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Chapter Fifty-Nine: Maggie

I felt like the weight of the entire world was lifted from my shoulders.

For once I felt like nothing or no one was getting in the way of my happiness anymore, for once I actually feel like I'm not walking on eggshells. Evan and I won't have to feel like we need to hide anything from anyone for the sake of playing things safe now that our relationship was approved by our parents.

That's not to say we were completely under the radar before we told our parents about our relationship, as a matter of fact, we were already quite shameless with our actions.

And by we, I mean Evan.

I didn't think that once we gained our parents' blessing that he would act any differently from how he does now, I just thought he would disregard the subtleness of him being handsy now that our relationship is out in the open. But oh, was I wrong.

When I thought Evan was downright unbearable trying to keep our relationship discreet with his absolute lack of self-control, I was in it for a treat once we were certain we didn't need to act remotely secretive around our parents anymore.

"Evan! You're acting like a hooligan right now!"

But it seems as though my input on his behavior was irrelevant because he did not give two shits whatsoever on what I had to say as he continued to push me into his bedroom and litter me with kisses, gripping my waist as he slammed the door shut with a bang! on our way in.

My eyes widened as he continued "Evan! We had just gotten our parents' approval, don't make me regret doing so by dumping your ass!"

He scoffed, sliding his hands down to cup the bottom of my thighs as he hoisted me up in his arms, making me squeal "I know it might seem like I'm being careless right now, but I've been waiting for this goddamn day, Carter. I'm not wasting another second to act out on how I feel."

He carried me to his bed and pulled me forward so I was straddling his lap "Like what exactly? That you secretly act like a dog in heat once you're validated for your carnal desires?"

He snickered, amused at my choice of words "If that's how you wanna put it, sure. Why? Do you have a problem with that?"

"Yes! You're acting like a complete horndog right now!-"

But it seems as though concerns regarding him being an absolute horndog wasn't that much of an issue as he simply dismissed my complaints by sealing his lips with mine.

I'd be lying if I said I was bothered by how awfully brazen he was right now because the truth is, I wasn't. Sure I was somewhat worried about our parents realizing how juvenile we actually were now that we were granted permission to do PDA in our own house, and how they might take back said permission. But I'm glad that we don't have to repress our need to act so shamelessly anymore as I'm now able to have a taste of young love in all of its chaotic glory.

Evan probably sensed it as well. That's why he wasn't taking my complaints way too seriously, because, in contrast to my words, my body was saying anything but for him to stop.

His lips maneuvered their way from down my neck all the way up to my jaw, leaving hot trails of kisses that left a burning sensation to brew inside of me, gripping onto his broad shoulders for support as a sudden knot unfolded within my abdomen while my breathing started to become heavy with desperation and urgency.

"Fuck, Evan, you're just so... crazy," I muttered, my mind hazy and foggy.

The corners of his lips curved into a suggestive grin as his mouth dragged down a little bit lower than what I was normally used to, eliciting a whimper out of me. Oh, God.

"Any man would be if they were lucky enough to have all of... this." he stared up at me with a hooded look in his eyes, his hands slowly traveling down from the sides of my hips until they eventually landed on the surface of my backside, squeezing it roughly as I let out a gasp "You make me so fucking crazy, Carter, It's all you."

Feeling my stomach clench at that, I tried to find an inkling of pretense in his gaze that would give away the validity of his words, but all I was met with was dazed sincerity.

Truthfulness in those stupid yet enchanting hazel green eyes of his that looked at me like I was single-handedly the most precious human being in the world.

I slowly but surely inched my face closer towards his as I slid a hand around the back of his head, threading my fingers through his brown locks as I tugged on it so he was looking up at me with wide but captivated eyes.

"Is that so?" I whispered, asserting my ground this time as he nodded, reaching out to try and kiss me again.

"Yes, yes, fuck." he chanted, almost pleading "You make me lose my damn mind just by the way you touch me."

Grinning deviously at his stupefied state, I let my lips hover against his own whilst his breath came out in heavy pants at the sheer contact "Who would've ever thought that the same arrogant boy everyone at Henderson High considered as a threat would come undone like this just by the way I touch him..." I murmured as I nipped at the lobe of his ear.

Making him squirm as he wreathed beneath me "Fuck, you got me so undone. You have no idea."

I felt every bit powerful watching him act like a dehydrated man stuck in a desert and I was his only source of water. I liked putting him on the brink of insanity, seeing as how he was so tempted to please me.

