Surprise!! I'm here with another chapter, and of course another dedication because Christmas is getting closer (I feel like Santa saying this lol 😅🎅🏼) Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to the cute and talented @XxValDayxX Thank you for your friendship, I love you, sweetie 😘❤🎄

*Theone's POV*

Wow! This dude can be scary sometimes! The way he's wiggled his eyebrows before 'leaving us alone to talk' sends shivers down my spine. 

Maybe I shouldn't have told him. Yet I've needed to talk to someone; I've needed advice, and even if Jason is sometimes – more like all the time – crazy and weird, he knows more about these things than I do. Besides, it concerns him in some way, and he knows her more than anyone else. Finally, he's my best friend, and that's the main reason why I trust him.

"What was that?" Penny glances her big blue eyes between me and the now-closed door.

"I don't know. You're all weird in this family," I lie barefacedly, but I'm not gonna 'talk' to her between a box of cereals and two toasts.

"Hey!" she protests, and I can't help but smirk as I cock an eyebrow at the teddy bear she's holding tightly.

"What were you planning to do with him?" I point at her hand, and she straightens up, realizing she's still lifting it in her hand, and fuck, she's cute, trying to save her dignity with her reindeer shirt.

"I grabbed the first thing I saw, and don't judge me, because I was still asleep and Holly can be fierce!" She moves the teddy bear like a puppet before putting it aside on the table and taking a seat across from me. "Why was he screaming like that at such an early hour by the way?"

Well, it's quite a shock for Jason to learn that I'm in love with his little sister. It's had the same effect on me when I've come to this realization last night. 

Yes, last night, it's hit me like a truck; I know I'm slow on the uptake, but I've never felt anything like this. It's the first time I'm in love, and I would have never expected I would fall for Penny, the annoying sister of my best friend. 

At first, I've thought she'd infected me with her eggnog fever because my stomach keeps fluttering, and I'm always restless and shivering. But now that I have her ocean blue eyes in front of me, there's no doubt: I'm in love, and I'm fucked.

Okay, Jason is apparently supporting me, even if I know he'll make me his speech about how he'll break my bones if I ever dare to hurt her, which I would never. As much as I love to tease her and annoy her until her freckles are moving up with the scrunch of her nose, I could never handle to hurt her. The fragility her jerk of ex has left in her eyes, I already can't stand it, and her tears... I've just wanted to kiss them away until her eyes could shine like a starry sky.

"Are you here?" She waves her hand in front of me before rolling her eyes and getting up.

"Sorry, what?"

"Jason, why was he screaming?" she repeats, now stretching to reach for something in the highest cupboard, and fuck, here I am again, checking her out. 

How can I focus with those shorts? They leave little yet too much to the imagination, and the way her tee-shirt inches up to give a glimpse of the soft skin of her lower back... I really have to get a grip on myself. Just five days ago, I would have never imagined I would be drooling over Penny like that, even though I gotta admit that I've always noticed how beautiful she is – I'm a man, what.

Before I know it, my legs lead me to stand behind her, and I grab the maple syrup she's been trying to reach. I'm just helping her, nothing else, of course... yet the warmth of her petite body so close is enough to awake me fully.

"Here." I hand her the small bottle, and my heart finds hope in the cute blush tinting her pale skin.

"Thanks."

I almost open my mouth to say something, yet I don't know what to say, how to say it. It's all new to me, so I go back to my usual ways, offering her a smirk instead.

"So Jason? Why was he screaming like he'd just seen the Grinch?" she repeats her question, pouring some maple sirup in her bowl and licking the drop on her finger.

God, she's annoying! She never gives up when she has an idea! And I find it even more annoying the way it tickles my chest warmly and sends a cold fear in my guts. She never gives up until she gets what she wants...

This is the moment, we're 'alone to talk', and I know time is ticking against me. I have to hurry before someone takes the place definitely.

That's the problem: there's already someone. At least, that's what everyone thinks, even Jason, who yet still supports me, and most importantly, there's already someone in Penny's heart. 

It may only be a silly plan for now, but knowing her, I'm afraid it'll work. She never gives up, and she puts all her heart into whatever she does, so it's impossible to resist her. 

Aden will fall for her; that's sure, and he's perfect, everything she wants. I can't even hate him because he's always nice with me, and I know he'll treat her right, better than I could ever. 

Yet it doesn't stop this boiling pain to take over my stomach every time I see them together, and I guess that's what people call jealousy. When I think of all those chicks that I haven't even been dating but who have acted all possessive, I think I've been worse than them yesterday. I'm mortified by how ridiculous I've been, getting angry and moody in front of all those adorable kids, those little elves like she calls them.

