Authors: Monica Miller
“Yeah, you perfectness,” I said sarcastically and he smirked.
We “argued” about that all the way towards the restaurant and it was so funny because we didn’t take ourselves seriously, but if someone heard us it would totally sound pretty real. The food at the restaurant of Empire was amazing and we stood there about an hour and a half then we took a cab - we stopped one pretty easily - and headed towards George’s apartment.
Lydia wasn’t at home and George was relieved to have some time to finish up with his business meeting and he gave Matt instructions of how to act around Travis, that we mustn’t buy him ice cream and that he should be at home by 7.
Matt lifted Travis in his arms and never let him down until we reached the park and Travis felt the need of running around in circles and being as energetic as any other kid.
“Em…” Travis started holding my hand. “Do you want ice cream?”
“Well… We shouldn’t…” I started looking at Matt who shook his head. “Your dad said you can’t eat ice cream, Travie. It’s really cold,” I continued and he let go of my hand and went over to Matt. “Sure, I’m the bad cop now.”
“You have to listen to Ems, okay buddy?” Matt asked with a smile, lifting him up. “We can get hot chocolate. What about that?”
“But I wanted ice cream, Uncle Matt…” he complained and Matt sighed. “And I don’t like Emma,” Travis continued.
“Well, your opinion doesn’t actually matter, Travis,” Matt told him with a harsh tone.
“Matthew!” I exclaimed and he shrugged.
“What? It’s true,” Matt told him and let Travis on the ground again. “You’re old enough to walk on your own,” he said and then grabbed my hand and I sighed. I couldn’t say anything, because Travis already disliked me, although last night he said he liked me, but I guess kids’ opinions change like the wind.
We went to a park for kids and Travis ran to the swing and Matt had to go over and watch him, because the kid was pretty wild.
I sat on a bench pulling my coat tighter around me and ignoring the cold. I imagined in Los Angeles I could wear a t-shirt and shorts now. It was nice to watch Matt and Travis play, so I focused on them thinking about how great he actually was. I know him for almost five years now and he surprises me every time. Matt was one of the most unpredictable people I’ve ever met. Nothing is predictable about him, but somehow that’s a part of charm.
“Whatcha thinking about?” Matt asked as he sat next to me.
“Um… Nothing, I was just watching you two. Is he safe in that swing by himself?”
“Yes, don’t worry about the little monster,” he answered with a smile. “Are you okay?”
“Yep. He’s really nice, you know? Travis.”
“Yes. And he likes you, don’t worry. He’s just being spoiled, okay?” Matt said as he wrapped his hand around my waist. “But he’s adorable.”
“I know. All kids are adorable.”
“Yeah, but can you imagine our kids?” Matt asked and I froze.
What? Our… kids? Like… Ours? Together? No, he couldn’t mean it like that. Maybe he’s talking about… His kids and my kids. Two different kids with different parents.
“Um… I-I… don’t know,” I stuttered and he just laughed.
Laughed? Hey, what about you explain it and say it like should’ve sounded in the first place! But no, he was standing there with his hand around me and a serene expression on his face while watching Travis. How can he do that? Say something so important and then let it just go away?
I was haunted by Matt’s words the whole day. Did he mean it? Or I was just too into him and I started hearing things and understand him completely wrong? Was that possible? Maybe there was a slight chance that he actually meant that. Maybe he realized that we could be pretty good together and that somehow if we had a kid, he’d be cute. Especially if he had the Matt’s looks.
Okay, Emma, stop it! You can’t just start picturing babies with Matt! But they’d be so cute!
*
The next few days just went flying. We had dinner with his new business partner, Jake and his wife and we had a really good time so we saw them again when we went to see a show on Broadway. The rest of the days we just wandered around New York, visiting museums or places we wanted to see.
I hated to be reminded that we eventually had to come back to Los Angeles, although I missed the warmth.
We still had a couple of days in New York and it still wasn’t enough for me. We were lying in bed after a sleepless night after we went clubbing with George and Lydia when Matt received a phone call and went to the balcony to talk and I remained in the warm blankets with my eyes almost closed.
