Page 41 of With This Mask
I give a small smile at that. “I’m sorry. At least it will all be over in a few days.”
“I can’t wait to see you,” he says, those blue eyes fixing on the screen, and I swear it’s like he’s right here in front of me. “I fucking miss you already.”
Something flutters in my chest. “I miss you too. Like, I’m a little embarrassed that I can’t go more than few days without seeing you and I’m practically dying.”
That brings a smile to Alec’s face, and shit, I love his smile. “How about you open your present?”
“You first,” I insist, even as I grab his gift from my desk and set it in my lap.
“Okay,” he agrees, looking away from the camera for a few moments. I hear the sound of paper being torn, and then a wild grin takes over his face.
“I fucking love it,” he says, laughing as he holds it up for me to see, as if I didn’t pick it out myself.
It’s a mug and it reads #1 Boyfriend. There’s a note folded up inside, but he’ll find that later. In it, I made sure to let him know how proud of him I am, because no one else ever says it to him, and he deserves it.
What do you get your billionaire boyfriend who wants for nothing? Something silly and meaningful.
“Thank you, Salem,” he says, practically beaming as he looks at it again. “I think it’s my favorite gift ever.”
“You’re welcome,” I say, shaking my head, but grinning from ear to ear that it was a hit. “Now, my turn.”
The package is soft when I pick it up. As I tear away the paper, I find a blanket inside, made from that incredibly soft fabric that’s impossible to stop petting. And instantly, Alec’s scent fills the room. He’s sprayed it with his cologne.
“I know what I’ll be wrapped in the rest of the break,” I joke as I bury my nose in it.
“There’s more inside it,” Alec says mischievously, arching an eyebrow.
I unfold the blanket, and indeed, there is more inside. Folded into the blanket, I find a framed picture. It’s a still from one of the videos Alec and I recorded. His mask. My mask. The two of us with barely any clothes on. But I am on full fucking display.
Fuck. I look… hot.
“So you never forget how damn incredible you are,” Alec’s voice pulls me back into the room. “Take one look at that, and you’ll never feel self-conscious again, ever.”
“I’ll just set it right on my mantle,” I joke, even though I can’t stop looking at it. But it’s not just for myself that I can’t look away. I mean… look at Alec!
“You’re welcome,” Alec says with a smirk. In the background, I hear someone calling for him. “Sorry, Dora, I gotta’ run. I’ll talk to you later?”
“Yeah, I need to go too,” I say, sad that our stolen moment is over. “Talk to you later.”
As soon as the call ends, I see the time, and curse. I’m supposed to be at Isabella’s place in two minutes, and she lives on the other side of campus.
Fifteen minutes late, I walk through the door into her little apartment. Instantly, I’m overwhelmed by the scent of amazing food.
“You’re late!” she calls from the kitchen. I remove my shoes and peel off my jacket as I walk through the tiny living room.
“I know, I’m sorry,” I say as I walk in to find her moving through like a hurricane. “I got a call right before I was supposed to leave, and kind of lost track of time.”
She looks over at me as she pulls this little, tiny turkey out of the oven and sets it on the cooktop. It’s all too perceptive. “It was a boy.”
“What?” I ask as my brows furrow. “What do you mean?”
“Salem, you are blushing all the way down your neck,” she says as she arches an eyebrow. She turns the stove off and sets her hot pads on the counter. “You’re practically smiling like a lunatic. You’re seeing someone.”
“Fuck,” I say with a laugh. I take plates from the cupboard. “I?—”
“It’s Alec Vanderholt, isn’t it?” she says as she balls her fists and sets them on her hips.
My mouth opens and closes, and I don’t know where the words go, but they leave.