Twenty-Nine | Anastasia

With exams finally over, Anastasia watches the boys’ house transform into an over-the-top Christmas grotto under Robbie’s stressed direction. JJ, Henry, and Sabrina banter about Robbie’s intensity while Anastasia weighs whether to book flights to Seattle for Christmas. The team returns from an away game, and Nate—still benched—arrives, lifting Anastasia’s mood.

Nate notices Anastasia’s indecision about travel and proposes an alternative: come to Colorado with him to skate on his backyard lake and relax at a nearby resort. He also suggests she visit her parents briefly first, warning she may regret not seeing them. The idea of being with Nate at her parents’ feels serious but reassuring, and Anastasia agrees to speak to her mother.

As Christmas nears, Anastasia struggles to find a gift for Nate. When she presses him, Nate insists he wants nothing beyond time with her. Their flirting turns intimate, and they explicitly choose to break their earlier no-sex boundary, escalating their relationship physically.

In the heat of the moment, Anastasia suggests they forgo a condom, affirming she is on birth control and exclusive; Nate confirms the same and, after mutual consent, they proceed. The experience is intense and affirming for both, reinforcing trust and deepening their bond.

Afterward, while Anastasia still seeks a gift idea, Nate tells her she already gave him what he wants: more of their relationship together. The chapter closes with their intimacy solidified and holiday plans pending her conversation with her parents.