Christmas was finally here, and senior year was flying by. Nash and I were closer than ever as I was with the rest of the Gray family. Everything became second nature that it didn't take much for me to become a part of the family, along with the sibling bickering, which I became a pro.

"Nah, nah, nah, you can't catch me." Nolan gave me a raspberry as I chased him for stealing another bra.

"Want to bet?" I ran after him.

"I bet five bucks she catches him," Nixon told Nash as they stood in Nash's doorway and watched us.

"I'll take that bet," Nash said.

"What's going on?" Nathan asked.

"Little brother is about to get beat for taking Maggie's bra," Nixon said.

"I got five on Maggie," he said.

They watched as I tackled Nolan, punched him in the stomach, and yanked my bra out of his hand.

"That was harsh," Nolan groaned.

"Well, you deserved it," I said, getting up. "Stay away from my bras, you perv!" I marched to my room with said bra in hand.

"Did she need to punch me?" Nolan asked, looking at them from the ground.

They looked at each other than at him and said, "Yes."

"Boys, can you come down here and bring Maggie?" Nate asked.

"Go on. I'll get Mags," Nash told them. They went downstairs, and Nash came to get me. The minute he opened the door, he got hit with a pillow. "If we have a pillow fight, I would prefer you naked in my bed."

I gave him a skeptical look.

"It was a suggestion. Come on. The rents want to see us."

I walked out of my room with Nash, and we went down to the living room.

"Now that you're all here, we have a surprise for you," Nate said.

"Is it a new car?" Nixon asked him.

"No," Nate said.

"Is it a new tv?" Nathan asked him.

"No. Where is your better half?"

"He's at Marcy's getting lucky," Nathan said.

We all looked at him as he shrugged. Nate shook his head.

"Are we getting out of that stupid wedding?" Nixon asked.

Nate gave him a look and said, "No, and you're still going."

"Well, there goes that idea," he grumbled.

"We're getting company," he said.

We all looked at each other.

"Who?" Nash asked.

Before Nate answered, there was a knock at the door, and Nate ran over and answered it. We all stood there as we heard a male's voice.

"Oh, no," Nathan grumbled.

They looked at their mom.

"Seriously?" Nixon asked.

She shrugged. "Your dad thought it would be nice to have the family for Christmas."

I looked at Nash. "What is she talking about?"

He didn't even have time to answer when I heard someone say, "Well, well, well, look who we have here."

We turned to see three guys standing in front of us.

"Mags, say hello to Carson, Cody, and Caleb, Uncle Cayson's kids, and the devil's spawn themselves," Nash said.

I looked at them and then back at Nash. Oh, boy.

We stood there as they faced us with devilish smirks while Cayson and his wife, Dominique, came in with Nate and Pat.

"Who are you?" Carson asked me with a devilish look.

"This is Maggie," Nixon said.

"Did I ask you? No, I asked her." He told Nixon.

Okay, I'm not fond of Carson.

"Maggie, who?" Asked Cody.

"Our next-door neighbor Maggie," Nathan answered.

Cody looked at him, then looked at Carson. "They're deaf, dumb, and stupid."

"Apparently."

I wasn't fond of Cody either.

"Wait a minute! Aren't you that girl that used to follow Nash and Nixon around like a puppy dog? I see you made it out of your awkward phase with braces and pimples. No offense, but you were ugly," Caleb told me.

I stared at him, stunned. Yep, it was official. I didn't like the triplets one bit.

Nash looked at them and put his hands on his hips. "Look, I know you're the devil spawn, but one more word out of your mouth, and I will knock you the hell out."

"Yeah, we like to see you try, big man," Cody taunted him.

Nash shrugged. "Okay. You asked for it."

When Pat and Nate walked into the living room with Cayson and Dominique, it was a sight to see. Nash, Nixon, and Nathan had the triplets pinned down.

"I see the boys are getting reacquainted." Cayson smirked.

"A little help here, Pops," Carson groaned.

"Nope, you three have big ass mouths. I'm surprised they're going this easy on you," he replied to Carson.

This visit would be fun.

Nate and Pat rearranged everyone's sleeping arrangements. Cayson and Dominique got Nash's room, and Nash had to bunk with Nixon. The twins ended up bunking together while Carson and Cody shared a room, and Nolan got stuck with Caleb. I was lucky and got my own room.

For a seven-bedroom house, the sleeping arrangements cramped us. Then it started.

"Hey, Noah! God called! He wants his Ark back!" Cody said.

"Screw you, Cody!"

