A/N: Hello again everyone! I'm back with another new chapter!
Before we get started, I would like to thank everyone that read last chapter! I would also like to give a huge thank you to Side1ways, winterschild11, Guest, and RainbowDiamonds for reviewing!
I hope you all enjoy!
James and I left the party around eleven that night.
He'd been having fun, which was why I'd stayed so long. I had wanted to leave and spend every moment just with him, taking advantage of the time we had left, but I hadn't said anything and instead just let him enjoy himself.
When we got back to the apartment, I jerked my tie to take it off and went to the room to change. He followed. As I faced the closet, shrugging out of my suit, he approached me from behind and kissed my nape.
I tilted my head back against him and exhaled, loving the feel of his hands as they snaked around my waist and tugged my hips backward. His erection poked my ass, as I softly sighed, backing more into him.
"What are you doing?" I asked as he gently thrust his hips forward again, hitting in all the right places.
"You got a job promotion." He answered in between placing kisses on my neck. "We should celebrate."
I preferred topping, but I bottomed sometimes. James was versatile, too, with a preference for bottoming. Which was why we were fucking perfect for each other. During his stay at my apartment, we'd had sex a lot-sometimes multiple times a day-and he'd topped me a few times.
Seems like he wants to again, I thought to myself as a smile crept to my face. Good, because I want to let loose and give him total control.
I faced him and pressed my mouth to his. Softly.
He returned the kiss as his hands explored my sides, playing with the clothing separating us. His tongue danced with mine, and we moved across the room to the bed.
Once we were on the mattress, we shed the rest of our clothes and came back together in another gentle kiss before deepening it.
I moaned against him as he took hold of my dick and started pumping me.
After he prepped me, put on a condom, and used some lube, he slowly entered me.
Goddammit, it stung like a bitch at first, and I clenched my jaw as I breathed through it and worked on relaxing. But then he broke past the tight barrier, and I groaned at the euphoria.
"God, Kendall." He said on a gasp. "You're so tight."
On my hands and knees, I reached behind me and gripped his ass, tugging him harder. With each forward motion, he hit that sweet spot, and I nearly came undone, but I held off, wanting to savor it. As he pumped into me, gradually increasing his speed, I leaned back and wrapped an arm around his head, capturing his mouth.
He kissed me as he moved in and out of my body, bringing both of us closer to the edge.
And when we fell over, we did so together.
Afterward, we lay in bed, coming down from our high. He was in his favorite spot on my chest, and I had an arm around him, pressing my lips to his forehead.
There were so many things I wanted to tell him, but he wouldn't understand them if I did-that I loved him and was so sorry for taking him for granted in the past. That I'd never let him go again.
When his breathing slowed, I held him closer and ran my fingers through his hair. My eyes were heavy, but I didn't want to go to sleep. I only wanted to hold him to my chest and pretend everything was okay.
Tomorrow was one day closer to the deadline, and I wasn't ready.
XxX
Christmas Eve
Waking up that morning was bittersweet.
Sweet, because James was beside me. Bitter, because it was the final day.
At five 'til midnight, my wish would come to a full circle… unless I could get James to say he loved me.
I'd like to believe it was possible. Nick had said that wishes around Christmas were the strongest because it was a magical time of year. Surely that included love, too, especially between people who were meant to be together.
Love at first sight might not be real, but perhaps time was of no consequence with the heart. James and I'd had two amazing weeks together, seeing each other every day-sometimes staying up into the early hours of the morning just discussing life. We talked about our pasts and dreams for the future.
In only two weeks, I was more in love with him than I'd ever been, knowing him on a whole new level.
James was still asleep, and I leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. His warm body made it difficult getting out of bed, but I managed it. I wanted to start a pot of coffee and cook him breakfast before he woke up.
As I left the bedroom and walking into the living room, I headed for the Christmas tree to plug it in before going into the kitchen.
James had so many traditions, and Christmas Eve was one of his favorite days of the year. I was going to make it special. The day would be dedicated to him, doing all the things he loved. Things I had dismissed and called silly in the old life because I'd been too preoccupied with my own selfishness.
After starting the coffee, I grabbed a skillet and began cooking bacon. It sizzled as I placed it down, and when the smell wafted upward, my stomach growled.
I might not be a great cook, but I knew how to make the basics at least. Whether I burned it or not… well, that was to be determined. Cutting vegetables under James' supervision? I rocked. Cooking shouldn't be too difficult.
