Hidden Secrets

7- Decorating

We spent the rest of the car ride singing and listening to music before we made it back to my house

He set up the tree in the corner of the living room  while I grabbed the decorations

"We should make cookies"

"Do we have the stuff for that?"

"Probably"

"Then I suppose we're making cookies"

-

I'm doing the dry ingredients while he is doing the wet ingredients, the two of us singing Christmas songs as we do so

Once he's done I slowly pour a little bit of the flour mixture into the mixing bowl, before I can stop him he turns it on high, the flour flying up into the air, laying his face and clothes with a thin layer of it

I start laughing as I watch him

"here" my cheeks hurt from how much i'm smiling

I walk up to him with a towel, wiping the flour off his face, in standing in my toes to be more at his level, I feel his hands find their way to my waist to stabilize me

Butterflies soar through my stomach at the contact, the feeling is so intense I genuinely think you would feel it if you felt my stomach, the fact I can feel his gaze directly on me the entire time isn't helping

"There" I take a step back as i'm done, quickly trying to put distance between us

"Valentine" His voice is practically a whisper

"Yeah?" Before he can say anything else my phone rings

I step back, his hand no longer placed gently on my skin leaving a feeling of loneliness

I look at the call to see who it is, Rachel

"I'll be right back"

"Hey, everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine I just need to talk to you about a few things"

"Okay, i'm listening" her words make me confused

"For Australia, Iga didn't get her visa approved so she won't be playing, and Caroline is injured so you have a really good chance on winning"

"Why do you sound nervous?"

"I've talked with Ryan" her husband, my tennis coach

"And?"

"You need to come back after Christmas, we can't have you away and not training properly before such a big tournament"

fuck. My jaw tenses, angry with the news. I take a deep breathe before speaking making sure I don't take it out on her

"Okay, i'll fly to Australia after new years" I was supposed to have over a week longer of staying in my escape

"Thank you Helena, this way we can ensure you're properly prepared"

"Yeah, I understand, i'll talk to you soon" I'm not ready to go back to the world

The cruel reality, fans, social media, constantly judging and choosing their own picture of who I am

After a moment to think I get up walking back downstairs to the kitchen where Charles is rolling out cookie dough on a sheet