Page 56 of Presley's Christmas Catch
So even though I wanted to admit everything and then have her snuggled in my arms while I read, I didn’t. The guys are right that Presley deserves some magic. I can only imagine how she must have felt after I told her I didn’t feel the same, and the courage it took for her to save our friendship after that humiliation. Besides, I’ve already decided she deserves the world.
There’s a text waiting from Alexis Sterling when I get out of practice on Friday night.
Alexis Sterling:I chatted with Laura, who runs the Rays’ social media. She’s up to help you make some TOK videos to post to your account and the Rays’ account. They love it.
Brock:You sure you need me? After what I found out on Tuesday, I think you know plenty of people on your own to get TOK movies made.
Alexis Sterling:Trying to back out?
Brock:I would never.
Alexis Sterling:Gideon refuses to use his other success for TOK. He wants it to make it on its own. Someone well known like you hyping it will push the success we got from the launch of book sixteen even further.
Brock:Then I’ll definitely do my part. What you did meant the world to Presley.
Alexis Sterling:I’m glad you demanded. Gideon was very moved by his interaction with her. Looking forward to the videos.
Brock:
Hopefully Laura will let Presley be in the videos too. We’re hanging out again tonight to read, so I’ll take a video and send it to my social media manager to post to my accounts.
Presley comes over to my suite at the hotel where I’m still staying. I haven’t had a chance to find a place to live yet, which I need to do soon. I’m getting sick of living in a hotel. Lincoln and Layla have a couple extra rooms at their house, which they’ve offered to let me stay in if I want, but I need my own space.
Presley’s wearing a pair of black joggers today with a Rays logo on the pocket. They fit her tighter than any pair of joggers I own, but I keep my perusal of them quick and turn my attention to her yellow Rays hoodie.
“You seem to have an endless supply of those.”
“Bet you have a ton of Devils’ gear.”
We chat about the plans for the Christmas party next week—I’m meeting Presley at her apartment, where her parents will pick us up to take us to the party with them.
We settle on the sofa in the suite, and the setup isn’t nearly as cozy as at her apartment with the Christmas songs, the tree, thepumpkin pie and cider, and the YouTube video with the crackling fire for ambience. At least I can pull that part off. I press play on the large TV in the room while she opens the book to find our spot. I’ve already texted her about making a video for social media tonight, so she sits next to me to make it easier, and once the video is recorded and sent off, she stays there.
She reads for about half an hour and then stops. It’s been common for us, discussing the things happening for a few minutes before the reader moves on. But she doesn’t say anything as she pushes the book into my lap.
“You’ll need to read,” she says.
I eye her. “Is your voice already tired?”
“No. I saw Kael’s name on the next page. I won’t be able to read their reunion.” Her cheeks turn a deep shade of pink, and I nearly brush my fingers across them to feel the heat of her skin, to lean over and gently kiss each one. Sometimes the way I feel about Presley seems sudden. The spark I kept wondering about instantly bursting into a bonfire. Other times, my feelings are so natural and normal that I feel like the idiot the guys have implied I am for not seeing it sooner. I would do anything for her. I want to be with her always. I just didn’t see it until I couldn’t text her or call her after she kissed me—and even then it took time for me to understand what my missing her meant.
“I know it’s stupid,” she continues. “But I’m going to cry. I can already feel it.”
I am so smitten with the way she loves these characters. They’re like shared friends to us. I put my arm around her shoulders and pull her against me, taking the book in my other hand.
She huffs, and I furrow my eyebrows and look down at her. “What?”
“The way you can hold that in one hand is so unfair. That book has to be over a thousand pages long.” The pink that hasn’t left her cheeks deepens again. I would like to splay this hand across her back and press her to me. I stare at her, my brain contemplating the pros and cons of sticking with the plan I cameup with for me to tell Presley how I feel at the Christmas party. Her parents are in on it at this point.
“Read the book, Brock,” she says softly, her voice drawing me closer even though I shouldn’t. Not yet.
There is no conceivable reason not to kiss her right now. I like her. Ireallylike her, and I fall harder every minute I’m with her. Unless her feelings have changed in the last week, she likes me too.
I’ve almost convinced myself when my phone buzzes in my pocket. I look at the preview of the text on my watch.
Eli:How’s it going? You laying down the foundation like we talked…
The rest of the text is hidden until I scroll. I quickly put my hand down. Yeah, you could say I’ve got the foundation well and started.
