I nod. "Come see."
A giddy grin spreads across her face as she steps over to the bags and pulls the first one closer to look inside. She gasps as her hand covers her mouth. Her green eyes look in the bag and then back at me before she pulls out the cherry Airheads I got her, along with Cherry Twizzlers that pull apart and basically any other cherry candies I could find.
She holds them all to her chest before she mouths with her lips, "How did you know?"
My chest fills with pride over the fact taking note of how excited she was for cherry juice paid off. "I took a gamble after you liked the cherry and sprite drinks I made the last time I was here. You drank all the cherry juice before I left as well. I could tell that you liked it a lot. So, I took a chance. I figured if you don't like it and I was wrong, then we still have movies to watch.
Her gaze goes to the other bag, and almost appears reluctant to put her treats down to look inside it, but she does.
She pulls out the movies, thumbing through them. Her wild grin turns on me. "I love all these. I used to watch them all the time when I was a kid and my parents would let me. Tears enter her eyes and before I know it her arms are wrapped under my arms and she presses her head to my shoulder.
I can't help it, I'm not going to reject her hug. I hold her for as long as she wants me to and then she pulls back and wipes tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry for crying on you, again," she signs before she looks at the counter and all the things I brought her. "Thank you. I wasn't expecting this and you have no idea how much this means to me."
I swallow hard around the lump in my throat. I didn't do much, but to her it feels like I just gave her the world. It's been so long since I gave a simple gift that the person receiving it enjoyed it so much. Seeing her so happy makes all of this more than worth it.
I motion to the living room. "Why don't you go put on one of those movies and have a small snack fest while I get your birthday dinner going?"
She looks excited and then frowns. "You said your engagement this weekend was at your parents, then why aren't you with your family?"
It's kind of her to care. "They think I'm out looking for you, that you keep evading the hitmen out there looking for you. It's not uncommon for the men in my family to miss stuff. Besides. most of my family won't be there this year, and it was between you and hanging out with my parents, Cason, and his starting to be very pregnant wife. I much rather spend my time with you. You don't make me feel like a screw-up every chance you can."
Gwen raises her hand to rest it gently on my shoulder, rubs it, and then signs, "I don't blame you for not wanting to be around him when he makes you feel like that. Thank you for spending more time with me instead. It makes it special, the first one I've had in a long time. And thank you, Porter, for all that you've done for me when you didn't have to. You could've killed me and I probably wouldn't have cared, but the more time I spend down here the more excited I get about not having to live my life in fear anymore. I owe you more than you'll ever know."
Standing on her toes she kisses my cheek before gathering the stuff into the bags and taking them over the sofa. I lick my lips, resisting the urge I have to touch my cheek. When she kissed me I felt a thrill go through me. I've never had that happen. When I was a hopeless romantic as a young man, I always thought when I met the love of my life, there would be a zing when I met her. But none of the girlfriends I had through college or my twenties ever did that. They were nice, and I enjoyed my time with them, but none of them made me want more as in marriage nor did I want any of them to know my secret life. It takes a special kind of woman to keep that kind of secret and be okay with it.
My gaze goes to Gwen as she already has an airhead in her mouth, her lips sucking on it as she opens one of the movies I got her. She already knows of my secret. She knows I was supposed to kill her and didn't. She has every reason to fear me, but she doesn't. Why?
Lord, I have it bad. Even if I came onto her, what good would come out of it? She probably doesn't want someone like me hitting on her. She bends over to put the DVD in and my gaze goes to her ass. Man, I'm in big trouble. I'm going to have to find a reason to sleep on the couch tonight. Because if she curls up into me like she has the last couple of times I've slept in the bed with her, I won’t be able to keep my hands off of her.
Chapter Twelve
Gwen
I cannot rememberthe last time I've been this happy.You've Got Mailplays on the TV as I suck on my second Airhead and sip at the white wine he poured me. I glance over at him. He's chopping up potatoes and is making a small ham to go in the oven. I offered to help, but he told me to relax and enjoy myself. My cheeks flush. If he hadn't made so much noise coming down, I wouldn't have heard him, and he may have found me masturbating while I took a late in the day shower. I may have been thinking about him as well, which makes it all that much worse.
I don't know what it is about him. It's been a long time since I found myself attracted to someone. Most of the time my brain talks me out of liking someone. They'll never feel attraction for me anyway, so why bother having crushes on them? I know that's all my attraction to him can ever be. He's made it clear he's not interested in someone younger than him, so I have to respect that, even if it sucks.
It's kind of him though to do all of this for me when he could be spending the time with his family. Even if he didn't want to see them, he also didn't need to come here. I had enough food to last until his next visit. I wouldn't have been bothered. I haven't celebrated my birthday in a decade, I wasn't going to start now.
But he surprised me with my favorite flavor candies and movies that I used to love as a kid. He's figured out the kind of movies I enjoy the most. I'm finding the hopeless romantic in me never died, I just had to reawaken it with some of my old favorite films.
"Is the wine good?"
I blink, he must've caught me watching him. He must think I'm so creepy. I nod and sign with one hand. "Really good, thank you."
I pull at the Airhead, making it longer before tearing off a chunk.
"I like this one. It will pair well with the scalloped potatoes and ham." He lifts his glass and sips from it.
My gaze turns back to the movie, the two main characters are finally meeting, but she has no idea he's the man running the business that will put her little bookstore out of business. I'd only seen this movie once as a kid, well after it had come out. AOL hadn't even been a thing anymore by the time I saw it, but it still held a special place in my heart. I'd hoped I would find the love of my life through being pen pals and then come to find out we'd known each other all along.
I stand from the bed and go to the bathroom for my brush. My hair is almost dry, and I don't want it to get knotted. I also don't like brushing it while it's really wet.
A hand reaches out and stops me from going back to the bed. His fingers warm my chilled ones as I glance at our hands and then at his face. He holds up a spoon of something, I guess white gravy for the potatoes. I take the offered bite without thinking and am suddenly struck by how intimate the gesture feels. I've been watching too many romantic movies while he's been gone. It's all going to my head. I doubt he meant anything by it.
"How is it? Does it need anything?"
I lick my lips as I stare up into his blue eyes. I then pull my hand from his even though I don't want to. "Maybe a little more pepper?"
