Forever Logan by Elena Matthews (best fiction novels .txt) 📗

“Why did you ask me to meet you up here then?”

“To give you your Christmas presents.”

“You got me a present?” she asks with surprise.

“Well, yeah, it is Christmas. And, no, I got you two presents.”

“I thought we weren’t doing gifts,” she says, her fingers brushing through my hair.

“Well, I changed my mind.” I begin to shift her off me. “Let me grab them,” I tell her as she slides off me.

I stand, reaching for the sidelight, letting light into the room. I then wander over to the dresser and open the top drawer, where I hid them. Latching on to a long velvet gift box, as well as a thin, square version, I hide them behind my back before I return to the bed and sit beside her.

“Pick a hand,” I tell her.

She laughs lightly, happiness glistening in her eyes. She points to the left, and her eyes widen when I reveal the long, slender gift box, handing it to her. She stares down at it in amazement before flicking her gaze back at me. “What is it?”

“Open it.” I nod to it.

I watch as she flicks the box open, revealing a delicate gold chain necklace with a dainty heart charm.

“Oh my God, how did you know?” she says, unable to take her eyes from the necklace.

I smile triumphantly because I feel like I’m about to win the Boyfriend of the Year award. And for a screwup like myself, this feels like an achievement.

“I saw this when we went with Remi and Nate to help pick out their wedding rings, and I fell in love with it, but damn, I couldn’t afford it. I didn’t even know you were paying that much attention; you were just on your phone the whole time we were there.”

“I was only on my phone because I was bored out of my brain while the happy couple tried on a million different rings, but the phone was a cover to hide the fact that I couldn’t keep my eyes off you. You weren’t even aware I was watching you from the seating area, but you kept admiring the same piece of jewelry every couple of minutes. When you stepped out to answer a phone call, I approached the sales guy you had been speaking to and asked what you kept looking at. He showed me the necklace, and he explained to me that you told him it was just like a necklace you had as a child that your grandmother had bought you, but it got destroyed in the fire. He said you really wanted to buy it, but you told him you could never dream of spending that kind of money on a necklace. So, I bought it for you.”

Her eyes fill with tears while her smile blindsides me with how beautiful it is. How beautiful she is.

She shakes her head, gazing at me with adoration. “I really keep underestimating you.”

“I told you,” I say, grinning.

“This is amazing. Thank you. One half of me is kind of freaking out that you spent so much on it, but the other half is, well, so fricking happy. It really is like the one my grandma gave me before she died. It gutted me when it got destroyed in the second fire, but this is the best gift anyone has ever given me,” she gushes.

“You might want to open your second gift before you say that,” I say as I pull the second gift from behind my back.

She wastes no time in taking it from me and opening the box. She gently takes out the silver bangle and admires the charms. There’s a round charm with the words Perfectly Imperfect engraved on it, a blue cross, another round charm that says You Are Enough, and lastly, a blue crystal charm.

“Now, this didn’t cost me much, but it’s a PTSD bracelet.” I point to the blue crystal on the bracelet. “Apparently, the crystal helps promote healing for those struggling. Though it’ll probably turn your wrist green”—I laugh—“but I thought you might like it.” When she says nothing, I find myself rambling on, “I know it isn’t magic and that it won’t stop your nightmares, but I wanted you to know that it’s okay to not be okay and that you are enough. At least, you are to me.”

Silence surrounds us as she continues to stare down at the bracelet, and my nerves kick in. Shit, I should have given her this first and then given her the necklace to soften the blow.

Stupid. Stupid.

“You hate it, don’t you? You can just trash it if you want. It was only, like, twenty dollars. I—” A sudden finger to my lips shuts me mid-speech, and I blink as Ally climbs over me, straddling me.

“Shut up.”

“Okay,” I mumble against her finger.

A second later, she draws her finger back and slides the bracelet around her wrist.

“I don’t care if it turns my arm green. I don’t care if it only cost twenty dollars or if you got it from a thrift shop for thirty cents. Most boyfriends would have bought lingerie or a Yankee Candle, just because that’s what boys think girls want. This…” She holds out her wrist, the sound of the charms jingling against the bracelet with the movement. “You put thought into this, you put your heart into this, and I love it. And…I love you.”

My heart slams against my chest at her words. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I say, “You love me?”

“I know; it came as a shock to me, too. But just know, I didn’t fall; you fucking tripped me.”

I roar out with laughter, my chest vibrating. “And what a trip that was, baby. And just so you know, I love you, too. And I did fall for you, all the way fucking down.”

Giggling, she presses a kiss to my lips. I go to deepen it, but she pulls back again.

“You got me these incredible