Under The Mistletoe

4: It's Not Worth It

He didn't call me.

I constantly checked my cell phone all throughout work waiting for any calls. Anything from Justin.

It was all a waste of my time. He never called.

"Maybe he's not worth it, Baby Girl." Tori says as I'm gathering my stuff to leave.

I sigh, grabbing the neatly-wrapped gift box that Justin had given me earlier and twirling it in my hands. "I just feel...different around him. A good different."

"Just follow your heart." Tori advices. "Hearts are always right."

"I guess." I sigh again. "See you tomorrow, Tori."

"See you, dah-ling." Tori waves after me. "Don't be late tomorrow!"

"I won't!" I assure her as I make my way out of the boutique.

I find myself chewing on my bottom lip as I'm walk out of the mall.

Maybe he had an emergency, I decide. Or maybe he went home and fell asleep.

Or possibly his phone is dead. What I'd it broke?

I shake my head. Stop making excuses for him, Payton. I tell myself. Maybe Tori's right. It's not worth it.

I lift my arm once I spot an upcoming taxi. It comes to a stop and I climb in the back. I give the driver directions and just lean my head against the cold window.

It's not worth it.

• • •

I'm about to step in the shower, the water already running, when my phone rings.

I stop in my tracks and lift my phone up from it's place on the sink. I didn't recognize the number, but a part of me already knew who it was. Biting my lip, I hit ignore. Not too long after, my phone beeps, indicating a voice mail.

I press except and place the phone against my ear.

"Payton. Hey." Justin's familiar voice says. "Sorry for not calling earlier. I kinda lost track of time. Can you call me back? Are you too busy?" He clears his throat. "Well, call me back when you get the chance. Yeah? Well, sorry again. Uh, bye, Payton." The voice mail ends.

I just stand there for a while, the sound of the water still running. I know I should call him back. I know I should.

But instead, I place my phone back on the sink and step into the shower, letting the warm water calmly run down my body.

• • •

"I'm surprised," Tori's voice startles me as I walk through the doors of the boutique the next morning. "You're actually on time." Tori's busy organizing the clothes on the racks, waiting for the mall to open and for the costumers to come swarming in. Tonight's Christmas Eve, and as Tori would put, it would be busier than ever. You'd be surprised how many people left Christmas shopping for the last minute.

"Merry Christmas, Tori." I greet her, walking over and placing a small candy-filled mug in her hands. "It's not much, but it's the thought that counts."

Tori smiles, pulling me into a quick hug. "Oh, thank you, Payton. Happy Holidays to you too."

She pulls away and gets back to work, already tearing the wrapper off one of the candies that filled the mug.

I go to counter and shove my purse behind it at the same moment that my phone goes off.

Frowning, I reach down and check the caller. It's Justin. It's always Justin, I think. After his call last night before I entered the shower, he called twice more, each time leaving a voice mail. He even tried texting me which I ignored, putting my phone on silence and curling up beneath my covers.

"You gonna get that?" Tori asks from somewhere behind a rack of Christmas-themed t-shirts.

Realizing I'd only been staring at the phone, I hit ignore and stand up, making my way to one of the racks.

"It's just my mother," I lie. "I call her later."

"Your mother." Tori repeats. "No calls from Justin?"

"None." I lie again, my eyes falling upon a new stack of scarves that sat on some nearby boxes. They were dark blue and covered in snowflakes, just like the one I'd placed around Justin's neck that day downtown. Something in my stomach sinks and I look away, turning my attention back to the shirts I was supposed to be rearranging.

About an hour and thirty minutes later, I'm in a rush to check out the endless line of costumers in front of me. Tori was right about today being a busy day.

"Have a Merry Christmas." I wave off a lady that had just bought one of our scarves and move on to the next costumer, a teenage boy around my age who was carrying a red sweater with a the words 'Merry Christmas' sprawled across the front in white letters.

"Hi," I flash him a warm smile and scan the shirt. Nine dollars and forth three cents. "This for your girlfriend?" I ask him in an attempt to make small talk.

The boy chuckles, running a nervous hand through his black hair. "Nah. It's for my grandmother. I don't have a girlfriend."

"Well, that's sweet." I say, referring to his grandmother. "But it must suck not to have a special someone to spend the holidays with, huh? Oh, and that will be nine dollars and forty three cents."

Still chuckling, the boy reaches in his pocket for some cash. "Just another lonely holiday for me, I guess." He says, pushing the cash across the counter. "I just haven't found that special someone."

I hand him fifty seven cents as change and place his shirt in a bag.

"Have you?" He asks me as he takes the change and bag.

As if on cue, my phone bursts out ringing. Justin.

"I don't know." I admit. "Have a Merry Christmas."

The boy smiles and waves. "You too."

"I'll take over." Tori startles me as she appears behind me. "You might want to answer that." She motions for the screen of my cellphone which was still ringing, Justin's name blinking.

"Thanks." I sigh, giving her the counter and making my way to the back of the store.

"Hello?" I speak into the phone.

"Payton!" Justin lets out a sigh of relief. "Finally. I've been calling you since last night."

"Sorry. My phone was, uh, dead." I lie.

"Oh..." Justin's voice fades. "Well, I'm sorry for not calling earlier yesterday. I lost track of time and-"

I cut him off. "Were you with Kinsley?"

Justin doesn't answer at first. In fact, he hesitates.

"Listen, Payton." He says at last. "There is absolutely nothing between Kinsley and I. Yeah, I was with her. We had lunch and then Kinsley wanted to stop at a bowling alley and we did. Like I said, I lost track of time and -"

He's cut off by a voice in the background. "Did you say you wanted a Big Mac? Justin?"

I clench my teeth. "Is that Kinsley?"

Justin heaves another sigh. "Yeah. We're out with some friends. Just friends, Payton."

"Justin, bro, check it out! Chaz got a Barbie in his Happy Meal!" An unknown voice says.

I sigh to myself, glad to know he wasn't lying. "I have to head back." I tell Justin. "I'm in the middle of work."

"Oh, right." Justin mumbles. "I'll...I'll see you around."

"See you around, Justin." With that, I click off and shove my cellphone into my pocket, heading back to the counter.

"I got it," I tell Tori. "You can go help out the other costumers."

Tori throws me a sympathetic look and nods, making her way to the racks.

"Hi," I force a smile at a lady that was pushing about three shirts and two scarves across the counter. "How are you?"

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Author's Note: SOO, this is the chapter before Christmas Eve(= So one more chapter left! COMMENT =)