Damon''s heart felt warm and ttered.


    Even so, he still had another present for Svena, one he didn''t show her yet.


    He had nned to give it to herter that night, when the time felt right.


    For now, he nced at her and smiled. "Come on, let''s get inside. It''s a bit chilly out here."


    She nodded, still holding the sweater he had gifted her, and they turned toward the door.


    It wasn''t freezing or anything, this was Santa Monica, after all.


    Snow wasn''t part of the scene, but there was a cool breeze in the air.


    The chill was sharper here, given how close they were to the beach.


    Damon tucked his hands into his pockets as they made their way inside, eager to join the others and start celebrating.


    Damon and Svena stepped into the grand house.


    Thest time he had been here wasn''t too long ago, he and Svena had been hanging out more oftentely.


    As they walked through the fancy lobby, Svena reached out and wrapped her fingers around his. "Come on, the guys are in the living room," she said with a smile, leading him down the hallway.


    Damon followed, though he couldn''t help but gawk at the ce.


    No matter how many times he came here, the Steele mansion always felt unreal.


    When they reached the living room, Damon spotted Ty, Victor, and Edward sprawled on the massive sectional sofa, their eyes glued to arge mega screen as they yed a game.


    Ty''s presence wasn''t surprising, his family was close to Victor''s due to him helping Ty during a difficult time, so it made sense he''d be here.


    Edward, though, was a bit of a mystery. Damon knew Edward had a tight-knit family.


    He often talked about his baby sister and father, and how important they were to him.


    Damon wondered why Edward wasn''t with them tonight.


    As for Joey, Ash, and Ashley, he already had an idea. Joey had mentioned that Ashley invited him to a family dinner. Damon figured Ash might be there too.


    Though Joey hadn''t confirmed anything, Damon had a feeling his suspicion about Ashley being pregnant was spot-on.


    Damon kept his attention on the people in front of him.


    As they fought on the screen, Ty, Edward, and Victor were deeply involved in the game. They yelled taunts andughed.


    The mood was calm, but full of warmth and energy, and Damon could feel himself settling in.


    This was exactly the kind of Christmas he hadn''t had ever, a house filled with people who felt like family.


    Damon sat down on an empty spot on therge sofa, taking in the scene.


    On the screen, a football/ser, game yed out, with Edward and Victor locked in a heated match.


    Victor was dressed in a green Christmas-themed shirt, a far cry from his usual formal and polished appearance.


    He looked rxed, almost homey, blending right into theid-back atmosphere.


    As Damon settled in, the guys greeted him, each with a quick nod or a casual "Hey," though their focus remained on the game.


    Edward leaned forward, gripping the controller tightly, his expression serious. "You''re not getting past me this time, Victor," he muttered.


    Victor smirked but didn''t look away from the screen. "Keep dreaming, Eddy-boy. I''ve got this in the bag."


    Leaning back against the couch, Damonughed at their jokes.


    He felt at ease in the room, there were lots of holiday decorations, and everyone was having fun.


    Damon nced at Ty. "You not ying?"


    Ty cleared his throat awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.


    Before he could answer, Edward grinned, still focused on the screen. "He wishes! He just lost. You''re up next after I beat Vic."


    Damon looked at the game, his confidence slipping.


    He''d never really yed video games before.


    Maybe a few unmemorable mobile games as a kid on his mother''s phone.


    He remembered ying the snake game, the one where you eat to grow longer and lose if you run into yourself.


    That was the extent of his gaming experience.


    "Umm, sure," he said hesitantly, scratching the back of his neck. "But, uh, I''ve never yed, so don''t expect much."


    Svena had left a while ago, leaving the guys to their own devices.


    It was just them now, and the casual vibe made it hard to say no, even if Damon felt out of his depth.


    Victor, still focused on the screen, smiled. "Haha, don''t worry about it. I don''t y either, but look at how I''m doing. You''ll do just fine."


    Damon raised an eyebrow, watching Victor somehow holding his own.


    He wasn''t entirely convinced, but at least the pressure was low. It was just for fun, after all.


    "Alright," Damon said with a shrug, settling in to watch and learn, at least a little, before it was his turn.


    Back in the kitchen, Macey and Aoife had already greeted each other warmly and were busy working on a meal.


    The two had a natural chemistry, an easy rhythm as they moved around the kitchen, chopping, stirring, andughing.


    Despite being very different people, they worked well together.


    Aoife,ing from a humble background, never tried to tter or impress anyone unnecessarily.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She was straightforward and spoke her mind, which Macey respected and appreciated.


    Macey, on the other hand, was more polished and ustomed to a different lifestyle, but she wasn''t pretentious.


    She valued authenticity, and Aoife''s candid nature made their friendship genuine.


    Svena, meanwhile, stood nearby but didn''t fully join in.


    She wasn''t confident in her cooking skills, so she only stepped in to help when one of the experienced asked.


    Whether it was fetching an ingredient or holding something steady, she yed her part quietly.


    Macey nced at her daughter, noticing the bag she had been holding onto.


    It looked like a gift bag, one Svena had been avoiding acknowledging.


    But now, Macey''s curiosity was piqued.


    "Mm, what''s in there?" Macey asked, her tone teasing.


    Svena nced at the bag, hesitating. "Oh… nothing," she said casually, though her slight blush gave her away.


    Aoife chuckled knowingly from the counter. "Is that the sweater Damon got for you?"


    Macey''s eyes lit up, a wide smile spreading across her face. "Oh,e on, let''s see it!"


    Svena sighed, realizing she had no way out of this.


    She knew her mom too well, Macey wasn''t going to let this go without seeing the sweater.


    Begrudgingly, Svena reached into the bag and pulled it out.


    The sweater was exactly like Damon''s, with the same goofy reindeer design.


    "That looks adorable," Macey said, beaming. "Come on, put it on!"


    Svena hesitated, holding the sweater in her hands. It wasn''t that she didn''t like it, she loved that Damon had thought of her.


    But putting it on meant matching with him, and… well, she wasn''t sure she wanted to do that right now.


    Their parents were here.


    It felt a little embarrassing, even if the sweater itself was harmless.