Chapter 17
“Merry Christmas, Sweetheart.” I feel Rhett’s lips on my cheek, slowly opening my eyes I look into the most beautiful green eyes in the world.
“Happy Christmas,” I say giving him a smile. First time in so long I have waited for this day, to wake up on Christmas morning with a smile.
I had a better day yesterday, I had more energy, the morning was a little hard, but as the day went on, I was, feeling better. Rhett went to train yesterday, so Jay was here all day to make sure that I didn’t do anything, I wasn’t even able to go to the kitchen to get some water. I didn’t say anything to him because I could see he wanted to do it, and not be the one to blame if something happened to me. I have to admit I had a really good time with him, we played board games, and I found out he is a very sore loser, or he will try to cheat to win.
“How is my amazing girlfriend feeling this morning?” Rhett asks, slowly placing his hand over my stomach, not to hurt me. He hasn’t really touched me since that night, and usually, I would tell him it’s okay, but this time I was happy he didn’t, but today I want him to cuddle me.
Moving in closer to him, “I can breathe, without the pain, so I’m going to take that as a good sign,” I tell him. I can already smell the food being cooked, and my mouth waters. “What do you guys do first, food or gifts?” I ask, taking the covers off, to get out of bed.
“Gifts, but thought you could FaceTime Noah and open his gift first,” Rhett says following me to the bathroom, leaning on the door frame, “then we can start opening gifts,” he says. Looking behind him, “what are you looking for?” he asks, I look over his shoulder to see Jay walking around the room.
“Has she finally woke up and thought I can do better,” I hear Jay say, making me smile, I look at Rhett shaking his head. Washing my face, then walking back out to the bedroom.
“I know I can do so much better, if you know someone let me know,” walking over to Jay, “Happy Christmas,” I give him a kiss on the cheek, “did Amy like her present?” I ask, he ended up buying her a beautiful bracelet.
“Merry Christmas to you too, and she loved it, she got me a new wallet. I would have looked like a right dick if I didn’t get her anything,” Jay says as we walk down the stairs, I take a deep breath, my ribs still hurt but nowhere close to the last few days.
Walking into the kitchen, “Happy Christmas, Helen, Terry,” I walk over them both giving them a kiss on the cheek, I look over at Rhett smiling at me. “Food smells too good,” I give Helen a smile, looking over at all the pots to see what's in them.
“Merry Christmas sweetheart,” Terry and Helen both says.
“You want to call Noah?” Rhett asks, holding the gift Noah sent me, “I’ll go set it up for you,” he walks away, I stare at the empty doorway wondering why he went a little cold on me.
“Coffee,” Helen places a mug in front of me, giving her a smile, then looking back down at the gift from Noah. It’s a big box, not sure what he would have gotten me, I told him that we would do gifts when I got back but then again I sent him and Penny both a gift.
“Yeah, she has the gift,” I look over at Rhett walking over to me, “we’re doing gifts in a bit,” sitting next to me, as he talks to Noah. “I will let you speak to your sister,” Rhett says turning the laptop to me.
“Happy Christmas,” Noah and I both say at the same time, and we both burst out laughing.
“How is the first Christmas with the in-laws?” I ask him, looking at Penny behind him.
“Nice, weird not having you here, though, but the big question is how are you?” Noah asks, I look over at Rhett talking to Helen, but his eyes moving back to me.
“Good,” I reply, it might not be the most convincing answer, and Noah knows me well enough now.
“Star,” I smile already knowing that note very well from him, “not seeing mom and dad, I know it's hard for you, this is your first year not seeing them, you're putting on a brave face. But I know you,” Noah says, and my eyes go straight to Rhett looking at me.
“You do know the laptop is in the kitchen where everyone is,” I tell Noah.
“So.” His one word, tells me how serious he is about this conversation.
“Should we open gifts,” I pick mine up and wave it with two hands as it’s heavy, what the hell is in there.
Noah looks at me for a while and the silence in starting to bug me a bit now, I mean do we really have to have this conversation now, no.
“Fine,” Noah looks to the side, “Penny kept shaking hers, then said something has broke, nothing had broke, but she had to open it last night, “I see her walking over to the laptop.
“Scarlett, thank you so much, they smell amazing.” She says smiling at me, I got her some of the amazing Jo Molane stuff that I got for myself.
“Happy you like it, Noah you opened yours?” I ask, he holds up the present, “Rhett picked it out so don’t bother asking me what the hell it is.” I say laughing at him, Rhett sits down next to me. I know what it is, just have no idea how to use it, I’m a very simple person.
