My Christmas gift: turns out unexpected

“Hahaha… Merry Christmas, Jake. I love you.” The words echoed like a flash of light—too bright, too sudden. Memories still dawned on me that way, uninvited, and sharp. It felt impossibly quick that a year had passed. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, holding a half-finished glass of red wine. “So quick,” I murmured with a wistful smile. It was three weeks until Christmas, and honestly, the feeling of burgeoning joy was overwhelming. It had been six months since I left him, Jake, to further my studies at Greenlish Academy, miles away from my hometown and everything familiar. I adjusted the drape of my sweater, the joy a buoyant, almost foreign sensation. One last glance at my reflection—and for a fleeting second, I felt almost jealous of her. The smile was too wide. The beauty too effortless. Closing my eyes, I released a brief sigh and turned toward the door. Click. Cold air brushed my face the moment I stepped outside. Snowflakes drifted down lazily, illuminated by the pale winter light—soft, endless, almost sacred. Christmas was close. Three weeks away. But something caught my attention. I hadn't expected to find anyone waiting. She was smiling—bright, eager—holding three boxes stacked neatly in her arms. Each was wrapped in rare paper, decorated with intricate designs that shimmered faintly beneath the falling snow. For a moment, I couldn’t speak. “Uh—hey, Kayla,” I finally said, letting out a small laugh. “How are you? I didn’t expect you this early in the morning.” She looked at me with warmth in her eyes, then laughed quietly, almost unable to contain herself. “Haha, what else did you expect?” she said quickly. “I couldn’t wait any longer. Guess what?” I tilted my head, confused, my gaze drifting back to the boxes. My heart was already racing—part curiosity, part disbelief. “Guess?” I repeated. We had become close since I arrived at Greenlish Academy. Six months of shared classes, late-night talks, stolen laughter. Still… I had never spent Christmas here before. I didn’t know if this was how Kayla celebrated—but it felt overwhelming. I had never really received gifts. Not unless they came from Jake. Soon Understanding dawned on me too easily. My smile widened, arms spreading instinctively. “Kayla, you’re truly amazing. I didn’t expect this at all—really.” I stepped forward, ready to hug her despite the boxes. She clicked her tongue suddenly, stopping me. “Hey—wait.” She shot me a playful, intrigued glance. “Don’t get it twisted.” I blinked. “I know, I know,” she continued, grinning. “We’re bestie's. We have fun together. You should understand that.” She leaned in slightly. “But take a big guess right now… and tell me who he is.” My eyes widened instantly. “Who… he is?” The words didn’t register at first. I stood there, frozen, trying to gather my thoughts. Jake? Did he really send gifts all the way from home? But the idea felt wrong almost immediately. Jake was far away. He didn’t know Kayla. And even if he planned a surprise… Then who is he? The excitement that had filled me moments ago faded into confusion. Slowly, I lifted my gaze back to Kayla. “What do you mean… he?” I asked. She smiled—slow, knowing. And for reasons I couldn’t explain, a chill crept down my spine that had nothing to do with the snow. I looked up at Kayla, the warmth draining slightly from my face. The sheer joy that had swelled inside me, fueled by the memory of Jake and the beauty of the falling snow, began to deflate. “What do you mean, ‘he’?” I asked, the words sounding flatter than I intended. Kayla, still beaming, shifted the three boxes in her arms. They were stacked unevenly—one large, one medium, and one small, wrapped in thick paper featuring leaping reindeer and silver snowflakes. The whole display was lavish, unlike the casual student gifts I'd come to expect. “Oh, come on, don’t be dense!” she chuckled, nudging the largest box playfully toward me. “It’s your Secret Santa, silly. And he is clearly smitten. These aren’t just cheap little dorm gifts, are they? I swear, I nearly broke my arm hauling them over here this morning.” Secret Santa. The phrase clicked into place, yet the relief was minimal. Since I hadn’t spent the holiday season here before, I could only guess if this was how everyone at Greenlish celebrated. I hadn't expected this, and judging from the look of the packages, the unspoken limit for gifts was notoriously high—definitely not a funny mug or a $50 gift card. Did Jake send me gifts from far away? I thought for a moment, but the realization still battled me: if Jake was to surprise me this way, he didn't know Kayla, to begin with. I glanced at the boxes, my excitement slowly draining away, replaced by confusion. But I managed a forced laugh as I asked, "Who do you mean, 'he,' Kayla?" My voice was barely a whisper. Kayla looked up at me and raised a single brow. She clearly sensed my curious expression and hadn't expected me to act this way. “Haha… Please tell me you’re pretending to be this oblivious,” she scoffed, a smile playing on her lips, then added brightly, “Who else would it be if not Dexter?”