A/N: Hello again everyone! Me again. :P

Before we get into this, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to winterschild11, Side1ways, Guest, RainbowDiamonds, and Riku child of Dawn for reviewing!

I hope you all enjoy!

"How did you know I loved Hannah's?" James asked once we were inside the restaurant and at a table.

"Who doesn't love Hannah's?" I winked. "It's only the best burgers in town."

Yeah, it was true about the burgers, but I would've never known about the place if it weren't for him. Hannah's was the restaurant we went to on our very first date. It seemed symbolic to me, as if I'd earn his love by re-enacting all the dates from our life together-a life he didn't remember, but one I couldn't forget.

"I say the same thing!" He beamed at me. "No one ever knows about this place. Maybe it's because it's on the very edge of town and kind of hidden. I don't know. But I just feel…" James' gaze darted throughout the room. "I just feel cozy here. Like there's a touch of magic."

I quirked a brow. "You sure that's not just all the Christmas decorations? I heard Christmas is the most magical time of year, you know?"

"Oh yeah? And who told you that?" He asked, leaning on the table and giving me the cutest damn mischievous grin I'd ever seen.

Was he flirting? God, I hoped so.

"A man named Nick." I answered like it was no big deal. "He was an older dude with a white beard and everything."

James giggled, and then covered his mouth like he'd just done the unthinkable. "Oh my God. How embarrassing."

Most men laughed when something was really funny. James giggled. Not all the time, but if he wasn't careful, it just kind of slipped out. He hated it, but I'd always found it endearing.

"Don't be embarrassed." I said, reaching across the table and touching his hand. "It's adorable."

He pulled his hand back, but kept a smile on his face. "It's awful."

It tried not to let it bug me too much that he pulled away from me.

He was not James, my fiance. He was James, a guy who'd just met me. It was difficult treating him like a stranger, though, when I knew him so well. Probably better than I knew myself.

The waitress approached and asked us what we wanted to drink, and I wasn't surprised at all when James said hot cocoa.

The first time he'd ordered it, I'd cringed and made a gagging noise. I mean, hot cocoa and burgers? Really? But he'd grinned and told me to shut my face and not to knock it until I tried it.

I'd never tried it.

"I'll have a Coke." I said, unable to hide my smile at the memories floating in my head.

"Now, before you say anything," James started after the waitress walked away. "It's delicious and you're missing out."

I shook my head in innocence. "Hey, I'm not judging you. To each his own. Chocolate flavored burgers and all."

James snorted and covered his face.

My heart fluttered at the sight. I wondered how I'd ever been so fucking blind before. The most important thing in my life had been with me the whole time, and I'd allowed the desire for materialistic shit get in the way.

But I see him now.

After lunch-which had tasted amazing-we left Hannah's and strolled along the sidewalk at a leisurely pace. The December day in Duluth was cold, but not miserable. With the right amount of layers of clothing, it felt great.

The perfect day, as James used to say. He loved cold weather. And Christmas.

"Wow, look at how beautiful everything is." James said as we passed the decorated store windows and street lamps that were adorned with big, red bows and lights. "This is my favorite time of year."

I know. "Really?" I said, playing dumb. Again. "What about it do you love so much?"

"It's not something I can really put my finger on." He answered, glancing at me. He'd slipped on a crocheted beanie that covered his ears, but some of his hair jutted out at the bottom. Rosy cheeks and bright, hazel eyes filled my vision. "Sure, I love the decorations. The twinkling lights and trees. The music is beautiful. But there are also certain feelings that come with Christmas, at least to me. Joy. Hope. And love. It's like, for this one month, people are kind and giving."

I listened to him, feeling my chest crack open a bit as each word reached my ears. The only silver lining I saw in this whole screwed-up wish scenario was that I was getting the opportunity to fall in love with him all over again.

James looked away and gave a bashful smile. "I know that probably sounds silly."

"It doesn't." I answered, staring at the side profile of his handsome face. "More people should think like you. To most people, Christmas is a stressful time that's all about who has the most money and can get the best stuff to one-up the other."

"Money doesn't matter to me. I prefer something that's unique." He said, softer than before. His hazel eyes found mine again. "You can't put a price tag on gifts that come from the heart."

One reason I'd worked so hard to get that promotion had been because I'd wanted that huge paycheck to buy everything I wanted. To make a better life for James and me. Never once had I stopped to ask him what he wanted. I had been so selfish.

