Secret Santa

15: Love and Presents

Brooklyn's view

Let's be honest. Christmas dinner was a disaster, but I don't care because I'm on cloud nine right now.

Elliot said that she loves me and would want to spend the rest of her life with me. I know that's a lot to say to someone who you just started dating, but I loved hearing it all.

I love this girl with all my heart. I have never felt this way about someone before. I don't know quite what it is about Elliot, but she makes me so incredibly happy.

She just makes me feel so understood and loved and I can't imagine my life without her in it now.

So, after her parents leave the table, I can't help but want to tease her. Just because I love her doesn't mean I'm going to make things easy for her.

"So, I'm like the girl of your dreams that you can't live without?" I ask her.

Elliot rolls her eyes and I can't help but laugh at her action. "Yes. You're everything to me," she admits making my heart melt.

"You're everything to me too," I reply leaning over to give her a kiss.

"This is too mushy for me, I'm going to my room," Max announces, interrupting our moment.

Elliot balls up a napkin in her hand and throws it at Max. He barely dodges in time before it hits him and he sticks out his tongue at us and we all abrupt into laughter.

Then Max gets serious and says, "Everything is going to be okay, Elliot. Just you wait and see. We all want you to be happy," then he focuses on me and adds, "Make sure you take care of my sister, she can be a bit of a dummy at time."

"So can you! Remember the chocolate!" Elliot retorts back.

Max dramatically gasps before saying, "We agreed never to talk about it again, you monster." We all start laughing again and Max turns to head to his rook, leaving us alone.

Elliot turns to me and begins talking, "I'm sorry about dinner. All I wanted to do was give you a good Christmas memory, but I think I fucked that up."

She looks down at the ground in shame, but I lift her chin up so she looks me in the eyes. "You didn't fuck it up. I can't remember the last time that my Christmas has ever been this good."

"But, it was a disaster..." I cut her off.

"No it wasn't. I mean kind of, but not entirely. I like spending time with you and Max. It's been a long time since I've felt like I have belonged anywhere. And spending time with you just feels right, I'm happiest when I am with you. So, you succeeded in making this a memorable Christmas for me."

Elliot smirks and says, "So I made you hate Christmas less?"

This time I roll my eyes and pull Elliot closer to me, "Maybe."

"Just maybe? Are you sure? If you still hated Christmas, then you wouldn't be smiling this much today," she teases.

"Okay okay. I actually somewhat like Christmas. Only because I got the best present of all."

"What would that be?" she asks with a knowing smirk.

"You, of course," I reply leaning in to kiss her again.

After a bit she pulls away to look and me and says, "I love you Brooklyn."

I smile widely and reply with, "I love you too, Elliot."

We kiss, and then Elliot pulls away again. One of these days I'm just going to tie my hands around her so that I can just keep kissing her.

"Do I get a present?"

I decide it's time to tease her back, so I reply, "Of course, but that present is for when we get back to my apartment. I can't exactly show you my present in front of your family."

Elliot looks at me in shock. Ha. Teasing her is so fun, but to be honest I can't wait until we get back to my apartment. Kissing is fun, but there are others things I want to try with her.

Elliot regains her composure and says, "I can't wait to see your present. However, I need to talk to my parents before we can leave."

"No worries. I understand, Elliot. Go on," I tell her.

Elliot hesitantly gets up and walks over to the stairs. She grabs a hold of the railing to go up, but she freezes.

"I don't know if I can face her right now, especially after that dinner fiasco," she says.

I get up and walk over to stand behind her. I wrap my arms around her reassuringly and say, "It's okay, Elliot. You can do it. You're strong. And I know that you're mother loves you. Everything will be okay, just like what Max said."

"But how do you know for sure? What if she refuses to accept me again? What if she disowns me?"

"Elliot, your mom loves you too much to disown you. She really just wants you to be happy, she will come around, and I know it. Most moms are a bit of a control freak, but that's them just showing that they care."

"If my mom was still alive, I'm pretty sure she would be very similar to your mom. They would get along great," I jokingly add.

Elliot smiles at me and looks up the stairs, "Okay. I'm going to talk to her."

"That's the spirit, babe," I reply kissing her cheek before pushing her up the stairs.

I watch her walk up and grab the door handle to a room and slowly open it. She enters the room and slowly closes the door behind her.

I really hope everything works out.

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Author note: Hopefully the next chapter will be sometime in the next two weeks. Fingers crossed for this week.

Next chapter will be the last chapter by the way.