Chapter 132
Christmas Day…
“Are you ready to open the presents now Mom?” Veronica asked, setting the towel down.
“Yup, just wanna finish wiping the sink down first.”
“Mom it’s fine, c’mon, let’s get going,” she grinned, walking over to the tree and sitting down in front of it.
Veronica had arrived at her Mom’s the night before and had brought all of her gifts from home to put under her Mom’s tree, she was grateful to not have to open the gifts and spend Christmas alone. Bryan had sent his gifts, they’d arrived a few days ago according to her Mom, and Paul would be coming over later in the afternoon. Turning her head, she watched as her Mom made her way over to the tree as well, sitting across from her. As usual, Veronica found all the gifts for her Mom and pushed them over to her.
“Ok Mom, you first.”
“Why do I always have to go first? You can go ahead.”
“No no, you go on.”
Ginnie shook her head, smiling, “I don’t know why you insist that I go first every year.”
“Cause I want you to, now c’mon, start.”
Veronica watched as her Mom opened various gifts from her friends at work and finally she got to Veronica’s gifts.
“Aww thanks for the chocolate and perfume.”
“No problem, you basically ask for the same thing every year,” Veronica sighed.
“So, I know what I want, that should make it easy for you.”
“Yeah yeah Mom, go on,” she rolled her eyes, grinning.
After her Mom finished opening her gifts, she shoved all of Veronica’s over to her.
“Your turn.”
Smiling, Veronica opened the gifts from a few friends at work and the one from her Brother and then started in on her gifts from her Mom.
“Aww socks, thanks Mom.”
“Well you said you needed some!”
“No no, I’m not complaining, I did need them, thank you.”
Ginnie stared at her.
“Seriously!”
“Uh huh.”
Chuckling, Veronica continued to open her gifts. She was just about finished when she got to the gifts she’d received from Nick. They’d arrived through the mail in the beginning of the week, it’d been hard waiting to be able to open them, she was dying to know they were, and after hours of insisting that he didn’t have to buy her anything over the phone, she’d finally given up and just accepted the fact that he’d done so.
“Ooh, that wrapping paper is pretty, who are those gifts from?”
“Nick.”
“Aww he sent you something? That’s so sweet!”
“Yeah I know, I told him not to, but he insisted.”
“Well go on, open it, let’s see what he got you, that is unless you wanna open them in private.”
“Of course not, if that was the case I wouldn’t have brought them.”
She grabbed the first gift, ripping the paper off, and flipping the object around to find a DVD of a Kenny G concert.
“Aww he got me that DVD I told him I wanted but was having a hard time finding,” she chuckled, holding the case up so her Mom could see it.
“Aww, that’s so nice of him. What’s that on the cover?”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s something written on the cover, look at it.”
Frowning, Veronica turned the case around, her eyes widening.
“Oh my god, it’s…it’s autographed! He got Kenny G to autograph my DVD case, whoa.”
“Wow Veronica.”
“Yeah I know geeze.”
“You’ll have to call him up and thank him for that.”
“Don’t worry, I plan on it.”
Grabbing the next gift, she tore it open and flipped it over to find a Kenny G cd this time also autographed.
“Is this some kind of thing with you two? What’s up with all this Kenny G stuff?”
“I just…he wanted to know something about me that I don’t tell people about and I told him that I liked Kenny G, amazingly enough, he’s got one of his cd’s too.”
“He must really like you to do this for you.”
Veronica shrugged, “I’m sure he gets this kinda thing for his friends all the time.”
“I dunno.”
She stared at her Mom for a moment before opening the next package to reveal a stationary set and pens.
“That’s perfect for you to do your writing on, your poems and stuff.”
“Yeah, but it’s so nice I don’t want to use it.”
“Veronica it’d be a waste of his money if you don’t use it! You know he’s gonna probably ask you if you like using it and if you tell him that you don’t wanna use it, he’s probably gonna be hurt and maybe upset that he spent money on something you won’t use.”
“Mo-om…”
“It’s true!”
Sighing, Veronica looked the pen over, pulling the cap off to reveal extra fine tips, her favorite. She couldn’t believe he actually remembered, that he actually paid attention when she went off on her tangents about her favorite kind of pens. Biting her lip, she swallowed against the lump in her throat and reached for the next package, tearing it open to reveal another cd, this one was different though; it looked as if it was homemade.
“Mom, can I use your cd player please?”