"Like I said, more people need to be like you." I told him, smiling to lighten the mood.

Suddenly, it had become serious. Or maybe my own internal thoughts had just been weighing me down.

James answered me with another smile. "Well, I guess I better get back to work. Thanks for lunch, Kendall. It was… not what I expected."

"You're welcome." I ached to reach and take his hand, but I stopped myself. "Call me later. Or I can call you. You know, about the decorating and stuff."

"Sure." He said as he turned the other direction. Before he walked off, though, he glanced at me over his shoulder and waved. "Have a good day."

Longer than I should have, I watched him leave. I had told him that more people needed to be like him, but I knew no one else would ever be him.

Just like the clock that sat on the shelf above my fireplace, James was one of a kind.

XxX

The following Monday, I sat in my office, staring out the window. So much was on my mind. Work. James. The ticking of the damn clock, which reminded me again of James.

The project with the coffeehouse was underway and the creative team had been working their asses off getting everything in order. Christmas was fast approaching, so it was cutting it close with the commercial, but I knew we could pull it off. The commercial also mentioned how the coffee was perfect for those cold, winter nights, so although it centered around Christmas, it could air weeks after it was well.

I'd given the team my suggestions, and they'd intently listened and jotted notes each time I spoke, as I were God or something. More than likely because I could fire them if they made the wrong move.

Not that I ever would. But I had that power.

"Uh-oh." Jett said after poking his head into the room. "What's wrong?"

I motioned for him to come inside and close the door. He did.

"I saw James Saturday." I said, threading my hands through my hair.

Jett plopped down in the chair and froze. "Like, the James? The one you think is your fiance?"

"I don't think it. He is… or was. Anyway, that's not the point." Exhaling, I angled my face toward the desk.

"Then what is the point?" Jett asked, drawing my attention back up. "You need some dating advice or something?" He laughed after he'd said it, but then got serious when he noticed my unwavering, somber gaze. "Wait, really? You need dating advice?" Cupping his hands, he put them over his mouth, as if pretending it were a megaphone. "Attention, ladies and gentlemen, Hell has frozen over. I repeat: Hell has frozen over."

"Be serious." I said, but my amused tone contradicted the words. "James is unlike any other guy. I can't just flash him a flirty smile and hop in bed with him. No offense."

"None taken." Jett said with a thoughtful expression. "Honestly, what we had wasn't romance, Kendall, so I'm not much help. I know I didn't fully believe you before, but after seeing you this past week or so, I really do see a different guy. You're not the self-assured, cocky, son of a bitch you used to be."

What type of guy was I in this life?

"Was I that bad?" I asked instead.

"You used people to get to where you wanted to be." He answered. "You weren't really mean or anything, but you cared more what other people, mainly the higher-ups, thought of you than what you thought of yourself." His brown-eyed gaze lifted to meet mine. "But you aren't that guy anymore. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is… I believe you. You're not the same Kendall Knight who used to boss me around one minute and ask to fuck the next. Yeah, that might make me crazy, too, but it's hard not to see something that's right in front of your eyes."

"It's easier than you think." I said from experience. "James was in front of me for years, and I'd let myself slip away and become blind to what really mattered in life."

A knock at the door made both of us jump.

"Come in." I said after clearing my throat.

A dark haired guy walked in with a sheepish expression. He looked about the same age as me and was part of the creative team, and if I remembered correctly, his name was Lucas or Logan… something with a L.

"Sorry to bother you, sir." He said, standing about a foot in the room and holding a poster board and disc. "We have the storyboard for the commercial, plus the unedited footage, and we needed your input."

"Okay, bring it over." I tried to sound as friendly as I could, not wanting to frighten the guy even more. "Your name is Logan, right?"

He nodded and approached the desk.

Jett looked up at him as he passed, and I didn't miss the way his eyes lingered on Logan's ass.

Taking the poster from him, I lay it flat on the desk and stood up to see it better.

It was sketched out in squares, with each square being a frame of the commercial. Santa placed gifts under the tree in one, and turned to see a plate of cookies and a mug in the next. He took a drink of the coffee before smiling and giving a jolly laugh.

I then grabbed the disc and popped it into my computer. As the commercial played, I scanned the storyboard, nodding when they touched on everything I'd requested.

