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He smiles at me, and I brush my fingers through his sandy blond hair, my heart giving a little flutter. I still can’t quite believe that we only met in real life for the first time this summer. Or winter, as far as Colby was concerned. Whatever—July. Videocalls don’t count.
As far asI’mconcerned, my life began again the moment I ran through the arrivals gate at Sydney Airport, screaming as I launched myself into my waiting best friend’s arms. I love himso somuch, and getting that super rare action figure set would have shown him just how much I care about him.
Because it wasn’t some set you could buy in a store, no ma’am. It was a collection that someone had obviously put together themselves from individual toys. Not someone. andylad2000.Urgh.I try not to be angry at them for letting someone else win the bid and then not bothering to respond to my message, but…well, I’m a petty bitch. If it were just for me, I wouldn’t have cared so much. But it’s for my babyColby.He deserves the world after everything his horrible family put him through.
I shake myself and smile for my baby. “How’s your day going?” I say, changing the subject. “How was work?”
I’m fully aware that Colby has no interest in the store where he kills himself taking as many shifts as possible to make his half of the rent. Well…what hethinksis his half of the rent. I might have been a bit sneaky and told him it was less so I could contribute more to ease his burden, even if it’s only a little. My crappy office job might mostly involve mind-numbing data entry and too many coffee runs, but it pays a few hundred a month better than Colby’s paycheck.
I’m here on a working holiday visa, so I know I’ll only have to put up with temping there for another six months at the most. After that…I’m not sure. I can’t apply for another visa like that because I’ll be thirty, and that’s the upper age limit. I don’t know what I’ll do because now that I’ve found Colby, I can’t possibly leave him.
But that’s a worry for another day. Right now, I’ve still got to find the perfect Christmas present for my bestie. Or second most perfect, I guess. Nothing is ever beating that action figure set.
Colby shrugs in response to my question about his job and runs his fingers over some of my purple feathers. I bite my lip and repress a shiver, reminding myself for the MILLIONTH TIME that my more carnal feelings for my best friend need to stay locked up tight in that box I’ve buried deep in the depths of my soul.
The thing is…I had an inkling that I was probably in love with Colby a few years ago. But it was always so safe when I was back in California and he was just words on a screen. Things got worse after we started video calling and I finally knew how his voice tinkled like a bell and his smile fluttered like a butterfly when it wasn’t frozen in a photograph. Meeting in person just compounded every single fantasy I’d ever had about us by a hundred.
And then we moved in together. Because I’m that much of a dumbass.
I know with MY WHOLE HEART, though, that my baby needs someone the complete opposite of me to date. It’s simply a fact. I’m a walking disaster, and he needs someone responsible. And when that day comes and he meets this hypothetical man, I will let him go with grace.
Because I have to.
“I’ve been looking for seasonal work,” Colby says, breaking my train of thought. He’s not meeting my gaze, but I blink anyway.
“On top of the job you already have?” I ask. How many hours does he think he has in the day? The boy needs to sleep.
He shrugs again. “I need the money for Christmas.”
I frown and shake my head. “Hey, no,” I say. I don’t want to rub things in about his family, but I don’t want him making himself sick, either. “You only have me to get something for, and I already told you I’d literally die of happiness for a candy bar. Boo-boo! All that matters is that we’re here. We’re going to go to the beach on Christmas Day like we said and get drunk on cheap wine. We don’t need anything else.”
He blushes and looks away from me. My heart skips a beat, but I tell it NO! Behave.
“I might havealreadybought you a present,” he mumbles.
My damn heart skips again. “Baby, you shouldn’t have,” I say softly. How much money has he spent?
He chews on his thumbnail. “I thought I might be able to pay for it in installments, but the whole amount came out of my account already, and I’m not sure what to do.”
“Col-bee,” I say, stretching his name out into two syllables like I always do when I’m trying to make him listen properly to me. “You shouldn’t have splashed out like that, but I’m very touched you did. Don’t worry about getting any extra work, though. I’ll get the groceries this week.”
He bites his lip and looks at me with his beautiful blue eyes. “I’m sorry I spent all that money. But—Jay. Seriously. I think you’re going tolovewhat I got you. I couldn’t believe it when I found it!”
My heart expands, and I link my hand with it, bringing it up to kiss the back of his fingers. “You’re so cute,” I murmur. His cheeks flush again and my pulse quickens. It’s in moments like this I can imagine leaning over and kissing much more than just his fingers.Urgh!I love him so much! I wish…
I’m saved from doing something monumentally stupid by the doorbell ringing. Like I’m coming out of a trance, I laugh, kiss his fingers again with a loud “MWAH!” then jump up to answer the door.
We live around the back on the second floor of a dreary brown apartment building. We rarely get cold callers, and it’s too late for the mailman. It might be an Amazon delivery or something, but I know I haven’t ordered anything, and I doubt Colby has with how he’s worrying about money. Ohhhh, maybe they’re Christmas presents from my family? My mom said she was sending gifts for both of us because she knows Colby’s douchebag homophobic parents have cut him out of their lives.
Their loss. He’s amazing and they deserve to walk on Legos forevermore.
With a dramatic swoosh of my floor-length purple gauzy robe (because what’s the point of having it if I don’t make the most of it?), I throw open the door with a big smile, popping a hand on my hip.
Then I freeze.
It doesn’t look like a mailman, butphew,he sure is deliveringsomething.
“Hi?” I utter, blinking rapidly and wondering how fast that mimosa has gone to my head. I’m pretty sure I didn’t order a hunky Daddy, but here one is anyway.
