Valentine Day gifts are a pleasant surprise, unless they're not from the person you expect...
This story was contributed by Lauren Jackson 

It's Valentine's Day.

The day where people take a moment in their busy lives to stop and appreciate their significant other. To tell them that they love them. To take a second to do something nice.

Sure, a lot of the time it's, "Oh crap, is it Valentine's Day?" or "He didn't even bother to get me flowers!" but no, not for me. I'm one of the lucky ones.

Considering my upbringing and dreadful past of toxic relationships, it still blows my mind that I've ended up with someone almost too perfect to exist. Someone who loves me, unconditionally. Someone who would do anything for me. Someone I can spend every waking moment with and not get sick of. I am truly one of the lucky ones.

Bouncing from foster home to foster home as a kid – I let myself get trapped in relationships that were ugly and unhealthy. Like my last one. I barely got out of that alive.

And then I met him.

William, 'Will', Johnson. The man of my dreams.

I delicately run my finger across the vivid red rose petal which sits on my desk. Valentine's Day with Will is always magical. He does something different every year, but somehow makes it better each time.

My eyes flutter closed as I recall this morning.

"Good morning," Will breathes into my ear, his breath warm and comforting against my skin. His hand strokes my bare side, feeling possessive in the best kind of way. Gentle, reassuring but somehow dominant at the same time.

"Hi," I smile.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he whispers, leaving a trail of hot kisses from the corner of my lip, my chin, across my jaw bone and down my neck. The kiss deepens, nipping at my skin between his teeth. The feeling of them makes me feel breathless and light.

"Will," I let out a slight moan.

"Say it again," he grins.

"Will," I sigh, clamping my lower lip.

"Another Valentine's Special from Doctor Johnson?" Our receptionist, Louise, smiles at me as she pokes her head into my office, her eyes flicking over the petals that are littered across my desk, floor and window panes, causing my adoring memory to come to a saddening, abrupt halt.

I smile in response. "Sure is."

"Does he have any brothers?" she jokes. "Or single friends?"

"Only sisters, I'm afraid."

"I could make that work," she nods thoughtfully.

I smile at her. "I'll keep an eye on the friends, in case the sister match-up doesn't go to plan."

"You're too good to me," she teases before drifting from my door.

I go back to gazing around my office, drinking in the beautiful image before me. I wish my office looked this beautiful every day.

My phone vibrates, drawing me from my thoughts.

Him: What do you think of my redecorating?

I grin down at my phone and count how many rose emojis he placed beside it.

Me: Wonderful. You could make this your career.

Him: I'll let them know now my days of cardiovascular surgery are behind me.

Me: Maybe wait until lunch, it'll go down better with some food.

He replies with laughing emojis.

Me: I love you. Thank you.

Him: Have an amazing day. See you tonight x

As the day goes on, Will's gifts continue. A bouquet of roses is perched on my desk when I return from lunch.

I flick the card over and my heart falters for a moment. I blink at the one word.

Always.

I swallow and continue to stare. Thai, the man I ran from, barely surviving, always said this to me. What worries me even more is that the font is red. His signature colour.

Red is the symbolic colour for Valentine's Day, Lara. Don't be so silly, I chastise.

The dark eyes of Thai come to my mind. The feel of his hard hands on my skin. The dark bruises I covered for so long.

I move from my seat and head to the bathroom, feeling alarmingly light-headed. I lean onto the sink and splash the cool water onto my face. I look up into my reflection and exhale, slow and heavy.

The scar runs from the corner of my lip down to the base of my chin. A sickening, twisted reminder of my past.

I wish thoughts of Thai hadn't invaded my mind today of all days. This day was about Will and I. I don't want one moment to be spoiled.

After lecturing myself once more, telling myself that I'm paranoid and overreacting, I return to my office, still feeling shaken, but at least a little calmer.

"Two?" Louise arches a neatly manicured eyebrow. "He's really stepping up this year."

"Hmm?" I look through my window to see another bouquet of roses sitting at my desk.

I cautiously flip the card over.

You are my everything.

This time, the writing is plain black. The roses look the exact same, but the card is different. They're from two different florists.

I force a smile onto my face and Louise rolls her eyes before taking a call. My heart is beating fast. I think it's time to let myself think this might not be a coincidence anymore.

I write and rewrite half-a-dozen texts to Will, trying to question why he would send two, without wanting to seem strange or ungrateful. In the end, I erase the message. He's in a complicated procedure after lunch and won't have his phone on him for quite some time anyway.

Letting it go, I push all paranoia to the back of my mind and focus on my work for the rest of the afternoon. I breathe a sigh of relief when five o'clock rolls around. I pack my things and carry my flowers pressed to my chest down through the lobby. I receive plenty of stares, some of envy, some rolling their eyes at me.

This day was meant to be special. One I'll tell our kids. It shouldn't be plagued with the poison of Thai Millson, the man who almost destroyed me.

Will's car is in the driveway when I pull up home. I feel a slight whir in my stomach at the thought of seeing him. I love that I still have these feelings after three-years of dating.

Usually, there is soft music playing, wine on the table and the smell of a delicious meal wafting through the house. Today, there is silence, it's cold and there is nothing being cooked.

We do usually go out for dinner on Valentine's Day, but I'm still surprised at the lack of life in the house. I flick the lights on with a trembling finger, my thoughts spiralling into a dark, sticky web.

"Will?" I call out, placing my bag down.

A deep-sounding chuckle greets me. That sound is something I could never forget. It's haunted my dreams many nights. My keys slip from my fingers, landing with a loud clash on our wooden floorboards.

Thai steps out from around the corner, a sinister smile on his lips. He twirls Will's keys in his hands. I see the globe key-tag I purchased for him wrapped around Thai's finger.

"Hi Lara," he greets me. "Did you miss me?"

***************

Lauren Jackson is a twenty-three year old Australian girl who loves tacos, works full-time, has an over active imagination, is obsessed with Eminem and has a tendency to re-watch tv series 1000 times. Lauren traditionally writes young adult fiction under the username LaurenJ22. She has been writing on Wattpad for eight years now, her stories ranging from romance to romance-thrillers. Read more from Lauren here.