“Emma, my parents want to break up,” Matt told me as he sat on the edge of the king sized bed and sighed. I moved closer to him and waited for him to say anything else but he didn’t.
“What? What happened?”
“I have no freaking idea…” he whispered and I placed my hand in his and he gave me a weak smile. “Can you imagine this? I’ll have a broken family.”
“C’mon, Matthew, it’s not like that,” I laughed but he gave me a serious look. “I’m sorry. What can we do?”
“I don’t know. I have no idea. Can you imagine? Having your parents broke up when you’re almost 27?” he said with a sad smile.
“You should go see them when we’ll finish everything here.”
“Do you think it’s a good idea?” he asked and I nodded. “Will you come with me, Ems?”
“Of course,” I replied immediately and I let my head on his shoulder. “You know I’ll always be there for you, Matthew, right?”
He nodded without adding a word and placed his hand on my waist, pulling me closer to him. I breathed his manly scent. How can a guy be that hot and still be cool about it? Well, he wasn’t that cool about it, but I knew that most of the time it was just to drive me crazy.
“I seriously have no idea what would I do without you, love,” he said and my heart melted.
“I know,” I whispered and he giggled. “Anyway, it would be a good occasion for me to visit my parents and old friends…”
“Yeah, and we get to spend Valentine’s Day there,” he said and I raised an eyebrow. “Together,” he added and winked at me.
What?
“And that is supposed to sound interesting or alluring somehow?” I asked and he laughed.
“Let me try something and you’ll answer me later, okay?” he asked and I nodded.
He turned to face me completely and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear and I looked into his deep, blue eyes and he leaned into me until his lips softly touched mine and my heart stopped. For a second I didn’t do anything until he placed his hand on the back of my head, pulling me into him and I opened my mouth to meet his tongue as he slowly caressed my back and continued this painfully amazing agony. I wrapped my arms around his neck as our kiss deepened.
Matt pulled away after a few seconds and smirked.
“So does it sound interesting and alluring to you now, Miss West?”
“You’re such a jerk,” I told him laughing. “Nope. But you know, I guess I can be persuaded,” I added shrugging. He smiled and kissed me again.
Chapter 20
Valentine’s Day
~*~
E
mma
W
est
~*~
It was weird to be in my room again. Of course, I’ve been visiting my parents over the five years that had passed, but I never stayed more than one night here because I had college or something. And now that Matt wanted to stay here more, I was allowed to enjoy my old room again.
I dropped my luggage on the floor and smelled the air I knew so well. Nothing has changed since I’ve left. My four poster bed had the same purple curtains, the walls were still light purple, my old library had the same books as ever and my wardrobe had clothes I hadn’t wore in years. I sat excited on the edge on the bed, touching the blanket and feeling its fabric. I sighed and laid in bed, thinking about New York, Matt, Los Angeles, Matt, everything, Matt.
Everything that had happened since we left Los Angeles has been awesome for us. Especially the time we spent with Travis or just walking around in Central Park holding hands. There wasn’t a better feeling than holding hands with Matt and talking to him until the sun rose again.
My phone vibrated and I sighed. I thought about Monica and Gabrielle and remembered I haven’t spoken to them in about a week and I knew nothing about what happened to them lately. I opened the text and a smile spread on my lips.
“Awkward 2 be
in a house w/o u. Miss u already.”
I thought about it myself. After being used to live with Matt, coming back to my parents was weird. Mom was now making such a fuss about it and she decided to make me my favorite cookies, and she told me to invite Matt for dinner.
Ever since she met him on Prom night she liked him. And it was weird because my mom had always been picky and she never liked anyone. Not even my father. He actually struggled a lot to make her go out with him. I think that’s actually sweet, considering no one ever struggled to make me go out with him. Things just… happened for me. Was it wrong I wanted something special and fantastic? Every girl wishes to have a guy fighting for her. Yeah, that’s not happening in real life. Anyway, my mom actually liked Matt. He and my dad got along really well, they were always talking politics and economics, and he was always telling him about his job and my dad used to give him a lot of advice, and it was comforting to watch them. He even introduced his parents to my parents and now our dads were going golfing together and our moms stayed at home and shared recipes, and they were really good friends now.
