Page 26 of Christmas Eve Do-Over
"I don't understand." She still hadn't moved, her gaze fastened to the tree at my back.
An uneasy feeling moved through me and I began to doubt my plans for the first time. "I talked to the girls about wanting to surprise you. Figured our reunion on Christmas Eve this year didn't go so well. I wanted a do-over." I ran a hand along the back of my neck. "But now I know your history with Christmas Eve, I'm hoping you're open to starting a new tradition. One where Christmas Eve is a time of love and happiness."
Her eyes filled with tears and I was two seconds away from hauling the tree out of her apartment and dumping it at the curb when she unfroze. She ran straight for me and jumped, her strong legs wrapping around my waist on impact. I fell back a step, almost landing in the Christmas tree, before I righted myself and grabbed onto her luscious body. She swooped in and kissed me, telling me exactly what she thought of my plan. Relief flooded through me, followed quickly by desire.
I pulled back enough to free my mouth, my forehead still touching hers.
“Guess that's a yes to a do-over, huh?" I was breathless, overwhelmed I was getting everything I'd ever wanted.
"That's a definite yes. And this is also the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me," she whispered back.
"Well get used to it, woman. I'm here now."
I walked us away from the tree and the precarious ornaments I'd hung on it, depositing Shasta on the couch.
"Stay there, I have more plans." I untangled her legs from my waist and dug in my pocket for a flash drive I'd kept there. "Laptop?"
She pointed to a silver laptop lying on the end table. I opened it, set it on her lap, inserted the flash drive, and asked her to enter her password. Once she did that, a music app popped up and started playing Kacey Musgraves’sButterflies. I went into her kitchen and got the bottle of champagne I'd left in her fridge, along with two glasses. The loud pop of the cork pulled a smile onto her face.
I handed her a glass, holding the other in the air between us. "To the people we are today, the couple we are together, and the future we make. To us, my love."
Tears were still in her eyes as we clinked glasses and drank.
Back to Youby Selena Gomez came on next, earning me a curious look. I kept sipping, walking over to the tree to get the gift under the tree, then settling on the couch with her.
"Another mixed tape, huh?" Her expression was priceless; misty eyes, a grin, that wrinkle between her eyebrows.
"I made an error with the first playlist I made you."
"Oh yeah, what was that?" She cocked an eyebrow up.
"I made a list of songs from when we were kids, which was perfect back then. But we aren't those same people anymore. I needed to give you a list of songs about the love we share now. Because that's the only moment that matters. And right now, I want a girl like you."
Her shoulders dropped and the tears in her eyes gave up the battle and fell down her cheeks. Before she could respond, a new song came on:Girls Like Youby Maroon 5.
Shasta burst out laughing, then leaned forward to press a kiss to my mouth. "I really love you. You know that, don't you?"
I grinned back. "I really love you too."
We both sat back and enjoyed our champagne, listening to the lyrics of the songs I'd chosen. She bobbed her head to the beat and had a dreamy smile on her face while I was trying to swallow my nerves, even resorting to pushing on my shaking knee, trying to get it to sit still. Haley Reinhart's rendition ofCan't Help Falling in Loveplayed, the words an anthem, telling about my love for Shasta. ThenAll of Meby John Legend and Lindsey Stirling. Finally, Christina Perri's song,A Thousand Years, came on and I wondered if Shasta knew I meant every word of the song. The reality that the universe had sent her to me once again calmed me. This was destined, predetermined by a force much bigger than her or me.
When that song ended and the first plucks of a guitar filled the room, I knew it was my big moment. There was just this one last song on my playlist. One song to tell her everything.
The lyrics would help me, but I'd tell her in my own words too. She needed to hear it. Over and over again.
I placed my empty champagne glass on the coffee table and went over to the tree. The single, solitary present under the tree was a silver box, beautifully wrapped, making it obvious I hadn't wrapped it myself. This moment deserved more than my childish attempts at wrapping.
With a trembling hand, I held it out to her.
She gave me another confused smile, but took it just the same. Turning it over a few times in her hand, she finally tore open one corner of the paper. I wiped my hands on my pants.
Another rip and the black box was revealed. I heard Shasta suck in a breath and my heart stood still, refusing to beat again until it knew our fate.
The box began to shake, and I realized Shasta was trembling as badly as I was now. But like the courageous woman she was, she plunged ahead, snapping open the lid, revealing a huge princess cut diamond on an intricately woven white gold band.
I dropped to one knee, my hand on her thigh, my heart in my throat. "No more letting things slip through our fingers. I want to live the rest of this life with you. We've been given our own do-over. Let's make our second time the one that sticks. Will you marry me, Shasta?"
Her eyes were wide open, her throat working as she swallowed hard. Then those eyes filled with tears again. Each millisecond that passed in silence took another year off my life. I could hardly hearMarry Meby Train over the buzzing inside my skull.
