Out of My League

Chapter 25 (Izzy)

September flipped into October, October fell into November, November hurtled into the start of December and I fell hopelessly, irreversibly in love with Noah Parker. 

Together, the two of us had celebrated Halloween, where we'd dressed up as movie characters and handed candy out to the neighborhood kids from the championship trophy Noah had previously won. 

Baseball season, much to my disappointment, ended. 

Kenz got more and more pregnant and Bryce got more and more excited to welcome their little girl into the world. 

Noah and I celebrated Thanksgiving at his parents' house with the best Thanksgiving meal I'd ever had; he grew closer to them, too, which made my heart happy. 

He'd taken me to a church service almost every Sunday and together, the two of us had strengthened our faith, both individually and together. 

Everything was perfect. 

Now, it's December and the hustle and bustle of the fast-approaching Christmas season hangs tight in the steady, polluted air. 

"What about this?" Noah asks, holding up a tiny, child-sized jacket and inspecting it, "Too much?" 

In my opinion, it is definitely too much for an almost three-year old, but then again, she's not my child so it's up to him what he gets Vivi for Christmas. 

When I say that, though, he tilts his head in both confusion and exasperation. 

"Not your daughter? Come on," he hangs the jacket back onto the rack, walking towards me with the tender look on his face that still gives me butterflies, even after all of these months, "She as good as." 

"Not really-" 

"Bella, I'm pretty sure she loves you more than she loves me." 

At that, I gasp out a laugh and give him a gentle shove in the shoulder, giggling when he stumbles backwards like he's wounded, drawing the stare of the few people in the small shop with us. 

"I'm serious, though," he picks the jacket back up, holding it in front of himself like it's a badly fitted crop top, "What do you think?" 

"For a three-year old?" I ask with a quirked eyebrow, "It's too much." 

"See, these are the kinds of things that I, as a man, wouldn't know," he says, hanging it back on the rack and turning towards another, "What about this?" 

"I'll cut you a deal." 

"Oh, yeah?" His lips tilt into an entertained smirk, "What's that?"

"You shop for Vivi in here," I gesture around the children's clothing store, "And I'll go shop for Reagan and you," I say, drawing out the word, "Over there. That way, we'll both be productive and you won't see your gift." 

"There's one problem with that." 

"Oh," I mock, "And what would that be?" 

"I don't need a gift," he states, simply, stepping up to me and placing a kiss on my forehead, stroking his thumbs on the sides of my shoulder, "Because I have everything I could ever want." 

"Stop," I whine, but secretly, I'm pleased. 

"I'm serious," he kisses me twice before releasing me and saying, "But if you insist, I will let you shop all by your lonesome." 

I stick my tongue out at him, trying to pointedly ignore the playful wink he sends me as I walk out of the door at the strip mall and to the shop across the road.