[Featured on @YARomance, @NA, @Teenfiction, @Contemporarylit]
"I feel him lean closer towards me and softly whispers into my ear, 'I just want the best for you.' I almost shiver at the rumbles his deep voice sends down my back, before he releases th...
I awake to a gentle kiss on my forehead. My eyes sleepily flutter awake, Lincoln is propped up on one elbow, smiling at me. His hair is sticking up in bizarre positions from sleeping, "Good morning. Merry Christmas."
"Morning. Merry Christmas," I mumble back, still tired. The party lasted much longer than I thought it would last night, we didn't get into bed until after 3 am.
We get dressed and cleaned up before Lincoln helps me get downstairs. His parents and Jasmine are already sitting in the living room.
"Merry Christmas!" Angela calls to us. They're all wearing matching Christmas sweaters. She hands two to us as well.
"Oh my god Mom, please no," Lincoln grumbles. I laugh, his is bright red with a big Rudolph face on the front. Mine is a nicer off-white with navy blue snowflakes.
"If I'm wearing one, so are you Link," Jasmine says sternly. Her's is pale blue with a white snowman. Lincoln grumbles something under his breath as he begrudgingly pulls it on.
Angela begins distributing gifts from under the tree. To my surprise, there are three for me. One from Lincoln's parents, Jasmine, and Lincoln. When did they even have time to get these? A happy warmth goes through my whole body.
"You didn't think we'd forget you Katie?" John smiles. He's wearing matching bright green sweaters with Angela, his has Santa Claus, her's has Mrs. Claus.
I suddenly realize I didn't get them anything. With all the chaos I've gone through recently, Christmas was the last thing on my mind.
Jasmine seems to sense what I'm thinking before reassuring me, "It's OK Katie, we didn't expect you to have gotten us any gifts, you've been in the hospital after all." I smile gratefully at her.
I open the one from his parents. I unwrap the shiny red paper to find a small white Pandora box. Inside is a small heart shaped charm with the word family engraved on it. My heart melts. "It's to go on your bracelet we've seen you always wearing," Angela gestures towards the charm bracelet around my wrist.
"Oh my gosh, thank you so much," I try not to let my eyes water, and I hug Angela and John.
The present from Jasmine is wrapped in light blue paper. I open it, and it's a silver tin of loose leaf earl grey tea, and a tea infuser shaped like a cat. "It's the tea you said you liked during brunch," she explains.
"Aw I love it." I reach over to hug her.
The last present from Lincoln is in a small silver gift bag. I move the tissue out of the way and take out a velvet box. My stomach turns a bit when I suddenly have a flashback of the velvet box Jason handed me with the bracelet inside.
"Hey are you alright?" Lincoln touches my lower back, looking concerned.
"Y-yeah I'm fine. Just...a little overwhelmed I guess." I push those feelings away and open it. There's a necklace inside. It's a delicate gold chain, with an elegant star charm. "Our second date?" I whisper to him with a big grin.
"Yup," he says, pulling me closer to him and I rest my head on his shoulder.
Angela ends up making a giant breakfast with tons of unhealthy but delicious food. This probably turned out to be one of my favorite Christmases ever.
