Persephone- Completed

Twenty Eight.

"Only us." I shouted as we walked through the door. Mia started giggling behind me and I furrowed my brow at her as I took my coat off. "What are you laughing at?"

"I love how quickly you gain a British accent when you come back here." I rolled my eyes. 

"I don't gain a British accent, I just go back to speaking how I did as a kid." 

"I remember you getting all the attention when you first moved to school." 

"Poppy can you come in here please?" I rolled my eyes and Mia waved at me pointing that she was going upstairs. I sighed and walked into the kitchen diner. 

"Who's are the flowers?" I pointed at the stunning roses sat in the middle of the table, my dad sat behind them with a cup of something hot. Could be tea, could be coffee, could be hot chocolate as far as I could see. 

"Yours." He looked at them and pushed the vase he'd put them in towards me. 

"Mine?" I raised an eyebrow and looked at the card sticking out of the top. 

Seph, 

Just a little reminder that I'm still thinking of you. Even if you're across the world.Miss you so much sweetheart. See you soon <3-Em

I read the note again, a small smile taking over me as I looked at the flowers again. This is what I mean. He always kept me guessing. I never knew what was coming next. 

"Who sent them?" I looked up at my dad and dropped my smile. "Who's Em?" 

"Sonny." I could see him doing the math in his head about where Em came from  "Emerson's his full name. Everyone calls him Sonny. I call him Em." 

"Like how everyone calls you Poppy and he calls you- Seph?" I nodded. #

"He preferred it to Poppy." I let half of my lips rise in a smile. "Look dad, I really want to spend time with Mia before-" 

"I know. Come sit. Do you want a drink?" I shook my head and he walked over to the table, sitting down and pointed at the seat opposite. "Tell me about him." 

"About who?" I slowly slid into the seat, wishing I had a jumper or something to play with instead of my nails. 

"Emerson." 

"Oh." I nodded. "Well what do you want to know?" 

"How did you guys meet?" 

"He's on the basketball team. We met at the same time I met Will. They were friends." 

"And why has he shown a sudden interest?" 

"I mean, when I found out who Will was sleeping with, turns out it was Sonny's girlfriend." He raised his eyebrow "He was with me when I saw. I was at the gym and he just happened to be there, came over to check on me because I looked upset and then I got the call." Dad nodded. 

"Okay so you guys were friends for the past 4 years?" 

"I mean I guess? I was always with Will and Will was always with him so yeah. I wasn't allowed to talk to him though." He slowly shook his head. "So then after we saw the video I told Em about everything, and he didn't really say anything. I told him to not say anything because I had the whole thing planned but he did. And then we stood on the drive at the party and burned both of their stuff and we just kind of never stopped talking." 

"Okay. And you two are together?" 

"Yes." 

"How long have you been together?" 

"About 3 months." 

"And what are his plans for school next year?" 

"He's going to be studying psychology either at the same college I'm going to or one on the other side of the state. He hasn't decided yet." 

"You love him?" I nodded. 

"More than I ever loved Will. Even before it turned bad. Being here without him is really hurting me. Like a physical pain." 

"Is he who you're talking to down here on a night?" I nodded. "He calls you?" 

"He calls and texts constantly." I turned and looked at the flowers. "Those aren't the first lot of flowers he's given me either." 

"What does Mia think of him?" 

"She loves him." I smiled brightly. "She screamed when I told her he'd asked me out." 

"She screamed?" 

"Like she was being murdered." 

"Is he why you're happier now?" I nodded, staring my dad in his sunken eyes. 

"He cooks for me almost every night and if he can't he facetimes me to make sure I'm eating. If I can't sleep he comes over, even if its 3am. He face times me now, when I can't sleep, just talks nonsense until I fall asleep in bed. He works out with me and stops me when I'm pushing too hard. Distracts me until the aches start and then I just stop."

"Does he speak to you like Will did?" 

"God no. I think he's kind of scared of me." I chuckled. "I've broken Will's nose and strangled him when he wouldn't leave me alone. I think he knows not to fuck me about." My dad sighed and looked into his drink.

"I don't want to force you to come home honey. But we're worried." 

"I know dad." I put my hand on him for a second before bringing it back to my own hands. "But I don't think I can leave him. It would break me and I don't think I'd ever recover from it." 

"Really?" I nodded. 

"It's not like he saved me either dad. He wasn't some knight in shining armor. I had already done 6 weeks of it by myself, the plotting and planning and fixing myself, before he or anyone beside Mia knew what was happening. Then when he did know we still had a week at school before spring break and I think we spoke maybe once a day in the halls. But we invited them to the beach house as a thank you for helping and a sorry for Will and everything. And we just would talk for hours and hours and it felt so casual and natural. Even now, nothing feels forced. Its all on my speed and what I want. He didn't even kiss me until the day after he asked me out. And I kissed him first." 

He looked at me, sitting back in his chair like he was looking for something I was missing out. I wasn't going to tell him that when I kissed him it led to us having sex as well. The thought that my dad didn't see me as innocent anymore was gross enough. 

"Okay. I'll come back to the US with you. I'll meet him and we can go from there. I want to speak to your friends too. See how they feel about him. If and this is a big If Pops. If I think you're safe with him, we won't sell the house."