Page 92 of Sweet Poison

“Don’t get used to it,” he mumbles before pointing to the gift.

I smile and tear it open to find a set of high-quality art supplies—pencils, paints, and sketchbooks. My heart swells; he remembers how much I love art.

“Wow, Madden…” I whisper, holding the items close. “Thank you so much. I love them!”

He simply smiles, his gaze encouraging. “Keep going.”

Next, I unwrap a few clothing items—a couple of dresses in the most beautiful shades of mint and blue. A dozen t-shirts with mushrooms on them just like my favorite one. “No way… these are so cute and the dresses are beautiful.” I say, beaming up at him. “Do you think they’ll look good on me?”

“Anything looks good on you,” he replies, a hint of mischief in his voice.

There goes my heart…

“Open these ones,” he hands me a few more boxes. Inside them I uncover a mountain of mushroom plushies in all sorts of styles and colors. “Are you serious?” I laugh, overwhelmed by how many there are. It takes me a while to open them all. “Twenty plushies?”

“I thought you could use a few more friends,” he says seriously.

Friends…

I can’t help but hug one to my chest, feeling giddy.

Looking up at him, I whisper, “Madden…”

“You’re welcome, baby. Keep going.”

Then, there are countless boxes filled with beautiful jewelry—gold necklaces and earrings that shimmer in the light. I’m not a girl who wears a lot of jewelry but these ones I will proudly wear because they’re gifts from his heart. “Madden, these are all so beautiful…” I say, incredulous.

“Not as beautiful as you,” he replies, his voice warm.

Yup, he’s on a mission to turn my heart into his love slave.

Finally, I unwrap a collection of CDs. I pull them out, my eyes widening. They’re all true crime and serial killer documentaries. I burst into laughter, my heart full. “You remember!”

“Your love for macabre shit? Of course,” he says, his grin widening. “But seriously, Wild One. it’s not normal to be that obsessed with crime and gore.”

I shrug, smiling. “Haven’t you noticed? I’m not normal.”

But as I glance up at him, his smile fades, and his eyes grow serious. “You’re perfect, Willow.”

You’re perfect, Willow…

In this moment, as I sit surrounded by gifts, my heart feels like it's about to burst with how full it is. It’s not just the presents, but the thought and care he put into each one that overwhelms me. His sweet words that penetrate my soul, casting light into every dark corner that was once scarred by the cruel jokes of others.

Here he is, the most handsome and beautiful man I know, telling me I am perfect.

I look up at him, my eyes shining. “Thank you for all of this, Madden. Thank you for being you. You’ve made this Christmas unforgettable.”

“Hold onto that thought,” Madden stands up with a grin, heading toward a side table that I hadn’t even noticed before. My curiosity piques, I watch him as he rummages through the clutter of paper before emerging with one last gift—a small, elegantly wrapped box that gleams under the soft light of the Christmas tree.

He walks back to me, kneeling in front of the couch as he hands it over. “Merry Christmas, beautiful,” he says, his tone gentle. The tone of his voice as he hands me the box makes my heart flip inside of my chest as he looks up at me with that charming and heartwarming smile of his.

With trembling fingers, I unwrap it, my heart racing with each second that passes. I open the box, and inside, nestled in soft velvet, lies a breathtaking flower crown. The petals shimmer with green, yellow, and blue diamonds, each one sparkling like tiny stars. My breath catches in my throat, and tears spring to my eyes, blurring the world around me. The beauty of the crown is a work of art like something pulled from a dreamland or another realm.

“Madden… I-I can’t believe this,” I whisper, overwhelmed by the emotion flooding through me. “You. I. How…” I have trouble putting my thoughts into words.

He gently takes the crown from the box and places it atop my head. This moment feels like a dream. I look up at him, my eyes wide with shock and gratitude and a few tears.

He gazes down at me, his expression softening. “My perfect and sweet fairy,” he says, his voice filled with warmth and adoration. “Now you have your crown…”

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