Of course, the footage lacked the special effects, cinematography, and music that the final version would have, but it was a start.

"This looks great, Logan." I told him. "The only thing I'd suggest is on this last scene when it shows the coffee bag and Brew Emporium label, focus the camera on the bag and blur the surroundings, so the coffee is what the viewer sees, with the tree and fireplace as background."

"Will do, sir! Thank you."

Once Logan left, I looked back at Jett. He was smiling.

"What?"

"You're really good at your job." He answered. "Yeah, you were a workaholic and an asshole at times, but you deserve to be where you are. Are you sure you're ready to give it all up and go back to how things were?"

"I don't see it as giving it up." After sitting back down, I looked at my computer and clicked on a document I needed to read over. I had another presentation to a different client that afternoon about their clothing line. "When I'm back in my old life, this is still something I can achieve, I'll just go about it a different way."

"And what way is that?" Jett asked as he stood up.

"To be honest, I don't know. But I'll figure it out."

I loved having my ideas heard. As director of marketing, I had control over so many aspects of advertising-something I hadn't had before.

In my old life, my ideas had been ignored or only taken into consideration when nothing else had worked. Going back to that level of invisibility would suck, but after seeing this life, I knew it was possible to achieve my goals. With resilience and determination, I could have my voice heard.

However, if the only way to have that position was to lose James in the process, I didn't want it.

XxX

Later that evening, I decided to take a walk. My apartment was in the center of the city, so basically everywhere was in walking distance-well, the places worth going anyway.

The cold, crisp air bit into me, but I'd layered up so it wasn't too bad. I didn't have a set direction in mind. I'd just needed to move around. Sitting still was out of the question with how my mind was racing. And each second I spent at home doing nothing was another second lost.

Snow was in the forecast, and I could already smell it in the air. The old me probably would've snarled at such a thing, but I had a new attitude about it.

Main Street was lit up like a Christmas tree. Literally. Each lamppost had a string of lights wrapped around it and some of them had large ornaments hanging off the ends. Every store window had some sort of Christmas or winter scene.

Even though the sun had sunk below the horizon and night had taken its place, all the lights and bustle of people lit the place up.

A group of carolers stood in front of a shop, singing O, Christmas Tree in perfect harmony.

James would love this.

Without hesitation, I pulled out my phone and called him.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Kendall. How are you?"

Only two days had passed since I'd last seen him, but it felt like more. And it wasn't as if I hadn't tried seeing him the day before. He'd told me he was busy helping another client decorate her new restaurant, so I'd had no choice but to leave him alone.

"I'm okay." He answered in an off-tone. "Just ate dinner and now I'm sitting at home. How are you?"

I knew him way too damn well to believe that he was really okay, but I didn't want to freak him out by going all protective, caveman on him. I needed to be cautious with how I handled things.

"I'm great." I answered, stopping on the sidewalk and leaning against one of the lampposts. "I was restless, so I took a walk. If you aren't busy, maybe you can join me? It's sort of amazing out here. Everything is lit up and there are even some carolers."

James didn't answer right away, and the hope in my chest plummeted.

"Thanks for the invite, but I can't." James said, still in that off-tone. A tone that didn't fit his usual happy attitude. The urge to go to his house struck, but not knowing where he lived put an end to that plan. "I'm tired."

"Oh. Then maybe I can come see you." I suggested.

He sighed. "Kendall...I don't think that's a good idea."

What the hell?

This was the second time he'd said something like that. First, when I'd offered to buy him lunch the other day, and now.

"Why not?" I asked, both afraid to hear the answer and needing to hear it.

"I'm not sure you even mean it in this way, so if I got the wrong impression, I'm sorry." He said in a rush. "But I don't date anymore. I just got out of a bad relationship, and the last thing I'm looking for is another guy who'll break my heart."

If I hadn't been leaning on the post for support, I probably would've fallen. My limbs went all wonky, and my throat tightened.

"Someone broke your heart?" I managed to ask. My voice took on a raspy edge, and I cleared it, fighting back the emotion trying to take over. "And I'm very interested in you, by the way. Just so you know the truth."

"Yeah. The wound's still too fresh, Kendall." He answered in such a way that I could see the expression on his face as he said it from memory. I'd made him sound that way on Christmas Eve. "Also, dating a client isn't appropriate. I'm sorry."

