Chapter 45 ALEX
ALEX
baby you need to stop
Indulge me.
we’ve talked about the gifts thing
Flowers don’t count.
i love you but you’re crazy
I love you, too.
Last one, I swear.
The next bouquet arrives around the same time Catherine does, giant pink peonies spilling out of a rectangular glass vase.
Every table in the office is covered in different bouquets of various sizes, so the florist puts the vase on my desk next to two others.
Catherine comes in after the florist, looking shocked.
“The Anderson boy?” I nod. Her eyebrows raise in question, and I blush.
“He’s insane. Things are going…well, and he’s a gift-giving person.” She laughs and lowers her voice in a conspiratorial tone.
“He takes after his grandfather, then. When we reviewed the estate, Dottie had an extensive list of all the gifts Robert had given her over the years, and why he had given her the gifts, which she was very…open about.” She laughs slightly.
“You probably shouldn’t ask Theo if he knows the story behind the house in Yachats.
” She gives me an arch smile as she heads into the kitchen for coffee, exiting with one of the large homemade almond croissants I was sent to work with this morning.
“You’re taking Monday off for your birthday, right?
” I nod, and she gives me a sly look. “You should prepare yourself for more of this.” I groan and drop my head into my hands, and Catherine laughs as she walks up to her office, passing Bailey on the stairs.
Bailey looks around at all the bouquets, counting, and raises her eyebrows.
“Another one?” Bailey asks. I blush, pointing at my desk, and she cackles as she dips her head down to smell the peonies.
“Please take some home,” I beg. “Suzie already promised to take three.”
“I can take some to the nursing home after work. They’ll love them.”
“Thank you. I’d take them myself if I had a car.”
Bailey barks out a laugh. “Babe, he’s probably spent the money it would take to buy you a car.”
“Yeah, well, he’s being ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous isn’t always bad,” she says, heading into the kitchen for another croissant. I look at the card sticking out of the huge bouquet of peonies on my desk and add it to the pile of cards on my desk, all of them reading the same thing:
I LOVE YOU SO FUCKING MUCH, ALEX
I smile, looking at the polaroid of Theo I’ve kept all this time and finally put out on my desk. It’s him laughing, pulling his stupid Christmas ham out of the oven.
He’s certainly ridiculous, but it’s not bad at all.
***
It’s raining when I get off work, and Theo is waiting for me outside my office with an umbrella. The second I lock the door, he grabs me and kisses me until I’m dizzy.
“Are we back to you showing up places like a fucking stalker?” He grins and opens the umbrella for me, pulling me down the stairs towards his car.
“Not if you don’t want, but I think I get special dispensation to be a little over the top right now.” He kisses the top of my head as he opens the car door, and I notice a few bags in the back. I look at him as he starts the car, a tiny thread of concern breaking through my good mood.
“How did you pack me a bag?” He gives me a serious look before shifting into reverse.
“It’s all your stuff that was still at my house.” I’m instantly relieved, and I love that I get to trust him now. I run my hand down the back of his neck, and he hums contentedly as he starts driving us out of town.
“Where are we going?”
“Yachats, for the weekend. I’m pretty much set on not letting you out of my sight until your birthday is over. We can go back to dating then, if you want,” he says, his voice disdainful as he says the word dating.
I stare at him and consider it for a minute. It’s been nice having time to myself, and I think we should still take our time, but I want this back.
“Maybe a middle ground?” He interlocks our fingers, pulling my hand up to kiss it, his lips warm against my skin.
“I’ll give you whatever you want for as long as you want, no exceptions.”
“I’m going to take you up on that tonight.”
He flashes me a crooked grin. “Yeah, you fucking are.”
***
“Theodore, absolutely not.” He ignores me as he brings another bundle of gift bags in from the trunk, placing them with the rest of the pile on the dining room table. “Seriously, return everything.” He laughs.
“I can’t. I bought most of these months ago. There are only two new things.”
“This is insane. You’re insane.”
“Sweetheart, I need you to be a little forgiving here, okay?” he says, pulling me closely, his lips grazing against my neck.
“I love you, and this is how I show love.” He kisses me just above my collarbone.
“I’m going to make you a nice dinner while you go through these, because that’s also how I show love.
