|| Arabella ||

I opened my eyes, feeling a little weight on my waist and warmth pressed against my back.

I turned around with a smile forming on my lips, knowing what it was. Though I wasn't used to waking up with anyone beside me, I could definitely get used to this coziness.

I observed his peaceful expression, still in high spirits from last night's event. No, we didn't have sex. I was talking about us getting together officially.

As if sensing my stare, his eyes fluttered open, letting me see his beautiful eyes from up close.

"Hey, good morning," I wished with a big smile.

Theo smiled too and pecked my lips shortly. "This is the best Christmas morning ever," he mumbled, cuddling closer.

"You indeed make a good pillow."

"I told you I would."

Last night, after our confession, we ended up sleeping on his bed because it was too hard to part from each other. He promised he wouldn't make any moves or do anything that I wasn't ready for yet, and I trusted him on that.

"We have to get up," I said after glancing at the clock which read ten past eight. We were going to have breakfast with Albert and Susan in the garden at nine.

Theo shook his head, tightening his arms around me. "No."

I chuckled and said, "What's with you? You always wake up at six without an alarm."

"I guess I want to be spoiled today."

I ruffled his hair and said, "You're in luck because I'm going to spoil you from now on."

"I will spoil you more."

"We will see who can spoil the other more."

"Perfect. We will be a spoiled couple. We will let Wyatt do the cooking and do homework for us while we watch TV and cuddle," he said with a grin.

"Then we will have to keep the fire extinguisher in hand and the firemen's number on speed dial," I joked.

"Oh, we will keep Coral on standby, just in case he gets impatient with us," he added, and I laughed.

Just then there was a knock on the door.

"T-Rex! Come out! Daddy is calling you for breakfast," Susan hollered from outside.

"I'll be down in a few minutes," Theo hollered back.

"Okay. But where's my present? I didn't find your present near the Christmas tree."

"Oh, shit," Theo cursed lowly.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I forgot to put her present near the Christmas tree last night," he answered.

"Then, give it to her now," I simply said.

"Do you want to be seen by her?" he asked seriously.

I thought for a moment and replied, "I think I'll be fine by her knowing about us, but I don't want her to misunderstand anything right now and get affected by it in the future."

He hummed and sat up. "Wanna hide in the bathroom then?"

I nodded and got up to go hide in his bathroom. From inside, I heard Theo open the door and Susan bounce inside.

He really gave her that ladies' perfume he got from Coral as a second gift, along with the actual gift. I had to press my hand on my mouth to control my laughter when he was lying to her about how he found such a good brand and scent.

After Susan left, I came out of the bathroom and asked, "Will you tell Albert about us?"

"Maybe after a few days?"

I nodded in understanding. "We are telling Coral and Wyatt, right?"

Theo smirked. "I've got a plan for that."

"Ooh, this doesn't sound good for them."

———

"I'm so sorry about Mr. Hoovers. I had no idea he was a man like that," Albert apologized sincerely.

"Oh, please no, it's not your fault. I was kind of at fault too," I replied.

Theo told Albert about that perverted old man from last night in the middle of breakfast. As expected, he was a rich fella with a good reputation in society. It's always these respectable people who are the creeps.

"But why did he come at you though?" Albert asked.

"She was practicing some romantic dialogues in the hallway for the female lead role she's going to audition at school next month. Mr. Hoovers thought she was confessing her love to him," Theo lied smoothly, and I gaped at him in surprise.

He almost made me think we actually had a play next month.

Albert and Susan laughed listening to the story.

"Annabelle, you shouldn't practice some such things in the hallway. Anyone could be mistaken," Susan said.

"She's not the sharpest tool in the shed," Theo said as if he was defending me, which made me roll my eyes.

"Then she's like Stegosaurus. They have small brains but are very nice," Susan chimed.

I wanted to bury myself in the flower bed right there. A twelve-year-old was calling me stupid. But I guess I was. I fall for my own traps. So I'd just take the 'very nice' part into account.

As we continued with breakfast, I found Albert staring at Theo who was having a fork fight with Susan.

"Is something wrong?" I asked Albert in concern.

Albert shook his head with a faint smile. "Nothing. He just looks really radiant today."

I looked at Theo and smiled, my heart filling up with adoration. "He really does."

"And you too."

I glanced back at Albert. He had this knowing smile, which made me sure that he knew. He knew what was going on between us. I guess he would since he's like Theo's parents, and parents know everything.

I could also tell that Albert was happy for us and he approved of me—at least I hope he did. Because he meant a great deal to Theo, and whoever was important to him was important to me.