"He was shocked because there was no more..." My eyes rake the table to search for something that is missing. "Butter!" Okay, love definitely makes you act stupidly all the time, and I try to add more casually, "You know how excessive your brother can be."

She eyes me weirdly, but she doesn't raise, almost like she doesn't want to talk too much, and I just avoid her gaze before I can spill too much.

I'm not gonna tell her right now. If I wanna tell her, I gotta be at the height of her cheesy romance movies.

***

"What's the fuck are you doing?"

"Shh!!" Penny shushes me, nervously glancing around before focusing her eyes on my wide ones.

"What are you doing?" I repeat quieter. "We'll never be ready in time!"

"We will, stop worrying!" She grins, using my own words against me as she keeps untying the tinsels above the black Christmas tree. "What's up with you being so stressed?"

I tense even more at her calm, smiling tone that is usually mine. "I don't know... Maybe the fact that you're dismantling all our work two hours before the party!"

She doesn't even flinch at my annoyed tone, keeping her determined gaze on the Christmas tree that she lightly pushes to make it fall on the floor.

"What do I feel like this is one of your crazy plans again?" I ask, trying to lift up an unaffected eyebrow when all my muscles are clenching painfully, especially the one in my chest.

"Me?" She smiles innocently, and all my attention is drawn to her lips. 

They taste and feel as sweet as they look, as sweet as she is, and no matter what I do, I always go back to those two kisses we've shared. I've experienced a lot of kisses in my life, but none of them has felt as sweet and addicting, so hot and pure. I need to stop. I need to...

"Penny, I–"

"Wait," she stops me before I can even breathe, her gaze already attracted by something behind me, though she still turns to me with a lifted finger. "And don't you dare to say anything."

Of course, it's one of her plans. My chest tightens even more. 

Maybe I shouldn't even tell her. It's clear it won't change anything, even worse, it'll make things awkward. 

I've really thought we've drawn closer these past days, and I'm not only talking physically with the kiss, but also, emotionally – emotionally? Who would have thought those words would cross my mind one day thinking about getting close with a chick? I'm really fucked up. 

Those moments I've felt special, I've almost hoped she would feel it too, just like in her cheesy movies where the magic is mutual, but she's surely seen it as a brotherly-kind of way.

"What happened?" A voice more high-pitched than I've expected pulls me out of my thoughts.

I turn around to see a wide-eyed Alexis staring between the fallen tree and Penny.

"I don't know. We just saw it." Penny shrugs, and with all her lies and acting these days, I'm starting to think she's missed her vocation. "Can you arrange it, please? We still have a lot of work, and since it's your tree, you already know how it was decorated."

"Yes, sure." Alexis nods, and Penny pulls me by the arms as I'm still staring speechless at the scene.

I don't even have time to find back my words that we run into Hilary.

"We've finished setting the signs outside." She beams, looking as excited as Penny.

"Perfect, thank you so much!" Penny replies with the same smile, though I catch sight of the sparkle in the corner of her eyes.

"Oh no! It's my pleasure! The kids are adorable!"

"Do you still have time to help us? Because a Christmas tree fell, and we could really need more help!" Penny lets out a sigh, worthy of the greatest Hollywood actresses.

"Sure!"

"Oh, thank you! It's just right there. Alexis has already started putting it back on." Penny points to the girl all dressed in black standing in front of her black Christmas tree, and of course, Hilary rushes there.

"It was indeed one of your plans!" I note with a smirk as soon as we're alone.

"I told you, I'm just a little elf, trying to make this Christmas magical for everyone." She smiles, glancing nervously in the black tree direction. "I just hope it'll work."

"I'm sure it will," I tell her honestly.

She puts all her heart into everything she does, so it's obvious nothing can resist her. It's surely why her kisses are so addicting, and we have another proof when we hear soft laughs coming from the now-standing-proudly black tree.

It should scare me, and it does because all her plans can work. It should even dissuade me from 'talking', yet I know I will confess as she turns back to me with her big shining blue eyes.

Besides, I still remember the promise I've made to my mom. When I find love, I will fight for it. So here I am; I'll have to fight for the only one who has always retaliated against me.

Sooo... Finally, we see a glimpse of what's going on inside the devil's head! 😈😁😍 I think it's my favorite chapter so far!! He's so cute and funny! What do you think?

He's totally in love and 'fucked up' 😂😍😈🎄 Do you think he'll talk to Penny and fight for her? Jason is definitely shipping as hard as us 😉😏

Don't forget to vote ⭐ and comment if you liked this Theone's chapter!! Your support makes me believe in myself, and that's thanks to you that I can update so much, so thank you from the bottom of my little writer heart ❤😘🎄🎅🏼