Open Your Arms

Chapter 33

December 24, 2003

"Okay, I need you to understand that there are going to be so many people there," I warn Ville as we pull up to my parents' house. "My mom invited all of hers' and my dads' work friends and then on top of that, extended family."

He nods, taking out another cigarette and smoking it. This is the fifth cigarette he's smoked today and it's only twelve in the afternoon. "How splendid."

"Shut up," I gently shove him and stare at the tattoo on his arm. 

I've found myself finding a lot of attraction for it lately for some reason. I've always thought that his tattoo sleeve is sexy, but our matching tattoo is a different type of attraction. 

I'm more attracted to it because of the meaning behind it. It was his idea to get the tattoo. I was discussing his birthday with him a couple days before it and I brought up the idea of a new tattoo for him and I'd pay for it. He was the one that thought up of us getting matching ones. 

At first I was against it. I didn't think that it was going to be something meaningful--I thought that it was going to be something similar to the heartagram tattoos that he and Bam share together--but then we were brainstorming and came up with that. 

There was no way I could say no to getting that tattoo with him, especially for his birthday. 

Seeing everyone's reactions to it made it worth it. Ryan, Angie, Bam, Jenn, April, and Phil were all surprised that I even got it in the first place, but ended up adoring it after hearing what it meant to us. 

"Are you ready to go inside?" He asks me. 

I nod and he holds my hand, then we knock on the door. I wore a strapless dress--just so that everyone could see my tattoo--but Ville wore a black button-up shirt, so they're not going to be able to see his tattoo he got with me. 

The door opens and my mom gasps, then smiles at me, not giving me a hug. "Merry Christmas Eve!" She gives Ville a hug too, then allows us in by stepping to the side. 

Numerous people fill the room, but we don't acknowledge any of them. Majority of these people I have never seen before in my life. Instead, I grab Ville's hand and guide him through the mess of people. 

I decide that we should sit down on the couch where no one else really is, surprisingly. They're all standing around with drinks in their hands and talking amongst the other. 

"Have you ever done this before?" Ville asks me with a confused look on his face. 

"Yeah, I have," I reply. "I would normally just stand off to the side with Hailey, but now that you're here I don't have to."

"Well doesn't that mean she'll be alone today?"

I shrug. "We'll know when we see her."

He wraps an arm around my shoulders and plants a kiss atop my head, when a woman our age approaches us. As soon as I realize who she is, I jump up from the couch and give her a hug. 

"Oh my God, Priscilla!" I exclaim, still not believing that this is really her. I haven't seen her in numerous years and she's grown so much, yet looks the exact same. I pull away from her and examine her face. 

"Larissa," She smiles. "It's so nice to see you."

"Oh, sorry," I chuckle and motion for Ville to stand up. He leans forward and shakes Priscilla's hand. "Priscilla, this is Ville--my boyfriend. Ville, this is Priscilla--my cousin. We used to be really close but then she just had to move to Florida."