"Pierce, please I'm trying to study." I let out an aggravated sigh as my eyes flickered upward from the white-colored pages of my textbook. Pierce approached closer to me, sliding the textbook out from my lap and throwing it to the side.
"Take a bre...
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DOUBLE POST!!!! THERE WILL BE TWO UPDATES BACK TO BACK. THE EPILOGUE IS POSTED AND READY TO READ!!!!!!!
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"Hey." I whispered softly, leaning closer to Pierce and pressing my lips to the side of his cheek. "Wake up, she'll be up soon." Pierce let out a low groan, forcing his eyes open as he sat upright on the couch, running a hand through his messy brown hair.
We had been out until four in the morning, shopping and wrapping presents for Reese. By the time we got home, we were both completely exhausted, running on only about three hours of sleep. But I couldn't shake the thought that Reese deserved one day where she could forget about everything... just for now.
"Here, I made coffee," I said, handing Pierce a steaming mug as I shifted into the seat next to him on the couch. Our bodies collided, the heat of his body radiating onto my goosebump-covered skin. "Bitter... just like you," I teased, giving him a playful wink as I passed off the mug of hot black coffee.
"So funny," Pierce rolled his eyes, taking the mug from me before pressing a peck to my lips and sipping his coffee like his life depended on it. We had probably fallen asleep around 5:00 AM, and now, as the morning sunlight streamed through our apartment windows, it was around 8:30. I had dragged Pierce out of bed about a half hour ago, but despite my best efforts to wake him up, he had only managed to make his way from the bedroom to the couch... and promptly passed out again.
"Merry Christmas, Aspen," Pierce mumbled, his voice still raspy but soft, his fingers tucking a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. His words brought me back to a year ago when he had dropped me off at my house on Christmas Day only to discover that my dad had paid a surprise visit. It felt like a lifetime ago, and this past year had been such a rollercoaster, but looking at us now, I couldn't help but smile. We had come so far in such a short amount of time.
"Merry Christmas, Pierce." I smiled back, feeling my heart swell. Pierce set his coffee mug down, his hands gripping my hips as he shifted me onto his lap. He pulled me close, my body sinking further into his as his lips found mine. I responded immediately, feeling his back press against the small of my back and forcing me to sit upright.
