Page 7 of Unwrapping His Gift

But I might as well go along with it. The last thing I want to do is get into some kind of confusing conversation with her.

“Yeah…of course–”

“And sending that hot guy over with the money?” She winks. “That was genius. If you send him by every month, I might consider knocking fifty bucks off!”

She laughs, turns her back on me, and walks off toward her apartment. I don’t want to get caught up in any more of a discussion with her, so I quickly head the other way and take the stairs to the door, my head absolutely spinning.

Sending a hot guy over with the money?What is she talking about?

But then, as I step outside into the crisp December air, I get my answer.

Craig, no longer dressed as Santa but looking somehow even more handsome, is leaning up against my car, grinning at me, with his arms crossed over his chest.

“What’s cookin’, good lookin’?” he asks with so much charm that I have to fight with every bit of willpower I have to keep from smiling.

“What are you doing here, Craig?” I ask. “How do you even know I live here? Kinda creepy, don’t you think?”

“Was paying your back rent creepy?” he counters.

I frown and purse my lips together. Now there’s a question I don’t want to answer. “Kinda, yeah.”

I brush past him and open the door to the Uber I have waiting to take me to work. I have to get out of here. Too many emotions are flowing through me right now. Just seeing Craig again after five years is too much. Now I have to process this?

“Listen, Daisy,” he says, stepping up beside me. It feels so strange to be this close to him again after all this time. “I just want to give you an explanation. I – I owe you that. Can I give you one? Please?”

All I can think about is what Marissa told me – about her ex and how I shouldn’t even think about giving Craig a chance. But at the same time, I’m dying to know what happened and where he’s been all this time. I was nearly at an explanation last night before Marissa came and yanked me out of the coffee shop and drove me home. And I have enough self-control to not succumb to his incredible good looks and charm, right?

“Besides, I owe you one of those lattes that I didn’t get a chance to give you last night.” He smiles.

I take a deep breath and avert my eyes from him, mulling over his invitation and Marissa’s warning. I really wonder what things would have been like had he actually picked me up for prom that night.

“I never even got to wear my dress, you know?” I say, turning back to him. A crack in the charming veneer across his face begins to form. I pull my car door open and slide a leg in. “Pick me up after work. I get out around five.”

“Sounds good!” Craig calls after me as I close the door behind me and pull out of my driveway. I can see him standing there smiling, but it looks like he’s doing his best to force the expression onto his face. He waves, but I don’t wave back. I just nod and look at the road as I drive off, careful of all the ice that may have formed during the night. Ever since I got my license, I’ve been very aware of ice on the road. I guess after what happened to my dad, I’ve been scared of driving in the winter.

I’m thinking about Craig all day at work. I just cannot get him off my mind and end up accidentally hanging up on a few callers and taking a few things to the wrong offices – basically behaving like I used to behave back when I just started working. I’m still nervous as all hell about meeting up with Craig later, but I’m also so excited that I’m jittery all over. Just before lunch, Marissa sneaks up from behind me and pokes me in the ribs, nearly scaring me out of my skin.

“Hey there, girl!” she hisses in my ear.

“Oh my God!” I whisper, clasping my hands over my mouth, doing my best not to yelp and let the whole office know just what a scaredy-cat I am.

“Going out tonight with Jasmine, Tasha, and Brittany. Hitting up PJ’s. You down?”

“Um, not tonight,” I reply, doing my best not to let her see my expression. “But thanks for asking.”

I’m hiding my face, but I can practically see the look on hers as I listen to the long pause. “You’re going to meet up with him, aren’t you?”

Damn it.

That’s one thing about having a friend like Marissa; they always know youtoowell.

“He wants to give me an explanation,” I reply, turning to face her. “And I want one. That’s all that’s going to happen.”

“Uh-huh.” She nods. “That’s what men always say. But believe me, Daisy. They always want more.Always. Be careful.”

4

DAISY