Page 132 of Reaching Avery
When we finally came together, his strong arms held me as I crumbled apart above him.
“I love you,” he whispered before kissing my forehead and moving his body into mine.
And then he fell off the edge with me.
***
Christmas was beautiful. I never really liked it before, just treating it like any other day. However, things were different now.
Mom had been at her new job for about two weeks, and she was the happiest I’d ever seen her. It’d taken her a few days to get used to working in the day instead of at night, but she’d quickly adjusted. She came home with a smile on her face. The spirited woman I loved was resurfacing, finding life after escaping the place that’d tried to snuff out her light.
I had gotten a job too.
During one of my routine trips around Port Haven to see which places were hiring, I had seen ahelp wantedsign in a window to an art supply shop on the same strip Maverick worked. Even though I’d doubted I’d get it, I had gone inside anyway just to check it out.
When I’d walked into the store, I’d seen an older woman struggling with a box of supplies, and without hesitation, I’d run over and helped her.
“Well aren’t you just the perfect little gentlemen,” she’d said in such a sweet voice. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Ma’am,” I had said, still holding the box. “Where did you want this?”
I walked with her to the paint aisle and unloaded the brushes and tubes of acrylic. She asked me about my interests, and I told her about wanting to be an architect. Talking came easy with her. Turned out, she was the manager, and once we were done unloading the box, she offered me the job on the spot.
Maverick kissing my neck pulled me from my thoughts.
I blinked before focusing on him. He was wearing a navy blue sweater that matched the color of his eyes, and his muscles were still noticeable beneath the material. I just wanted to grab onto his biceps, pull him down on top of me and—
“And I lost you again,” he said, arching a brow.
“You’ll never lose me.” I ran my hand down his chest.
“Now who’s being the mushy one?”
My soft caress turned into a playful slap. “Shut up.”
Mom and Declan were in the dining room with Mav’s parents, and we were in the living room, sitting on the couch in front of the massive Christmas tree. Like, the thing was huge. Probably at least ten feet tall. Gold and red ornaments shone and reflected the white lights dancing along the branches. The ceilings were so high, that even though the tree was a giant, it still didn’t even come close to reaching the top.
We’d already eaten Christmas dinner, and his family had brought out a game calledPictionarythat they wanted all of us to play. But Maverick had asked for a moment alone, so I’d gone with him.
Laughing sounded from the other room right before anoohfollowed by a victorious yip. They must’ve started the game without us, which was fine. It just gave us more time alone to do whatever it was he’d asked me in there for.
“I know you said you’d kill me if I bought you a present,” Maverick said with a guilty tone of voice. “I believe your exact words were ‘I’ll cut you into tiny pieces and throw you over the train tracks,’ but it’s our first Christmas together, and I wanted to make it special.”
“Just havingyoumakes it special, big guy,” I said, poking his cheek.
He grabbed my hand before I could pull it away and kissed the tips of my fingers. Then, he sucked my index finger into his mouth. I shivered and it shot straight down south. I wiggled on the cushion a little before withdrawing my hand and placing it in my lap.
By the smirk on his face, I knew he was aware of the effect he had on me.
Jerk.
“So you won’t murder me if I give you a gift?” he asked.
“I swear if you bought me a phone, I will—”
“It’s not a phone,” he interjected with a chuckle. “Even though I think you should have one.”
“When I start getting my paychecks, I’ll set money aside to get one of those cheap flip phones, okay? And you can text me at all hours of the day.”
