Page 61 of Genesis

“Don’t look,” he says to me. I laugh, holding my hands over my eyes because I can’t trust myself to not open them. He parks the car and I hear him hop out before my door opens. He grabs my arm, helping me out of the car.

“Okay, stand right here,” he says, positioning me. He lets go and then says, “Open.”

I move my hands, opening my eyes. A slow smile spreads through my eyes and across my lips as I scan over the house. Lights hang around the top and outline the windows, and in the front there’s an enormous Christmas tree.

“You did this?” I ask.

He shrugs. “I hired someone.”

I laugh and hit his chest. “That’s cheating.”

He grins, catching my hand and pulling me to him. “But I did it with the best of intentions. I really wanted to see your face. I’d give all my money to see that look.”

My eyes linger on his as his thumb strokes my own. His lips part and his other hand anchors on my hip.

“Come on,” he says, breaking the spell he has me under. “I know you’ll be with your uncle tomorrow for Christmas, so I figured we’d have our own here.”

“You know you’re invited over,” I tell him.

“I’ll come over,” he says simply. I smile because that really makes me happy.

I hold on to his upper arm as we head inside. My eyes widen when I look at the Christmas tree filled with small gifts under it.

“Danny,” I say, looking up at him. “What is this?”

“It’s yours,” he says, biting his inner cheek. “Although, I may have gone a little overboard.”

“Ya think?” I reply, releasing his arm so I can walk over and look. “I don’t have you anything. Well, I do, but it’s at my house.”

“You didn’t have to buy anything for me.”

I roll my eyes. “Well, I’m fucking glad I did.” I look back at the pretty wrapped gifts. “You hire someone?” I ask with a smirk.

He lifts his shoulder, walking to the fridge and grabbing a bottle of champagne. “Let’s have a drink or two, and then you can open all of your presents.”

I exhale. “I don’t feel right about this. What am I going to tell my uncle?”

“Nothing. This stuff is for you here.”

“What? For me here?”

“Yeah, so you have some shit. Maybe, every once in a while, you can tell your uncle you’re staying at a friend’s house and stay here instead?”

“Danny,” I say gently. “I’m only sixteen. We can’t pretend live together.”

His brow furrows. “Who said anything about living together? I just mean when you want to wash your hair, you can blow dry it or whatever. There’re some gift cards for clothes and whatever else you want to buy. I got you some jewelry, too, and Bath and Body Works shit.”

“You picked all this out?” I ask suspiciously.

He lowers his head. “I may have gotten some help.”

I cross my arms. “From whom?”

“Don’t worry ’bout it.” He pops the top on the champagne, and I laugh when it flies across the room and some shoots out the top.

I grab the glasses on the counter and slide them over to him. “I am worried about it.”

“Fine. The girls at the clubhouse.”

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