Ho-Ho-Hopefully - The Maine
"We go together like the winter and this sweater. And she makes me feel, she makes me feel alive inside."
HARRY
Discarded wrapping paper lined the overpriced carpeting. Empty plates with leftover breakfast food sat on top of the coffee table. I glanced around at my dysfunctional family and everyone seemed to be happy. Contentment washed over their tired faces.
Leaning back against the couch I had claimed mine for the morning, I stare at the gift in my lap. An e-reader. According to step-daddy dearest, this is the better way to read books. "For all those little books you read." Were the words he used when he handed me the box. It cost too much and was a waste of money. People shouldn't be spending hundreds of pounds on something so small and ridiculous. There is nothing better than holding a physical copy of a book. It's the best feeling; an indescribable feeling. Whenever my fingers skim over the crinkling pages of a well read book. He probably hasn't picked up a piece of literature once in his life. Bastard.
Ben and Jaz had taken the train up last night. I on the other had, decided to drive up two nights ago, the day after I dropped Isabella off at the airport. That had been a mistake on my part. The tension in the household had become difficult the moment I entered. Being in the same vicinity as Mark for longer than needed was nearing impossible. Whenever he opened his fat mouth to talk, I had to resist the urge to punch him in the jaw.
The post-gift opening lull had casted itself down on everyone. With christmas music being played in the background, I sat back drinking a cuppa that was much too bitter. I get that this Denise chick had some issues, but for fuck's sake, how hard was it to make a decent cup of tea?
"Like the gift?" Jaz's high voice broke through my thoughts, startling me and causing a bit of tea to pour onto my thigh.
"Shit," I hiss. The scalding tea seeping through my pyjama pants.
"I'm so sorry!" She apologizes, throwing a few loose napkins on my thigh. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's fine." I grunt, rubbing the dry napkin against my pants. "It's shit anyways"
She gives me a tight lip smile forcing a laugh. Her eyes downcast on the chipped polish on her fingernails. Ben returns into the lounge. He juggles three dark navy mugs in his hands. He walks over to where we are, taking a seat beside Jaz. Ben passes her a mug in which she graciously accepts. He hands me one over and I take it, muttering a quick thanks.
"Tea. I don't know about you, but the one I had was kind of shit. Thought I'd make us a new one." Ben explains, taking a sip from his own mug.
"It was shit." I say blankly, bringing the hot tea to my mouth.
"It wasn't that bad." Jaz sighs, putting her old mug on top of the coffee table.
Ben chuckles, shaking his head. "It was bad. Nice girl but terrible at making a decent cup of tea."
Grunting a response, I sip the hot liquid. Fuck, that was better. We drink our tea in silence. The crackling sound of the fireplace being the only thing noise in the room. While a somewhat comfortable silence falls over us.
Reaching into the pocket of my jumper, I search for my phone to check the time. It was eleven in the morning which meant it was still only three am in New York. God, I always heard that long distance relationships were shit. I never realized how inconvenient they truly were. Time differences were also a pain in the ass. All I wanted to do was to call my girlfriend and wish her a Merry Christmas. Shit, when did I become a lovestruck school girl?
It was simple: I missed Isabella like crazy. Being away from her was torture. I found myself craving everything about her. From her touch, to her smell. I missed the sound of her voice. It was pathetic feeling this way. You don't realize how dependent you become over someone until they are not with you.
"We should do something today." I look over at Jaz. Her face lit up in excitement. I rolled my eyes, not in the mood for her perky attitude.
"What were you thinking?" Ben asks, moving his arm to rest around her shoulders.
"I was thinking we could go into town and see if something is open. Grab some hot chocolate and go ice skating." She looks over at Ben with hopefully. He smiles at her, leaning in to kiss her forehead.
Get a fucking room. I bite my lip from saying the smart-ass comment I was dying to say.
"There's a place I could take you to. We'd always go there when we were kids. It was a tradition to go skating there every year."
"Are you meaning the one beside Beacon Acres?" I interrupt Ben as memories of our childhood resurfaces.
When we were kids, our mum would always take us to a pond that had been frozen over from the snow. It was never busy, especially on Christmas morning. Parents had the common courtesy to not drag their small children to a random park to ice skate. But dear mum had other plans. Claimed it was something she had done many times during her own childhood. A tradition she wanted to pass on to us.
Ben nods confirming my suspicions. "If you want to go, I'd love to take you." He says to her.
"I'd love to go!" She squeals. Excitement lingering in her voice.
"Okay babe, if you wan't to go we will go." Ben agrees, pulling her closer into his side.
"Yay!" She squeals. Her hands clasping on to his arm. He laughs, leaving a kiss to her forehead.
Jaz squeals once more, hugging him tight. She lets go, turning around. "You'll come with us, right?" She asks, looking at me enthusiastically.
