Page 50 of Still Here Without You

“Nothing about you is a flaw. Even if you did have an overly large left breast, you’d still be perfect.”

“I know what you’re doing,” she whispers.

“Oh, yeah? What am I doing?”

“Distracting.”

“You’re right.” And while said distraction worked on me a little, I’m thinking about her body instead of college, and I now need a distraction from that. Which reminds me…

“Did you get the Valentine’s present I sent?”

Delilah laughs and mumbles something away from the phone.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear that,” I tease.

“I got it,” she whispers.

“And…”

“And I don’t know whether to laugh, yell at you, thank you, or…”

“Moan?”

She bursts out laughing, exactly the reaction I’d been hoping for. Well, that and the moaning. “Joel, you gave me a vibrator.” She’s whispering again, and it’s fucking adorable. I had a feeling she wouldn’t use one, let alone open the box, and I was right. But I play along.

“I did.”

“Why?”

“Because I can’t be there to take care of things.”

She’s silent for a moment, and I worry that I’ve done the wrong thing.

“Have you opened it?” I ask, knowing the answer because if she’d opened the box, she wouldn’t be so nervous about it.

“I have not.”

I laugh at her cautious tone, wishing I was there beside her to see the blush on her face and watch as she opens the real present. “Can you open it now? While I’m on the phone.”

“I’m not…Joel, there’s no way I’m using this in front of you. Even if you can’t see me.”

I laugh again, wishing we were on a video call, but knowing she’d never answer. “Just open it.”

She huffs like she’s mad at me, and it’s fucking adorable. My heart starts racing at the thought of her finally seeing what I got her, and I try so hard not to throw another joke in.

“I’m just opening it, nothing more. So don’t get excited or anything.”

I am excited, so excited, but not the excited she’s thinking. I continue to stay quiet and listen as she rustles around with the packaging.

“You’re so lucky that my roommate didn’t see this, or worse, my bosses.”

My mouth stays shut.

“I mean, really, Joel, what do you hope to get from this present? That I’ll think of you? Or that I’ll…oh, my God, Joel!” she squeals, and it takes everything in my power to continue the silence so I can hear this play out.

“I could kill you right now, but also…wow. I don’t even…Joel, this…”

“So, I did good?” I ask, finally giving in and saving her from her rambling.

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