Page 123 of Don't Leave Me

26

Chapter 26

We woke up next to each other on our first Christmas as a couple to faint, cloudy light and snow flurries trickling from the sky. It had been three days since the party and I still heard nothing from Billie, but I was lodging that deep into a corner of my brain. I only wanted to focus on my fiance and the day ahead of us – opening presents together, snuggling next to our Christmas tree while watching the snow fall, and then later meeting his dad and sister.

“Merry Christmas,” I heard Michael’s raspy morning voice from beside me, breaking my glance from the window.

I smiled at him. “Merry Christmas, future husband.”

We had a Christmas morning quickie and then retreated downstairs where about 6 presents laid. I had only gotten Michael two, so he must have snuck a few under the tree for me last night.

“Looks like Santa made it,” he raised his eyebrows at me, a smile creeping on his face.

“Lucky me!” I skipped to the tree, feeling like I was 5 again.

Of course, my eyes settled on the biggest box, but Michael quickly handed one to me.

“Open the smaller ones first,” he suggested.

I smiled then grabbed his two from the corner. “Open yours first,” I demanded, probably the only time I could get away with talking to him like that.

He eyed me like he was going to remember that one, then smiled and opened his first box. His first gift was a silver watch that I saw he had been eyeing on his Macbook and his second gift was a new iPad. I had spent way more than I should have, but it was our first Christmas together and it had to be extravagant.

“You spoil me,” Michael kissed me after he tried on his new watch.

“You deserve it,” I smiled crookedly at him, turned on easily by his kiss.

Of course, Michael’s first gift for me was lingerie. My second was a brand new Macbook.

“Jesus Christ, Michael! I thought I was spoiling you!” I gasped once I realized what it was.

Michael laughed loudly, his smile genuine and excited. “There’s more, go on,” he pointed at the other boxes under the tree.

“God, what’s next? A new car?” I rolled my eyes to myself, teasing him.

Inside the next box, I pulled out a tiny black bikini. I felt my eyebrow raise as I looked up at him.

“It’s for the hot tub on the roof of here,” he pointed up, as if I didn’t know where the roof was.

“It’s very cute, thank you,” I smiled, still suspicious of him.

The last box was huge but not heavy at all. What was it, a piece of coal inside? Did he have some weird Christmas joke tradition that I was not yet aware of?

I quickly tore the wrapping paper off, opened up the box, and inside was a piece of paper that I couldn’t yet read. I looked up at Michael and gave him a wary eye.

“Go on, read it,” he raised his eyebrows at me.

I reached into the huge box and finally got to the paper. I turned it over and it was some sort of brochure about…Hawaii. I looked up at Michael again.

“What is this?”

“What’s inside?” he asked, feigning ignorance.

I opened the brochure and there were two airline tickets to Oahu. My mouth immediately dropped.

“What? What is this? Are we going to Hawaii?” I gasped, standing up, then looked at the tickets again: the travel date was set for that upcoming June.

Michael stood up by this time.

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