Page 66 of Between the Blue
I stop walking. It takes her a few seconds to notice. Then she stops too.
“What?” she asks.
I reach into my pocket. Close my fist around the tiny velvet pouch there. Pull it out.
“I got you something,” I tell her.
She raises her brows.
I hold out my fist. Nod towards it, making her extend her hand. I drop the pouch into her open palm.
She stares at it for a moment, then reaches for the little string keeping it closed. I nod again, telling her to open it.
I can feel my heart beating in my chest as she does.
There’s not a lot of things that mean a whole lot to me, but I like gifts. Giving them. Getting them. Especially when you can tell someone put thought into it. It’s a nerdy thing about me, but I don’t care. It’s one of the best feelings in the world, knowing you made someone feel special. Putting a smile on their face. I live for those moments.
Jules tilts the open pouch over, and the little gold coin necklace falls into her hands.
“What’s this?” she asks.
I step forward, flipping over the gold disk in her hand so she can see the sun engraved into it.
“How I see you.”
She looks up at me. Bites her lip as the biggest smile spreads across her face. “Will you put it on me?”
“Yeah,” I nod, smiling too. Can’t help it. “Of course.”
She lifts her hair. Lets me clasp the necklace on her. When I’m done, she lets her hair fall, but she doesn’t turn back around. I don’t step back either.
Instead, I sweep her hair over one shoulder. Bend down. Brush my lips along the hollow of her throat.
She lets out a breathy sigh. Leans into me. “I didn’t get you anything,” she whispers.
“That’s okay.”
I have everything I need right here.
“There’s still time before Christmas,” Jules says. “What do you want?”
My lips tip up at one corner, and I step back from her.
The sudden movement makes her spin around to look at me.
And when she does, I already have the bundle of mistletoe I stuffed into my back pocket raised high above us.
She looks up at it. Chuckles, shakes her head. Takes a step closer to me.
“Do you know the legend behind mistletoe, Ben?” she asks. Traces a finger down my chest.
I shake my head.
Jules stands up on her tiptoes. Leans closer. “Well, you’ll have to look up the full story some time, but, spoiler alert, if I kiss you, I think I may have to kill you.”
I hold her chin in my hand. Run a thumb over her bottom lip.
“Worth it.”
