❝Kid, don't do that!❞ It was as if I could almost feel him smile-Hear it in his voice, let the warmth of it deluge my heart.
❝Why not?❞
❝It tickles, Allan.❞ I looked into his eyes as he chuckled. Just then i noticed a strange spark of uncertainty a...
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I wasn't crying anymore. It wasn't needed. I didn't want to. I missed him for sure but I also felt a certain rage. He was texting constantly. He was trying his level best. He just wanted a chance to explain. His last text came in last night.
Can we please talk Allan???
please!
ALLAN TEXT ME BACK... I'm sorry
allan can you please at least hear me out?
The texts did bother me. But strangely not enough for me to hear him out. It was Christmas morning. I am not spending it thinking about him.
I came downstairs a little early today. The tree was in the living room by the window. I was still in my sweats but so was everyone. But Carli—she somehow always knew what to wear. She was just wearing a white bulge top with black denim shorts and a huge floor length black net shrug but she somehow still managed to look way better than either one of us was looking.
"When are we opening the presents?" I asked looking at everyone.
"We were waiting for you." Jess held me by my shoulder from the back and made me sit on the ground across the tree where Carli came and sat too.
"Good morning?" I looked behind me as I heard a familiar voice. Suddenly a tall guy was towering me as I sat there.
I abruptly stood up. "You came!" I hugged Duy. Made sure it wasn't too tight.
"Told you he would." Carli spoke from behind us.
Duy didn't fly in with Carli and Aunt Nelly. He decided to come a few days later with Uncle Dean. And here they were. And finally the entire Montell family was here.
"You've grown tall." I pulled myself back.
"Not as much as you dumbhead!" Duy spoke with a husky voice. But I didn't want to look stupid pointing that out too. The last time I saw Duy was ages ago. Probably right before they moved to Paris. He was the same age as me. Carli was the same age as Jess. We used to hang out a lot together when we were kids. It used to be fun.
"When are we gonna open the gifts?" Duy asked, excited.
"I haven't gotten anyone anything. Should I just leave?" I asked, slightly trying to make a guilty face. I and Jess made it a certain kind of a ritual to get each other gifts too when we found out that Santa actually didn't exist when I was 10. It need not be an expensive or gigantic gift, but there had to be something. Something like a small polaroid collage or a little keychain. Soon Carli and Duy started following it too. Only until they left for Paris.
"You got yourself out of your bedroom. That's quite the gift!" Carli taunted. We all giggled.
Mom walked in and asked Aunt Nelly where Uncle Dean went while Row snuggled his way into my lap. It was his first Christmas with us.
Soon we all gathered around the tree where tons of presents were wrapped in white gift wraps with red ribbons tied around them. Carli went in first and unwrapped her present. But neither one of us was so patient to wait so we all started opening ours simultaneously.
Mom and dad decided to buy a new collar for Row with his name on it. Carli finally got the keys to an apartment back in Paris which Uncle Dean had owned way before he met Aunt Nelly. She had always wanted it and she finally got the keys today, wrapped and kept in a small rectangular box. Uncle Dean was too generous. Duy got a new iPhone and Jess got the Graphic Tablet she had been saving for since ages.
When it came to me, I didn't want much for this Christmas. Probably since I already had gotten Rowan a few months back. But anyways my parents got me the Game Of Thrones book set. Jess got me a tons of chocolates stuffed in an aesthetically designed cylindrical box. She made it herself, it was evident. I needed these chocolates right now more than I needed the books or anything at all.
Stuff your mouth with food and forget about life had become the initial goal for this year now. Blame my cheating boyfriend.
My phone rang up with another one of his texts.
Do you still want me to come to the dinner tonight?
I had completely forgotten about it. We always had a get-together on Christmas Eve. And it wasn't what I'd supposedly call small. But anyways, this year neither dad's brother nor his family was coming since they had travelled to some hill station. Grandma wouldn't be here either this year. I missed her. Not always, but at occasions like these.
She had passed away last year around January ending when winter was just beginning to fade off from the streets of Hamden. I wonder what she'd say about him.About what she'd suggest I should do with that soft voice of hers.
Yeah!
I replied to his text. His entire family was going to be here anyways. If he wanted to explain, he could. But I seriously can't think of an explanation good enough for what he did. I'm not upset about it anymore. Mad, maybe just a little. But I'm sure as hell not forgetting it.
❁❁❁
Thankyou so much for 1.3k reads!!
I'm going to pay more attention to this story since my exams have been cancelled due to covid.
