Page 55 of Blame It On The Carols

“Okay, but open yours first.”

“Why don’t we open them at the same time?”

“Mak...”

“Alright, alright,” I said with a laugh. When he was determined, he was determined.

I picked up the box with the number one on it and tore the paper off. I could feel him watching me, and I hated the amount of attention that was on me right now. What if I didn’t react the way he wanted me to?

Inside was a shirt box with a single piece of tape keeping it closed. I lifted it and peeked inside, my cheeks splitting as I pulled the scarf out.

“Oh my gosh! It’s the scarf I fell in love with at Frosty Fest!”

“I know. I saw you looking at it, but when you didn’t buy it, I made a note to go back and get it for you.”

“Thank you, Aiden. That was so sweet of you.”

“You’re welcome.”

His dimpled smile was distracting, but when he waved his hands for me to continue, I grabbed the next box. Inside was another shirt box, but this time, it had the purse I had fallen in love with from another vendor at Frosty Fest.

I held it up and hugged it, loving the way the soft leather felt. It was a mix of brown and pink with flower prints across it.

“I love it, thank you.”

I continued opening the boxes and noticed that the first eight boxes all had items that I had admired at Frosty Fest but didn’t buy.

“I can’t believe you did all of this,” I said, shaking my head. “Is that why you kept running off?”

He nodded, still grinning as he sat on the floor across from me with his presents still unopened.

“Yeah, I had to offer several free drinks to get them to hold the bags for me until I could go back later, so you didn’t see them.”

“You’re such a goof,” I replied with a laugh. “Thank you, though. This stuff is seriously amazing. I can’t believe you memorized everything I touched and then went and bought it.”

When I got to the next box, my heart started to race as I pulled out a jewelry-sized box. I lifted my eyes to see if I could read anything on his face but he just stared at me with adoration as I finally opened the box.

Inside was the most beautiful bracelet I’d ever seen. It was rose gold bangles with a heart in the middle and a diamond centered inside the heart.

“Aiden!” I gasped, lifting it into the light and appreciating the beauty of it. “This is gorgeous!”

“I’m glad you like it. It was one thing you hadn’t looked at, so I took a chance and hoped you would like it.”

“I love it. It’s so pretty.” I immediately slid it onto my wrist as I continued to stare at it.

“There’s one more,” he said, nodding to the small box-shaped gift beside me.

I picked it up and unwrapped it, finding a snow globe inside. The scene was simple with a couple in the middle, kissing. I shook it, smiling when I saw the snow fall on them.

“I know that you have a life in LA and that you’re worried about how things will be for us when you leave. So this is my way of reminding you that no matter what life throws at us or how shaken up we might get, we will always belong together, Mak.”

My eyes filled with tears as I shook it again and watched the snow fall around them.

“It’s perfect. Thank you,” I said as I tried to keep from full on crying.

He scooted across the room and pulled me into his arms.

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