Lahat ng Kabanata ng A Hot Daddy For Christmas: Kabanata 151 - Kabanata 160

Ariana woke up before the sun fully came in.For a moment, she didn’t open her eyes. She just stayed there, aware of the warmth beside her, the steady rhythm of Mateo’s breathing, the way his arm rested loosely around her like it had always belonged there.It felt… calm.Not the kind of calm that came from things being easy.The kind that came after something hard had already been faced.She shifted slightly, turning toward him, her hand resting lightly against his chest.He stirred under her touch, eyes opening slowly.“You’re awake,” he murmured.Ariana smiled faintly.“Yeah.”He looked at her for a second, like he was taking in the fact that she was still there, that nothing had changed overnight.“How do you feel?” he asked.She exhaled softly.“Lighter,” she admitted.A pause.“But not… finished.”Mateo nodded slightly.“That makes sense.”Ariana traced small, absent patterns against his shirt.“She didn’t forgive me,” she said.“I didn’t expect her to.”“I know,” Ariana replied.

That night felt quieter than the ones before it.Not empty.Just… settled.Ariana stood in Mateo’s kitchen, absentmindedly stirring something she wasn’t really paying attention to, her thoughts still lingering on the afternoon.On Cami.On the way things hadn’t been fixed—but hadn’t fallen apart either.Mateo watched her from the other side of the counter for a while before speaking.“You’re calmer.”Ariana glanced up.“I think so.”“You think so?”A small smile touched her lips.“I don’t feel like everything is about to collapse anymore.”He nodded once.“That’s progress.”“It is,” she said softly.She turned off the stove, setting the spoon down before leaning back against the counter.“She texted me this morning,” Ariana added.Mateo’s expression didn’t change much, but his attention sharpened.“And?”“We met.”A pause.“She didn’t shut me out.”Mateo studied her face carefully, like he was reading what she wasn’t saying as much as what she was.“And how did it feel?”Ariana exhale

It didn’t happen all at once.There was no single moment where everything shifted and suddenly felt easy.Instead, it came in small pieces.Unplanned.Unforced.And somehow, that made it feel more real than anything else.—Ariana was halfway through her morning when her phone buzzed again.She glanced at it, expecting something routine.But instead—Cami.Are you free later?Ariana stared at the message for a second.Her first instinct was to respond immediately.Her second—was to slow down.Not out of hesitation.But out of respect for what this was becoming.I am, she typed back. What did you have in mind?There was a pause.Then—I don’t know. Just not something… intense.Ariana smiled slightly at that.We can keep it simple.Another pause.Then—Okay.That was it.No over-explaining.No pressure.Just… an agreement.—They ended up walking.No café this time.No sitting across from each other with everything laid out between them.Just side by side, moving through the city like

Cami didn’t stay long that first time.Maybe an hour.Maybe less.But it was enough to leave something behind when she walked out.Not tension.Not distance.Just… a shift.—After the door closed behind her, the apartment felt quieter than usual.Ariana stood near the couch, her arms loosely crossed, like she wasn’t sure what to do with herself now that the moment had passed.Mateo watched her for a second.“You’re replaying it,” he said.Ariana exhaled softly.“Of course I am.”She turned toward him.“That went better than I expected.”He nodded once.“She came here.”“I know.”Ariana let out a small, almost disbelieving laugh.“She walked into your apartment like it wasn’t the most complicated thing she could do.”Mateo didn’t react outwardly, but something in his expression shifted.“That wasn’t easy for her.”“I know.”Ariana’s voice softened.“That’s why it matters.”Silence settled between them.Not heavy.Just thoughtful.Ariana moved toward the couch and sat down, leaning bac

It became a pattern after that. Not a fixed one. Not something scheduled or defined. But something that happened often enough to stop feeling accidental. Cami would show up. Sometimes with a message first. Sometimes without. Sometimes she stayed for an hour. Sometimes longer. And each time— it felt a little less like a test. And a little more like something real. — That evening, she didn’t knock. She just walked in. Ariana glanced up from the couch, not startled anymore. “Hi.” Cami kicked off her shoes casually near the door. “Hi.” Mateo looked up from the kitchen, his expression steady. “You’ve made this a habit.” Cami shrugged lightly. “You said I could come anytime.” “I did.” A pause. “I didn’t think you’d take it this literally.” Cami gave him a quick look. “I don’t do things halfway.” That earned the smallest shift in his expression. Not quite a smile. But close. Ariana watched the exchange quietly. Something about it felt… balanced. Less fragile.