The girl from New York

42| Presents

"W-Well, I mean." I stuttered, trying to get my words to work. "I-I, Erm..." I looked at my dad. He was smiling at me respectively; not at all as mad as I thought he'd be. John seemed to find this humorous, as did Aiden. "What makes you think we're dating?"

"Maybe the fact that you're both holding hands as we speak, and let's not forget about that bathroom incident that happened half an hour ago." Colin gave me a pleased smirk. "Also, there were these pictures that Claire had so generously showed me." He tossed his phone to me, and I caught it.

There were the pictures of when Alex and I woke up on the porch swing, another from when he had kissed my cheek when we took that group photo, and one more of me curling up in Alex's arms during the car trip home.

"Over a week." I sighed in defeat, handing the phone back to Colin. He took it and glared for a long time at Alex, who was being very nonchalant about this whole ordeal- He was Humming!

"Earth to Alex." I said flatly, waving a hand in front of his face.

"Yeah?" He said in a sweet voice. I scoffed.

"Did you even hear anything I had said?" I asked sourly.

"Of course I did. I'm just keeping quite so that I'm not murder right away." He answered seriously. Now it was my brothers turn to scoff. Dad stood up and went to go check on the supper we had been cooking: Mediterranean chicken with rice and broccoli. Alex, Claire and Nate are probably going to think I'm even weirder, because I actually like broccoli.

"We won't kill you... As long as you don't sneak off again to have anymore kissy-kissy moments." John said with a laugh. I rolled my eyes and shuffled closer to Alex.

"Supper's ready!" Dad announced from the kitchen. I stood up and limped awkwardly over to the table, having ditched my crutches in my bedroom way earlier today.

We all sat down at the table, after fixing our plates. Alex tried to get a spoonful of my rice. I slapped his hand away with my own spoon.

"We may be dating." I said. "But that doesn't mean you get to touch my food."

💛🖤💛

After supper was finally finished and cleaned up, everyone gathered in the living room. Well, almost everyone. Alex and I snuck off into my room to exchange our presents.

Alex shook the box wrapped in a green wrapping paper that I handed him. "Is it a... book?" I shook my head with a hidden smile. His eyebrows frowned with confusion and he opened up the box. His eyes lit up immediately when he saw the contents. Holding up the book Green Eggs and Ham, he leaned in and kissed my cheek with a chuckle.

"I feel like that present was secretly an insult. Now you open yours." He said handing me a small box wrapped neatly in black wrapping wrapping paper and a gold bow. I opened it, when I saw the present, I chocked on some tears.

"Oh my god." I said, my words muffled through my hand, which I had clasped over my mouth to retrain the tears. I lifted up the gold heart locket and started with teary eyes at the pictures inside: one of my mother and the other one of me. "H-How did you find this?"

"Simple: Your dad found it and asked me to give it to you on Christmas." He said with a soft smile. This is the Alex I love: The one who's kind and thoughtful and gentle.

"Thank you so much." I said as I put on my long lost locket and buried my head gratefully into his shoulder. He hugged me close to him, and I wish we could stay in this position forever. To have his protective arms around me at all times, making me feel safe and warm and fuzzy on the inside.

I'm not familiar with this feeling, but I don't want it to end.

"Merry Christmas Brooklyn." He said softly, his voice almost a whisper. I smiled and closed my eyes.

"Merry Christmas Alex."