"As much as I want you to get me undone as well..." I trailed off, knowing he caught on with the suggestiveness of my words as I noticed the muscles of his jaw tick "I have other plans."

With that, I climbed off his lap which caused him to stare up at me with wide but incredulous eyes "Like opening Christmas presents!" I declared.

He took his time to process what I just said before he lets out a groan, slumping onto his bed as I laughed "God, Maggie, you can't just turn me on like that without expecting to give me a fucking hard on-"

"Okay, I'm just gonna stop you right there before you get any more detailed about certain body parts that I'm not in the mood to get into right now." I cut him off as the same unbearable heat that coursed through me a while ago engulfed me once more.

He smirked up at me for that "Maybe because it'll be the one inside yo-"

"Anyways!" I exclaimed in a panicked hurry as Evan watched me, laughing "Let's get right into Christmas presents and literally anything else that's fitting for the holidays."

I walked towards his dresser where my handbag was placed and nervously took out a small box sealed in red gift wrapping paper, topped with a cute green ribbon for good measure as I let out a shaky breath.

I turned around and made my way towards him, all the while as he stood up and stared at the small box in between my hands "It's not much, but I put a lot of thought into it..." I said as he gave me a warm smile in return.

He carefully unwrapped the present, so carefully he made sure to take off the tape that holds the gift wrapping paper together instead of just tearing right at it, which made me smile at how thoughtful he's acting right now.

My throat knotted the second he took off the wrapping paper, only leaving the box in his hands as he spared me one last glance "You look so nervous." he commented.

"I'm just afraid if it's gonna live up to your expectations."

He chuckled before planting a quick kiss on my lips "Whatever you do, say, or give, I'll accept it with open arms. Heck, you being here to celebrate the holidays with me is a gift itself."

I chuckled, shaking my head "Just open the gift before you make me cry," he grinned, taking off the lid as he pulled out his gift; his brows furrowed in silent fascination as he inspected it.

"... A passport holder?" he asked as I nodded.

"Look inside," I told him as he opened it and took out a letter.

He unfolded the paper and started reading through the contents, all the while as I watched his expression go from intrigued to just downright shocked.

"I planned this gift with your parents after your fight with them about going to New York for college, and after some careful deliberation, I finally convinced them that they were being irrational and that this is your life and you have every right to live it, and even though you don't need this when you go to New York, you can use it when you travel the world, in general. Your freedom shouldn't just be restricted from one state to another."

His eyes snapped back up to look at me and by that, I could see the overwhelming swirl of emotions in them; he was speechless as I reached out to cup his face in my palm.

"I just want what's best for you," I murmured, "We both had gotten our freedom taken away from us so if I see an opportunity to see you regain yours, I'll make sure that you get it. In more ways than one."

"Maggie..."

I tapped the pad of his lips with my finger as a way to silence him, noticing the slight change of pitch in his voice and how he was visibly getting choked up "After all, isn't that what we all deserve? To live our lives in whatever way we want it, without anybody else's input?"

He was quiet for a moment, just drinking me in as if he was still in disbelief with my gift and the overall backstory of how it came to be, and for a second I was so ready to give myself a mental pat on the back seeing as how I sort of hit the jackpot for the perfect Christmas present.

But before I could, he caught me off guard by sealing his lips with mine in a feverish kiss, knocking the breath out of me as he held me by the waist and pulled my body close to his.

"I'm taking that you like the gift-" I tried to say in between kisses but he didn't let me finish as he just kept on kissing me, his tongue slipping its way in to give a bold stroke against my own as I found myself moaning at the sensation.

"Hell yes," he said, panting against my lips "Everything down to how fucking thoughtful it is and how you went out of your way to convince my parents to let me go to New York, something I thought would never happen is just..." he lets out a heap of laughter, clearly in shock still "You're amazing, good God."

I couldn't help it, I smiled from ear to ear, so ridiculously elated to see how over the moon he was at what I had given "I'm so glad you love it then."

"And considering you decided to give me one of the best gifts I've ever gotten, I think it's time I show you what I got you," he said as my eyes widened.

He signaled me to wait as he went outside his bedroom to which I assume is so that he could retrieve his gift for me, all the while as I waited giddily, wondering what it could be.

It didn't take a while before he came back, holding a little box, smaller than the one I had my gift in, as he inhales and exhales a deep breath before giving it to me.

