Page 159 of Christmas off Script
He high-fived her. ‘Plan.’
They finished opening every gift, then Ella made piles of the used tape and flattened wrapping paper. ‘Now ours!’ she said excitedly.
Leo nodded, his pulse suddenly quickening. This was it. No turning back now.
Ella pulled a thin rectangular package from the stocking he’d made for her. ‘Ooh! Let me guess! Art supplies?’
‘That’s too easy. If you can guesswhatthey are, then I’ll be impressed.’
‘Coloured pencils? Calligraphy pens?’
‘My lips are sealed.’
She ran her fingernail along the edge of the paper. ‘Where’s the sticky tape?’
‘I used Pritt Stick instead,’ he replied with a grin. ‘No excuse not to rip it now.’
She pulled a face. ‘It feels like I’m hurting the paper if I do that.’
A laugh burst out of him. ‘Seriously?’
Nodding, she gave him an embarrassed smile. ‘I know it’s bonkers, but I have to be utterly transparent about all of my foibles in case you change your mind about me.’
‘They’re not foibles, they’re quirks.’ He leaned in and kissed her. ‘And they only make me love you more.’
She sighed happily. ‘I don’t think I could be any happier than I am right now.’
‘You might be if you opened your presents?’
Carefully opening the gift, her face lit up at the set of brush pens. ‘Ooh! Love them! Thank you! Now you have to open one from me.’
‘Am I allowed to rip the paper?’
‘Yes. Because I also used Pritt Stick so I didn’t have to hunt for sticky tape amongst the debris.’
His heart flip-flopped in his chest. ‘You’re perfect.’
Her smile was luminous. ‘I could say the same about you.’
They gazed at each other with dopey grins on their faces.
‘Are we unbearably in love?’ Ella asked.
‘Definitely,’ Leo replied. ‘And the more Estelle makes retching noises later on, the more unbearable I’m going to be.’
She giggled. ‘I can’t wait.’
Leo gave her another kiss, then shook the contents of the stocking she’d prepared for him onto the duvet. ‘You didn’t wrap the obligatory satsuma?’ he asked when it rolled out last of all.
‘Nature wrapped it.’
‘True.’
As Leo ripped the paper off the rest of his gifts, his fingers trembled. Had he ever felt this nervous before?No. Never. His joy at what Ella had bought or made for him was tempered with anxiety at what he’d bought for her. And as she slowly drew each gift from her stocking, his pulse kept accelerating.
‘Best gifts ever,’ she declared as she pulled out the satsuma, immediately starting to peel it. ‘Thank you! I love them!’
He swallowed. ‘Have you got all of them out?’
