198 Holiday Chapter 2

Mrs. Hayes had delayed their usual Christmas party and opted to host a New Year's party instead. So late in the afternoon Elle nervously got all dolled up and headed to the grand home with Adam.

They arrived early so that they could arrive ahead of the rest of the guests, but also so that Elle could help Mrs. Hayes with the preparations, however, as she arrived she realized there was nothing left to be done.

The entire home had been decorated to the tens, garlands and decorations hung and extra lights were strung across, making the home feel especially bright and warm.

Eventually guests began to arrive. Some of them were Adam's relatives, but some were just friends of the family, or good acquaintances made through work. Thankfully Amelia didn't show up. Elle suspected she hadn't known that Adam and Elle would be here tonight, and that she was with their group of friends as usual on New Year's Eve.

Adam stuck around Elle's side at first, greeting the guests together, but after some time he got called to speak to someone on the other side of the room, leaving Elle to fend for herself.

Elle had been to dozens of parties before, and had navigated them on her own, and yet this some how felt different. Though they hadn't formally announced themselves as a couple, Elle couldn't help but fear the pressure of being introduced to his relatives.

While Adam was away she did her best to appear elegant and polite while talking to as few people as possible.

She had been standing by a window, admiring the view, when she sensed Adam approach her again. Elle felt his fingers brush down her arm lightly. A shiver went down her spine.

"Come with me." He whispered in a low voice. Elle's hand reflexively covered her ear as she tried to maintain her expression without getting flustered. Elle quickly glanced around to make sure no one else had seen before quickly following after Adam.

He led her upstairs to the second floor. Compared to bright and bustling floor below them, the upper level of the house was dark and dead. It seemed almost ridiculous the the second floor should be so abandoned and quiet when such a grand party was happening just steps below them.

The only sounds were the dimmed out chatter that carried up the stairs and the pounding of Elle's heart as Adam held her hand and firmly led her into one of the many dens the family home seemed to have.

Elle glanced around, admiring the room. Bookshelves lined either side of the room, and a heavy wooden desk stood between them. The only light in the entire room was the pale moonlight that shone through the window. The curtains were pulled back and the clear night sky could be admired.

One of Adam's hands was still enveloping hers, and the other came down against the desk, trapping her against him.

"You look so beautiful." He murmured in a rough and low voice. "I can barely stand it."

Elle felt fire run through her cheeks and warm her heart. "What's gotten into you." She said shyly, avoiding the hooded gaze of his eyes.

"It's your fault." He replied, as his lips slowly inched closer to hers. "It's your fault that I feel this happy."

Elle could have died from happiness in that small room. She linked her arms around Adam's neck and stood there for a long time, her lips locked in a slow battle with his.

It felt like a long time later that they finally left to rejoin the festivities downstairs. Elle pressed her cold hands against her cheeks to quell the flush she was certain she wore.

"Ah, Adam," His father called as he saw them come down the stairs together. "I was just speaking about you, come here."

Adam squeezed Elle's hand firmly in his once before letting it go and joining his father. Elle watched him go, content to circle the room on her own while he was gone, but suddenly someone called out to her as well.

"Elle, there you are." Mrs. Hayes called out to her. She was surrounded with other ladies who all looked her age. "Come join us." She invited.

Elle shyly joined them and greeted the women she had never met before.

"These are some of my friends," Mrs. Hayes said, introducing her to them one by one. "And this," she said to the women, "is Elle. She's that spectacular young girl I was telling you all about."

Elle glanced at Mrs. Hayes curiously. She began to pour praise for Elle, bragging about her achievements as if they were her own. She never once mentioned Adam, or how she met Elle, she only continued to praise her, mentioning her work with MK as well as at Tae. Even going so far as to mention she was responsible for a huge project at MK at the moment.

Elle was shocked by it. It didn't feel forced, it didn't feel like Mrs. Hayes was trying to brag about Elle's achievements in order to convey what an accomplished person Adam was dating. In fact, she didn't bring up Adam once, and no one would have known that the two were together unless they had seen them sneak back down the stairs together. It felt as if Mrs. Hayes was bragging about her own family, directly.

'I see.' Elle thought to herself.

She had worked hard all these years for her father's acknowledgment. Of course Elle was proud of her own work and accomplishments too, but no matter how proud of herself she was, she couldn't deny that she had once worked hard only out of desperation for her father's praise.

'It wasn't worthless.' Elle realized. 'In the end I was acknowledged by somebody else. It wasn't for nothing after all.'

Midnight arrived quickly that night. Adam was back by her side as the counted down to the new year. As it arrived Elle closed her eyes and quietly prayed that she would continue to be just as happy, and just as loved, as she had been this past year.