More Than A Memory-Ch12

Chapter 12:
I found his car quickly, unlocked it and hopped into the cushy passenger seat. It was freezing in his car, so I turned around to see another jacket lying across the back seat. I picked it up and threw it over the lower half of my body. I stuck the key in the ignition and turned on the heat and radio. I rested my head against the seat and closed my eyes. A few songs later there was a knock on the window. "Can you let me in? It's a little cold out here" he said through the glass. I quickly unlocked the doors and apologized. "Sorry. It's just dark and I get kind of nervous in large parking lots. Especially in a super stars car" I babbled. He shut his door and silenced my lips with his. "It's fine. I wouldn't want anyone to steal you" he said laughing. He kissed me again and started to back out. When we reached the highway he laced his hand in mine. He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. I smiled. "Sorry I took so long" he said quietly. "That's ok. I don't mind. I'm with you now and that's all that matters" he smiled. "So how were Nat and Mario?" He asked carefully. "Nat was amazing. She is really one of the nicest, prettiest people I have ever met. Mario was nice too. He introduced me to a bunch of executives. As your girlfriend" I said the last part slowly. He took in a quick breath through his teeth. "Sorry about that" he said. I shrugged. "I actually saw it coming" I admitted. "Wait, you aren't mad that I didn't come to you first?" He asked. "Well I mean a little. But it doesn't really bother me. You feel the same way about me as I do about you, so I guess it’s ok." "I am sorry though" he said softer now. This time I brought his hand to my lips and kissed it. I brought our hands down to my lap and stroked the back of his hand slowly. Pretty soon we pulled into a development lined with nice houses. He turned off onto one of the more private roads and drove up the driveway to a grey house with stone in the front. He pulled into the attached garage and shut the car off. "Welcome to my humble abode" he said as we got out of the car. "Humble abode? This place is gorgeous!" I said as he opened the door leading into a breeze way with a washer and dryer. He took off his shoes and put them in a small closet as I walked into the gorgeous kitchen. It was complete with granite counters and stainless steel appliances. I turned around to see a gorgeous living room with a cathedral ceiling. There was a large plasma screen TV on the wall and beautiful suede couches. There was a fireplace on the back wall, stocked with wood. "Sid did you pick all this stuff out?" I called looking at the artwork on the caramel colored walls. "My mom helped me out a bit" he said. I laughed and admired the cherry colored hardwoods and I joined him in the kitchen. Do I get a tour?" I asked. "Sure" he said taking my hand.

Through a small doorway on the opposite side of the kitchen there was a dining room complete with a china cabinet. "China cabinet, very nice" I said. He smiled, "Mom insisted." We walked back into the kitchen and towards the front of the house. There was a guest room to the left complete with a private 1/2 bath. The front doors were dark grey, matching the stone structure built around the outside. There was a large window above the doors with a view of the woods and houses across the street. "Coming?" He asked, I realized he was half way up the carpeted staircase. To the left were 2 rooms, bedrooms I was guessing. One was fully decked out in all of his trophies, awards, pictures and jerseys. The other was almost empty. "What is this room for?" I asked. He shrugged, "I don't really have much to put in here, but I was thinking ahead for the future, or if one of my friends ever needed a place to crash. I nodded. And followed him out back down the hallway, which was completely open so you could see the main entry way below. There was a bathroom in the middle of the hall and an office next to it. At the end of the hallway there were double doors, leading to the master bedroom. It was huge. The walls were medium grey, with a corresponding carpet. There was a king sized bed in the middle of the room, with another plasma parallel. Next to the TV there was a door opening to a large walk in closet. "Organized. Very impressed" I said. He laughed and slipped his suit jack off. "Hungry?" He asked. "A little" I admitted. "Come on" he said going down to the kitchen.
*
A little while later the whole house was dark, except for the warm light of the fireplace. We were snuggled under blankets on the floor, each with a mug of hot chocolate. We were sitting in silence for a while when he shifted and looked down at me. "What do you want for Christmas?" He asked. I thought for a moment. "I don't know" I answered honestly. He rolled his eyes. "There has got to be something you want." I thought again for a moment. Well there was a gorgeous ring I saw while I walked through Tiffany's the other day... Yeah like that would go over well. "I haven't really thought of much. What do you want?" I asked. "For you to spend the holiday with me" he said. His gaze burned into mine as I made the decision. "Well I think that wish will come true" I said. He kissed my forehead and snuggled back into him. "My parents and grandparents are coming down for two days I think" he said. "Are we all going to eat here?" I asked. "Yes." "Well who is going to cook?" I asked slowly. He coughed and laughed at the same time. "Well I was hoping that you could help my mom and grand mom" he said. I thought about it for a few seconds. I did make a mean ham. "Well, if you’re really nice" I said. He laughed and shoved me a bit. "Yes, of course I'll help. I love your mom" I said. "Are your parents coming down?" He asked. "I think so. I think I'm going to buy them plane tickets." "They can come here. We can eat in the dining room I never use. And we can use that china, but I think we will have to dust it off first" he laughed. There were a few more minutes of silence before he spoke up again. "There is one other thing I want for Christmas" he said. "What?" I asked, figuring it was something stupid. "I want you to move in with me" he said matter of factually. I almost dropped my mug, but he caught it before it hit the floor. "You're... You're... You're serious?" I asked. He smiled.

"Yes. I was actually hoping we could get you in here before the holiday, so that things will go smoothly" he said. My mouth was hanging open and he took his finger to push my jaw up. I laughed in embarrassment and looked away. A million thoughts were running through my head. I tried to search for words as his fingers traced along my cheeks and jaw. "Peyton. Speak, your scaring me" he said. I looked back in his eyes. "Yes."