I hated ice skating. It was uncomfortable, skates hurt my feet, and it was too damn cold. There were better things to do then glide around a frozen pond. Yet on the other hand, there was nothing else to do. Mum was busy cooking dinner. Mark was a prick. The only person I wanted to see and spend time with was across the fucking Atlantic Ocean. I didn't really have much of a choice.
"Fine." I agree, even though I didn't want to.
Jaz squeals excitedly once again. She pulls Ben up from the couch, her hands holding tight to his. "I'll go grab my coat and mittens, then we can go!"
-
There was a reason why I hated ice skating. It was fucking cold. My feet were hurt. And to top it off, I fell four times. I was done with this shit.
Struggling to keep my balance, I skate to the edge of the pond. The end is near, and of course, I lose my footing. Luckily I catch myself before I fall face first. I hear snickering to my right. I quickly turn my head, almost losing my balance once again. That was enough for the snickering to turn into a full cackle. Three little girls, probably no older than seven, were huddled together. Their mitten clad hands cover their mouths to hide their laughs. I turn to face them, my eyes narrowing.
"What's so funny?" I bark out, my eyes narrowed down at them in hopes to appear intimidating. All hope is gone as they begin to giggle some more.
"Mister, you're not very good at ice skating." One of them comments. She tucks a pice of her brown hair behind her ear. A few loose curls sticking out of place from the wind.
Her two friends nod, agreeing with her as they giggle some more. I grunt, turning carefully on my skates, managing to skate a few more inches before falling flat on my ass.
High pitched giggles are heard once more. I lay my head back, the cold ice hitting my neck. It sends a chill down my spine, a shiver coursing through me as an aftershock. I run my hands through over my face, muttering under my breath.
"Mister," the same girl calls out. "The ice is for skating on not laying down." They continue to giggle, my body moving slowly to sit up. The green beanie that was previously on my head, is now covered with ice. I stuff it into the pocket of my coat, moving my long, damp curls to the side. Carefully, I stand up. My knees wobbling as I try to catch my balance.
"Woah there." A voice calls from behind me. Arms hold on to my shoulders, steading me in place. "Careful."
"Thanks." I groan, pushing my hands deep into my pockets.
"Daddy! This man isn't very good at ice skating. He keeps falling!" The same little girl laughs, calling to, who I assume, is the man holding on to my shoulders.
"Hush, Maddie." He chuckles. "Sorry about her."
"Yeah." I say, turning around carefully on the ice.
Once I am turned, I am met with a familiar pair of green eyes. The same man from the supermarket at Easter. Small world. He looks at me, his face not faltering. A kind smile on his lips. He clearly doesn't recognize me.
"Thanks." I say once again after a few seconds of obvious staring. He is oblivious to my blatant stare.
"No problem." He smiles warmly at me, his aged eyes crinkling. He leans in closer, his hand covering one side of his mouth. "To be honest, I'm not very good at ice skating either. But it's a tradition to come here every Christmas. Even though I'm shit on these skates." He laughs once again.
I have an anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach. I look at him blankly. A crisp breeze biting my reddened cheeks. Shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other, I look past and over his shoulder. Ben and Jaz are caught up in their own world, skating in circles on the far side of the pond. Oblivious to the interaction that is taking place.
"You alright there?" The guy asks, breaking me from my rambling thoughts. I look over at him, his brows furrowed.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I pause, "Do I know you?"
His face falls for a second, not realizing I catch it before smiling at me once again. "I don't think so." He shakes his head, a small dimple appearing on his cheek. It's too faint to see but still there.
I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew this guy. My mind feeling clouded as I rack it for any possibility as to who he could be. Any sign or clue. He coughs to clear his throat. Scratching the back of his neck, he opens his mouth to speak.
"Well, I got to get these girls back to their parents. Except Maddie, she's mine." He rambles on.
My stare doesn't falter away from him, but I nod my head slowly. "Sure."
Wobbling slightly, he skates over to his daughter and her friends. "Have a Merry Christmas -" He pauses.
"Harry."
His eyes widen briefly. "Harry. Right, name's Dylan." He holds his hand out for me to shake.
"Nice meeting you kid," he says once our hands release.
"Yeah. You too." I say, as I continue to stare at him. Dylan. Why did that sound familiar to me?
"Merry Christmas Harry!" Maddie shouts. "Don't fall again!" She giggles, her hand waving dramatically in the air as the other holds tightly to Dylan's hand.
"Thanks." I call back, my hands remaining in my pockets.
-
The line rings. It continues to ring, the repetitive sound testing my patience. I had been waiting for a few seconds, but it has felt like years. Hoping for Isabella to hurry and answer the phone. It was 8:30 at night here meaning it was only 3:30 in the afternoon in New York. After a few more rings, the line finally connects.
"Hey you." Her melodic voice whispers into the line. The sound warming my cheeks in contentment. Fuck, I hadn't realized how much I needed to hear her.
"Isabella." I say, the tone of my voice staying low. "God, I miss you."
Her breaths come out short. Movement could be heard on the other line. The shutting of the door being heard distantly.
