me.

I spun around, wiping quickly at my eyes. Trice stood there, wet hair dripping onto her shoulders, a towel wrapped around her bikini. Her smile was dreamy and satisfied.

"Oh my God, Hailey." She closed the door and leaned against it, sighing.

"He's amazing. We were just talking at first, but then he excused himself, after a while, he came back… dressed and smelled differently which was strange, but I thought he probably wanted to impress me. Shortly after, we got in the pool and…" She paused, biting her lip. "He invited me to his bedroom."

"What?" My voice came out strangled.

"I know!" She practically glowed. "Can you believe it? We just met today and there's already this... connection, you know?" She pushed off the door, walking toward her bed. "I'm going to shoot my shot. I mean, why not? We're here for two weeks. Might as well make it memorable."

I stared at her. "You're going to sleep with him? Tonight?"

"That's the plan." She dropped the towel and started rummaging through her suitcase. "Where's that black lace set I packed? God, I'm so nervous. But also excited? Is that weird?"

My chest tightened. Jealousy flooded through me so fast it made my hands shake.

"Trice…"

"Oh, don't give me that look." She pulled out lingerie, held it up to check for wrinkles. "You said you weren't interested in him. And honestly, Hailey, you need to loosen up. When was the last time you even went on a date?"

Two years. Two years since my ex. Two years since I'd felt anyone's hands on me, anyone's mouth, anyone's body against mine.

"That's not the point," I managed.

"Then what is the point?" She turned to face me, eyebrows raised. "Because from where I'm standing, you're upset that I'm going after a guy you claim not to want."

"I'm not…" The words stuck in my throat. Was I upset? Yes. But why? Because Navine was an arrogant asshole who'd chased me through the streets and now my best friend was about to sleep with him? Or because everyone could find someone except me?

"I'm just worried about you," I said finally. "You just met him. You don't know anything about him."

"I know enough." She smiled, softer this time. "He's hot, he's interesting, and he wants me. That's all I need to know for one night." She grabbed her makeup bag. "Don't wait up, okay?"

She disappeared into the bathroom. I heard water running, heard her humming something cheerful and light.

I sat on my bed, numb.

Ten minutes later, she emerged in that black lace, a silk robe over it, perfume cloud following her.

"Wish me luck!" She blew me a kiss and slipped out the door.

The silence she left behind was deafening.

Everyone was upstairs f*****g their way into Christmas while I sat here alone.

The thought made something snap inside me.

I stood abruptly, grabbed a hoodie, and left the room.

…

The house was quieter now. No more moans from Yvonne and Jackson's room. No sounds at all except my footsteps on the floor.

I found the bar on the first floor, a whole f*****g room dedicated to alcohol. Drunkards in this place.

I grabbed the first bottle I saw and poured myself a generous glass. Then another. The burn felt good. Grounding.

What was wrong with me?

I refilled my glass, my thoughts spinning. Trice was upstairs right now, probably naked, probably wrapped around Navine while he did things that made her make those sounds I'd heard from Yvonne earlier.

And I was here. Drinking alone. On Christmas Eve.

"Rough night?"

I jumped, nearly dropping my glass. Jackson stood in the doorway, white hair slightly mussed, wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt. He looked… exhausted. Drained. Like he'd poured every ounce of energy he had into my step-sister and had nothing left.

"Sorry." He raised his hands. "Didn't mean to scare you. Mind if I join you?"

I gestured to the bottles. "It's your bar."

He smiled and moved to pour himself something. He settled into the chair across from me, sighing as he sank into the leather.

We sat in silence for a moment. It should have been awkward, me and my future step-brother-in-law or more like step-father, alone, drinking in the middle of the night. But somehow it wasn't.

"Can't sleep?" he asked finally.

"Something like that." I took another sip. "You?"

"Yvonne fell asleep. I'm too wired to join her." He swirled his drink. "Big day tomorrow. Christmas. First one with her in this house."

"Must be nice," I said before I could stop myself.

He looked at me sharply. "Nice?"

"Having someone." The whiskey was loosening my tongue. "Being wanted like that."

Understanding softened his expression. "Ah… you know, it is not always that ‘nice’” he said with a wry laugh, before he could continue, another voice interrupted.

“Having a drink together already?"

The voice sent a chill down my spine. I turned.

Navine stood in the doorway, motorcycle helmet tucked under one arm, leather jacket zipped up. He looked between us—me and his father, alone

in the dim bar light—and something dark flickered across his face.

