Page 82 of All Your Tomorrows

She looked pleased with herself.

“Kyler said you know him well,” I told her.

“You bringing him here means the world to us,” she said.

I didn’t say anything because I knew it did. They just didn’t realize it meant the world to me too.

* * *

Kyler and I entered my room a short time later. We hadn’t spoken about what he’d said but it was all I could think about. He’d fallen for me. Against all odds, we were together. Maybe we could actually work. Maybe it wasn’t as crazy as it seemed. I placed his parents’ gift on my nightstand beside the photo of me and my parents.

“I’ll never be able to give you gifts,” he said.

I turned to look at him. “I don’t care about gifts.”

“Today you don’t.”

“Oh, we’re doing this again?”

“It’s just moments like that,” his eyes latched onto the heart on my nightstand, “that I remember how not normal we are.”

“I don’t want normal,” I told him. “I’ve had it and it sucked.”

He didn’t laugh.

I walked to him and slipped my arms around his hips. “What you said to me at your parents’ house. That was a gift.”

He cocked his head. “Liar.”

“Spirit.”

“I’m serious, Nora.”

“Stopping killing the mood,” I said.

His lips twitched. “I didn’t realize there was a mood.”

“Oh, there’s a mood,” I assured him.

He laughed. “Well then, I’m starting to think thereissomething I can give you.”

“See? I knew you were more creative than that,” I said.

He lifted me off my feet and carried me to the bed, laying me down but stepping back. He pulled off his hoodie and T-shirt in one smooth motion.

I pushed myself onto my elbows, enjoying the show. “Keep going,” I urged.

He shook his head with a devious glint in his eyes as he walked to the foot of the bed. He reached down and removed my ankle boots. He moved to the hem of my dress and tugged it up to my bra. He stared down at my red thong before eyeing my legs and sending a shiver scampering up them. He pushed my legs apart and crawled between them.

“Oh,” I gasped, realizing his intent.

“Merry Christmas,” he said before moving his mouth between my thighs.

CHAPTER 20

“Merry Christmas,” Kyler whispered as I shifted slightly in his arms, my cheek pressed to his bare chest.

“Merry Christmas,” I said with my eyes still closed. “Did Santa come?”

---