“MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!”

I yelled, running down the stairs. My brother, Jake, gave me a confused look as I did my happy dance.”But it’s the 17th of March,” he said, checking the calendar.

I frowned but kept dancing. My mother chuckled, shaking her head, while my father ignored us, still trying to fix his old-fashioned, broken phone.But I only cared about the deep laugh coming from the living room.

Gladis is here!

My best friend—my only friend—since we were kids. He was always alone at school. One day, he didn’t have any lunch, so I gathered all my courage and gave him some of my cookies. He hesitated at first, then took them. We ate in silence. When I asked why he didn’t bring lunch, he said the parents at the orphanage were fighting and forgot. From that day on, my mom packed lunch for both of us. We’ve been inseparable ever since.

People fear him because he’s tall, muscular, and covered in tattoos. But my family doesn’t—he practically grew up with us.

I never saw him as a brother. He’s my best friend and my first crush.

Shaking off my thoughts, I ran to him and jumped onto his lap, straddling him. He only laughed.

“Glady! Tell Jakey it’s Christmas today!”

“Baby, Christmas is in December. You can’t change that, sweet thing,” he said, amused. “Also, what did I tell you about running down the stairs?” His deep voice turned serious.

“Not to…” I mumbled, lowering my head.

I’m a bad girl…

“Baby, don’t do that again, okay? You could get hurt. Then we really can’t have an early Christmas!”

My face lit up. “Really? We can have an early one?”

He chuckled. “More like a fake one—just you and me. Deal?”

“YES!” I squealed, kissing his face. Every time he pulls me close, I feel safe. Like home.

After dinner, my family left, leaving me with Glady, watching Lucifer. A teasing comment led to him pinning me down, his possessive nature surfacing. Later, he comforted me with ice cream and playful kisses, carrying me to bed. As always, he stayed over, his warmth and presence making me feel safe and loved.