"Navine." Jackson straightened. "I thought you were in your bedroom."

"No." Navine's eyes stayed on me. "I've been out since. Went for a ride with the guys."

That made me curious…If Navine had been out with his club since, then who had invited Trice to his bedroom? Where was she right now?

"Everything okay?" Jackson asked, looking between us, wondering why we were both looking at each other with such intensity.

"Fine." Navine stepped further into the room. "Just surprised to see you two down here. Together and alone." He said the last word like an accusation.

What was his problem? We were just talking, sharing a drink. Why did he look at us like we were committing some kind of crime?

Jackson frowned. "We were just…"

A loud chime interrupted him. The clock in the hallway struck midnight, each dong echoing through the house.

Christmas.

Jackson's face lit up. "Merry Christmas!" He stood and pulled me into a hug before I could react. He smelled like scotch and expensive cologne. His arms were strong, warm, fatherly in a way that made my throat tight.

"Merry Christmas, Hailey," he said softly, pulling back to smile at me.

"Merry Christmas, Jackson." I managed a weak smile in return.

He turned to Navine, arms spread wide. "Come here, son."

Navine accepted the hug stiffly, his eyes never leaving mine over his father's shoulder. There was something unsettling in that gaze.

When Jackson released him, Navine took a step back, and that's when I heard it.

"Ho... ho... ho... Who wants presents!"

The voice came from behind us, followed by footsteps on the floor.

"Nathaniel?" Navine and Jackson said in unison, their voices a perfect blend of shock and resignation.

I turned toward the voice and my breath caught.

Standing in the doorway was Navine. Except it wasn't Navine. It couldn't be Navine because Navine was right here, still watching me with those dark blue eyes.

This man was identical. Same sharp jawline, same messy dark hair, same build. A carbon copy. Twins.

And behind him, looking absolutely mortified, was Trice.

She was still in that black lace lingerie, the silk robe barely covering anything, her hair tousled and lips slightly swollen. When her eyes landed on Navine her face went sheet white.

"What the hell?" The words tumbled out of her mouth, raw and confused.

"Merry Christmas!" Nathaniel spread his arms wide, grinning like this was the best joke in the world. His eyes sparkled with mischief that Navine's lacked.

Navine sighed, a sound heavy with the weight of a thousand previous incidents. "When did you get back?"

"A few hours ago." Nathaniel's gaze slid to Trice, his smile turning wicked.

"And I must say, your friend here gave me quite the welcoming committee. Didn't even let me say hello to the family first."

Trice's face flushed crimson. "Are you... you're a twin? You're not Navine?" Her voice pitched higher with each word. "You deceived me!"

"Deceived is such a strong word," Nathaniel said, still grinning. "You never actually asked my name."

"You let me think..." Trice sputtered, pulling her robe tighter around herself. "In the pool, you... I thought..."

"That I was my brother?" Nathaniel's eyebrows shot up. "Now that's interesting. Navine doesn’t have an eye for any woman save one” he turned to look at his father and then drifted his gaze to his brother. “Tell me, brother, what exactly were you doing while I was getting... acquainted... with Miss Trice here?"

Navine's jaw tightened. "I was out. With the club."

"Mm-hmm." Nathaniel turned to me, and I felt the full force of his attention. It was different from Navine's intensity... lighter, more playful, but no less dangerous. "And you must be the infamous step-sister. Hailey, right?" He burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the bar. "Oh, this is going to be an amazing Christmas!"

Understanding crashed over me like a wave.

The pool. The invitation to "his bedroom." The hands on Trice's waist. None of it had been Navine. It had been Nathaniel all along.

I didn't know what that meant, didn't know why relief flooded through me so suddenly, so completely. I shouldn't care. Navine was an arrogant asshole who'd thrown a rock at me and chased me through the streets. What did it matter which twin had been in that pool?

"I should go," I said abruptly, backing toward the door. My thoughts were too jumbled, the whiskey making everything fuzzy and confusing. "I need to... it's late. Merry Christmas."

I didn't wait for a response. I turned and headed for the stairs and I could feel them watching me.

I hated this. I tried to walk normally, tried to project confidence and grace, but my body betrayed me with every step. Too fast and everything jiggled.

Too slow and they'd have even more time to stare.

This was the curse of having curves that demanded attention. My ass drew eyes whether I wanted them or not, made men look even when I desperately wished they wouldn't.

I reached the top of the stairs and practically ran down the hallway to the room, slipping inside and closing the door firmly behind me.