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.
angrily on the bed
eating cereal and watching TV, while Tristan was typing on his
working on the school
"Good morning, Emmie.Cereal?"
Sophie beamed cheerfully.
"Ugh, hmm,"
and
"Uh-oh.That doesn’t look good,"
Sophie said to Tristan.
his laptop screen and watched me
you? Is it that time of
tried to crack a joke,
to lan on the phone," I said with another
Tristan
and asked, "Wait, let
to go to a Van
a room at the Plaza because I
"Aw, that was sweet,"
Sophie pouted.
what happened? He
Tristan asked.
he’s got this
"That girl Ally?"
Sophie narrowed her eyebrows.
"Yup,"
I don’t even like her
to gag, causing
them about
the thorn on my
a time, I was convinced that she
but Tristan brought
really is sick and Ian’s just trying to be a good friend for her? She did help him start the gallery, which is Ian’s dream.He might feel
more logical and mature out of all of
I should listen to
petty wasn't gonna
ruin my Christmas," I said, full of resolution as I sipped a gulp
your game plan?"
just gonna go out there and be the supportive girlfriend
for lan, then
care of her, I'll be right
Emmie.That's
eyes sarcastically.She knew I was trying too hard.Okay, confession time: lan and I were eight years apart,
I wondered if he thought I was a
to overcompensate and act mature, even though
me.What are you guys’
couch next to them, eager to change the subject.The more I thought about it, the more frustrated
Jersey to meet my parents,"
"That's a big step,"
are dying to meet
I said
staying here. I got some
glued to that laptop
Christmas? Really?"
happen to be enjoying
get yourself a girlfriend.Your life is so
Sophie commented.
up, my life’s not that bad," He
then looked up at me and said, "Plus, I already have
a
rolled my eyes at him
now.Too much drama.I'd rather focus on school, actually make something of myself, you know what I
can do both?"Sophie
"Nah, I'm good,"he shrugged.
more honey more problems.I like my life right
agree
I say I never thought about being
get me wrong, I love
think that being single has
example, she could travel the world without having to
could focus on school and
happy for you too, "I said to Tristan, "And hey, if you get bored, you can always take the train
your precious time with your boyfriend? No,
would definitely rather
the one that insisted to go with lan to
I wanted more
was just
third-wheeling on Ian
was so doting on
bring her lunch every day and feed her when she didn't feel like
know about, and they would laugh about things
three days of that,
go to the hospital by himself and I stayed in
New Year's Eve and our suite reservation
the most romantic thing ever, ringing in the New Year
the past three days,
a
Cheetos and a tub
you heard
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