Read Online December (The Oliver Brothers Book 1) by Q.M. Watson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Q.M. Watson
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doesn’t shake his hand free today.
He can’t.
It’s my birthday.
“You know, you didn’t even give me a present,” I mumble, staring down at our entwined hands. I don’t ever remember feeling this happy. How is it possible for one person to make your world spin?
He shakes his head and frowns down at me. “You have no faith in me at all, December. Open the door.”
He releases my hand, and I run to the passenger-side door. I’m filled with too much giddiness and adrenaline that I forget to breath.
I fling the door open. My pent-up breath instantly leaves me. In the seat rests a huge lavender-colored gift box topped with a big white silk bow.
“Open it,” Danny urges, playfully nudging my shoulder with his.
Breathing ruggedly, I lift the lid of the box and sift through the light purple wrapping paper. Inside are black leather boots, leather boots that I told Danny I wanted because he wore them. He told me he had his leather boots specially made for him and they cost a small fortune. I figured I would never actually get them.
I run my fingers over my inscribed name on the sides. My eyes water, and the next thing I know, my arms are wrapped around Danny’s waist and my face is buried in his chest. I release a silent sob that shakes my entire body.
“You’re welcome, little lady,” he says quietly, hugging me as if he never wants to let go.
The only response I have is to embrace him tighter, squeezing him until my arms hurt.
A few months ago, I would never be caught crying. I am a very prideful soul, and I hate feeling weak. Danny’s changing me. He’s cracking my hard shell. But I can’t afford to slip much further. I need my shell. It keeps me safe when people don’t.
Something as sure as destiny tells me that Danny isn’t going to stop chipping at my shell until he cracks it wide open.
CHAPTER SEVEN
T HE P RESENT
It’s the middle of the day, and I’m in the middle of my shift. I’m feeding our four chimpanzees when my cell vibrates in my pocket.
“I’ll be back to check on you guys.” Hank, Peggy, and Boomhauer (I had a thing for King of the Hill ) are too busy munching on their sliced apples and bananas to notice me, but Bobby, the youngest chimp, signs I love you and waves good-bye. I’ve been teaching them sign language, and they’ve been catching on very quickly, especially Bobby.
Smiling, I sign I love you back, wave, and then exit the enclosure.
I open the door to my tiny office that was originally a storage room and sit at my desk. Frowning at Josh’s number, I answer my phone.
“Hey.”
“Hey, stranger. I’ve been calling you for days. Why have you been ignoring me?”
“It’s been weird since I kissed you.”
“No, you’ve been weird since you kissed me. December, I’m not going to give you a hard time about the kiss. We were drunk and things got heated, but I get it. Danny’s back now and you don’t want to be distracted . . . but I thought we could still be friends.”
“That hurts. It’s not even like that, Josh.”
“Really? Because it sure seems like it. As soon as he’s back, you ditch me. Can you honestly tell me that these past four years have meant nothing to you?” I can just picture his baby blue eyes turning into the color of hard sea glass.
“It meant everything to me, Josh. You know this. And I’m not ditching you because Danny’s back. I just didn’t know how to clean up this mess I made. It’s not fair to me that you discount my feelings by telling me how I feel. You do mean something to me.”
“Well, it’s not fair to me that you don’t know how to handle responsibility and you avoid confrontation, so you hide while my mind automatically goes off the deep end with thinking negative things about our relationship. We are friends, so let’s be friends.”
Flinching from his hostile tone, I lightly bang my head on my desk. “Okay,” I whisper into the phone. “You’re coming on very aggressively,
He can’t.
It’s my birthday.
“You know, you didn’t even give me a present,” I mumble, staring down at our entwined hands. I don’t ever remember feeling this happy. How is it possible for one person to make your world spin?
He shakes his head and frowns down at me. “You have no faith in me at all, December. Open the door.”
He releases my hand, and I run to the passenger-side door. I’m filled with too much giddiness and adrenaline that I forget to breath.
I fling the door open. My pent-up breath instantly leaves me. In the seat rests a huge lavender-colored gift box topped with a big white silk bow.
“Open it,” Danny urges, playfully nudging my shoulder with his.
Breathing ruggedly, I lift the lid of the box and sift through the light purple wrapping paper. Inside are black leather boots, leather boots that I told Danny I wanted because he wore them. He told me he had his leather boots specially made for him and they cost a small fortune. I figured I would never actually get them.
I run my fingers over my inscribed name on the sides. My eyes water, and the next thing I know, my arms are wrapped around Danny’s waist and my face is buried in his chest. I release a silent sob that shakes my entire body.
“You’re welcome, little lady,” he says quietly, hugging me as if he never wants to let go.
The only response I have is to embrace him tighter, squeezing him until my arms hurt.
A few months ago, I would never be caught crying. I am a very prideful soul, and I hate feeling weak. Danny’s changing me. He’s cracking my hard shell. But I can’t afford to slip much further. I need my shell. It keeps me safe when people don’t.
Something as sure as destiny tells me that Danny isn’t going to stop chipping at my shell until he cracks it wide open.
CHAPTER SEVEN
T HE P RESENT
It’s the middle of the day, and I’m in the middle of my shift. I’m feeding our four chimpanzees when my cell vibrates in my pocket.
“I’ll be back to check on you guys.” Hank, Peggy, and Boomhauer (I had a thing for King of the Hill ) are too busy munching on their sliced apples and bananas to notice me, but Bobby, the youngest chimp, signs I love you and waves good-bye. I’ve been teaching them sign language, and they’ve been catching on very quickly, especially Bobby.
Smiling, I sign I love you back, wave, and then exit the enclosure.
I open the door to my tiny office that was originally a storage room and sit at my desk. Frowning at Josh’s number, I answer my phone.
“Hey.”
“Hey, stranger. I’ve been calling you for days. Why have you been ignoring me?”
“It’s been weird since I kissed you.”
“No, you’ve been weird since you kissed me. December, I’m not going to give you a hard time about the kiss. We were drunk and things got heated, but I get it. Danny’s back now and you don’t want to be distracted . . . but I thought we could still be friends.”
“That hurts. It’s not even like that, Josh.”
“Really? Because it sure seems like it. As soon as he’s back, you ditch me. Can you honestly tell me that these past four years have meant nothing to you?” I can just picture his baby blue eyes turning into the color of hard sea glass.
“It meant everything to me, Josh. You know this. And I’m not ditching you because Danny’s back. I just didn’t know how to clean up this mess I made. It’s not fair to me that you discount my feelings by telling me how I feel. You do mean something to me.”
“Well, it’s not fair to me that you don’t know how to handle responsibility and you avoid confrontation, so you hide while my mind automatically goes off the deep end with thinking negative things about our relationship. We are friends, so let’s be friends.”
Flinching from his hostile tone, I lightly bang my head on my desk. “Okay,” I whisper into the phone. “You’re coming on very aggressively,
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