Reckless Entitlement

Chapter 36: Nick

"Ow, Maya you are hurting my hand."

We're currently watching the fifth Fast & Furious movie, and Maya's gripping my hand extremely hard. I'm glad she was enjoying the movie, but I didn't want to lose my fingers in the process.

"Sorry," she said letting go of my fingers, keeping her eyes on the screen. The sun had set hours ago, her room was pitch black except for the light coming from her laptop screen.

With the help of greasy food, me, and a few Advil, Maya had completely recovered from her earlier hangover, and was back to her normal self. The fact that we'd been lounging in bed all day may have helped too.

Even Charlie was chilling. His sleeping body was curled up between us. Between the third and the fourth movie, I had fed him his dinner and he'd been napping on and off ever since.

Maya and I had ordered a pizza that we ate in bed, just like all our other meals of the day.

"Do you want to start the next one?" I asked as the credits began to roll.

"No," Maya stretched lifting her arms above her head. "Let's take a break."

I closed the laptop and put it to the side. The room was now completely dark if Charlie and Maya weren't right next to me I wouldn't be able to see them. "Okay."

"You know when you grow out your beard you kind of look like Paul Walker," she yawned.

"Are you still drunk?" She couldn't see the look of confusion and disbelief that I had at that statement. I don't look like him in any way.

"No." She turned on the lap that sat on her bedside table. "But, seriously, you do look like him. You should take it as a compliment, he's sexy."

"Well in that case, thanks!" I said sarcastically earning me a swift punch in the arm. Ow.

"Don't be a dick," she reprimanded me. "I was being nice to you."

I tried my best not to laugh at her, in case she actually got mad. "I'm sorry. Thank you for the compliment. I mean it."

She rolled her eyes slipping out of bed. "You're so full of shit."

"Hey, where are you going?" In nothing but my t-shirt she padded across the room and began rifling through her dresser. She couldn't really be mad at me?

"Well, Mr. Attitude," she said pulling on a pair of sweatpants, "I'm craving ice cream, so I'm going to get ice cream."

"Were you even going to invite me?" I swung my legs over the side of the bed, setting my feet on the floor. They had been hanging off the bed the whole time anyway. She doesn't know it yet, but I'm definitely buying her a new one for Christmas. Not just for her to enjoy, but also for me.

Okay, all for me.

Christmas was a little over a month away, and we hadn't even talked about if we were spending it together. I don't know who I'd be spending it with if not with her. I haven't been with either of my parents on Christmas in years, I'd usually bounce between Crystal and Marcus' house. But I didn't want to do that this year, I wanted to spend Christmas Day with Maya.

"Of course, I was going to invite you. Who do you think was going to drive me?" She stood in front of me with her hands on her hips.

I pulled her into my lap, and she promptly put her arms around me. "Maya, how do you feel about spending Christmas with me?"

"I think we should figure out Thanksgiving first," she said, "Do you want to spend Thanksgiving with me?"

"Of course." What type of question is that? "I should probably learn to cook something other than pasta. Do you cook for Thanksgiving?"

Shaking her head, she replied, "Not usually, I always go to Nia's house. I used to make something for the other girls in my foster home, though. I can teach you how to make a few things."

"I'd like that."

"I've never spent a holiday with a guy before," she admitted to me. "I honestly don't think any of them have ever made it that far."

She doesn't talk about the other guys she's been with much, and I don't necessarily want to hear about them. I've only ever been in a relationship with Crystal, and the other hookups I've had have been lackluster compared to what I've experienced with Maya. "I'm happy that we can spend holidays together."

"If we're going to spend Christmas together, I don't want you getting me a bunch of extravagant gifts," she told me, giving me a serious look.

"We should go get that ice cream that you were craving," I said ignoring what she had just said. Moving her off my lap, I began searching for my jeans on the floor. I had already formulated a Christmas list for her, and it consisted of mostly extravagant gifts.

"Nick, I'm serious."

"I know you are." I found my jeans and pulled them up my legs. "And I'll think about it." She was wearing my shirt, and it was way too cold for me to be going shirtless. I opened up one of the many drawers on her dresser, and began searching for one her over sized sweatshirts. They were like a dress on her, but I had a feeling they would fit me perfectly.

Frowning, she stood from the bed. "I don't think you're taking me seriously. I don't want you to spend a lot of money on presents. Even though you won't tell me how much, I know you spent an ungodly amount of money on my car."

She's right, I did spend an ungodly amount of money. So much that if I ever told her how much she would lose her mind. But I wasn't going to lie to her face and tell her I wasn't going to spend a lot of money on her Christmas gifts.

I want to spoil her, even if she doesn't want me to.

I slipped one of her worn hoodies over my head, and went over to her. I could tell she was starting to become genuinely upset, and that's the last thing I wanted.

"I am taking you seriously," I assured her smoothing the wrinkles between her brows with my thumb. "Let's not argue about gifts right now."

"I guess we'll just schedule that argument for another time," she said still sporting a slight frown.

"I'm free Thursday afternoon, if that works for you."

Unable to stop herself, she cracked a small smile. "I think I'm busy that day, maybe another day."

"How about November 32nd, is that good for you?"

"I think I'm free," she smiled at the nonexistent day, "But I'll have to check calendar."

After kissing her forehead, I said, "Let me know soon, I'm a busy guy."

To that she laughed. "Yeah, right. Do you have plans with your other girlfriends?"

I sighed dramatically. "I had to break up with them. More than one girl takes up too much time."

"I'm sure that Harvard girl is real disappointed," Maya said, looking up at me, the argument long forgotten. "What was her name again, Sarah?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. She thinks she's so clever. "She'll survive."

She stood on her tip toes and gave me a small peck on the lips. "I'm glad to have you all to myself."

"I love you," I wanted to say, but that would be going against our new twice a day rule. So instead, I settled for, "Let's go get ice cream."