Page 80 of Eight Weeks
I open it, being more-or-less surprised when the paper-thin present contains a drawn paper. I thank Nick wholeheartedly, though I have no idea what I’m supposed to do with the drawing. But it’s the thought that counts, right?
The next fifteen minutes, Aaron hands me present after present. They’re all beautifully wrapped, with only a few exceptions. I’ve gotten quite the variety of products, some more useful, some less so. Everything’s within the range of drawings to clothes and jewelry, facemasks and bath bombs, there is everything. And yes, even books.
But now that there is only one present left and Aaron is smirking at me, I’m honestly a little scared to open it. When he hands it to me, I thank him.
“From me,” he says as if I hadn’t figured that one out already.
“Nix, I bet you already paid for all of this, and even if you didn’t, making this”—I gesture around the barn—“possible is the best gift I’ve ever gotten.”
“Shut up and open your present, Icicle.”
And so I do. Slowly, because there might very well be a very flat pressed spider inside of this present. A little too hard for it, but it’s possible, alright?
However, as soon as the present is opened, my jaw drops when I find a CD in there, with Aaron’s handwriting on it.
I look up at him, still shocked by the words I’ve just read, yet also intrigued to find out what songs he thought of putting on this CD.
“What’s so shocking?” Julia asks, being a nosy nelly as always.
Aaron leans down, his mouth close to my ear when he whispers, “Read it out loud.”
I shake my head instantly. “There’s a five-year-old at the table.”
But of course that isn’t an obstacle for him. He asks Jane to cover her brother’s ears, so I could read it out loud.
Now that I no longer have an excuse apart from my parents literally being two meters away from me, three at most, I take a deep breath, telling myself that I got this.
“Icicle, read it out loud.”
“I hate you,” I grit out, mentally having murdered him at least five times by now.
“You say that now, but we both know that’s not true.”
It is right now.
You got this, Sofia. They’re just five silly words.
“Songs I—” I make one huge mistake, looking at my father. He closes his eyes, already knowing what this says. But his annoyance only gives me more courage. “Songs I’ll fuck you to.”
“YES! WHORING!” My brother yells, making everyone laugh after the shock of their life. Well, Lily and Colin were already about to burst out into laughter, so now they can finally let it out. “I LOVE THAT GUY!”
Aaron leans my head back in my neck, bringing his face over mine. Saying, “It’s a promise, love”, before bringing his lips down to mine to seal his promise with a kiss.
43
Sofia
“you’re the only one that my heart keeps coming back to”—Always Been You by Shawn Mendes
After we ate dinner andopened Christmas presents—yay, more presents—my guests start singingHappy Birthdayto me right before I’m supposed to blow out the candles on my cake and cut it.
It’s awkward. Really damn awkward. Like, what am I even supposed to do while they’re singing? Just stand here and look embarrassed, apparently.
As soon as they finish singing, I suck in some air, ready to blow out the candles on my cake when Leon makes yet another attempt to ruin my birthday.
“Before Sofia blows out the candles,” he says in German, getting up from his seat again. Only this time, he kneels in front of Julia immediately instead of holding a whole ass speech beforehand. Julia brings her hands to her mouth, gasping.
I’m about to scream and freak out on them both when Aaron takes my hand, kisses the back of it and tells me to just watch. Squeezing his hand in either anger or an attempt to calm down, I do as he says… watch.
