Page 81 of Holiday Unscripted
“My turn,” I say walking back and taking the big box in the back. “It’s thin, but—” I say bringing it to him. “I love it, and I really hope you do also.”
I hand him the box and he unwraps the paper slowly, the white square box showing him nothing of what is inside. He takes the cover off and then the white tissue paper and the black frame greets him. His mouth opens in shock and he looks over at me. “How the fuck?”
I sit next to him and look at the picture I had professionally made. It’s a picture of his clinic and in front, on one side, are his parents that I took from the picture he had on a side table, and then on the other side is a picture of his grandparents. In the middle, sitting down, is Nate with Whiskey and the cats by his side. “How did you do this?” he asks me, speechless.
“I found the picture of you in front of the clinic in my parents’ house,” I explain to him as he runs his fingers over the image of his parents. “Then I asked if we could add the two other images in there.” He looks over at me and smiles, but it’s a smile filled with sorrow. “You said that you wouldn’t have it without them, and I think that—” I shake my head, correcting myself. “I know they are so proud of you.”
“Elizabeth,” he says my name, his voice cracking, “this is the best gift I’ve ever gotten in my life.”
I wrap my arm around his shoulders and smile. “So what you mean to say is, I win.” He laughs and his lips come to touch mine in a gentle kiss.
“You win, baby,” he agrees softly, “you really fucking win.” He puts the picture down and goes to get the small box. “This sucks now that I got that, but—” He hands me the box. “Well, here it is.”
“I’m sure it’s perfect,” I assure unwrapping it and seeing the jewelry box. “What in the world?” I open it, the gold bracelet sits in the middle in a circle.
“It’s a customized charm bracelet,” he tells me. “The E is obviously for Elizabeth.” It hangs in the middle and then beside it is a heart with a diamond it in, another one is a star, and then the last one is a Christmas tree. “I know that you hate Christmas but I put a tree there so you would remember this Christmas and know how much it has meant to me and how I’ll remember it forever.”
“This is so…” I shake my head. “This is so thoughtful.” I take it out and hold it out to him. “Will you put it on me?” He nods his head as he wraps it around my wrist and fastens it.
“There,” he says, kissing the inside of my wrist, “now it’s perfect.” I look down, my eyes going to the heart that is dangling, all the words are stuck in my throat. “Merry Christmas, Elizabeth.”
CHAPTER 32
Elizabeth
LOVE IS CHRISTMAS
December 26th
I shimmy on my jeans before snatching the sweater I took out of my bag before my shower. Taking my hair out of the back of it before sitting on the bed, I grab my socks and sit on the edge of the bed that I haven’t slept in since we started sleeping together. I look over when I hear him coming out of his bedroom dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. His hair is still wet from the shower he went to take after we had coffee together, sitting on the couch, watching television, and not talking. “Hey,” I say when his eyes catch mine.
“Hey back at you.” He stands there leaning against the doorjamb. “What’s up?”
“My mother just called to remind me about taking me shopping today,” I reply, putting the second sock on. “Even though when we went over there for dinner last night, I told her I was not going after–Christmas Day shopping with her.” He smiles and looks down. “She says either I get dressed and meet her in the car, or she’ll have you carry me to the car.” I get up. “I’m going to save us both and just go out and be ready for her.”
“Okay,” he says softly, “I think I’ll go to the office. Catch up on a couple of things before I get back to it after New Year’s.”
I walk to him and wait for him to kiss me, but he doesn’t. He smiles and turns to walk down the stairs. Ever since we exchanged gifts yesterday, he’s been quieter than ever. Even at dinner with my parents, his smile never went to his eyes. I waited until we got home to ask him about it but he had other plans. Plans that had my mouth and his occupied. I fell asleep in his arms, and by the time I woke up, he was already out of bed. It was also the first morning I didn’t wake up next to him, and I hated every single second of it.
I get up and take a deep breath as I make my way down the stairs and to the kitchen. Whiskey gets off the couch and comes over to me, rubbing himself against my legs. I bend to pet his neck, looking up to see Nate at the coffee machine. My heart pounds nervously as I ask him what I’ve been wanting to ask him since yesterday, but I’ve been too scared shitless to ask him, for fear he’ll tell me something I don’t want to hear. “Are you okay?” I ask him and he turns to face me, his face not giving away anything.
“Yeah,” he answers, “I guess I’m just tired.”
“We slept almost twelve hours.” I laugh nervously, hoping I can get him to smile at me. Something I didn’t know I needed right now in this minute.
“Maybe I need more,” he says, his voice tight, and my eyebrows pinch together.
“Seriously?” I say, knowing he’s fucking hiding something or he’s pissed about something and doesn’t want to tell me. I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s something.
“Seriously,” he repeats the word and now I know he’s pissed.
“You were quiet most of the night,” I mention, my heart hammering in my chest, “and then you said maybe five words to me today. ‘Good morning’ being two of them and ‘hey, what’s up’ being the other words.” My hands start to shake nervously as I place them on the cold island in front of me.
“I don’t know what you want from me,” he states, “I’m fine.”
“You act like I don’t know you, Nate.” I try to not freak out and keep my voice calm, but as it drags on, the nerves get the best of me and my voice goes higher.
“Do you know me?” he asks me and I have to wonder if he’s trying to start a fight with me.
