YOU 2 [Charli D'Amelio]

Chapter 131.

Max's cheeks are flushed and lips hold a nervous smile as I stare at her.

"it's so.. it's just perfect." I sob and close the space between Max and I on the couch, practically tackling her. Luckily, she is strong enough to keep us both from falling.

I hug her as tight as I can manage, causing her to cough so I loosen my grip.

"Thank you, that is so thoughtful and just unbelievable." I tell her and press my forehead against her as I stay in her lap.

"It's nothing..really." She timidly states and I smile at her casual tone.

Anne clears her throat and I hurry off of her lap. For a moment I forgot that we were not alone in the apartment.

"Sorry." I tell her and move back to my spot on the couch.

"Don't apologize." She gives me a knowing smile.

Max stays quiet, I know she won't talk about the gift in front of Anne so I change the subject for now. Her gift was so incredibly thoughtful. She could not have picked a more perfect quote from any novel to have engraved onto that charm.

"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." It is so perfect for the way I feel about her. We are so different yet we are exactly the same, just like Catherine and Heathcliff. I can only hope that we do not share the same fate as them. I would like to think that we have learned from their mistakes somehow and that we will not allow that to happen.

I slide the bracelet over my wrist and slowly rock my wrist back and forth letting the charm sway back and forth. I have never received anything like this before, I thought the nook was the best gift but she managed to upstage herself by having this bracelet made. Chyalways got me the same thing, perfume and socks. Every single year. Then again, I got him cologne and socks each year. That was our thing, our boring, routine, thing.

I stare at the bracelet for a few more seconds before I realize both Max and Anne are watching me. Immediately I get up and begin to clean the small mess from the wrapping paper.

"What shall we do for the rest of the day?" Anne asks.

"I feel like taking a nap." Max tells her and she rolls her eyes.

"A nap? On Christmas?" She mocks.

"It's not Christmas for the tenth time." She tells her harshly but then smiles.

"You're obnoxious." She scolds and swats at her arm.

"So are you."

I take the small pile of crinkled and torn paper and push it into the steel trashcan. I feel even worse about not getting Max a gift for Christmas. I was too consumed by everything that was going on between us to worry about buying her a gift. I wish the mall was open today so I could get her a last minute present. I have no idea what it would be but anything would be better than nothing. I look down at the bracelet again and run my finger over the heart.

"You almost done?' Max's voice at my ear causes me to jump in surprise.

"You scared me!" I say as she chuckles.

"Sorry love." I feel her smile against my neck and she wraps her arms around my waist. My heart leaps when she calls me 'love'. It's so unlike her.

"Are you going to take a nap?" I ask her, turning myself around to face her.

"Yea.. join me?"

"Sure." I don't really like to take naps unless I am too exhausted to do anything else but I can spend time with my nook while Max sleeps.