Page 59 of Surrender
Dallis had refrained from leaving his belongings at her place because he hadn’t wanted to overstep and make it seem like he was forcing his way into her private space. So, the fact that she was permitting him to would have been enough of a gift on its own.
He grabbed one of the gifts he’d bought for her. It was a bit heavy, and instead of handing it to her, he placed it in her lap. Dallis watched as she began to unwrap it, and once all the paper was off of it, she turned to him with a smile, seeing the image on the box.
“Thank you,” she told him, and Dallis took the vinyl player out of her lap and placed it aside.
They had a conversation a few weeks ago about how she had a collection of records but hadn’t bought a new player. When he’d asked her what happened to her other one, she simply said it was being held hostage, and he immediately knew that it had something to do with her ex.
Deciding that he wanted her to open the gift that went along with that one, he picked up a gift bag and handed it to her. Colbie side-eyed him.
“It’s supposed to be my turn.”
“Yes, but open this first,” Dallis told her with a smirk.
Colbie took the gift bag, opened it, and pulled out several vinyl records to add to her collection. Once she’d looked through them all and thanked him, Dallis watched as she took a bag from under the tree and handed it to him.
Opening it up, he pulled out a jacket he’d been eyeing at a shopping center out of town the week after Thanksgiving when he’d taken her out. He hadn’t said anything to her about it, but it proved that she paid as much attention to him as he did to her.
Grabbing another gift bag from under the tree, Dallis handed it to her. He watched as she peeked inside before gasping.
“Dallis,” she stated, almost scolding, pulling out one box and then the other. “Please don’t tell me you paid an obscene amount of money buying me shoes,” she requested, holding up both boxes of Louboutin shoes. Dallis remained quiet, and Colbie blinked at him. “Say something.”
“You told me not to tell you,” he countered. He watched her open her mouth, more than likely to protest, but Dallis wasn’t about to let that happen. “You may as well open them because I’m not taking them back. That would mean I’d have to take mine back since they’re his and hers.” He knew he didn’t technically have to take his back, but he wasn’t about to take back either.
Dallis had opted to get her a pair of black ones and a pair of deep blue ones, getting himself the corresponding male pairs. If he had it his way, they’d have a collection of them by this time next year. He knew she’d had an impressive shoe collection before they started dating, just by seeing the ones she’d worn to school. He had plans to double it.
“You didn’t have to buy me something so expensive,” she told him.
“I know I didn’t have to, but I wanted to.”
This time Colbie kissed him. It wasn’t the peck he was expecting. She kissed him slowly, slipping her tongue into his mouth, and as much as Dallis didn’t want to, he pulled away. He had one more gift for her, and if she kept kissing him like that, it’d be later that afternoon before she could open it.
Before he could grab his last one, she took a small box from under the tree and handed it to him. “Gift number three,” she announced.
Opening the box, Dallis found that it was a simple gold chain. It was nice; she knew him too well because it wasn’t flashy.
“Do you like it?” Colbie questioned, and Dallis turned his attention to her to find her biting her bottom lip as if she were worried he wouldn’t.
“I love it, gorgeous. But you shouldn’t have spent so much money on me.”
Colbie pursed her lips. “Says the person that bought me shoes that cost more than some people make in a month.”
He just smirked at her. There was nothing he could say to counter that, and he knew he would only make her complain more with his last gift. Dallis pulled his small box from under the tree and held it out to her.
“We said three apiece was the limit.”
“We did, and this is number three. The record player and the vinyl records were one, the shoes are two, and this is the third.”
Dallis could tell she wanted to protest, but he grabbed her hand and placed the box in it. He sat on the coffee table across from her instead of sitting back beside her. He watched her as she untied the bow on top, taking off the lid. Colbie tipped it, pouring the small box out into her hand. Her eyes came up to his briefly before she opened it.
Dallis watched her eyes widen as she gasped, and her eyes snapped to him.
“Dallis, this…what…why...are you, are you asking me to…”
“If I was would you say yes?” he questioned, and she bit her bottom lip again. “Calm down, baby,” he told her, deciding to put her out of her misery. “It’s a promise ring.”
Taking the box from her, he pulled the ring from it, his first thought was to grab her left hand, but he decided to wait to put a ring on it. At least for the time being. So, instead, he grabbed her right hand and slid the ring onto her finger.
“And what exactly are you promising?” Colbie questioned; her eyes on the ring.
