Chapter 7

7

DANIEL

December 25th: Christmas Day.

My body jolts when something hits my face. I gaze blearily around the room, the light dim but bright enough to see Maddy’s arm resting across my collarbones. She rolls closer to me and burrows her head in my neck, throwing a leg over mine.

Must have woken when she moved. She tends to shift around a lot, but I don’t care that I’m awake early on Christmas Day because Maddy’s draped over me and the whole day is ahead of us. My chest flutters with excitement. She’s in the T-shirt she stole from me last night. The one I hiked to her hips so I could see my fingers disappearing inside her.

Her underwear is still on my bag, and I’m definitely not letting her go now.

I didn’t mean to tell her I loved her last night. But she said it back to me. She didn’t run or ask what I meant. She said it back and let me closer to her than I’ve ever been.

Nothing will top the day we had yesterday.

My hand grasps hers, and I slowly shift her off me. When I manage to extract myself, she curls into the warm spot I left and clutches the pillow instead of me. Lucky.

First, I need to change out of the clothes I’m still in from yesterday. I’m surprised I managed to sleep wearing them.

Second, make coffee for Maddy and give her the present tucked in my bag.

Third, join the family and convince Maddy to stay with me forever.

After last night, I hope she won’t be opposed to the idea. Unless all she wanted was an orgasm, but I’ll cross that bridge if we get to it.

By the time I change clothes, fix myself in the bathroom, and sort out coffee, Maddy is stirring in our bed.

Her head rises, and she blinks at me, confused and sleepy. Adorable, and the only reason I’m not kissing her already is because I’m holding two cups of coffee and I don’t want to burn her.

She sits up and rubs her eyes and when she opens them I hand her the coffee and sit carefully beside her, our sides pressing together.

We quietly sip our coffee and when she’s halfway done, she turns to me and says, “Hi.”

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.” I tuck knotted hair out of her face. “Sleep okay?”

Red creeps into her cheeks. “Merry Christmas. I did. Did you?”

“The best. Even though I had someone trying to climb me.” I smile into my cup and watch the red spread down her neck.

She clears her throat. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I liked it.” I nudge her chin up and kiss her. The taste of coffee and Maddy invades my senses.

She edges back, sliding down the headboard, and I nearly get her flat before my coffee sloshes against the cup and spills on my hand.

I pull away panting and turn to set the cup down and find tissues on the bedside table. When I face Maddy again, she’s sitting upright with her legs curled under her and her cup nestled in her chest where I wish I was.

“I’m certainly awake now,” she says and sips coffee.

“I didn’t spill any on you?”

She shakes her head. “What’s the plan today?”

“Presents, lots of food, and relaxing.”

“Can’t wait.”

“Good thing I’ve got your present here then, isn’t it?” I leave the warm bed to crouch beside my bag and pick up her underwear, turning to her with a grin. “Are you ever going to stop blushing?”

“No.”

I throw them in the bathroom and find the little wrapped box in a side pocket. She watches me stride to the bed, and when I sit beside her, she bounces. Her eyes track my hand, holding the present wrapped in red with a gold bow. Christmas themed now that it isn’t her birthday.

She doesn’t take it when I hold it out to her. “You didn’t need to get me anything. Especially not after yesterday.”

The present sits on the quilt between us, and I take her cup to free her hands. “Of course I got you something. Just because your birthday was yesterday doesn’t mean you don’t get presents on Christmas. Besides, I still forced you here.”

Her eyes dip to it between us, but not before I notice an odd look in them. I can’t put a finger on the emotion, but the corners of her eyes are tight. Maybe she didn’t sleep as well as she said. When her eyes meet mine again, the look is gone and she’s smiling faintly.

“You really didn’t need to.”

“Stop being silly.” I push the present closer to her. “Open it.”

She rubs the gold ribbon between her fingers and tugs at the end to unravel it. Her finger slips under the tape and she unwraps it delicately. I leave her and her psychotic unwrapping ritual alone while she discovers the jewellery box.

Maddy bites her lip and stares at me with questions decorating her face. “If this is more expensive than yesterday, I’ll kill you.”

“No, you won’t.” I tap the white box. “Open it.”

She clicks the box open and smiles. I sigh in relief. She likes it. Everything she opened yesterday, I knew she’d like. Today was a gamble. She doesn’t wear necklaces, and I wasn’t sure she’d want to wear one.

Maddy lifts the chain out of the box. “It’s lovely. Thank you.” She squeezes my hand and clasps the necklace around her neck.

“You don’t need to wear it.”

“I want to.” She smoothes the pendant straight, the gold glints in the light against the navy of my cotton T-shirt she’s wearing.

The pendant is a horseshoe shape pointing up. The ends extend longer where the chain links the two sides together, leaving a gap between them.

“It’s not only a necklace,” I say.

“Oh. What is it?” She slides the pendant along the chain.

“It holds rings.” I slide the gold ring she wears on her pinky finger off and slip it between the pendant until it’s secure. My fingers brush her sternum while I manoeuvre it. “I thought you might want it for work or sports like yesterday. You always remove it.” I scratch my cheek. “This way you won’t lose it.”

For some reason, this feels more personal than everything I gave her yesterday. Something about giving her jewellery, seeing her wear it and fiddle with it, sends satisfaction through my chest.

“Thank you, it’s…” Her fingers play with the pendant while she figures out what to say. She leans forward and wraps her arms around my neck. Squeezing me while the scent of coffee and vanilla surrounds me. I breathe in deeply and let her go when she leans away. “I didn’t know something like this existed. I can use it every day.”

“I’m glad you like it.” I stand and say, “Let’s find food.”

“Wait.” She wraps a hand around my wrist. “I have something for you.”

Shocked pleasure courses through me, and I collapse on the bed. She got something for me? But how?

“When did you do that? You know you didn’t have to with everything I?—”

“I did. I wanted to. And don’t get excited. It’s not great, considering I was whisked away before I could go home, and I’m without a car here, so I couldn’t go shopping.” She opens her bedside table drawer and pulls out a piece of paper. Paper from the sketchpad I gave her yesterday. She hands it to me but before she releases it says, “It’s truly nothing, but I figured something out with what I had.”

I take the paper from her and turn it over. My lips spread, and I grin at her. “You drew the house.”

The house is the focus, the tired blue paint and Dad’s plants surrounding it he’s always adding to. The beach peeks behind the house and a tiny cricket set is in the distance.

“You love it here.” She runs the pendant across her lips and drops it when I look at her. Her lips are tight and she’s biting her cheek. Nervous energy emanates off her. “You could keep it in your office and when you’re stressed, or Oliver’s being annoying, you could look at it and relax.” She coughs. “Or remember I’m the champion.”

“How could I forget you’re the champion?” My grin won’t quit, so instead of kissing her, I drag her into a hug and squeeze her tight and rock her back and forth until she laughs. “Thank you.”

I pull away reluctantly and set the drawing on the bedside table carefully. “Now, let’s get ready and eat our weight in food.”

When we’re both ready, we head downstairs and help make breakfast with everyone else. Open doors let in the breeze as sun pours into the room and Christmas music plays, singing about winter and snow while we sit outside in shorts and linen and drink champagne, trying to avoid the burning sun while the barbecue’s on.

We exchange presents and Maddy blushes multiple times and fiddles with her necklace even though she put her ring back on, and we eat Mum’s roast and the pudding I made with Maddy.

I forget it’s pretend, that I need to talk to Maddy and actually ask her to be with me.

But when we walk upstairs tiredly and get ready for bed together, I wrap her in my arms and hope spreads through my chest, relaxing me until I fall asleep.

It nearly tops yesterday.