"Hey, Nixon! Weren't you impeached years ago?" Carson asked, followed by laughter.

"Piss off, Carson!"

"Knock it off, you guys!" Nash said.

"Someone's mad because people prefer a city over him!" Caleb snickered.

"I swear to God! I will beat all your asses if you don't knock it off!" Nash said.

"Yeah, I'd like to see you try, big man!" Carson said.

"Nolan, what's with all the magazines? Oh, never mind. There's already a magazine here, and everyone gets a turn," Caleb said. That was it. I refuse to let the triplet twits degrade me.

I opened my door and stormed over to Nolan's. I knocked on it, and everyone opened their door.

"Yes?" Caleb asked with a sweet tone. Then I balled my fist, cocked my arm back, and let it rip. I punched him square in the nose, causing blood to spew from it.

There was a collective "ooh" from everyone.

Caleb grabbed his nose. "I think you broke my nose!"

"Good, you despicable little rat!" I turned to Carson and Cody. "And as for you two, shut the hell up! No one cares what you think. If we want your opinion, then we'll give it to you. Until then, keep your mouth shut!" With that, I marched back to my room and slammed the door shut.

"I think I'm in love." Carson sighed.

"Yep," Cody said.

"You're too late, you knuckleheads. She's all mine," Nash said.

Cayson looked at Dominique. "I think she will fit in nicely with this family."

"Yep," she agreed.

The next day, Caleb was nursing a broken nose while Nash and I decorated the Christmas tree. Carson and Cody also had plans of their own. I went upstairs to get more decorations from the storage closet, and I closed the door to find Cody standing there.

"Hey, Maggie," he said.

"Hi, Cody."

"Need some help?"

"Nah, I'm good."

"Here, let me help you." Cody took the decorations from me.

I came downstairs and walked over to Nash.

"Where are the decorations?"

"Cody has them."

"Why?"

"I don't know, but he had this tone to his voice that was creepy," I whisper. Then I saw Carson wave to me with a smile. "Sort of like Carson right now." I pointed to him, and Nash turned to see him giving me the eye.

He turned back to me. "Yeah, I would stick close to me if I was you."

"Why?"

"Because one thing about my cousins, when they take an interest in someone, they take an interest."

"I don't know whether to be creep out by that or flattered." I smirked. Nash gave me a look, "Kidding. I'm kidding."

"You better be kidding." He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. "Because you belong to me, baby girl."

Holy hell, that was hot when he called me baby girl and said I belonged to him. My inner self was doing a happy dance. Who would have thought the boy next door would be with me? I didn't.

Carson and Cody tried to sit by me at dinner, but Nash and Nixon edged them out. Nash did it because of being overprotective of me, and Nixon did it to piss them off for the cheese incident. Caleb glared at me. Oh, well, he shouldn't have made that comment about me.

"So, Maggie, I haven't seen you since you were little. How have things been?" Cayson asked me.

Without missing a beat, I responded, "Besides my parents dumping me on the Grays, put my home up for sale on my birthday, and dealing with crazy Gray family members, it's been okay."

Everyone stopped and looked at me. What? It was the truth.

"Well, you seem to be handling it well," Dominique assured me.

"Yeah, sure, I mean, considering if it weren't for Nate and Pat, I would be homeless," I responded. I didn't mean to be sarcastic, but the questions were bugging me. I know they were trying to be nice, but asking about my shitty-ass parents or lack thereof was irking me.

"So, Cayson, how about them Lions?" Nate asked, changing the subject.

"Man, do we need to talk about how crappy our home team is doing?" He asked with a contorted face.

Nate gave me a quick wink. Thanks for the save, Nate.

After dinner, we opened gifts. Then I got caught by Carson and Caleb under the mistletoe. Fantastic.

"So, it's a tradition to kiss under the mistletoe," Carson said, wiggling his eyebrows at me.

"Yeah, pucker up, baby," Cody insisted, making a kissing face.

"That's a dumb tradition, and we aren't celebrating it." Nash grabbed the mistletoe, walked to the door, opened it, and chucked it outside.

"Man, why do you have to ruin our fun?" Cody asked him in a whiny voice.

"Cause I can. Now excuse us," Nash said as he took my hand and led me into the kitchen.

"Thanks for the save." I sighed.

"What are good boyfriends for with their girlfriends? Now pucker up." He held the mistletoe over his head.

I couldn't help but laugh. "I thought you threw that out?"

"Optical illusion." He shrugged.

I reached up and pulled him into a kiss. That was the thing about Nash, and he always made me feel better. I guess that's why I fell for the neighbor boy.