Unexpected

Chapter 60.

I sit on the table and Albert sits next to me. He lays his hand on my knee and gives me a playful wink.

I chuckle and my cheeks are burning red.

"Oh My God! The present!" I instantly turn around and grab the TopShop bag behind my chair.

"What?" Albert looks at me with a confused expression.

"Sophia, I'm sorry, I forgot to give you your present when I arrived to the restaurant. I hope you like it!" I hand her the bag and Albert follows every movement.

"Thank you, Em!" Sophia makes an excited tone and opens the bag. Ellen and Sophia's father stares at her waiting to see her reaction.

"I love it, I love it, I love it! Thank you!" Sophia almost screams pulling me into a quick hug.

"And here we go again.." Albert shakes his head covering his ear with his finger.

"Oh shut up! Where's my present?" Sophia asks Albert and I chuckle.

"Did you really think I would buy you a present?" He laughs.

"Well, is what people do in other people's birthday.. You should have bought me a gift to make moi, the birthday girl, happy. Do you see me happy, right now, you asshole?" Sophia says and I laugh.

"Well, making you happy is not on my 'To Do List' so.." Albert tells her and Sophia roll her eyes.

"Well, do you know what I'm going to give you on your birthday?" Sophia says and Albert looks at her with a challenging expression.

"A hair brush or some kind of magical comb to end with that barbed wire!" Sophia says and I want to scold her for her not talk to Albert this way, but I know they're just playing around.

"Ha Ha. Do you know what I should have bought you? A fucking-"

"Enough!" Ellen says. "Today it's a very special dinner for us as a family, stop fighting at least for five minutes." Ellen seems to be upset with Albert and the way he looks at his mum tells me this is not going to be good.

"Family? Did you just said family?" Albert interrupts his mother and I lay my hand on his knee to soothe his harshly expression.

"Albert, please not now.." Ellen looks at him.

"No, I'm actually tired of this shit or what you like to call, 'family'." He fires back. Oh no.

"Albert.." Ellen threatens.

"You keep saying those things to me like it's fucking okay to say that. Do you really call this a family?" Albert says with hurt in his eyes mixtured with anger.

"Yes, son." She takes a deep breath. "This is a family to me and so to you." Ellen says with an serious expression.

"I think you may have forgotten what it is to have a family then." Albert snaps tossing his napkin to the table.

"And what's that suppose to mean?" Ellen fires back. Oh my god.

"Oh please, you started to date with Charles, only because you just couldn't keep all that guilt to yourself," Albert raises his tone. I have to do something.

"Albert, do not talk to me that way! I've been taking a lot of your disrespectful remarks and I'm tired." Ellen answers him with a scolding tone.

"Oh you're tired? You're tired.." Albert laughs while shaking his head. "You're tired of what exactly? Of spending nights and nights without sleeping? Of being shattered on the floor staring at old pictures and hearing the noise of a car beating against dad? You're tired of keep reminding yourself of the image of seeing him tossed on the floor covered in blood? You're tired of feeling guilt? Tired of thinking in how you never will play basketball with him again? Never will hear his voice? Are you that tired, mum?" Albert yells and Ellen is completely speechless, her eyes are bloodshot and I'm looking at Albert praying that he won't take this further. I lay my hand on his shoulder and I instantly feel it relaxing by my touch.

"Albert, you don't have the right to talk to me like that.." Ellen says with a shaky voice.

"I don't have th- Are you fucking kidding me?!" Albert yells standing up from his chair.

"You caused everything of this. You were fighting with him through that damn phone! That's why he pulled me away of that playground, admit it! You say that I don't have the right to speak to you this way? Well, dear mum, you were the responsible for dad's death, for my problem, for everything! You made all of this. And then what did you do? You found some bastard to replace my father and you expect me to deal with it?! Well you were fucking deluded. I'm living in your boyfriend's house, you have no right to be tired. I have, and I'm fucking done." Albert turns around and I look at Ellen one more time. She covers her face with her hands and Charles holds her.

"Albert, wait!" I call him to catch up to him.

"Leave me alone!" Albert yells but I ignore him.

I follow him outside and it's freezing but I don't care.

"Stop walking away from me!" I yell and he turns around.

"Didn't you hear me? Go away!" Albert yells walking towards me.

"Stop, I'm on your side.." I say with a lower voice stepping forward.

"Do you believe in what she just said? Is she fucking kidding me?! Who she think she is to tell me that she's tired?! She has done everything to make my life even more miserable! You know it!If it weren't you, I wouldn't even be able to sleep and she goes and tells me that shit?!" He walks in circles with uncontrolled breathing smacking his chest.

"I know Albert, I know, You have all the reasons to be upset.." I whisper and gently hold his arms with my hands.

"I'm so tired of this babe, so tired, I miss my dad," Albert's voice parts making him sound so young and vulnerable. My chest trembles on my chest at the sight of him like this.

"I know, I really do, I wish I could do anything to help you through this, anything to take your pain away.." I lay my hand on his back trying to give him some comfort through his thin white shirt.

"You're here, you're the only reason that makes me go through all of this shit." Albert says and his eyes are watery. He wraps his arms around me and I instantly hold him tightly. It really breaks my heart into million of pieces to see him this way. I wish I could transfer all his suffering and pain to me so I wouldn't have to see it haunting his beautiful eyes.

"I will never leave you again. I promise."

"Are you cold? I'm sorry that I made you come after me.. It's freezing outside," Albert rubs my back with his hands in an attempt to warm me up.

"No, I'm okay." I slightly remove my head from his chest to give him a comforting smile. I know that if I return to that restaurant Ellen will make me thousands of questions about Albert and she will never let me go with him so I think it's safer for me to stay with Albert.

He gently kisses my forehead pressing my body against his.

"I'm going to call a cab." Albert types on his phone without losing his grip.

I know that running away isn't the best solution here but as long as I'm with Albert I don't care about the consequences of not doing the right thing. I would do anything for him.

"Where are we going?" I ask Albert when he deeps his phone into his jeans' pocket.

"Away from here." Albert grabs a tress of my hair laying it gently behind my ear.

My subconscious is scolding me about how my parents will react when they find out about my absence and Ellen is going to be so worried about us, especially when Albert has the somnambulism, but I know that he feels safe when he's with me and he always tells me that he sleeps better when I'm beside him. All we need is each other.

I really need to apologise Sophia for living her birthday. Again.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" His eyes meet mine when the headlights of the cab light us in the dark of the night.

"Yeah." I answer him and he kisses my forehead once more.