you
could tell was intentional, and it looked like it was supposed to be there.
“Are you Mellie?” he asked once I got behind the counter.
“Yes,” I said, eyeing him suspiciously.
His severe mouth, which was almost frowning, suddenly turned
up in a large, white smile. He even had the same dimple in his chin that
Jackson did.
“This is for you, then.” He brought his hand up from his side
and held out a medium-sized box wrapped in simple white paper.
“Who are you?” I asked. I didn’t take the package, but stared
at it like it might explode right then and there.
He laughed. “I’m Seth, Jackson’s brother. He asked me to
bring this by for you, since he’s gallivanting through London as we speak.”
His laugh made me feel more at ease. It wasn’t as loud as
Jackson’s guffaws, but it was smooth, silky, like he saved it only for certain
people. I reached out to take the package from his hand. He continued to watch
me, the smile never leaving his face.
“Thank you,” I said primly, hoping he wouldn’t notice how
uneasy it all made me.
“Of course,” he replied, his eyes sparkling. I smiled at him
and turned to head back into the kitchen. I really wanted to get out of there,
but his voice stopped me before I could take a step.
“You’re just as pretty as he said you were, Mellie Rose.” I
froze, and by the time I turned to look back at him, he was already out the
door.
I made my way quickly into the kitchen, hoping that Darcy
hadn’t noticed how shaken up I was about the whole situation. No such luck; she
followed me back and I knew that I was cornered.
“What was that ?” she exclaimed, fanning herself
with her hand dramatically. “He has to be related to Jackson somehow, am I
right?”
“Yeah,” I said quietly, putting the package down on the far
counter before heading back to my cupcakes. I needed to clear my head. “That
was his brother.”
“Well, are you going to open it?” She took it upon herself to
grab the package off the counter and bring it over to where I stood. She
plopped it down right in front of me and pulled herself up on the counter to
sit. Apparently I wasn’t getting out it that easily.
I glared at her for a second, but pulled the package in front
of me and started unwrapping the paper carefully. I’d only gotten about a
quarter of the way through opening it before I realized exactly what it was.
Darcy clapped her hands with glee.
“He misses you!” she said, her legs swinging.
When I’d pulled the rest of the paper off the box holding a
new cell phone, I noticed a card taped to the top.
“I can’t do this, Darcy,” I said, pushing the box out of the
way and leaning over the counter so I could put my head in my hands.
“Well, I can,” Darcy said, bending over me to snatch the box
and card off the counter. I stood up quickly, and took back the box before she
could open it.
“No,” I said. “I got it.” I looked at the box in my hands and
decided to go upstairs to open it in private. I really didn’t want her to see
my face when I read his card. But of course, no such luck. She actually
followed me up the stairs and into my loft. Darcy knew no boundaries.
I sat on the couch and Darcy plopped herself into one of my
chairs, watching me with eager eyes. I set the box down on the coffee table and
pulled the card from where it was taped on top. He’d written my name in his
neat, angular handwriting on the envelope.
Dear Mellie Rose,
I know that you aren’t really the
type to accept a gift like this, but know that I’m doing it for purely selfish
reasons. I miss hearing your voice and I miss holding you in my arms. This will
really only remedy the first, so I’ll just have to wait until I’m home again t o see your face or feel your skin against mine. Know that
you’re all that I think about, all that I dream about. I miss you.
Yours,
Jackson
It was such a short, simple note, but it made my heart race.
He missed me. He was thinking about
could tell was intentional, and it looked like it was supposed to be there.
“Are you Mellie?” he asked once I got behind the counter.
“Yes,” I said, eyeing him suspiciously.
His severe mouth, which was almost frowning, suddenly turned
up in a large, white smile. He even had the same dimple in his chin that
Jackson did.
“This is for you, then.” He brought his hand up from his side
and held out a medium-sized box wrapped in simple white paper.
“Who are you?” I asked. I didn’t take the package, but stared
at it like it might explode right then and there.
He laughed. “I’m Seth, Jackson’s brother. He asked me to
bring this by for you, since he’s gallivanting through London as we speak.”
His laugh made me feel more at ease. It wasn’t as loud as
Jackson’s guffaws, but it was smooth, silky, like he saved it only for certain
people. I reached out to take the package from his hand. He continued to watch
me, the smile never leaving his face.
“Thank you,” I said primly, hoping he wouldn’t notice how
uneasy it all made me.
“Of course,” he replied, his eyes sparkling. I smiled at him
and turned to head back into the kitchen. I really wanted to get out of there,
but his voice stopped me before I could take a step.
“You’re just as pretty as he said you were, Mellie Rose.” I
froze, and by the time I turned to look back at him, he was already out the
door.
I made my way quickly into the kitchen, hoping that Darcy
hadn’t noticed how shaken up I was about the whole situation. No such luck; she
followed me back and I knew that I was cornered.
“What was that ?” she exclaimed, fanning herself
with her hand dramatically. “He has to be related to Jackson somehow, am I
right?”
“Yeah,” I said quietly, putting the package down on the far
counter before heading back to my cupcakes. I needed to clear my head. “That
was his brother.”
“Well, are you going to open it?” She took it upon herself to
grab the package off the counter and bring it over to where I stood. She
plopped it down right in front of me and pulled herself up on the counter to
sit. Apparently I wasn’t getting out it that easily.
I glared at her for a second, but pulled the package in front
of me and started unwrapping the paper carefully. I’d only gotten about a
quarter of the way through opening it before I realized exactly what it was.
Darcy clapped her hands with glee.
“He misses you!” she said, her legs swinging.
When I’d pulled the rest of the paper off the box holding a
new cell phone, I noticed a card taped to the top.
“I can’t do this, Darcy,” I said, pushing the box out of the
way and leaning over the counter so I could put my head in my hands.
“Well, I can,” Darcy said, bending over me to snatch the box
and card off the counter. I stood up quickly, and took back the box before she
could open it.
“No,” I said. “I got it.” I looked at the box in my hands and
decided to go upstairs to open it in private. I really didn’t want her to see
my face when I read his card. But of course, no such luck. She actually
followed me up the stairs and into my loft. Darcy knew no boundaries.
I sat on the couch and Darcy plopped herself into one of my
chairs, watching me with eager eyes. I set the box down on the coffee table and
pulled the card from where it was taped on top. He’d written my name in his
neat, angular handwriting on the envelope.
Dear Mellie Rose,
I know that you aren’t really the
type to accept a gift like this, but know that I’m doing it for purely selfish
reasons. I miss hearing your voice and I miss holding you in my arms. This will
really only remedy the first, so I’ll just have to wait until I’m home again t o see your face or feel your skin against mine. Know that
you’re all that I think about, all that I dream about. I miss you.
Yours,
Jackson
It was such a short, simple note, but it made my heart race.
He missed me. He was thinking about
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