Jacob

Holly Lane.

The girl of my dreams, both literally and figuratively.

I was finally standing in front of her after the longest three years, three months, and three days of my life.

When my dad got a new job and we moved to Oregon, it tore me up to leave Holly. But, I’d only had a year left of high school, so I figured I would move back to Connecticut after graduation. My senior year was hectic with academics and sports. So much so, that we didn’t have much time to reconnect and by the end of the year, we had drifted completely apart. The irony was, I had kept busy so I couldn’t dwell too much on missing her.

I was offered a scholarship to Princeton and one of my first thoughts was the very close proximity to Holly. The thing was, while I was starting my freshman year of college, Holly still had two years of high school left. Even as close as I would be, it would be far enough that dating me would eat up her time. I knew she would put me first, and that meant missing out on all the activities and time with friends that make high school fun.

On top of that, I was entering into an intense program that would allow me to graduate within three years, instead of four. I’d taken credits my senior year that had given me the opportunity to test out of some of my GenEds, but it was still going to be grueling work to get all of my coursework done in the timeframe I wanted. What kind of relationship would we have if I had no time for her? I risked hurting her and pushing her away, permanently damaging us.

In the end, I’d decided that we both needed to focus on our own paths for a time. If either or both of us moved on, then we weren’t meant to be. Though, I didn’t see that happening in my future. No woman had ever been worth a second glance since the moment I first laid eyes on Holly. I’d decided that when she graduated, if we were both still single, I’d take it as a sign and finally claim her as mine permanently.

I studied hard to finish my degree early and it kept my mind occupied. For the most part. I still dreamt of her often, reliving the short time we had together. Dating anyone else never even crossed my mind. Holly was my first girlfriend, my first kiss, my first everything, and every day it became more clear that she would also be my last. Finally, two years were up and I’d been completely convinced that there would never be anyone but Holly for me, and vice versa.

There were a lot of things to set in place before I could go to her. First and foremost, I’d called Janet, her mom, and asked for her help, as well as her permission to marry Holly. To my surprise, she’d shrieked in delight and gushed over how happy it made her that we would be together. Apparently, she had hoped for all those years that we would reconnect because she had seen something special between us.

We’d even cooked up excuses for her to cancel coming to visit Holly for Christmas so that I could be alone with her. The weather had been a stroke of luck.

I’d paced my hotel room for most of the night, anxious for Christmas morning to arrive. When the clock read seven thirty in the morning, I couldn’t wait any longer. I’d loaded my car, making sure the special items I’d brought were easily accessible, then drove to the woman who held my heart in her hands.

Fat, white snowflakes had been drifting down, forcing me to drive slower, particularly since the plows hadn’t been by yet. Holly would be loving it, though, and that thought alone brought a smile to my face and an appreciation for the scenery, rather than being frustrated at the crawling pace I’d had to keep.

At last, I’d pulled into the driveway of a cute, white, bungalow house. It was decked out in garlands and lights, the lawn sporting a life size, jolly Santa in his sleigh and all of his reindeer. I couldn’t help chuckling. Holly always lamented at how much her mother loved Christmas but the truth was, Holly adored the holiday too.

I’d zipped up my coat and wound a scarf around my neck before opening my door. Crystals of snow dusted my hair and shoulders in seconds, and I’d jogged around to the trunk knowing I’d be soaking wet in minutes if I didn’t hurry.

Shifting things around, I’d finally spied the gold rope of the bag I was looking for. I’d pulled out the swath of red velvet and checked to make sure it wasn’t missing anything. After closing the trunk, I’d rushed carefully up the path to the front door, which thankfully, had an awning.

For a couple of minutes, I had simply stood there and took deep breaths to calm my racing heart. Anticipation got the best of me and I’d knocked firmly on the door.

Now, I was staring at a vision, even more perfect than any of my dreams or memories. Holly was adorably mussed, clearly having just woken up. Her shoulder length, chocolatey-brown hair was a little wild and when she’d opened the door, her matching brown eyes were heavy lidded but spitting fire. Then she’d seen me and they’d widened with shock as her plump, pink lips opened from her jaw dropping. That mouth had been the star of many, many fantasies. I shifted the bag in front of me strategically.

My eyes swept hungrily over all of her. It was obvious that she’d been asleep and forgotten that she was only wearing an overly large T-shirt that said Santa, Don’t judge me, Bro and knee socks covered in tiny reindeer. She hadn’t gotten any taller than the five foot two she’d been the last time I saw her. But, her curves had filled out and my hands suddenly ached to be filled with them, causing me to tighten my grip on the ropes of my bag. She was so fucking gorgeous.

