Under the Texas Sky

CHAPTER 66

TRENT

I’m afraid as we walk to my truck. The cold air bites at my cheeks and does nothing to help the panic building in my stomach. Kian walks beside me with his hand in mine. He looks so fucking good, with his loose curls blowing in the wind, and his septum ring showing off the cute upturn of his nose. He’s a sight to see.

The reason I’m afraid is because I have a horrible sense of déjà vu when we get closer to my truck. The gift that I have sitting in my front seat in a pretty gift bag with a bright gold bow. So similar to when we were teenagers, working our way through life and struggles together.

His hand is warm and soft in mine, and I grip it tighter before releasing it and opening the door for him. He smiles at me and leans in to press a chaste kiss against my mouth. The warmth of his lips combined with the cinnamon gum he’s chewing is a temptation all on its own.

“What’s this?” Kian says when he turns to get in the truck and sees the bag.

“It’s nothing, just something small.” Something small, and he’s going to think it's dumb when he opens it and sees what’s inside, but it’s too late to take it back now.

That’s not true. That’s just my brain talking. And as Karuna says, sometimes my brain doesn’t come up with the best case scenarios. It always focuses on the worst case. That way when stuff goes bad, at least I won’t have my hopes crushed. It’s a way to protect myself from being hurt, and I don’t want to do that with Kian anymore. I trust him to protect my heart, because my heart has lived outside of my body since I was a sixteen year old boy who didn’t know what love truly meant.

His greedy fingers grab the bag, and I wish we could at least get in the truck so I’m not awkwardly standing here watching while he opens it. The impulse to twiddle my fingers is there, but I keep them tucked tightly into the pockets of my blue jeans.

“Trent–” He stops what he’s saying, staring at me.

I stare right back, willing him to finish his sentence so I don’t have to try to guess what he’s going to say. Even if he’s less than enthused, that’s fine. As long as he doesn’t outright hate it, I’ll be fine. I’m putting my heart on the line with this gift and I need him to know how much that means to me. How much his love means to me.

“If you don’t like it, I can return it.” I actually can’t, but he doesn’t need to know that. I’ll just keep it hidden somewhere until the day I die and maybe my great-great grandkids will be able to sell it.

“No! You are not returning this.” His eyes drop back to the bracelet resting in the fancy blue box, the gold band with subtle carats of emeralds spread out across it. I imagined the clink they would make whenever he waves or does anything… else with his hands.

The flowers and his favorite chocolates are forgotten while he pulls the bracelet out of the holder with delicate fingers. “Put it on me,” he demands, and then amends the statement. “Please, please put it on me.”

How can I say no to him when he looks so perfect?

“Why emeralds?” he asks when I get the hook clasped and double check to make sure it’s secured. It would be my luck if he lost a thousand dollar bracelet, and I would have to replace it too, because I can already picture how heartbroken he would be

“They remind me of your eyes.”

Said eyes widen, and then promptly narrow. “You didn’t need to waste your money on this. I would have been fine with a cheap bracelet from the store.”

I know he doesn’t mean for it to come across as rude, but that’s how I take it. How can I force him to understand that it’s not a waste as long as I spend the money on him. I want him to have access to the best things. The best clothes, cameras, photography equipment, jewelry, everything. I need him to have expensive, over the top things now, because I can provide them. I owe him for all the times I’ve let him down in the past.

“Wait, Trent, I didn’t mean it like that…” He draws off, and I wait for him to say something else.

“Truth?” I ask, when he takes too long to finish his sentence.

Heaving a deep breath, he says, “I love it. This is the best and most thoughtful gift. I love it so freaking much.” He chuckles, and it sounds like he’s trying to hold back tears.

I open my arms and he steps into them. Resting his head in the crook of my neck, I feel the neckline of my shirt getting damp. I comb my fingers through his curls, messing them up, but I don’t care. All I care about is soothing him and fixing whatever makes him upset.

“It’s just… too much,” he continues. “I know how much this thing costs, and I don’t know how much money you make. I don’t want you to throw away the money you work hard for on me. You’ve always done so much for me, and even now you go above and beyond.”

It’s my turn to get choked up, knowing that we’re both coming into this with issues from our past, but we’ll work through it. Together.

“It’s my turn to be honest…”

He turns his head enough to where he can press his lips against the skin of my neck. Peppering kisses against my pulse point.

“I’ve had this bracelet for a while,” I tell him. “I bought it for your birthday after you left. I took a loan out, and at the time, I felt reckless. But the longer I stared at it, the more I decided that you deserved it. You deserve precious jewelry. If I could, I would buy every single precious gem on the planet and cover you in them.”

“I don’t need that, though, Trent. All I need is you. All I’ve ever needed is you.”

I turn my head toward him, and our lips meet in a soft, sensual kiss. We’re not in a rush, because we have the rest of our lives together.