“Sure, I’ll go get it.”
She flipped the case over and pulled the note that was attached to it off and started to read it as her Mom set up the CD player.
Veronica,
Merry Christmas! I hope you’re having a great day! Please tell your Mom I said hi and merry Christmas. Anyway, I hope you enjoy your gifts, I’ve also sent a card that all the guys and Leigh and Kris signed for you as well.
“Nick says hi Mom and Merry Christmas.”
Her Mom smiled as she plugged the CD player in, taking the cd from Veronica and putting it in the player, she drew her attention back to the note.
Now about this cd. This is a song I wrote since I’ve been on the road for this tour. Ya know sometimes after a concert I can’t fall right asleep, too wound up. Anyway, so yeah, I wrote this song with you in mind and…well actually this song is for you, yeah it is for you. You inspired it and I’m not gonna lie, it is about you. The guys helped me record it, I played the guitar on it and besides the hard copy I have, you have the only other copy there is. I thought this would make a nice gift ya know? Something a bit more personal than something ya just buy in a store.
So I hope you enjoy it and you have a great day. Talk to ya soon,
Nick
“So what’s on the cd?”
Veronica stared at the note, “A song, he wrote a song for me.”
“Aww Veronica!”
“It’s a little weird, I don’t know what to think,” she explained, opening the card that was signed by the guys and Brian and Kevin’s wives.
“Well…can I play it? Is it ok for me to hear?”
“Of course, go ahead.”
Veronica watched as her Mom pressed the play button, reaching out and grabbing the last gift from Nick, tearing the paper off to reveal leather bound diary.
“Wow, this is beautiful,” she murmured as she flipped through the blank pages, stilling suddenly when a haunting melody started to fill the room. Slowly she looked up at the sound of Nick’s voice.
A hundred days have made me older since the last time that I saw your pretty face. A thousand lies have made me colder and I don't think I can look at this the same…
She looked over at her Mom who was staring at her, a startled expression on her face. Whatever it was that Veronica had been expecting to hear, it hadn’t been that. She slowly set the diary down, focusing her attention on the song.
All the miles that separate...disappear now when I'm dreamin' of your face. I'm here without you baby but you're still on my lonely mind. I think about you baby and I dream about you all the time. I'm here without you baby but you're still with me in my dreams…and tonight, there's only you and me.
She let out a shaky breath, trying to keep herself from crying, but that lump in her throat was slowly getting bigger and it was getting harder to keep the tears at bay. What did it all mean? What was he saying?
Veronica was trying hard not to read too much into it, but it was all so overwhelming. He dreamt about her? Was that the truth or…
The miles just keep rollin' as the people leave their way to say hello. I've heard this life is overrated but I hope that it gets better as we go. I'm here without you baby but you're still on my lonely mind. I think about you baby and I dream about you all the time. I'm here without you baby but you're still with me in my dreams…and tonight girl, there's only you and me.
It was so wrong, so wrong to wish he were there or that she could be with him, and she tried to play off the fact that there was a hint of sadness in his voice, a longing…for something, for someone. She shook her head, she wouldn’t let it happen, she wouldn’t let him get to her. She feared it might be too late though.
Could it be that he really did think about her? That it wasn’t just her in the relationship that thought about being together, who couldn’t wait for the phone to ring, or to hear that voice that haunted her thoughts…her dreams.
Everything I know, and anywhere I go it gets hard but it won't take away my love. And when the last one falls, when it's all said and done. It gets hard but it won't take away my love…
Veronica stared hard at the floor as she listened, willing her heart to stop pounding so hard, so fast. She tried to make herself lose the hope that had suddenly welled up inside her over those last words, tried to ignore what it could mean. She looked up suddenly at her Mom, who was wiping at her eyes with a tissue.
She didn’t want to hurt; she didn’t want him to hurt her. It was so much easier to pretend, to force herself forget his touch, his kiss, the feel of his body pressed against hers. It would make it so much easier when he left, and he would, she knew it. Squeezing her eyes shut, she was oblivious to the tear that made it way down her cheek, landing on the letter, smearing the ink.
I'm here without you baby but you're still on my lonely mind. I think about you baby and I dream about you all the time. I'm here without you baby but you're still with me in my dreams.
And tonight girl, there's only you and me.
Here Without You by 3 Doors Down
Author's Chapter Notes:
Ahh I love this song and it really fits V and N. Who wouldn't love to have him sing this for you?
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
