𝓦𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓜𝓻𝓼. 𝓘𝓷𝓯𝓪𝓶𝓸𝓾𝓼 𝓜𝓮𝓽 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓜𝓪𝓼𝓸𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓼𝓽...

Chapter 60

Carina's POV

I was so happy finally meeting Delilah's beautiful boyfriend. He was everything she said he was and more. The way Michael looked at her like she was a sight for sore eyes was so admirable and endearing, it made me glad that Del had someone who was so in love with her, I had a feeling in my heart that they might live happily ever after if the circumstances were right for both of them. Delilah told me Michael would meet all our other friends at Palaye Royale's Christmas party that would be in a few days. I was excited for it, as it would be my first Christmas with such amazing friends and a lovely boy who loves me and treats me like a "rare gem" like he once said. When it got late, I turned in for the day and exclaimed how happy I was to finally meet Michael before I left the diner and made my way back home.

When I got to the lobby of the apartment building, I checked my mailbox and found the same regular bills for the month, but then I also found a letter from my parents and waited until I got to my apartment unit to read it. When I got comfortable, I opened the envelope and took the letter out and started reading it, not prepared for what I was about to face:

Dear Carina,

We hope all is well for you in your new home in Querencia. We have no doubt that you're doing excellent in school and at your job, and will never stop believing in you. We forgive you for walking out on us on Thanksgiving and hope you can forgive us for whatever we did wrong. We know you were expecting us to visit you for Christmas, but unfortunately, we are unable to do that this year as many complications prevent us from doing so. We deeply apologize letting you down but to help make up for it, we left inside the envelope with this letter $500 ask a Christmas present. We promise to visit you in your new home eventually, but for now, we hope you have a great Christmas and New Year's and that you'll keep us in your thoughts and heart. We always have with you. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Love,
Mother and Father

My heart was already sunk in disappointment by the part where they said they couldn't come, and then I checked inside the envelope and found 5 $100 bills like the letter said. I stared at both the money and the letter and you'd think I would be happier about the money, but the money would not be worth the joy and pleasure of having my parents see me in my new home and meet all the lovely people who made my life better when I moved here. I know for a fact that they would disapprove of Remington, but I didn't care. I wanted to show them the boy who made me feel love when I thought I wasn't meant for it and show how well he's treated me and how he makes me feel safe and secure and cherished. Rem would probably think I was crazy for letting him meet my parents to just have them hate him, but I love him more than my parents' approval of him.

I crumbled up the letter in my hand and just threw it in some random direction, and then I felt tears build up inside of me and I let them fall. while crying out in anger, frustration, disappointment, etc. Why wasn't anything I do ever good enough for my parents? Why couldn't they return the favor and do something for me this once instead of me having to do something? That's bullshit in that letter: if they really wanted to visit me, they would have given up anything else to spend Christmas with their only child. My parents are just selfish and always want me to please them. Well, no more. I refuse to let my parents be involved in anything else that means a lot to me. I'm just going to stick to what makes me happy. That's my friends, my dog, and my boyfriend.

I had every intention of burning the money just to do it out of spite, but then I thought of something better to do with it. My parents probably expected me to use it to buy Christmas presents for myself, but I don't want any presents to be honest. I want to make my friends happy. So I looked into a few special catalogues I've been saving and got some extra envelopes and made some orders that will create a lot of happy faces when they arrive in time for Christmas. Still, I couldn't shake this annoying feeling that made my heart hurt and wish I wasn't here. The worst part was when Remington came over to visit, and I had to pretend nothing was wrong.

He never stayed in such a short amount of time. He could see I was upset, but I didn't want to bother him with my personal issues. He ended up pushing and pushing, and I was on my last nerve when I snapped at him. "Remington, I already told you: There's nothing wrong so please stop pestering me! The last thing I want to do is unload all my problems on you and you don't deserve that!" I didn't look at him, and he was quiet for the longest time before finally saying, "If unloading your problems meant I could help you find peace, it would mean the world to me of you did. I guess I'm not the one to help you, then." There was hurt in his words and it made me feel guilty, but before I could apologize, he walked out the door and never looked back. I cried myself to sleep believing I had lost the only boy who ever loved me for who I am just because I was still scared of letting him in.

OH NO!!! What will happen to Carina and Remington now? Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be interesting anymore, now wouldn't it? Much more to be revealed soon now that I'm done with school and I can post more content for you all to enjoy. I love you all so much!!! 🤗🤗🤗