Complicated Love

by Harper Phoenix

  ‘Time for yours,’ she says, grinning.

  ‘I’m not done. You have one more.’ I grin, all goofily so she doesn’t bite off my head. I go back to my bag and retrieve it. This is the main one, even though it’s the smallest. I hope to fuck she likes this one. I take a deep breath and hand her the little square box, with a big ass bow on it.

  ‘Open it,’ I tell her, hoping to fuck she doesn’t take all day over this one too.

  Thankfully, she pulls the bow off, and it tears the paper at the top, revealing the box underneath.

  ‘Tiffany and Co,’ she reads before she opens it. This took some choosing. I wanted it to be perfect. As she lifts the lid, she gasps. Inside is a rose-gold infinity necklace and matching bracelet. Engraved on each infinity sign is my name and hers. I don’t take my eyes off hers the whole time she’s looking at the set, and right now they are brimming with tears. She looks at me, and the tears flow, as she throws her arms around me.

  ‘For Infinity,’ she sobs in my ear. And it’s clear she’s understood my meaning.

  ‘I love you, Brad.’

  I cup her face in my hands and hold her close to mine as I look her in the eyes.

  ‘God, I fucking love you so damn much,’ I tell her, taking her lips in an unrelenting kiss that I seriously don’t want to end. A knock on the door has me pulling away and her gasping for breath though. My dad—funny fucker probably thinks he’s hilarious. I can hear him sniggering.

  ‘Breakfast is ready,’ he shouts through the door, Maiya giggles with wide eyes, and I hear dad walking down the hall.

  ‘Guess we better get out arses in gear and start the festivities.’ I laugh.

  ‘Not before you open your gift,’ she says, clambering from the bed, and collecting her bag from beside mine. She comes back with a box that fits in her hands, wrapped perfectly in brown paper, no lumps or bumps in the wrapping whatsoever, and I watch as she chews on her bottom lip while handing it to me. I don’t mess around, and I yank the paper, getting frustrated that it’s taped so well and there are no ends free. I growl, making her laugh. Our eyes meet, and I want to fucking devour her all over again.

  ‘Come on, open it,’ she chastises like she didn’t just waste a fuck load of time unwrapping hers like she was defusing a fucking bomb. I pull the box out and read the top. Cartier. The anticipation on her face is clear. I lift the lid and inside is a silver watch with a huge face, and it’s perfect.

  ‘Wow, Maiya. It’s really fucking nice.’ I kiss her lips and gripping the back of her neck, hold my forehead to hers. ‘Thank you, beautiful.’

  ‘Turn it over.’ I turn the box. ‘Not the box, silly, the watch. Look under the face.’ I practically rip it from the case so I can see the underside of the watch. And engraved on the back it says:

  ‘My Forever. My Always. Maiya x’

  For once in my life, I’m speechless, so I do what comes naturally and pull her lips to mine. I kiss the ever-loving shit out of her.

  The day couldn’t go better. My parents and Maiya really hit it off, and I’m so fucking happy right now. My mum went all out and spoiled her and seemed to get everything just right despite never actually meeting her before. It looks like I’ll be stocking my bathroom full of fruit-scented shit and various creams and perfumes for the next few years at least. Maiya and my mum chat like old friends by the end of the day, and despite helping in the kitchen over dinner, she insists on washing the fucking pots too.

  ‘Maiya. They have a dishwasher,’ I complain. It’s like the hard work is some form of payment for having us over. All I want to do is put my feet up and have a snooze. My belly is full, and it’s not often I can say that, but I won’t leave her to wash up alone. I try loading the dishwasher for the third time, and she actually growls at me, so I take the tea towel, and start to dry the fucking pots, grumbling as I do.

  ‘Stop being a mardy ass,’ she says, flicking soapsuds at me. I raise my brows. Challenge accepted. I spin the tea towel, and when I’m satisfied, I flick it out, snapping it against her ass. She gasps and splashes me with the water.

  ‘Oh no, you didn’t!’ We laugh as I grab her around the waist and pick her up, twisting her away from the sink. I grab a handful of suds and smush them in her face. We’re giggling like teenagers when mum comes in, smiling at us, with my phone buzzing in her hand. We stop messing, and I take the phone. I check the screen. Jared.

  ‘Merry Christmas, fucker,’ I tell him, grinning, but my face falls at his reply.

  ‘Need you home now!’

  To be continued in Howard and Willow’s story…

  This is the end of Brad and Maiya’s story (kinda