I watch Noah rip the paper off, smiling the whole time, I know that if I wasn’t with Rhett, I could not afford to get this for him. Rhett’s the one that wanted to buy it, and I didn’t want to fight over it with him.
“You got me an Apple Watch,” I point to Rhett, “Rhett, this is a way too much,” Noah tells him.
“Remember you said that one day you're going to be a big lawyer, not going to be sat at the desk all day. Now you can do everything and still be with the family,” Rhett tells him, this must have been a conversation when I wasn’t there, as I don’t remember it all.
“Thank you guys,” Noah looks at the watch.
“My turn to…”
“Wait,” Noah shouts, making me look at him, “before you open that, just know that I did it because I love you,” Noah says, and I look at Rhett.
“Do you know what it is?” I ask him, giving me a nod, what could be in here that is making them both react like this.
Tapping my finger on the box for a moment, I think whether I want to even, but I also want to know what it is too.
Opening the wrapping paper, I look at the red box, I look up at Noah watching me very carefully. He's going to know straight away if I like it or not, even if I lie and say I love it he’s going to know. Taking the lip of the box, Rhett takes it from me. I look at the photo album, and my heart beats faster, and with shaking hands, I open the cover. A picture of the four of us on Christmas morning. The only Christmas we had together. Biting my lower lip, I look at the photo.
“I thought I would start putting the pictures in albums, they might get ruined if you keep them in the box,” I hear Noah, but my eyes still on the photo. “Star,” Noah calls my name making me break away from the picture. Closing the album, I look at him.
“It’s really sweet Noah, really. Thank you for sorting some of the pictures, I just don’t want to look through it today.” I tell him, I’m not lying about it, I’ve wanted to get the pictures in an album for so long, but can never bring myself to look through them, so if Noah can do it for me, that's even better for me.
“Really?” Noah asks.
“Yes, promise,” I tell him.
“I will let you enjoy your Christmas, and call me next week. I love you.” Noah says, he doesn’t sound annoyed, but he’s not his happy self either.
“I love you too,” I reply, and there it is the beautiful smile of my little brother, giving him a smile I close the laptop, and finish the last of my coffee. “I’m just going to get dressed,” I tell Rhett, walking away from the dining table, giving Helen and Terry a smile.
Walking into the bedroom, I go straight to my mother's journals and moving my hand over them. I didn’t want to read any of the today, I wanted to enjoy my day. Yes I was thinking about not seeing them today, and I knew it was going to be hard for me, but I was trying so hard to put the thought in the back of my mind.
Leaning my head on the bookshelf, I close my eyes trying to push this feeling away from me, my left hand moving over to my right wrist to play with the band just to get my mind on something else.
I feel Rhett’s hand taking my right hand in his, “how about you talk to me, rather than hurting yourself to pull you out of your thoughts,” Rhett says, leaning on the bookshelf. “Talk to me,” Rhett keeps hold of my hand in his.
“I'm all right, I was trying to focus on not seeing my parents today, but then Noah’s gift, I just…”
“You feel guilty that you aren’t there,” Rhett finishes the sentence for me. “Sweetheart, if you’re not happy, I will get a flight to Vegas right now, all I want is for you to be happy,” Rhett takes a step closer to me, and I look at him.
“Just for saying that I love you a little more,” wrapping my arms around his waist, “should we open some gifts,” I say as Rhett hugs me.
“I love you Scarlett, all I want is you to be happy,” he says kissing my head, I smile to myself that I feel all warm being with him.
Going downstairs, everyone is in the sitting room. I sit by the fireplace, as Helen hands out the gifts, “we have to start with Jay. Otherwise, his going to moan that we’re all taking too long.” Helen says, I look over at Jay and start laughing, he sounds like a kid in the candy store, he sounds like me in a candy store.
I can’t help but smile watching him rip the paper off, Rhett joins me on the floor, sitting behind me his legs on either side, leaning back he gives my neck a soft kiss.
“Thanks, guys, best gift ever,” Jay says looking at everyone.
“You say that every year,” Terry says making me laugh shaking my head at him, “and you’re going to say it again next year,” Terry takes the gift from Helen. Taking the paper off his looks at the gift that Rhett and I got him, holding the whiskey in his hand, his lips slowly turn into a smile, "it's incredible you two, thank you.” Terry’s never been a man of many words, but just looking at his face, I can see he’s happy with it.
