I felt like a Christmas cracker that had been pulled; all the feelings I’d been tucking away, bursting out.

I did like Ru. Really really like him.

I’d always thought happy endings weren’t possible. But maybe they were? Even for someone like me. Because Ru – who had made me laugh, made me not worry, made me the very best playlists – liked me. Molly Bell.

And that made my mind up.

There was no way I was cutting this night short to go and see Joseph D Chambers. I was going to have to speak to Elijah. See if it could be rearranged.

“This silence … not super relaxing, by the way.” Oops. But Ru laughed and started tracing shapes in the snow with his shoe. “Especially as I have no idea if you like me back. I mean, I thought you definitely didn’t. Making the whole Jingle Lady thing clear. And blanking my messages. But then out of the blue you asked to meet. And I don’t know what’s going on, and maybe it was the prizes for the fundraiser or maybe it’s not and maybe I shouldn’t have said any of this…” He chewed his lip. Did he really think my silence was me not liking him? Did he not know I was knee-deep in a total meltdown? Did he really not think it was him who had been giving mixed signals?!

It was time to be honest. Even if my brain was one big jumble of words. The biggest one being “ELF”.

“OK, if you want the truth…” He nodded. I wasn’t sure he’d feel the same once I’d got it all out. “I’m Molly, Molly Bell, and I’ve got two sisters. Billy, who you met. And Tess.” He looked confused. “Yup. Sorry about that. Kyle. And it’s not my neighbours who have ridiculous Christmas decorations. Or move plastic reindeer every day. It’s my family. And that was our car. Aka Cara.”

“Whoaaaaa.” He whistled.

“Oh, there’s more. I love playing bass guitar, but only ever play it in my room. And I also play banjo, but wish I couldn’t.” Had he moved nearer to me? “Half of my bedroom is covered in horse photos, thanks to Bil.” I had way too much to work with. I’m sure an edited highlights would have been fine? “And that bad day I had last week?” Were our legs touching?! “Well, I totally humiliated myself at the end of term awards and may have to feign illness from January through to July. And just stay inside making these with Tess…” I pulled the socks out Tess had made and I’d sewn “R” and “U” on. He immediately flicked off his shoes to put them on.

“Molly,” he said. It sounded so nice when he said my real name. “You are a bass guitar, banjo-playing legend?! These are” – he wiggled his toes – “my new favourite thing. And you HAVE to show me a photo of your house.!”

But I had to get my final secret out in the open. All this time keeping it secret hadn’t protected me after all. It had just stopped me living my life.

“Wait. There’s one last thing. And I really don’t want you to freak out.” Please don’t let him react like Zaiynab. Or Matt. Or Simon. Or all those people who had left mean comments online. “I don’t herd reindeer.” Weirdest confession ever. “And nor do my parents. I’d never even met Derek before that day.” Not getting any less weird. “My dad works in insurance. And my mum’s a librarian. But years ago… Erm … you know how much you hate that song by The Brussel Shouts?” He nodded, confused. I got out my phone. Opened up the photo of me and my family when I was little. “Well, that little elf girl that makes you cringe…” I turned the screen. “It’s me.”

CHAPTER

18

Ru didn’t laugh.

Well, he did, but only the totally appropriate amount when he saw the picture of bright-green-child me in full elf mode.

But, more importantly, he didn’t run.

“Molly. This is adorable!” Adorable?! No one had ever said that before! “This is your family? They’re incredible. Although I’m kind of sad about Derek.” He dropped his head into his hands and groaned. “No wonder your dad gave me that look in Scotland.”

“Please can we never speak again of what happened with my dad in Scotland?” The lunging image lived in my mind rent free, and I seriously wanted it evicted.

“Deal.” Ru looked back up. “Although why on earth didn’t you tell me sooner? All this time, I’ve been hanging out with the world’s most famous elf? No wonder you didn’t return my calls. Or messages. Or…” But he was grinning.

“OK, OK, I get it!” But I was laughing, a huge green-and-red weight lifted off me. All this time I’d been trying to hide who I was, and now Ru, no, Jay, knew and … he didn’t seem to care. “I just thought it might be weird. That you might not…” But I shrugged, too embarrassed to say, “Want to hang out with me”.

“Seriously?” He shook his head in disbelief. “Being the elf girl just makes you even better.” Even better? That sounded nice. “And anyone who doesn’t agree should probably hide, as I’ve seen what you can do with a wooden sign.”

“Oi.” I bumped my knee into his. “It was an accident.”

“Course.” He grinned. “Wouldn’t dare say otherwise.” He held his battered phone up. “So how about a photo? Me and Elf Girl. On this momentous bench… Maybe you could even not look petrified this time?”

“I can’t make any promises.” I laughed. But this time, squidged together on the bench, the snow falling, we got a photo of me laughing my head off and Ru grinning next to me.

It looked amazing. Like … we were a couple at Christmas. A perfect romcom moment, even better than the bench in Liverpool.

“Who needs Elijah’s photobooth, right?” Ru airdropped the photo over to me. I couldn’t help but see who I was in his contacts. Smiley Girl aka Dasher.

OK. That was cute. That was very cute. And I didn’t know what to say. And neither did he.

And erm…

“I think I need a wee,” I said, shattering any illusion of me being able to have cutesy couple moments. “Be back in a sec…”

As soon as I was out of sight I rang Elijah. He picked up immediately.

“Elf?”

“Oh, hi, Elijah.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re here early? Is that you on the jetty? Molly! We’re not set up yet.”

I bit my lip. This was going to go down like a lead balloon. But I thought of Ru, and him waiting on the bench, and, well…

“Hypothetically. If I couldn’t make the meal with Joseph D Chambers later … could we maybe, reschedule it?”

“You what?!” Elijah then made me repeat it. Twice. Before he went silent for about thirty long seconds.

“Hypothetically, I don’t even want to discuss it, Molly.” Elijah swallowed hard. “We pulled some serious strings to make this happen. Joseph NEVER does stuff like this. And we’re guaranteed at least twelve publications running the photos?!”

He really did only care about stupid press stories.

“So, is that a maybe?”

“It’s a ‘you better be joking’ silence. And what about your friend who paid all that money?”

Could I find out who?!

“Friend?”

“I’m not at liberty to say, but I’m sure they’ll tell you in good time.”

Who could it be?!

“But the bid would still stand if we did it another time? Like at the event tomorrow?”

Elijah gave a furious sigh. “We’re not talking about any old person here. Joseph’s got no availability after tonight.” My heart sank. If it meant losing money for the fundraiser of course I’d go. “Molly. Really. Even Tim liked the auction idea. Even more when you were the winner. Little Elf Girl and the lead.” So Elijah was going to use the photos to get his reveal of my Elf secret? Nice of him to tell me! “A perfect little story about Joseph for once!” Not sure how cute a set-up meal was, but it didn’t seem like the time to argue. “In the MOST CRUCIAL week for getting Christmas number one!”

“So is that a no then?”

Elijah actually growled. “It’s a ‘I’ll see what I can do’.” But he’d already put the phone down.