Forever (Friends #3)(76)

"Livvy's house." Like I could tell them where I'm really at.

"Where's Livvy at?"

"I think she's having Kyla over to spend the night." Livvy went to winter formal with-you guessed it-Dustin, but they're still not official. Talk about taking it slow. And Kyla went with Blake and they were so cute together.

"Would you rather be with them?"

"Um, no." I nudge him in the ribs, making him grunt. "This was a lot more fun."

He starts to laugh. "Fun? That's one way to put it."

"I bet it gets even better the more we do it," I suggest shyly.

Jordan glances down at me, his eyes glowing in the near darkness, his smile wide. "You want to keep doing it?"

"Don't you?" I ask innocently.

His hands skim my ribs and then he starts tickling me, making me laugh. Making him laugh. We roll around on the bed trying to tickle each other, but then we start kissing and it turns into something more and …

Yeah. It's even better the second time around.

And the third.

Maybe even the fourth.

You know what I mean.





"You two make such an adorable couple." Mom is watching us sit together on the old, saggy couch that's been in our since I can remember. Jordan and I just smile at her, my hand clutched in his, his thumb absently stroking my skin. It's a far cry from that first time he came to the house for Sunday dinner and she asked him what he was doing with me.

Yeah, not one of my favorite moments.

It's the Sunday before Christmas, which just so happens to be Christmas Eve. Mom and Dad invited Jordan over for dinner and we've already eaten what felt like a ton of food. Now we're sitting in the living room, ready to open Christmas presents because my parents have completely come around and they embrace Jordan like he's a part of the family.




 

 

I think it's because they realize just how happy I am with him, and how good he makes me feel. When I'm around him, I can't stop smiling. Seriously, it's like I have some sort of smiling disease, and he acts the same way, I swear. We're good for each other, Jordan and I.

"Let's open presents!" Trent yells, making everyone laugh, with the exception of our mother.

She sends Trent a stern look. "Your daddy is almost done in the kitchen." He's making his famous spiked egg nog, though I'm sure he won't let us have any. "Once he's sitting with us, then we can open presents."

Mom is allowing all of us to open the few presents we have from relatives who live out of town. The majority of our present opening will happen tomorrow morning, and then again when my mom's family comes for Christmas dinner. It's going to be loud and crazy and our small house is going to be full of a lot of people.

It's going to be awesome.

"Are you sure you can't come over tomorrow?" I ask Jordan for about the thousandth time. He keeps turning down my invitation, telling me he doesn't want to interfere with our family's day. He doesn't understand that we think of him as family and we want him at our house.

I'm almost desperate to have him with us. I can't stand the thought of him spending Christmas alone. I'm pretty sure his parents are both out of town right now.

Meaning they are the absolute worst parents alive.

Jordan sighs and slings his arm around my shoulders, tugging me in close. Despite the shabbiness of our home, he never says a word, never reacts, never complains. I think he's comfortable here, and I love that.

I love him.

"Do you really want me here tomorrow?" he asks, his voice low, his gaze meeting mine. I see uncertainty there. Vulnerability. My heart cracks and I'm overwhelmed by the love I feel for him. "I don't want to intrude-"

I press my hand over his mouth, cutting him off. We do this to each other all the time now. "Stop. You're never intruding. We want you here."

"Yes, Jordan. We want you here," Mom says just as I drop my hand from his mouth.

He leans in to steal a quick kiss and then he's smiling at my mother. "All right then, I'll come over tomorrow."

"Great. Now let's open presents," Trent says irritably.

Dad and George walk into the living room and go straight to the tree twinkling in the corner. Mom cues up the Christmas music on the satellite radio and soon we're all opening presents. My mom knit Jordan a beautiful black scarf and he immediately wraps it around his neck. Trent tears into his presents so fast he sullenly watches the rest of us open ours, a cloud of wrapping paper surrounding him. 

Jordan gives my parents a gift card to one of the fancier restaurants in town and Mom about hugs him to death when she sees it, saying, "You shouldn't have!" over and over again.

"Since you're coming over tomorrow, I'll wait and give your gift to you then," I tell Jordan once we're done unwrapping our presents.