More words we said-small talk-before he told me goodnight and hung up.

"Dammit!" I punched the post, which was a dumbass move.

The couple standing several feet from me, listening to the carolers, shot me a look of surprise before moving away, casting stares at me as they went.

No longer feeling the Christmas spirit, I took off walking back to my building, pissed beyond belief.

Just before I entered the apartment complex, a snowflake landed on my arm-beautiful and unique.

"Ken!" James called from outside. "Come here!"

I was in the kitchen, unloading groceries for our dinner, when I heard him. Wondering what he was doing out there in the below freezing temperature, I stopped unloading the food and peeked outside the window above the sink.

James had walked down the porch steps and was in the backyard, holding his arms out and looking up at the night sky. The porch light gave off just enough light for me to see the smile on his face.

He met my stare and motioned for me to come out there. So, I did.

"What is it, babe?" I asked, walking outside and shuddering at the blast of cold air. "Fuck, it's cold out here."

"No, it's perfect." He said, looking upward again and closing his eyes. "It's snowing."

Some flakes fell into his hair and the ones that landed on his rosy cheeks melted right away. He was only in a sweater, so I shrugged off my jacket and draped it around his shoulder.

HIs eyes opened, and he beamed at me.

"Every snowflake is unique, you know." He said, holding out his hand to catch one. "Beautiful, yet fragile. They say if you catch one in the palm of your hand, and can make a wish before it melts, that wish will come true."

I grinned and wrapped my arms around him, kissing the tip of his cold nose. "And who is this 'they' you speak of? I think you're making it up."

James giggled and buried his face in my neck. "It's written in the Book of James. You don't know it. It's too advanced for your mind."

That comment led to me tickling his sides, making him giggle even harder before running back up the porch and into the house. I chased him, finally catching him in the living room, where I tackled him on the couch.

Our lips met between our laughs, and I melted against him just like the snowflake had on his hand.

"I love you, Jay." I whispered against his neck.

As the memory faded, tears sprang to my eyes. I'd do anything to go back to that night. It had been before I'd started pushing him away and focusing too much on my work.

The snowflake melted, and I looked up at the sky, seeing more snow slowly fall.

Everything quited around me, as it always seemed to do when it snowed.

I wanted to call James again, but he had made his point crystal clear. Maybe I could get him to change his mind. However, it wouldn't be tonight.

Once inside my apartment, I took off my coat and gloves and went to the kitchen to pour myself a drink. Preferably one with a lot of whiskey.

How can I get James to fall in love with me when he's sworn off dating?

"Thanks a lot, Nick." I said with a snarl before taking a swig of the drink, wincing as it burned a bit going down. "You set me up for failure."

My gaze moved to the clock on the mantel, and I clenched my jaw. All my fucking issues had started with that damn thing.

"It's easy to place the blame on others for our own wrongdoings." A familiar voice said.

I looked to the left and saw Nick standing near the doorway, wearing a big, red winter coat and a red knitted hat.

Rolling my eyes, I took a bigger drink before wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

"Not really in the mood to chat, Nicky boy." I said in full-on asshole mode. "Some warning before I took the clock home would've been nice, by the way. And not the cryptic shit you fed me."

"Would you have really learned a lesson if I would've told you the truth?" He asked in a level tone, walking closer. His cheeks were pink and I could've sworn his blue eyes twinkled behind his glasses for a moment.

"All you cared about was yourself. James was not a priority in your life, so much so that you waited until last minute to even remember to get him a gift. And that was after disregarding his wants and needs for months. If I would've told you what would have happened once you were home, you might've left the clock in my store, but you would've taken your bitterness with you still."

There wasn't enough alcohol in my apartment for me to have this conversation with Mr. Santa Claus wannabe.

"So, you're a shrink now, too, Nick?" I laid my head down on the bar and closed my eyes. "I guess you do that on the side. When you're not ruining people's lives, of course."

"Some people are fortunate to believe without seeing." He said, and his voice sounded farther away. "And some people… well, some people must see to believe."

When I looked back up, he was gone.

Done! So, we got more Kames interaction this chapter! We also learned that the odds seem to be stacked against Kendall, since James has sworn off dating.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!

I absolutely loved hearing your thoughts on last chapter, and again, I hope you all enjoyed this one! :) The next chapter more than likely won't be up until this weekend sometime, so until then!

-Epically Obsessed