Caleb and I took the picture from the ball to a design lab. They specialize in artistic imagery and they took the already amazing picture, and turned it into a work of art. Thankfully, my brother used to date the girl who owns the shop so she cut me a fantastic (free) deal. Caleb made the frame for me. Who knew Caleb was crafty? But when I told him my idea, he told me he could easily make it. Together it turned out perfect.
The lab took the picture and added a foggy filter over the top. It starts at the bottom left corner of the picture, and creeps toward the top right. You can still see Brett and me, but the haze obscures your view. Caleb made the picture frame of natural rustic wood. In the top right corner, he carved a sun with its rays stretching across the top and down the side. When you put them together, it looks like the sun on the frame is pushing back the fog. I may have cried when I saw it. It's stunning, even if you knew nothing about our history.
I watch him closely for some sort of reaction, but he doesn't move a muscle.
"What is it?" Leah asks. It's clear to everyone that even more dramatics are happening in our little corner of the family room.
"Jesus," Brett stands up and walks out of the room, leaving the picture frame on the couch beside him.
His family is all looking at each other, and I can hear the guys rumbling questions. I'm not sure what to say. His reaction honestly surprises me. I look to Kara for silent advice. She knows the whole fog and sun story, but she offers nothing more than a wide-eyed shrug. I hand her Daisy and decide to follow him. At the very least, I should apologize for my unknown transgression.
I quietly make my way up the stairs, when I hear him pacing in our room.
"Hey." I step into the room closing the door behind me.
"Where did you get that picture?"
"I saw it under your keyboard when I went to pick up Caleb," he suddenly stops pacing and looks at me questioningly. "He helped me pick out your shoes. It was that night you picked us up from the bar." My answer must have satisfied his curiosity because he resumes his pacing, and runs a frustrated hand through his hair.
"Fuck."
"I'm sorry." I don't know what else to say. I'm clueless to why he's acting like this. Before I can't analyze it any deeper, I'm lifted off my feet and thrown to the bed. Brett's mouth lands harshly on mine. I only struggle for a second, then it's all hands and lips.
"Jesse, that picture is amazing. It randomly showed up on my desk the day after the ball. I must have looked at it every five minutes since then." He roughly bites down on my nipple through my shirt causing me to cry out. "Too hard, gorgeous?"
"No," I gasp for breath as he continues.
"I love it." He pins my hands over my head and rolls his hips into mine.
It's around ten on Christmas morning, his entire family is sitting downstairs, yet I still find myself lifting my hips so he can remove my pants. I hear a familiar foil packet then he swiftly slams himself inside me. I let out an uncontrollable moan and he presses a hand across my mouth.
"You need to be quiet. This will have to be quick, so don't hold back on me."
He wasn't kidding about it being quick, and I'm not talking about him. Brett puts every trick he has into getting me off. With his mouth on my breast, thumb on my clit, and his length buried to the hilt inside me, it only takes a few strokes before I unravel underneath him. A few seconds later he follows with a silent release of his own.
Still fully dressed, with our pants around our ankles, he lays on top of me catching his breath.
"That...picture."
"You don't have to put it on your desk or anything. I just got the idea in my head-"
"Are you fucking mad? I'm definitely putting that on my desk. Hell, I feel the need to blow it up into poster size and hang it on my living room wall," he teases. "Jones would have to make a huge frame for that though."
"You knew he made it?" I ask surprised. I thought Caleb was doing me a special favor.
"Yeah, but I have to say, he really out did himself with that one. Seriously Jess, it's perfect!
"You seemed mad when you opened it."
"I was just a little overwhelmed that's all. Sorry, if I bit you too hard."
"It's okay. Thank you for my computer and Daisy."
"Daisy, huh?"
"Yeah, it's my favorite flower."
"Good to know," he winks as he slowly pulls out.
We need to go back downstairs, but what I wouldn't give to spend the day in bed with him. Unfortunately, that isn't an option, so I pull up my pants and watch him heads to the bathroom.
All-in-all, even through our ups and downs, this would unquestionably be my best Christmas ever.
Jesse
IF I thought our relationship got better after Thanksgiving, Brett and I have come a million miles since Christmas. It's like something happened that day two months ago. A huge, realistic, life-altering rubber band snapped everything into perspective. Considering that we have only been together four months, I would say our relationship is pretty serious. That is if you don't consider that we still haven't talked about our actual relationship.