Finding You

Chapter 30

"It's your first day back in New York and you've already got me in tears. Record timing."

Liv's comment earns an elbow jab right into her stomach.

"You said you wanted me to pick a tear-jerker. It's your fault," I whimper, picking up my 4th tissue in the last 5 minutes.

Liv and I decided to spend our afternoon watching movies since we both came back from our previous thanksgiving festivities last night and wanted some downtime. Instead, all we got were dry eye sockets and runny noses.

She sweeps her nose with a tissue once more before switching off the credits of the movie and chewing on another handful of popcorn from the bowl.

"When did you get this?" I look towards where Liv points out the gleaming bracelet on my wrist.

I stare at the beauty, shaking my arm slightly to watch it glitter in the artificial ray of light.

"James got it for my birthday. It's a tennis bracelet," I reply, trying to act casual.

"He got you a tennis bracelet? You've been looking for the right one for months!"

"I know, it's a shocker that he knew. Sophie probably told him. She was at the mall one day when I went hunting for one," I suggest.

"When did he give it to you?"

"Last night, he stopped me before I went inside."

"And you didn't bother to say anything?!" Liv looks appalled.

I shrug. "I don't know. It's beautiful, but it's also James," I try and laugh it off but Liv seems more surprised than amused.

"Doesn't this feel like a pretty big deal to you?" Liv asks, softly.

Should it be? I mean, it's only a bracelet that I've been trying to purchase for the last 6 months at least, worth a lot of money and is probably the sweetest and most thoughtful gift any boy could have ever given me. That's not a huge deal, right?

"I don't know, it was for my birthday. Maybe he just thought it would be a sweet gesture for my 21st," I shrug, moving to clean up the numerous boxes of McDonald's that we had scoffed down in no less than 15 minutes.

"And that's why you're wearing such a beautiful bracelet on the most casual, rainy day in?" Liv retorts, her smirk now plainly noticeable.

I sigh, accepting that she has called my bluff. She gets up with me to take our crockery to the kitchen.

"I'm just saying, you've gotta be pretty special for a man to just get you a tennis bracelet. Especially since you're not even dating."

Liv suggests this idea while walking back to the lounge area, popping another piece of popcorn into her mouth. She switches off the TV after we had watched Irreplaceable You, a movie which left both of our eye sockets dry.

"I just don't know what it means. I mean, this is pretty big gift for someone you haven't even known for 6 months," my mind runs wild with confliction.

"I'm telling you, it's a big deal. I was surprised he got you a gift in the first place, let alone a fucking tennis bracelet."

Pondering over my thoughts, I begin to agree with Liv. The thought of James getting me a gift never really crossed my mind. But then why would he get me a tennis bracelet, of all things?

This is not me trying to be difficult. I appreciate the gift more than he could ever know, but it does raise a few questions in my head.

Realizing that I am probably overthinking it, I dismiss an ulterior thought and decide to shoot him a message, thanking him again.
Saturday, 13:40pm.