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December 9, Thursday

Seattle, Washington

Edward

"No, no. It's fine. Send them over to me in the morning."

Ending the call, I toss my phone onto my desk and sit back in my chair. Groaning into the empty room, I pinch my eyes closed in frustration, opening them back up again in hopes I'll be able to see a little more clearly.

Nope.

Eyes still burning from the lack of sleep and stress from work I've been under, I curse under my breath and push my chair away from my desk here in our Seattle office. It's late, evident by the silence surrounding me in the building and the city lights around me infiltrating my office through the windows, and I know it's time to call it a day.

I don't mind walking into an empty hotel room late at night; it's nothing different from any other place I rest my head at night. Besides my years in college, I had spent my life before and since then in a perpetual state of comfortable solitude, preferring to be alone. Maybe it's all the childhood years I spent by myself, one eye on the door waiting for my parents to visit. Or because of the years after, when I realized they were never coming back that had turned me into the Grinch I've become, I'm not sure. Regardless, staying to work late during the holiday season is not new to me. If anything, I welcome it.

It's predictable.

Safe.

And it keeps me occupied and focused, so I don't have time for the songs and the shoppers and the traffic and the flashy holiday lights to drive me fucking crazy.

Because if I don't throw myself into work, they, and everything else about this damn holiday, surely will drive me into an early grave.

Sighing in defeat, I grab my things to take home for the night. Whatever I had planned to do here at the office, I can do within the comfort of my room back at the hotel. My van, large enough to have its own zip code, is the only one in the parking garage when I pull out, a snapshot of how I live my life.

And it's just the way I like it.

An hour later, after I've showered and pulled open my laptop again, my phone buzzes on the desk, and I see the name of my best friend from college appear across the screen.

I'm selective about which people I choose to have in my life, and Emmett Cullen will always be one of them.

"Figured it'd be you," I say in greeting. He scoffs on the other end of the line.

"Of course it would; I'm the only one who calls you," Emmett adds.

I shake my head. "That's not true. Jasper called me the other day because his team killed my team in Fantasy this week."

"That doesn't count," Emmett dismisses me through the phone. "It's standard procedure to call the guy you beat and rub the loss in a little."

"Okay, fine. What's up, Em? It's late for you over there in New York."

"Yeah, well," he trails off before continuing, "I won't be in New York for much longer."

"Shit," I mutter. "That bad, huh?"

Emmett sighs on the other end. "Jasper's engagement party is on New Year's Eve, so he convinced me to come home a little early this year."

"You think it'll help?" I ask. Rose and Emmett have always been exactly that- Rose and Emmett. Pillars in terms of ideological couples, which is why the troubles they've had this last year have been hard to swallow for all of us who know them.

"Who the fuck knows at this point. But you're in Seattle for the month, right?"

"Livin the dream," I confirm through a slow exhale.

"It's not too bad out there. I think you'll like it after a while. Especially once I'm there," Emmett laughs.

"When are you coming in?"

"Tomorrow, actually. Jasper's doing this big Toys for Tots thing at his school, and I told him I'd help him out with it. The more hands-on-deck, the better."

"Let me know, man. You know I'll help you whenever I can."

Every man has a weak spot, and this is mine. Even though gifts aren't what the holidays should be about, as a kid, that's hard to believe when everyone around you is giving and getting stuff. I know how it feels to be a child without presents on Christmas, and if I can make one less kid in the world feel the way I felt growing up, I'll do what it takes. With minimal complaining.

"Think you can come to Forks one day next week? Help me load the truck or something? Go to the bar?"

Figuring I'll be working through the weekend anyway, I can easily swing a few days off to help out and enjoy some time with a friend who clearly needs it.

"Won't ever say no to getting smashed with the Cullen brothers," I laugh, propping my socked feet up on the coffee table in front of the TV in my rented suite. "So what kind of gifts are trending this year?"

Tomorrow - be sure to have your favorite holiday movie on in the background while reading our latest chapter!