Let's just hope I don't burn the apartment down.
Once the bacon was done, I put it on a plate and set aside before grabbing the carton of eggs, cracking and whisking a few before pouring them into the skillet.
Just as I was finishing up and switching off the stove, James walked out of the bedroom, rubbing his eyes in a fucking adorable way and yawning.
"I smell food." He said in a gravelly voice.
"I made you breakfast." I said, carrying our plates to the table. "Scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast."
His eyes widened as he sat down, nodding appreciatively at his overflowing plate. "Wow. This is super sweet. Thank you."
When his eyes met mine, a lump wedged in my throat. He was too beautiful. And when he smiled, my heart thumped harder in my chest.
"Oh! Coffee." I said before I jumped up and went over to the cabinet to grab two mugs. After filling them, I poured some cream in each cup before adding sugar. I set his in front of him. "Here you go. I hope you like the food."
It looked edible, at least.
James grinned before biting off a piece of bacon. His moans as he chewed filled me with satisfaction-not to mention made me fucking hard-and I dug in to my food, too.
As we ate, we didn't say much, but it wasn't a bad thing.
We enjoyed our breakfast in silence, which was how we both liked it sometimes, at least until the coffee kicked in.
James read on his tablet, and I scrolled through my phone. Once the food was gone, and we'd had enough coffee to allow for conversation, I looked up at him.
"Do you have anything planned for today?" I asked, setting my almost empty cup on the table. "Because I thought we could do some things."
"Like what?"
"Well, there's a Christmas parade at noon, so we can go to that." I said, seeing his eyes light up at the suggestion. "And then we can grab lunch at Hannah's. Maybe go walking through the park after that to see the decorations. Carolers should be out this afternoon, so we can listen to them for a bit before coming home and cooking dinner."
"You've really thought this out." He said as a smile touched his lips.
"Yep. And after dinner, we can watch Christmas movies." I added, wiggling my brows.
He chuckled. "Sounds like the perfect day."
James insisted on helping me clean up the kitchen. I washed off the plates and put them in the dishwasher as he wiped down the stovetop and counters. Cleaning was finished in no time, so we began getting ready.
When he got into the shower, I stepped in with him, which lead to us heavily making out as water poured down on us.
Fuck, it was hot.
I grabbed his arms and put them over his head, pushing him against the wall, and crushed my mouth to his. He thrust his hips forward, causing his erection to slide against mine. I groaned against his lips and rolled my body forward, seeking more friction.
As we continued kissing, I reached down and took hold of both our dicks, stroking us simultaneously.
"Kendall…" James whimpered and leaned his head back against the wall. "That feels incredible."
I kissed the edge of his jaw before grazing my teeth farther over and sucking his earlobe. He gasped and tangled his hands in my hair. His dick jerked in my hand, and I sped up my pace. He came, and his release covered my palm, adding more lubrication for us.
"Fuck!" Pleasure rippled through me, and I shuddered. "I'm gonna come."
James sucked at the base of my throat, and that did it. As my orgasm rocked into me, I nuzzled my head to his and moaned.
Sex with him had always been amazing, but this had been different. It just felt passionate and so fucking intimate. More than usual, anyway.
When the quivers subsided, I raised my head and regarded him. His eyelids we droopy, giving him that sleepy expression, and I pressed my lips to his.
No amount of time with him would ever be enough, and knowing this could be my last day with him nearly killed me.
I pulled back and studied his face-the softness of his lips, the angle of his jaw, and his long eyelashes. His eyes met mine as I caressed his cheek, and my heart felt like it was about to break.
"We need to stop, otherwise we'll never make it to the parade." He said before gently kissing me again.
"Okay. If you insist." I said in a joking tone, but a pain slashed through my chest.
After quickly washing my body, I kissed him before getting out of the shower. Back in the bedroom, my gaze landed on the time, and the unease increased. Eleven in the morning. Just a little over twelve hours left.
Believe, I told myself.
And somehow, the word made me feel a little better. More hopeful.
XxX
A massive crowd gathered for the parade.
Our town was known for its celebration of Christmas. From the decorations in the park to the parade, and the crafters that traveled from other areas to set up shop for the season. The spirit of Christmas was strong all throughout the town.
James had always said there was no place he'd rather live than in Duluth. I used to roll my eyes when he said that-thinking he was content with just settling-but I saw everything different now, as if a veil had shrouded my vision all these years and now it was lifted, allowing me to see the beauty with fresh eyes.