"I miss you too." She finally says, her voice at a normal tone. "Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas, baby."
"Christmas isn't the same without you here." She sighs, "I can't wait for you to be here."
"Same here doll. I can't wait to kiss you. Hold you close." Memories of our last night together play in my mind. The way her body withered underneath me, calling out my name in pleasure. Fuck.
"There more days." Her soft voice pipes up, reminding me of the agonizing three days left until I had her back into my arms.
"I fucking hate long distance."
"It's horrible."
"I miss you."
"I miss you more, Harry."
"God, I love you." I admit, my voice cracking pathetically.
"I love you too." She declares quietly. "Only a few more days." Her voice is hopeful, reminding me one more time.
"Only a few more days." I confirm.
"Tell me about your Christmas?"
For the next hour and half, we talk about about our days. She tells me about her mom and Nat's surprised faces once she entered the house. Unaware that Isabella was coming home for Christmas. A minor detail that she left out when making the decision to go home- telling her family she was actually going.
She laughs as she recalls the moment. I smile to myself as I listen to her talk. Her voice comforting. It stills any anxious thoughts and nerves I had been harbouring since coming home. An effect that she manages to have one me. Regardless of the distance, Isabella had a hold on my emotions. Her grip tight and not easing up anytime soon.
I tell her about my own day. She chuckles when I tell her about my unfortunate mishap at the pond. "It's because your legs are freakishly long." She mocks, any feeble attempts she makes to hold back her giggles failing miserably. She aw's when I tell her about the little girls that found it humorous to poke fun at my mishaps. Agreeing with them and saying that she would have laughed with them.
She listens carefully when I tell her about Mark and the fight we had during dinner. She stays silent as I rant to her about how much of a dick he is. Humming in agreement when I tell her what happened. "He doesn't have a right to say those things to you." She stands up for me, even though she too far away to do so.
I bite back my own snarky remarks when she tells me about Natalia and her supposed new boyfriend. She tells me about how much he reminds her of me and that I'd probably get along well with him. Isabella's voice heightens when she talks about her own parental problems. How her mum kept going on about how it was time for her to move on.
"Did you tell her about us?" I ask her, curious to know if her parents knew about me.
"Yes."
"And?" I push. "What happened?"
"They shook their heads at me. Said I'm too young to be living with a boy. The same shit. They still think they can dictate my life. It's pathetic."
We talk for a few more hours until she tells me she needs to go. That they have a big family dinner in an hour and she has yet to change. My heart falls, realizing that I would have to hang up. I didn't want to, knowing that it would be another day until I could hear her again. Talk to her. Listen to her laugh.
"How long will it take you to get ready?"
"Twenty minutes?" She says, but it comes out more as a question.
"I want to try something." I smirk, even though I know she can't see it.
"What's that?" She asks, hesitance in her voice.
"Are you in your room?"
"Yeah."
"Lay down." I instruct. I hear shuffling on the other line, evidence that she is following my simple instruction. "Do you trust me, baby?"
"Yes." She breathes out.
"Good." I walk to my door, locking it. I make my way back to my own bed, laying down against the sheets. "I'm imagining you here beside me."
"What would you do?" She questions, obviously catching on to what I am implying.
"I'd brush my lips across the back of your, my hot breath fanning against your skin." The words roll off of my tongue. "I can already feel my dick begin to harden."
"Then what?" Her voice is breathless.
"Mmm, I'd slip my hands under your shirt. Feeling every inch of your warm skin. Feeling you gently. I'd kiss every inch of you. Taste you." I pause, adjusting myself against my jeans.
"Harry."
"Touch yourself." I command her gently. "Imagine that I'm touching you. My lips brushing against your thighs, hot breath fanning over you."
"Oh," she moans. It's enough for me to unzip my jeans, relieving me from the tight confines of my boxers.
"Fucking beautiful. God, I can't wait to touch you in three days. Make you come with my own hands. Have you scream my name so fucking loud that your neighbours won't know what's happening." I mutter the dirty words, unable to filter them out.
Heavy breaths and moans could be heard from both sides of the phone call. Her heavy breathing and commands bringing me closer to my climax. I help her along, encouraging her to her brink.
"I'm close," she gasps.
"Come on baby. Close... so, close. I love you. I love you so much. Fuck, do I love you."
"I - I love you too," is all that I need to hear before I'm brought to my brink. Her name leaving my lips in a gasp. My hand moving quickly as I sputter encouragement as she hits her own climax.
"Shit." I lean my head back against my pillow. Exhaustion taking over every fibre of my body. Her heavy panting can be heard, making me nostalgic for her.
"That was..." she trails off.
"Amazing. You're amazing. I love you." I admit sheepishly, still in awe of what just happened.
"I love you too. But, I have to go. I'll talk to you soon okay? Merry Christmas, babe."
"Merry Christmas," I reply before hanging up the call. Already missing her sweet voice and counting down the days until I see her once again.