Falling Into Love with You (The Hate-Love Duet #2) - Lauren Rowe Page 0,87

tap. “The most important part of my gift finally arrived a minute ago and I cannot wait another second to give it to you!”

I rub my eyes and yawn. “You got me a gift?”

“I did.”

“Why?”

“Because I love you and you sent me and my family to Cabo and treated us to the fanciest vacation, ever. Because paybacks are a bitch, bitch! So get up!”

I sit up. “I don’t need a present from you.”

“Too bad. I already had a little present in the works for you, when I left for Cabo. But while I was there, I realized it wasn’t nearly enough, so I started making some other arrangements. And now, I’ve finally got all of it and I can’t wait to give it to you!” She grabs my face and kisses me. “Stay right here and don’t move a muscle and don’t you dare go back to sleep!” She rustles my hair, squeals, and sprints out of the room, leaving me feeling dazed and confused and highly intrigued.

A moment later, Laila returns to the bedroom, carrying a large cube wrapped in bright paper, as well as a book-sized wrapped gift lying on top of the cube. She tosses the small gift onto the mattress and shoves the large cube at me. “Open this one first.”

“You shouldn’t have gotten me anything,” I say.

“Fuck right off with that. I have more money than I know what to do with and a man I love with all my heart. Of course, I’m going to buy you a gift or two, especially after you sent me and my family on such an extravagant trip.”

“Laila, it was Cabo. Let’s not overstate the extravagance here. Plus, I sent you on that trip as a gift. Gifts don’t require payback.”

“Would you shut up and open my gift, motherfucker? I can spend my money any way I see fit, whether you like it or not. And what I want is to give my man this gift.”

“Jeez. So feisty.” Chuckling, I take the large gift and begin unwrapping it and soon discover it’s an old-school guitar amp.

“Oh, wow. This is so cool!”

Laila shrieks, “It belonged to Jeff Buckley!”

My jaw drops. I don’t think I’ve mentioned my near-obsession with Jeff Buckley to Laila. Not that I was keeping it a secret. It just never came up. Did she hear about it from Kendrick? “Laila,” I breathe, my heart pounding. “He’s one of my all-time favorites.”

“Yes, I know. Hence, the gift.”

“Laila,” I say stupidly, feeling overcome. “Wow. Thank you.” I hug her tightly and sputter, “This is the best gift I’ve ever gotten.”

“Check it out,” she says. “It’s super cool.”

I turn my attention to the amplifier, running my hands over it. Twisting its knobs, each touch of my flesh on places where Jeff Buckley’s hands also touched giving me goosebumps. All traces of sleepiness gone, I hop up from the bed, shouting, “I’m gonna get my guitar and plug it in!”

“Not yet!” she yells. “Wait, Adrian! There’s more to the gift!”

I dance around like I’ve got ants in my pants. Like I’m four years old, wearing my Christmas jammies, and just got a toy train that needs its caboose. “Babe, I want to get my guitar. Please.”

She giggles. “Before you do that, there’s more to this gift.” She motions to the spot I just left. “Please.”

“Whatever more there is, take it back,” I say, shuffling toward the bed. “It’s only downhill from here. This is literally the best thing you could have gotten for me, in the history of time.” I resume my seat on the mattress next to her. “Did Kendrick tell you how much I love Jeff Buckley?”

“No, you told me, without actually telling me.” She winks. “You always sing Jeff Buckley in the shower.”

“I do?”

She nods. “All the time. And, of course, besides that little lullaby you always used to sing to Mimi, you often sang little snippets of Jeff Buckley to her, too. I could tell how meaningful his songs were to you.”

My heart is bursting. “Still, though, it’s a giant leap that you’d think to shell out the kind of money it’d take to buy one of Buckley’s actual amps. I’m blown away.”

“I love you. That’s worth more than all the money in the world.”

I grin broadly, thinking about the money I’ve given up to keep Laila on the show. And once again, like I told Reed the other night, I’m positive I did the right thing. In fact, I’d do it again and again, every