We'd snagged a spot right at the front, giving us a great view of everything in the parade.
"Oh, look." James said, a smile gracing his face as he pointed to a float coming down Main Street. "It's the Grinch."
How the Grinch Stole Christmas was one of James' favorite Christmas movies and was one he watched every holiday season. He loved the message of the story, and the scene talking about Christmas not coming from stores always made him cry.
His tender heart was one of the things that had made me first fall in love with him, but like the Grinch, I had let meaningless things get in the way of what truly mattered.
I smiled at his excitement and put an arm around his waist, pulling him closer to my side.
He was wearing a purple knit sweater with a bigger coat over it, and his hair stuck out from the bottom of his beanie in the way I loved.
At my touch, he beamed at me before resting his head where my shoulder and neck met. His gaze was fixated on the street, but he cuddled into me, wrapping his arm around me too.
I held him as the parade continued, occasionally kissing the area behind his ear.
After the Grinch float, there was a high school marching band that passed, playing We Wish You A Merry Christmas. A man dressed as Santa Claus walked by after that, waving at all the children and throwing out candy canes.
I raked a gaze over him, relieved when I saw he wasn't Nick. My theory about him being Santa was far-fetched, but reality had already been suspended.
I'm pretty sure nothing can surprise me at this point.
Once the parade ended, James and I moved at a leisurely pace down the sidewalk, hand in hand. We wore gloves, but I could still feel the warmth of him.
He was like my personal ray of sunshine, as corny as that sounded. Just one smile from him could brighten my day, and one touch could wash away my worries. If only he could do that now, but his touch had the opposite effect that day.
With each touch, I feared it'd be the last.
I tried to convince myself that it wasn't the end of the world if midnight arrived and he hadn't said he loved me. We were soulmates and I hoped we'd find a way to be together… but I didn't want to lose my memories of him. And what if without my memories of our life together, I'd revert back to my old self, the one Jett had called an asshole, and James wouldn't want me.
When he let go of my hand, I snapped out of my thoughts.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing. My phone buzzed." He stopped walking and took his phone out of his coat pocket, frowning as he looked at it.
It reminded me of one of the first days when he'd stayed with me, when he'd received a text that had visibly upset him. And I couldn't keep my mouth shut like before.
"Is it your shitty ex?" I asked with a snarl.
James' gaze darted to mine. "That obvious, huh?" He pocketed the phone and started walking again. I kept pace beside him, letting him answer when he was ready. "He's been texting me for the past couple of weeks."
"Does he want you back?" I asked, dreading the answer.
"I guess so." He said.
We walked for another minute. Maybe two. And my patience was wearing thin. "Do you want him back?"
"Hell no." He answered, looking at me. "I changed my number after he kicked me out, but he got my new one from a recent client who's a friend of his. He's been texting me the basic 'Hey, what are you doing?' and all that crap." A laugh escaped him as he faced ahead. "One time when he texted that, I responded with 'my new roommate.' He sent back a massive text that was all bitchy, and I ignored it."
I grinned, feeling both relieved he wasn't interested in rekindling that old flame with his ex, but also a little disappointed that I was just the roommate.
"You hungry?" I asked, needing a change of subject.
"Starving." He answered. "A hot cocoa sounds amazing right about now."
We headed toward Hannah's across the street, and once we were inside and out of the bitter cold, we shrugged off our coats and sat down at a table near the window.
A fireplace crackled in the corner of the room, making the restaurant cozy and inviting, and Christmas music played softly through the speakers.
James ordered his usual burger and hot chocolate, while I ordered a soda and a huge bacon cheeseburger.
Thankfully, the subject of Beau never came back up, and we talked all through lunch.
James discussed how the floats in the parade all looked spectacular, and I told him that he should try to be included in the lineup next year to advertise his business. Other businesses had done it, so I thought it'd be a great idea. He agreed.
As we talked, it was almost easy to forget about the deadline hanging over my head. But one look at the clock on the wall put it all back into perspective.
Two in the afternoon. Less than ten hours left.
"Can we go to the park after this?" James asked with a hopeful smile.
"Of course." I answered, batting away the nerves in the pit of my stomach. "Anything you want."
Done! So, it looks like the clock is quickly ticking.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, as well as if you happened to have a favorite part/moment!
Again, I hope you all enjoyed! Unfortunately, there are only about two chapter left of this story. The next one will be up sometime this weekend, so only a few days until that's up. :)
Until then!
-Epically Obsessed
