Always With You - A Best Friends To Lovers Novel

Chapter Twenty-Seve

Chapter Twenty-Seven

River

Since the day we visited my old home, I didn't think about it much. Everything was different. My room wasn't my room anymore, and my parents' bedroom was also unrecognizable.

It was Christmas day, and we spent the day playing board games, watching movies, and eating. After dinner, I was tired from eating the food Marilyn cooked all day, and although I enjoyed their company, I was happy to finally get upstairs and be alone with Bowie.

We had given her parents their Christmas gift, and they had given us theirs, but Bowie and I decided to keep each other's present wrapped to then open them in her room when we were alone.

I had to sneak my present for her from the trunk of my car up to her bedroom. I bought the present back in Durango, and I would have to take it back again, so she didn't have to leave it here. That wasn't my plan since she had one of those things in her room already. Just less...vintage.

As I entered her bedroom, her eyes widened at the sight of the two big boxes wrapped in red wrapping paper and a bow on top of the upper one. "River...those are huge!" she exclaimed. "We agreed on just one present."

I put both boxes down on the floor, then kneeled next to them, waking her to me. "It's one present, but in two different boxes. Didn't work otherwise," I explained, and Bowie kneeled next to me, staring at my present for her.

"God, this is already so much better than what I got you." She frowned.

"It's the thought that counts, Bow. You know that," I told her, kissing her temple, and then nodding at the present. "Open it," I urged. She shook her head and reached under her bed to pull out her present for me.

"I want you to open yours first."

She held her present to me, which I immediately knew what it was. Nothing else could've been this thin and square at the same time other than a vinyl record. But even if I already knew what it was, it didn't stop me to be excited to find out what record she bought for me. Every single thing she gifted me had a deep meaning behind it, so this one would not disappoint me.

"We think alike," I told her, grinning, and carefully ripping off the wrapping paper.

"Why?" she asked, looking at the boxes in front of her. "You didn't get me a whole vinyl collection, right?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "No. Just wait and see."

After the wrapping paper was off, I held a record in my hand with a picture of Bowie and me on it. The title of it was Bow & Riv – Our Playlist.

"No fucking way," I said, looking back at Bowie who was smiling brightly at me. "You turned our playlist into a record?" I turned it around, seeing every single song printed on the back.

"There are two vinyls in there, because I couldn't fit all the songs onto one," she explained. I stared at it for a while, thinking this was the best present I had ever gotten.

"I gotta dig my record player out of my closet. Bow...this is perfect," I told her, leaning close to her to kiss her cheek. "Thank you!"

"I'm glad you like it. I was worried it wouldn't come in time. I created it online a few weeks ago," she explained.

"I love it. We'll listen to it right after you opened your present," I said with a grin, knowing we could use her present for the record.

"Okay. Here I go." She reached for the first box and took off the bow, then ripped the paper off the box to reveal a cardboard box. She glanced at me, all excited and nervous. I kept my eyes on her, not wanting to miss her reaction.

"What's this..." she whispered, taking out the horn which was part of the gift. Her jaw dropped, and with one look at the second box, her eyes widened. "This is not what I think it is," she said in awe.

I kept grinning, nodding to the other box. "Open that one."

"River...these things are expensive," she exclaimed, taking the paper off the other present. As she opened that box, she looked inside but didn't take it out. "River..." she repeated.

"You like it?" I asked, now smiling at her. She was speechless, and I had to give it to myself. I had the better gift idea.

"It's a gramophone," I told her, and she nodded.

"Oh, I know what this is," she laughed, then shook her head and looked at me. "You're the best. I love it!"

Her arms wrapped around my neck, and from the force she jumped me with, I fell back and pulled her down with me. "See," I said, running my hand through her hair while she hid her face in the crook of my neck. "Told you we think alike."

"We can listen to our record on the gramophone," she said, and I nodded.

"Merry Christmas, Bow," I whispered, kissing her head, and keeping my arm around her tightly.

"Merry Christmas, Riv. Thank you for making me smile every single day." Her words meant the world to me because what she said applied to her too. Thanks to her, I had a reason to smile every damn day.