I took it from his hand as he spoke "Much like you, I also coordinated this present with the help of my parents, well, specifically my mom."

"Really?" I asked, surprised as he nodded.

He gestured for me to continue unwrapping it and so I did, and once I took the lid off the box I felt myself freeze as I caught sight of a glimmer, one that resembled the glimmer of jewelry.

"What the..." I carefully took hold of a golden chain and lifted it, and as soon as it was out in the open did I finally identify it as a piece of necklace. A very beautiful one.

A thin gold chain that ended with a giant and shimmering diamond on the front, it was so simple but so jaw-droppingly gorgeous that I couldn't stop my eyes from gawking at it some more.

"I know it's not much but it's actually a family heirloom," Evan said as I paused from inspecting the necklace, glancing up at him, dumbfounded "It was one of the diamonds my grandmother gifted to my mother on her wedding day, something she could use as a form of jewelry that she liked, whether it be a ring, necklace, or a pair of earrings even..."

"But she never figured out what to do with it so it was just hidden away for God knows how long, so she thought, considering she never found a way to make use of the diamond, that well, she might as well give it to you. A token from them to her son's soon-to-be bride."

Trying my best not to flip the hell out at him referring to me as his soon-to-be bride, I found myself tripping over my own words as I couldn't seem to form a coherent response to his gift that wound up being a family heirloom.

"I can't possibly take this," I told him, putting the diamond into its box and giving it back to him as his eyebrows knitted together, perplexed at my reaction "I can't possibly take something as significant as a diamond that's worth God knows how much let alone a family heirloom."

"Maggie, it's okay, we got this specifically made for you and this is basically my mom's gift to you as well. That woman has too much jewelry already so this won't reduce a lot from her collection so please," he insisted, giving the necklace back to me "Take it, you've done so much for this family already."

I tried to protest but seeing the fiery determination shining in his eyes I knew I couldn't possibly give this back as it would be an inconsiderate move on my behalf, so with that, I just sighed in defeat and took the necklace back.

"Mind putting this on me then?" I asked as he chuckled, nodding.

He took the necklace out of its box and I lifted my hair so he could put the necklace in place, all the while as I felt the tips of his fingers graze the skin of my neck and I couldn't suppress the shiver that fluttered through my spine just from his touch alone.

He clasps the necklace and lets it fall down my chest, and before I could let my hair fall back into place did he plant a lingering kiss onto my bare shoulder.

Eliciting a hitched breath out of me as he smiled "Let me see." he whispered.

I turned around so he could get a better view and with that, he tilted his head and examined the way the diamond looked on me "It's beautiful, fits you just right."

"You think so?" I said, peering down to take one more peek at the diamond "I've never worn something this extravagant before, at least not on my own free will that is."

"Well, for starters, you don't need diamonds to make you look any more gorgeous than you already are, if anything the diamond needs you," he told me as I let out a snort.

"Cheesy."

He stared at me for that, deadpanned "Can't you ever take a compliment?"

"Okay fine, thank you." I looped my arms around his neck and planted a long, drawn-out kiss which he reciprocated back just as passionately "It's lovely, I'll treasure it forever,"

"It's just a necklace, wait until you get the ring." he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively in return as I blushed deeply at the thought.

"I can't even imagine getting a ring for our supposedly soon-to-be wedding."

"Yeah, it's crazy to think about, but I'll make sure that the ring I give you is ten times more beautiful than this diamond right here. I'm gonna one-up grandma at her own game."

I grinned at that "Oh yeah? How big of a rock are we talking about here?"

"Oh, ginormous, you're gonna have to need to lift a couple of weights if you're gonna wear the ring I'll give you for the wedding. Because that boy is gonna be thick."

I threw my head back, laughing "Well, I'll be damned. I better hit the gym soon if I wanna lose all this added Christmas holiday weight but to also prep holding your ring on my finger."

"Oh, you bet on it."

We continued throughout the night making ridiculous wedding plans such as the kind of wedding rings we'll give to each other as well my future bridal shower and his bachelor party that he's supposedly been planning for a while now.

So torn between our ideals and real life that we were never able to discern whether these so-called plans that we were making stemmed from a place of playful teasing-

Or rather a place of actual sincerity, one that I know exists deep down in our subconscious despite our attempts at trying to brush off the idea as something worth laughing at when we knew it was an inevitable reality we had to face soon...

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