I only smiled sweetly at Albert in response, giving him a silent confirmation that I would do everything in my power to protect Theo's smiles.

———

It was around noon when I was sitting on my bed and FaceTiming Wyatt and Coral.

Wyatt was at his dad's place and Coral was at her home. Meanwhile, Theo was sitting right beside me, but they didn't know that. Theo told them that he wouldn't be able to join us.

"Guys, I have something important to tell you," I started out.

"What is it?" Coral prompted.

I feigned shy looks and said, "I met this awesome guy at the party last night—"

"Wait, wait, hold on. What awesome guy?" Coral exclaimed.

"Coral, let her finish," Wyatt said calmly.

"Um, so... he was really nice to me. We had a great bond. So when he asked me out, I said yes, so now he's my boyfriend," I narrated.

Coral and Wyatt were just blinking with their jaws slack.

"Guys?"

"You got yourself a boyfriend in Atherton?" Coral asked in a moderate voice, which I knew was the calm before a storm.

"Yeah."

Just as I finished getting the word out, she burst out, "Ara, I didn't send you there to get yourself a boyfriend who isn't Theo! I didn't even let Wyatt accompany you guys so that you could get together!"

Wyatt sighed and complained, "Coral forcefully made me stay back here. I wanted to meet Susie so bad."

These two...

No wonder I felt there was something fishy when Wyatt said he wasn't coming.

"Guys, trust me. He's awesome. You guys will love him," I insisted, having a hard time controlling my urge to laugh as they continued to flip out.

"I don't care. I don't approve of this ship. Just so you know, if you guys get married, which I know you won't due to my curse, I'm not becoming your maid of honor!" Coral fumed.

"Aww, that's a shame. Then should I get someone else for it?"

"Don't you dare." Coral glared at me so dangerously that I was grateful she wasn't standing right in front of her.

"My poor brother must be so heartbroken now. No wonder he didn't join the call," Wyatt said sympathetically. "He must be sitting in his room with his light off and sulking."

Theo started laughing beside me, and I immediately muted myself.

"Man, he would be so on point if your story was true," Theo said, and I motioned him to stop making noises with my hand. He pressed his face into the pillow to stop himself from laughing.

I unmuted myself and heard Coral say, "Why did you mute yourself? Did your oh-so-great boyfriend come to visit you, huh?"

"Hey, you need to stop being bitter about him. You will change your mind when you meet him," I said.

"Oh, really? Then make me meet that bastard right now. I'll scare him off," Coral demanded.

"Alright." I smiled innocently.

"Wait, wait, he's not with you right now, is he?" Coral asked nervously.

"He's with me." My smile got wider as Coral gasped in horror.

"Oh, no, no, he didn't hear me say he is a bastard, right?"

"You will know when you see him." With that, I pulled Theo towards me, making him enter the screen. "Coral, Wyatt, meet my boyfriend," I introduced proudly.

Coral and Wyatt just stared in disbelief.

"That's not your boyfriend. That's just Th—" Coral started to say until her eyes flew wide open.

Theo slid an arm around my waist and pressed his cheek with mine. "Say hello to Annabelle's boyfriend," he flaunted.

"Oh, my God, you bitches!" A big grin broke out on her face as she started jumping up and down.

"Fuck, you guys scared us!" Wyatt exclaimed. "But congra—"

"Don't congratulate them, Wyatt. They fucking played us. I almost caught a flight to Atherton to beat whichever bastard wooed my best friend," Coral grumbled as she stopped jumping.

"Don't worry, your best friend only likes— wait, did you just say best friend?" I gaped at her in shock, and she stared back.

"I did, didn't I?" she slowly said until her smile got bigger. "I've been trying for a long time now for this, but now I can. I can call you my best friend naturally."

I couldn't explain how happy I was.

After so many years, Coral finally took a step forward with her commitment issue, and now she is committed to me as my best friend. And I was pretty sure that soon enough she would be calling Wyatt her boyfriend too. I couldn't wait for that to happen.

"This calls for a double celebration," Wyatt chimed.

"I'm up for a good party when we get home," Theo added.

"Your birthday party or celebration party?" Wyatt asked.

I glanced at Theo in question, and he said, "My birthday's in four days."

"You're going to be seventeen?" I inquired, and he nodded. "Then that means we are having a triple celebration party," I quipped.

As we talked more about the party we were going to have when we got back home, I couldn't help but feel like I was the luckiest girl in the world. And there was someone who I had to tell in person about it.

After we hung up the call, I asked Theo, "Will you go somewhere with me when we get back to Anaheim?"

"Sure. Where?"

"My mom's graveyard."

★★★