EMMA’s POV :
----- One Month Later - --- -
I woke up this morning to an alarming text from lan.
lan: Emergency.
Ally’s in the hospital.
Call me ASAP.
I jolted from the bed and quickly called his phone.It rang for a few times before he finally picked up.
"Hey? What’s going on?"I said to the phone.
"It's bad,"he sighed.
"I found her lying unconscious in her apartment last night.I had to bring her to the hospital to get her stomach pumped.She was mixing alcohol and prescription drugs,"
"Oh, no..."I breathed.
"How’s she doing now?"
"She's okay now that they've pumped her insides.But she’s not doing well at all.I'm worried about her,"
"Have you called her parents...or Richard?"
"She explicitly told me not to,"
"So, what can you do?"
"Nothing...I just have to stay with her and make sure she doesn't do anything else stupid,"he scoffed.
"Oh..."
"Yeah..."
Okay, I don’t wanna be a petty bitch, but come on! I know Ally’s going through some hard time, but does she really have to keep doing this to my fiancée? When is this gonna end? It keeps going on and on! Whoa, now.
Slow down there, Emma.
A girl was fighting for her life in the hospital and all I could think about was my relationship.
Those were some very selfish thoughts.
I ended up scolded myself internally for being such an immature brat.
"So, I guess...there’s gonna be a slight change of plans for Christmas?"
I said to him cautiously.
"Yeah, that's also what I wanna talk to you about..."his tone was cautious too.
lan and I had a special rendezvous all planned out for this Christmas.
There was this amazing Van Gogh exhibition at the Met, which was lan’s favorite artist of all time, so I got us tickets for it as his Christmas present.
This year for Christmas, we wanted to give each other the gift of ‘ experiences’ instead of material things.
The Van Gogh exhibition would have been an amazing one full day experience where we could be transported to Paris in the 1880s.
What could be more romantic than that? lan, on the other hand, had booked us the suite room at the Plaza Hotel.
He knew that I grew up watching Home Alone 2 for Christmas, so he wanted to give me the ' Kevin’ package.
We were gonna ride around in a limousine and eat pizza before spending a romantic night together at the hotel suite.
But with just one phone call, all those plans were swirling down the toilet.
"Well, I can always auction off the tickets,"
I sighed as I grabbed the tickets in my hand.
Such a sad reminder of how epic our Christmas would have been.
"Would you mind? I know I’ve done this so many times already..."
"If that’s what you wanna do, it's fine.I understand,"
I tried to sound as casual as possible, hiding away my bitter disappointment.
"But you should still come to New York.We can spend some time together? A night at the Plaza?"
"You think so?"
"Yeah, absolutely.I mean, you still wanna come see me, right?"
"Of course I do,"
"Great.I'll see you this weekend, then?"
"Yeah,"
"I love you, baby girl.Thank you for being so understanding,"
"Sure..."
As soon as I ended the call, I let out the biggest dramatic sigh ever.
phone angrily on the
room, Sophie was eating cereal and watching TV, while Tristan was typing
on the school
"Good morning, Emmie.Cereal?"
Sophie beamed cheerfully.
"Ugh, hmm,"
incoherently and staggered
"Uh-oh.That doesn’t look good,"
Sophie said to Tristan.
looked up from his laptop screen and watched me
Is it that time of the month
a joke, but I
talked to lan on the phone," I said with another
and Tristan exchanged
"Wait, let me guess,
go to a Van Gogh
I said I
"Aw, that was sweet,"
Sophie pouted.
He has to
Tristan asked.
got
"That girl Ally?"
Sophie narrowed her eyebrows.
"Yup,"
I don’t even
pretended to gag, causing me
told them
was always the thorn
time, I was convinced that she was out to ruin my
idea, but Tristan
friend for her? She did help him start the gallery, which is Ian’s dream.He might
logical and mature out of all
I should listen to
petty wasn't gonna get
my Christmas," I said, full of resolution as I sipped a gulp of strong
game plan?"
the supportive girlfriend that
Ally’s important for lan, then she’s important
to spend Christmas taking care of
for you, Emmie.That's a very
knew I was trying too hard.Okay, confession time: lan and I were eight years apart, I was
he thought I was a
to overcompensate and act mature, even though on the inside I
me.What are you guys’ plans for
to change the subject.The more I thought about it, the
Micah to New Jersey to meet my parents," Sophie said and she did
"That's a big step,"
and dad are dying
you?" I said
got some work
glued
through Christmas?
to
yourself a girlfriend.Your life is so sad, I'm depressed just hearing
Sophie commented.
up, my life’s not that
then looked up at me and
me, a
my eyes at him
drama.I'd rather focus on school, actually make something of myself, you
you can
"Nah, I'm good,"he shrugged.
honey more
agree
lying if I say I never thought about being
me wrong, I love
I did think that
the world without having to worry
school and his future career without any soap opera
"I said to Tristan, "And hey, if you get bored, you can always take the train
your precious time with your boyfriend? No, but thanks for the offer though," he
would definitely rather stay here than
a third-wheel.I was the one that insisted to go
I wanted more time with him,
was
I was third-wheeling on Ian
so doting on
would bring her lunch every day and feed her
know about, and they would laugh about things
of
by himself and I stayed in his apartment, watching Home
Eve and our suite reservation was
to be the most romantic thing ever, ringing in the New Year together in such a beautiful place...doing...beautiful
I’ve witnessed the past three days, the romance bone
out a sexy outfit for tomorrow, but I couldn't care
the night watching TV and eating Cheetos and a tub
heard that
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