” His lips trail up my neck as his hands grip my waist. “Then I’m going to tie you down and make you cry before I fuck your brains out, which is your favorite way I show love.
” I moan a little as he bites the soft skin just below my ear.
“I can’t believe I gave you a chance,” I tease.
He pulls back, his face instantly serious. “Me, either.”
I lean up to kiss him, smiling at him as I pull away. “Will you be telling Dr. Mills about this development?” Theo shoots me a dirty look as he steps away and walks into the kitchen to open a bottle of wine.
“Don’t mention that horrible woman to me right now.
Let me be fucking happy this weekend, please.
I’ll go back to being a better, more miserable person on Tuesday, I promise.
” I laugh as he hands me a glass of wine before pouring one for himself.
“Now go open gifts. And maybe put some of them on? Especially the lingerie.” I groan and start in on the pile of gifts.
I want to say I didn’t miss this, but I did, because Theo’s very good at gifts.
The bags contain an assortment of nice things I looked at in shops months ago, along with some books I want to read, some very nice paints and brushes, a lot of lingerie, some of which I change into, a pair of spiky black heels, and two small black velvet boxes.
I stare at them, freezing up.
“What the fuck are these?” Theo pops his head out of the kitchen and smiles shyly.
“Um, I bought those for your birthday, but I can’t wait to give them to you.
You don’t wear much jewelry, and you’ve never really looked at it, so I had to guess.
If you hate them, I’ll return them, and you can pick out whatever you like.
” I stare at the smaller box, picking it up delicately and holding it out to him.
“Theo, is there a ring in here?” He levels me with a serious look.
“No. You want to go slowly, so we’re going slowly.
Minus this weekend, which I’m going to spend spoiling the shit out of you because it’s your birthday on Monday, and you’re going to fucking take it because we’re together and you love me.
” He grins at me before glancing at the box in my hands.
“That’s not how I’m going to propose, by the way.
” I nearly choke on my wine. “Also, you’re still technically married,” he says, rolling his eyes and making a face.
“For now,” I hear him mutter as he ducks back into the kitchen.
I shake my head at him, amused, before I turn back to the table, eyeing the velvet boxes with apprehension.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath before I pry them open to reveal a matched set of earrings and a necklace.
They’re minimal and elegant, large rectangular emeralds set in thin gold bezels, and I relax as I look at them.
They’re beautiful, and exactly my taste.
With Danny, jewelry was usually an apology for hitting me, but it was always diamonds, always platinum, always something that looked gaudy to me.
This is different. This is Theo being fucking insane, but not like that.
I look down at them, considering his choice.
“Emeralds?”
“Uh, yeah,” he says, dragging out the vowels.
“So, the first time I saw you, you were wearing this green dress, and it’s always been my favorite color on you.
Also, my birthday is in May, so I couldn’t help it.
” I laugh and clasp the necklace on. He’s so ridiculous.
I’m getting more used to his gifts being a show of love.
He was apparently raised this way, which reminds me of what Catherine said this morning.
“Baby, why did your grandparents buy this house? Catherine said not to ask you.” I hear a disgusted sound coming out of the kitchen.
“Do not make me think about that.”
“Come on, indulge me,” I say, mimicking his low voice as I enter the kitchen. He looks at me in the jewelry and his eyes soften, his smile small and crooked.
“Do you like them?” I lean up and kiss him gently.
“I love them, but no more jewelry, please. There’s a reason I don’t wear it.”
“Will you please tell me why?” I shrug, sipping my wine. I can talk to him about this stuff now. I want to talk to him about it now.
“In my marriage, gifts were apologies, and jewelry was the big apology. I had a lot of jewelry.” Theo chokes and gives me a horrified look.
“What?”
“Yeah.” He looks furious.
“Fuck, I wish I’d known that,” he says, looking up at the ceiling. “I honestly just thought you were being stubborn or something about the gifts. Fuck, I’m so sorry, honey.” I wrap my arms around his waist, lying my head against his arm.
“It’s okay. I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t want you to know me. Now I do.” He kisses the top of my head.
“I’m going to fucking kill him.” Theo’s voice is cold and venomous, like nothing I’ve heard from him before, and it sends a chill down my spine. I frown down at the chicken he’s preparing.
“Please don’t go back to prison. I just started thinking you should be out.” He laughs.