“Hello, Holly Berry,” I greeted softly. I reached out and gently closed her mouth with a finger under her chin.

“How—but—what are you—l can’t believe—” she stuttered. A smile stretched across my face at how damn cute she was.

“I’m here to deliver your Christmas presents,” I drawled with a wink. “Just think of me as your own personal Santa Claus.”

She still stood there, unmoving and staring at me. I laughed. “I’m not a spectre, baby. I’m real. Are you going to let me in?” Her head bobbed, and she stepped back to hold the door open for me to pass through.

Spying the half eaten plate of cookies on the mantle and the empty glass of milk, I laughed again. Holly had told me stories about that tradition, it was one I intended for us to continue with our children.

I hadn’t laughed or felt that happy in a long time, and I was practically vibrating with energy. The front door clicked shut and I turned towards it. Holly watched me, a slightly sheepish look crossing her face when she glanced at the plate. “You’re never too old to put out cookies for Santa,” I smirked. She laughed and shrugged.

Looking at her, so beautiful and bright, I was filled with renewed determination. Holly was mine, I wasn’t going to budge on that fact, but I was hoping she would choose us on her own. I held out my hand and waited.

After only a moment’s hesitation, she laid her warm palm on mine and my fingers immediately closed around her hand. Holding it firmly, I led her to the couch and sat before taking ahold of her luscious hips and guiding her down to sit on my lap.

“How are you here?” she breathed, finally speaking a full sentence. “I feel like you aren’t real—I wished for you and…” she trailed off, and her cheeks dusted with pink.

I pointed at myself with my thumb. “Santa, remember?”

She giggled and batted at my hand playfully. “Seriously, Jacob.”

“You don’t believe me?” I asked with mock offense.

“I don’t,” she sniffed haughtily.

“What evidence do you need besides your senses?”

She frowned prettily. “I don’t know.”

“Why do you doubt your senses?”

“Because little things affect them. You invade my dreams at the simplest sight or smell. So, tell me, how do I know I’m not dreaming?” She blushed even harder, and I could tell she had a solution in mind but was too shy to say it.

If her dreams had been anything like mine, I would bet I was thinking of the same thing and it made me hard as a fucking rock. It was impossible to hide from her, given her lack of clothing and the fact that she was sitting on my lap. Her blush turned to a full flush and she squirmed, her eyes becoming impossibly dark as they filled with desire. I groaned and let my head fall back on the couch, then took deep breaths to try and regain some control. Later. We would most definitely be getting to that later. Patience, Jacob.

Lifting my head back up, I stilled her with my hands on her hips. “Let’s just go with it for now, but I promise to prove it to you soon.”

She cocked her head to the side and studied me curiously, then shrugged. “Okay.” She started to move off of my lap and I tightened my grip, my fingers digging into her flesh.

“I like you right where you are, Holly Berry,” I growled. She raised an eyebrow but didn’t continue her attempts to move. I kissed the tip of her nose, wishing it was her mouth. I knew if my lips were on hers I wouldn’t be able to stop.

I’d dropped the bag on the ground at my feet and leaned around Holly to fetch it and put it next to us. Pulling out the first brightly wrapped package, I placed it in front of her. I was a little nervous about this gift. It truly bared me to her and made me vulnerable.

Holly’s eyes twinkled as she tore at the ribbon and wrapping paper. Underneath was a brown, leather-bound journal.

“A journal?” she asked, giving me an odd look.

“Look inside,” I encouraged. She untied the twine that held it closed, opened it and gasped.

The inscription on the first page said:

Memories of Holly Lane ____________

In my heart, always.

---Jacob Marley

“I don’t understand,” she admitted quietly.

Rubbing slow circles over her back, I explained, “Over the years, anytime something made me think of you, or I found myself wanting to tell you something, I wrote it down. It started with this journal. The chocolate-brown leather reminded me so much of your eyes. I bought it and wrote down that thought on the first page.”

She flipped through to the end and glanced up at me in surprise. “It’s full?”

I nodded. “I thought of you a lot. I have two more completely filled as well.”

Her eyes misted and she looked away, blinking rapidly. With a little sniff, she turned back to me, confusion written on her face.

“If you wanted me so much, why did you stay away?”