Days had passed since the night that Jax and her had their moment in the guest room and Lola would often look around the mansion in hopes of a glance or a sighting of him- they had become a rarity lately.
She looked down the hallway leading to his study but the door was always closed. Whenever she heard footsteps or voices outside the bedroom door she would hurry outside to catch him but the voice was never his. She asked Ash where he had been hiding but he too had been less for the words as of late.
His father was still in the mansion and had been coerced by Mr and Mrs. Blackwood into staying for the Winter Whimsy.
He had been delighted to hear that Lavina was planning and she had talked nonstop to any ear willing to listen to her plans and ideas.
Everything had been set in motion and the Blackwoods were paying for the extravagant event with Lavina leading the charge. She was out in town every day preparing for the fest and she ruled the committee with an iron fist.
At one point Lola had become so desperate that she went to Lavina for answers about Jax but she too had nothing to say.
It seemed that whatever Jax and Ash were up to, they were keeping it quiet.
Only six days remained until the Winter Whimsy was set to open, it would be a winter wonderland with many magical twists- Nash had made sure of it.
Lola cornered him after one of his meetings with Lavina and she had preyed out of him what the details were. After hearing that none of it was threatening or harmful to humans, she let him go.
Melissa was at the mansion much more often now that Ed was no longer in town.
Whenever her phone pinged she jumped in hopes of seeing his name on the screen but was struck by disappointment each time.
When Lola asked about his reasons for leaving, Melissa didn't seem to know herself.
He had told her that he needed to think and to plan the future, he needed a break so he left. Not a call or a text had come afterward and Melissa hadn't coped with the loss of the relationship because she held out for a reconnection.
The girls decided to take a stroll in town after having received a call from Ellen, the manager of Wild Cliff Cafe and Lola's old boss, asking them to help at the coca station she'd set u.
They were eager to do something normal, something that involved no supernatural creatures or boyfriend drama.
When they saw Ellen standing with her Santa hat barely covering her crazy blonde curls they laughed.
Lola had never failed to feel cheerful when meeting Ellen and the signature red lipstick stain on her teeth was in full display when she saw her favorite girls.
"Come, pour, serve! and drink as much cocoa as your tummies can handle," she said and handed the girls each a ladle.
people lined up for a cup of Ellen's hot chocolate, it was the best part of the Christmas festivities according to many of the townspeople.
Wild Cliff was big on traditions and Ellen's hot chocolate recipe had been in her family for as long as she could remember.
She only ever whipped it out for the winter celebrations.
They stood in their coats and their hats and served cup after cup while making small talk and enjoying the brisk winter air.
A large bin stood next to the stand where everyone tossed their disposable cups and they gazed in awe around at the twinkling lights and the preparations for the Winter Whimsy.
Everyone had a lot of questions that they thought Lola should be able to answer considering she's a spokesperson for the Blackwoods but they quickly realized that there was no information to get from her and instead went in search of Lavina.
Melissa laughed, feeling the Christmas spirit and the joy of community and for a moment forgetting the pain of heartache.
"Where's the ice queen?" Melissa asked.
"Mrs. Blackwood?" Lola asked with a raised brow, not knowing who she was referring to.
"My bad, I meant the ice princess," Melissa corrected.
"Lavina should be around here somewhere preparing for everything. The amount of work she's put in is crazy, she's been working on this nonstop."
Melissa rolled her eyes and poured another hot chocolate.
She didn't understand Melissa's hostility towards Lavina, after all this time Lavina had done nothing to prove herself disloyal or mean but there still seemed to be a blockage there.
"Why don't you like her?" Lola asked bluntly.
"Because I think she's trying to snake her way into your relationship, stick her snakey little fangs into your boyfriend, and slither him away into her lair."
Lola chuckled and was prepared to have the same argument for the hundredth time but in a moment of show-don't-tell, the universe seemed to want to prove Melissa wrong just as much as Lola did.
From around the park, hand in hand with her head laying on his shoulder came Justin and Lavina looking like Wild Cliff's new it-couple.
The cup fell from Melissa's hand and the chocolate painted the browning grass.
"Sorry Ms. Nam," Melissa fumbled to pick up another cup and pour Ms. Nam her hot chocolate.
Once she left with her cup Melissa slammed her elbow into Lola's side and gasped.
"Oh my god!" She whisper-shouted and started pulling on Lola's coat.
"Told you, she has no interest in Jax." Lola laughed.
"When did this happen?" Melissa asked.
"No clue, this is the first I've seen them together since the night Nash did his forgetting spell on him."
They stopped under a tree and gazed into each other's eyes.
Justin leaned in and they kissed, looking more in love than he had ever looked before.