Nola POV

Just like that it was Christmas

This time it was at Kitty and Icee's mansion. Kitty liked to go all out on the holidays. There were two grand trees, and everything around the house was decorated, and it looked like a big ornament. Everything was blingy and shiny, that had to be Icee's doing.

They were going with a white theme, everything white. She felt like she could not touch anything. It must be nice to be that rich and not have to do your holiday decoration. They grew up poor with a mother who struggled to keep the mortgage paid on the house, clothes on their back, and food in their mouths. But every Christmas they had a nice tree, with decorations and lights and gifts under the tree.

Her mother worked miracles for them. She loved her mother for that. Not once did their father ever stop by and lend a helping hand. Coward.

The family was all in the great hall with the gifts and the food. It was hard shopping for her sisters who had everything. She was the only one without a job. Well, she worked part-time for Victor, but that was in her savings...along with the monthly allowance both Victor and Icee gave her.

She had a nice little savings, but that still was nothing compared to her sisters.

"Whaaat? You did not bring that hottie McHottie to the party?" Tennille said to her.

"Who?" She knew exactly who she was talking about.

"That is a nice-looking man, baby sis. Keep him around," Kitty said to her.

"Yes, he passed muster with me," Sarena said.

Everyone was there except Krystle who wanted to celebrate her first Christmas in Italy with her husband and child.

"We're just friends."

"Yeah, sure. Keep telling yourself that." Sarena knew her so well.

"He's just a friend," Victor walked over to them all. "Just like sis said."

"Victor damn, can the girl live?" Tennille said to him. "Date and get fucked...I mean, fucked up."

"She ain't gonna be out there and in the streets like you NiNi, she's going to get her degrees and then continue her training and apply to the Feds, as she told us she wanted."

Her family was the only one she told about wanting to join the FBI. They all knew how to keep secrets.

"I don't think I like her being in the FBI. That shit is dangerous," Sarena said.

"Hell, everything is dangerous now. They shoot rappers like it's nothing nowadays," Tennille said, and Nola gave her a push for saying something like that.

Kitty was married to a rapper. She had seen enough working with Victor that it was not a joke. Security around rappers was sometimes not enough.

"Oh, I get it, " Kitty said. "Icee was wilding out like that in the streets when he was younger, before me. Going to the parties and the after parties, girls, drinking, smoking, all that. He could have easily got caught up in something."

"And as many diamonds as the man wears, anyone can come up and snatch them and do something," Tennille said.

"Actually," Victor stated. "I told the boy to wear fakes and let the motherfuckers think it's real."

"And!" Tennille shouted out. "They don't know it's fake. They know Icee is known for his ice, so why not take it from him? Like they have time to see if it's real or not. Kitty, don't have yo mans get killed over fake shit."

"Ain't shit happening to my man on my watch. Or any of you. Icee straight."

Still, Nola worried about her brother-in-law and her sister. People were in desperate times, as far as money and wanting it by any means. yes, they were living in a fortress, but even fortresses could be broken.

All the kids were excited about their gifts, and she only felt okay about hers. Gifts meant nothing, it was the thought that counted. She had everything she wanted by simply being with her family.

Dinner was fine, but she could not wait till she got home. As much as she loved her family, she liked the quietness of her house. Once she was secure in her home, cuddled in her bed, hot chocolate with marshmallows, and an old classic movie, her phone rang.

It was almost ten at night on Christmas, who was calling her?

It was Drew.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Just wanted to call you and say Merry Christmas before it's all over."

"Thank you. Merry Christmas to you as well. Did you have a good day? With your family?"

"Actually, just me at home, a TV dinner."

"What? No way." She felt bad now, she could have invited him to be with her family for Christmas but since it was at Kitty's house, she did not think that would be cool. Ronan was away in St. Louis where he was from with his family.

"It's cool. I don't get into the holidays much."

"If it was not for my family, I wouldn't either."

"Well, I hope you got lots of gifts and ate lots of food."

"Want to hang out tomorrow? I have nothing else to do."

The next day she met him at the Winter Hills ice rink. She was not much of an ice skater, but she did rollerblade and figured it was much of the same. Drew said he was pretty good at ice skating.

Turns out the boy could skate like he was on the Olympic team. He was good. He could skate backward, figure eights, and spins. She barely could skate in a straight line.

"I know this might be offensive to ask, but are you gay? Aren't most male ice skaters-"

"Yes, that is offensive!" He gave her a playful punch. "You should know better. I just have been doing it since I was a kid. It's different. My mom would bring me all the time because she loved it as well."

"Yeah, you don't talk about your parents much."

"Neither do you."

"Touché," she said with a grin. "Losing one parent...well two really, I never had my father, I just never want to keep opening those wounds."

"At least you still have family."

She grabbed his hand and held it. "Sometimes you have to make yourself a new family."

He moved closer to her. "Would love to add you to my family." He leaned in to kiss her, and this was her first kiss with him, and she was not prepared. She moved away from him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's okay. I just...I thought we would keep things at just friends with us. Hanging out."

"I'm trying, but I really like you, Nola."

"I like you too, just... I'm seeing someone else...sort of."

"Oh." He looked down at his feet.

"It's nothing serious, we're just friends too, I just don't want to lead you on and think this is more than it is."

"I really did not expect someone as pretty as you to stay single forever, I just feel like I should be the one you chose."

"I'm not choosing anyone. I just..."

She had a fucked up history with relationships. No way did she want to rush into anything again. It was hard enough getting to know these two guys, but they both wanted more from her, and that only made her want to push them away.

"Just be patient with me, Drew."

A/N: Poor Nola. So young, so smart, but having the most issues with her dating life right now.