Stay With Me (Book 2, the With Me series)

Original Edition: Christmas Bonus Chapter!

Merry Christmas everyone!! I hope you enjoy this extra Christmas chapter, my gift to you! xoxoxox

I wake up the next morning expecting to find Aiden's heavy but comforting arm wrapped around my waist, but the bed is empty.

I try to ignore the sense of longing as I sit up and rub the sleep from my eyes. It's only 6 am and Aiden isn't in his room at all.

When I slide out of bed, the early morning chill hits me all at once, and I slide into a sweater Aiden left on the edge of his bed.

I snuggle into it and resist the urge to smell it like a total psychopath, but it totally has his alluring smell that's distinctly Aiden.

When I get out of his ensuite bathroom, he walks into the room at the same time, a tray in one hand and a present in the other.

"Hey, Merry Christmas."

I sit cross legged on his bed as he closes the door and smile at him, eyeing the items in his hands.

"Merry Christmas," I reply. "What do you have there?"

He sits cross legged on the bed in front of me and sets the tray between us.

"Since we all agreed to wake up at 6:30 to exchange presents before Chase, Charlotte and Noah need to drive home, I figured waking everyone up would go over better if everyone had some hot chocolate and coffee already made."

I laugh as I take my mug of hot chocolate off the tray and take a sip.

"This is so weird. You're a Grinch the other 364 days of the year, but you're nice on Christmas."

He rolls his eyes but smiles at me anyways.

"I am not a Grinch." He looks into his coffee and adds quietly. "Plus, the twins love waking up on Christmas morning and drinking hot chocolate with those little marshmallows."

I try not to "AWW" out loud, but I'm sure it's written all over my face.

"You're such a good big brother."

He ignores my incredibly correct statement and drinks his coffee.

"That's my favorite sweater, you know." He nods at the sweater I'm wearing.

I smile cheekily at him. "Good thing it's on your favorite person."

He raises an amused eyebrow and grins knowingly. "I wouldn't let Noah borrow my sweaters."

I fake indignation and play hit him, and we both end up laughing.

"So are you going to tell me what's in that box or are you going to let me die of curiosity?"

He laughs and moves the tray off the bed, replacing it with the small box wrapped in Christmas paper.

"I know we all agreed to do Secret Santa instead of everyone getting everyone a present, but I still wanted to get you something even though I didn't pick your name."

My heart skips a few beats and I discreetly pinch myself to stop from crying. It takes everything I have to stop myself from tackling him and kissing him until the New Year.

I rest my mug on the floor and gently take the surprising well wrapped present in my hands.

I meet his eyes, only to find him already studying me. "You didn't have to get me anything."

"Just open it."

His piercing grey eyes give nothing away as he watches me carefully unwrap his gift.