I always enjoyed spending time with Matt’s family. When he introduced me to them about a year after we met, they liked me immediately even though I have no idea why. And they always thought Matt and I were more than friends. His mother said that she’s happy that Matt finally decided to introduce them a girl. So I wondered why he hasn’t introduced Serena to them. Maybe he knew she wasn’t girlfriend material after all. But neither was I.
“Honey, do you care if you help me in the kitchen, please? We could get to talk that way.”
“Sure mom!” I yelled back and ran to my personal bathroom to change.
I missed my little bathroom. My room was next to Rick’s and when we lived here we had to share the bathroom, but it was great though. I would’ve liked if Rick had decided to come here as well, but he had a new job as an account assistant so I couldn’t ask him to come on week days.
Looking into the mirror, I realized that I had a big smile on my face and I remembered the text from Matt and my heart started beating like crazy. I didn’t want to feel like this, because I knew this wasn’t… I had no idea what this was. We acted like we were dating all the time in New York, going to breakfast together and laughing so hard everyone in the restaurant looked at us; or our strolls in Central Park when he had his hand around my waist and whispered things in my ears and my heart just melted at his closeness. Or the way he kissed me or how he smiled…
“Emma, could you hurry? I could use a hand here!” mom yelled and I nodded to myself as I changed into some sweat pants and a loose shirt and hurried down the stairs.
“I’m here, sorry,” I said with a shy smile and saw mom all caught up in ingredients and she looked so cute. I knew how worried she has been for us living so far away from home and now she was so excited to have me home for more than a few days. “I missed you,” I said simply while I hugged her.
I knew she must’ve wanted to comment something about my display of affection, because she wasn’t the hugger type or just someone who’d show her emotions that easily, and besides that she was all covered in sugar and everything from the cake, but she just hugged me back.
“I missed you too, sweetheart,” mom told me and I sighed. How much I wanted Rick to be here!
*
The rest of the day passed quickly. I helped mom bake the cookies, and prepare the dinner. We talked about New York and I told her everything, except kissing and holding hands with Matt. I knew my mom wouldn’t like to hear about this.
At twilight I stood on the porch with my dad just talking and he expressed how quiet everything was around here since Rick and I left, and I felt bad. It was weird realizing I’ve moved out of my parents’ house almost five years ago and that I was a grown up now. Somehow I deal with it every day, but I never let it go to my head and actually understand it.
“Good evening, Mr. West,” Matt said appearing out of nowhere.
He looked so beautiful with blue jeans and a white shirt and his hair messy. What I actually
loved
about him was his big, bright smile. He met my gaze and my dad said we should go inside and was followed by Matt’s parents who apparently came to dinner as well. After a couple of minutes of hugging Matt’s mom and complimenting each other, we were left alone on the porch.
I sat back on the wooden chair and Matt did as well, moving the chair next to mine and taking my hand in his while he lent onto me and placed a kiss on my lips. I was a little caught off guard because I didn’t want our parents to know about whatever this is. I don’t even know what this is, I know my mom would make such a big deal out of it and Matt’s mom would be too excited.
“Emma, stop,” Matt whispered as his thumb caressed my cheek and I looked at him confused. “You’re over thinking, Ems and I don’t like that.”
“How do you know I’m over thinking? Maybe I’m analyzing the weather.”
“Oh, you know tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day?” Matt changed the subject with a smirk on his lips.
“Yeah, so?”
“So…” he started slowly pulling me into him and kissing me. “I was invited to this awesome party and I want you to be my date,” he whispered in my ear before started kissing my jaw line and I bit my lip. “God, you really make me feel like that Christian guy,” Matt started and I laughed.
“I’d love to be your date tomorrow,” I whispered caressing his cheek and he smiled.
“Good. We should go inside, right?” he asked as he started walking towards the door and took my hand.
“Um, I don’t think we should… I mean it’s not that… But my mom…”