“How is she with you? Has she been… mean?”
“Of course not, she’s just Poppy.” There’s laughter in her voice, and it warms me, but her words don’t.
“I really can’t wait to see you, that is the hardest part about being here.” Okay, maybe the attempted murder and Shane are the hardest, but I will not tell her that.
“Can I speak to her?” Tucker asks, and I gulp as I pass it over and to my surprise, he puts it onto speakerphone.
“It’s me again, Mrs. Carter. I know Christmas is a time for family and I know you can’t see or speak to Luna, at the moment. So, tomorrow you will receive a parcel. It will be a mobile phone, already activated, and you won’t have to worry about the plan. It’s already taken care of. I know you may already have plans, but you will need to sign for it.” He’s all business, and I’m in so much shock.
“Um, okaaay?” She sounds as confused as I feel right now.
“You’ll get a phone call on Christmas Day from this number, I’ll make sure it’s saved, and you can speak to Luna then. I do have to cut this short now, but I’ll give you a few moments to say goodbye.” He passes me back the phone and my head has short-circuited.
“I don’t really know what to say, Luna bean, I wasn’t expecting this.”
“Me either, but at least I can call you now. I love you, mom. I’ll speak to you in a few days.” What am I even going to say to Tucker?
“I love you too, my girl. Stay safe.” Tucker takes back the phone and disconnects the call, and I stare at him.
“Thank you. You have no idea how much that meant to me.”
“It’s fine, don’t mention it,” he says before I throw my arms around him and squeeze for all my might and then he pulls back, looks at me seriously and says, “seriously, Luna. Don’t mention it, ever.”
It’s Christmas Eve and I don’t know if D has spoken to Bradley or not, but they seem closer somehow. He’s even joining us at our table now, which is strange. I don’t know what’s more surprising, the fact that our table is ever increasing or how hardly any of the guys are going home for the holiday. I knew Tucker wasn’t, but why aren’t the others? D and I haven’t said a lot since she blew up at me in my room, but she’s still sitting with me. We even decorated and baked together. That has to be a good sign, right?
I’m still pondering this as I nudge open my door and come face to, well, back of the head, with Emmet. He’s sitting casually on my love seat with a… oh my God, is that a present? Well, what else would it be genius?
“Um, hi,” I say awkwardly as I push my door closed and lean against the wall beside it. Ready to open it so he can leave. Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking.
“Hey yourself, my Star,” His voice goes low as he says that last part, and wariness shoots through me. Not attraction, more the fact that we are alone together in my room, and I’m no longer a virgin. I hate it, but I gulp. Nerves bristling through me and making the hairs on my arms stand on end.
“What are you doing in here?” I’m trying to be polite, like my mom has raised me to be, but it’s hard.
“I got you a gift. I assumed you’ll be spending tomorrow with Tucker, so I thought I’d give you this now.” he’s almost… nice. Don’t trust it. Whatever you do, DON’T TRUST IT!
Yeah, thanks inner self, but I don’t think I need the warning. I know Emmet, or as well as you can know someone like him. This won’t be any ordinary gift.
“If it’s some weird kind of lingerie, then you can take it back or better yet, give it to someone who cares.” Well done at staying polite. Shut up.
“Oh no, this is much better. Come on, my Star, it’s rude to not at least take a look.”
I hesitate before walking the short distance and lift the present off the seat before perching myself on the edge of the coffee table. It’s heavier than I expected, and I’m almost too scared to open it. Not that it helps to have him staring at me, his eyes burning holes into my face.
I pull at the paper until it’s lying in a messy pile on the floor, and my mouth drops open. Is he for fucking real?
“Emmet, what is this?” I ask, staring at him warily.
“It’s a laptop. You know, people use them to browse the web and look shit up.” Gee thanks, dickhead. I didn’t know that.
“I mean, why are you giving me this?”
“Look, it’s the latest model. MacBook Pro, top specs and the biggest screen they have. You can look up recipes and stuff. It can’t connect outside of the Academy zone, so you won’t be able to send messages and social platforms are restricted for use, but it should help.” He smiles wide as he spreads his hands out. “So, do you think you’ll like me a little more now?” Is he for real?
“Are you for real right now? Emmet, I’m not accepting this.” I thrust it into his arms and his eyes turn stormy as his lips purse.
“Of course you are, who wouldn’t want this?”
“Me. I wouldn’t. For crying out loud, you don’t even know me, do you? Everything we spoke about back when I thought you were a nice, decent guy. Did none of it sink it?” Who’s shouting? Oh right, that would be me. “You are so used to coasting on your family name that you think you can just buy people to get them to do what you want. If I thought this wasn’t some backhanded gesture, then I would at least try to be grateful, but it isn’t and I’m not.” Indignation and annoyance are battling it out for dominance inside me. “Seriously, I’ve gotten by fine without technology. So, I won’t take it, and I don’t want it.”
“This is insane. You are being irrational,” he scoffs at me, and my nostrils flare as I see red.
“Irrational? Oh no, honey. Hou haven’t even seen irrational yet. Irrational would be falling for your act, irrational would be believing that there was a single decent, non self serving bone in your body. This is nothing like that. If you really wanted to help, you would have asked what I needed or even gone for some piece of poop computer, that would have done the task fine without throwing your money around. Because you don’t appreciate what you have and you do not understand what it’s like to have nothing, and yet not feel as though you’re missing out.”
My door opens to reveal a confused looking Tom and Tucker. Their eyes fall on Emmet, and their presence fills the room to almost stifling measures.
“What’s going on? We can hear Five from outside,” comes from Tucker, and Tom moves to stand next to me, and casts a disapproving look at the distasteful present.
Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have it one day. But it will be when I can afford to buy it, when I feel like I have earned such an extravagant expense.
“You’re crazy, and I can’t believe how ungrateful you’re being. Especially seeing where you grew up.” That is the worst thing to say to me, and I don’t think I’m the only one who thinks that. Tucker grabs his arm and pulls him off the seat. Barreling him toward the door, and refusing to let him go.
“Emmet,” I call, and they stop and both turn to look at me. He looks smug and Tucker just comes across as impatient. “You want for nothing and yet that’s exactly what you have. I may come from the poor side of the track, with a mom who barely meets our electricity bill. I may not have a phone or a computer, and yet I have everything. Because I have a mom who took me in and gave me all the love in the world, so you can take your pretentious attitude and shove it up your backside. Speak to me again when you can fathom even a single word I just said, or don’t speak to me at all.”