Opening all the gifts took a lot longer than I thought it would, but I loved every second of it, Rhett and I still have to open each others but Helen wants us to open them together. Jay got me a huge box of sweets, and a beautiful perfume set, Helen, and Terry got me a bath set that smells so good that I could easily eat it.
Helen puts four gifts in front of me, then the three that I got Rhett in front of him, “you have to open them in the order I have put them,” she says moving one of the boxes out the way.
Rhett and I look at each other then at Helen who is smiling, both of us pick the top box and start taking the paper off, I smile and look up at Rhett, as we are both lifting the box up. Beats headphones, I got him black ones, and he got me rose gold ones. We both start laughing as we rip the paper off the next box, I know what he got me, and he knows what I’ve got him, a new iPod.
I turn to Jay laughing, “that is so funny, have you put music on it?” He asks.
“Yes,” I say.
“Me too,” Rhett says.
“It’s going to be so fucking funny if you two have the same first song,” Jay says.
I look at Rhett, I know what my song is, the first song he ever played me, all them months ago in the hotel. Switching the iPod on, I go to the playlist named, always by my side.
“I would say this is creepy, but it also shows that we are so meant to be together,” I say looking at the first song, Kings of Leon - Sex is on Fire.
“We are meant to me together,” Rhett leans over to give me a kiss, “this box, there is no way it can be the same,” I turn to Helen laughing. “No way,” Rhett says again, then rips the paper off his gift, the Tom Ford face care kit. He looks up at me and waits for me to open mine, and when I do, I look at the face care products from Charlotte Tilbury, who the hell is that I’ve never heard of this brand before. The only reason I know about Tom Ford is because we had gift basket a while ago for these CEO that were in Vegas for some conversation, and I loved the smell of everything. “How did you know that I was going to get you that?” Rhett asks me.
“I didn’t I told Helen that I really like that stuff, and she said you would really like it,” I point to Helen, she looks at Rhett with a smile, “she did the same to you didn’t she?” I ask Rhett nodding his head.
“I still got you one more, and I know for a fact that you haven’t got me the same thing.” Rhett pushes the box to me, I look at the small box, taking the paper off, I open the box and look at the key, looking at Rhett, “move in with me,” he says. I thought I had moved in with him, or did I not? I can’t even remember. “Sweetheart, you're not saying anything,” Rhett pulls me out of my thoughts.
“I would love to move in with you,” smiling at him, “I spend all my time there anyway,” I tell him, putting the key on top of the other gifts.
“Just going to check on the food, Terry can you help bring over the snacks please.” Helen looks at him.
I look at Rhett putting the gifts together, “you want me to put these in the bedroom?” Rhett asks, piling everything up.
“Yeah, I’ll help you,” I stand up, I feel so happy right now, this is amazing. The whole thing that would make this even better would be to have Noah here with me, but I know his happy with Penny and her family.
Putting the gifts on the table, I take the key and place it by my mother’s journals. I know that I won’t forget it if it’s here.
“I hope you're enjoying your first Christmas with me?” Rhett stands in front of me taking my hand in his, “because I plan on spending so many more with you,” Rhett says bringing my hand to his lips and soft kissing my wrist.
“I’m planning on spending a lot more with you too,” taking a step closer to him, “I plan on spending a lot of my days with you Mr. Rhett Johnson, days filled with nothing but happiness,” I say grabbing his shirt to pull him closer to me.
“That’s good then, as that is all I want, you happy,” his lips curl up to the sexy grin of his, that I love so much.
His lips come closer to mine, I can feel them softly brushing on mine, “always by my side sweetheart,” Rhett whispers, pushing his lips into mine, I open my mouth a little for him, his tongue dances with mine, my hands move to his neck my fingers playing with hair. Pulling away from me, “best get downstairs before Jay comes to find us,” Rhett says, his hand moving over my ribs softly, he knows they still hurt a little, but nothing I can’t manage.
“I hear that Terry has put a ban on any exercise that is not training,” I look up at Rhett, I heard Terry telling him yesterday, that he needed to focus on the fight, and all the rage in his body needs to be taken out of him.
“Sorry, but until you are one hundred percent healed I wasn’t going to touch you anyway, only a week and then you will be good too. You have no idea the things I have planned in my head for us.” Rhett says smiling at me, I think I do because I have so much planned in my own head.
One thing I can say is, Rhett and I are finally at a point that no matter what happens in our life, we will always have each other.