Page 86 of Just a Taste
He quirks a brow. ‘Hoxton?’
I can’t help but smirk. ‘Mhm. I’m perfectly capable of making my own choices and right now, I’m choosingyou. I want to celebrateyou. What’s so hard to understand about that?’
‘Celebrating me doesn’t mean we have to pretend like Christmas doesn’t exist,’ he points out.
‘Oh, how the tables have turned,’ I laugh. ‘A year ago, that sentence never would’ve come out of your mouth.’
Alex gives me a wry grin and shrugs. ‘Am I wrong, though?’
No, I think.
‘Yes,’ I say. ‘Just this once, you’re wrong. We’ll figure out Christmas and your birthday next year. But this year? This year it’s all about you.’
I expect him to argue with me a little more, just like he’s been doing ever since I told him what my plans for his birthday were this year, but he just gives me a resigned little shrug.
‘Fine.’
‘Fine?’ I echo, eyeing him suspiciously. That was easy. Too easy.
‘Fine,’ he says again. ‘This year it’s all about me. And next year it’s all about you. We’ll trade off. That’ll be our Christmas tradition.’
Something warm settles inside me when he says the word ‘our’. It sounds so permanent. I’d very much like it to be.
‘Christmas slashbirthdaytradition,’ I correct him.
‘That works too,’ he says. ‘But before we get to the next five days being all about me, can I give you something?’
I glare at him. ‘Giving me a Christmas present kind of defeats the wholeall about youthing, doesn’t it?’
‘Then it’s not a Christmas present,’ he says. ‘It’s anI love youpresent. Can I give you one of those?’
A warmth spreads through my body and I feel like I could melt on the spot. It’s not the first time he’s said those three little words – and I’ve said them back to him as well – but it gets the same reaction out of me every time.
I swallow and force myself to nod. ‘I guess that would be fine.’
‘Excellent.’ His grin widens as he pulls out his phone, taps something into it, and then turns the screen to face me. ‘This is the one you were looking at, right? Your top choice?’
Pretty sure my heart stops for a second.
Up on Alex’s screen is the listing for the commercial property I’ve had my eye on recently. I’ve finally saved enough that it’s looking like Heart could become a reality in the next year or so, and I’ve been indulging myself in a few late night Rightmove searches.
This one in particular is perfect. The location is wonderful. It’s nottooexpensive. And, best of all, I can see myself inside it.
Alex must have noticed me pulling up the listing over and over again, and staring at it with wistful, longing eyes.
‘Er, yes?’ I say. ‘I was just looking. I’m not ready to buy just yet and—’
‘Great,’ Alex says. He turns his phone back to him and quickly taps something in.
‘What’re you doing?’ I ask, suddenly frantic.
‘Having Roland book in a viewing for the new year,’ he says, like it’s the most normal thing in the world. ‘And when you step through those doors, and you know officially that it’s The One, I’m also buying it for you as well.’
If I wasn’t sure before, I am this time. My heartdoesstop.
‘Alex…’ I croak out. ‘You don’t have to… I mean, this is too much for a Christmas present. You can’t—’
‘It’s not a Christmas present,’ he says, looking ridiculously smug. ‘It’s anI love youpresent andI believe in you and want to help you chase your dreamspresent.’
