“I…” I hesitate because I don’t want to tell them the truth.
“You guys should stay until at least tomorrow. Your mom and I are getting started on dinner in a couple of hours and by the time we eat, it’ll be too late for you to head back.”
“We’ll be fine,” I tell them while Emma just sits back and watches the exchange.
“You’ll be full and tired and tomorrow is Christmas Day, so I’m sure the two of you have it off.”
My dad should be a lawyer with the way he argues.
Mom joins forces with him. “We have to watch The Sound of Music in the morning. It’s tradition.” If only they knew I’m not the one who needs convincing.
I realize if I tell them the truth, part of it anyway, they’ll stop fighting me on it. “Emma isn’t prepared to stay over. I told her we were just coming for the day.”
I look to Emma, waiting for her to back me up.
“Do you have any plans for tomorrow, sweetheart?”
Oh no. Instead of getting my mom to back down, I’ve somehow encouraged her to change her strategy. Her voice takes on the sweet motherly tone she uses when she tries to get dad and I to do what she wants.
Emma looks at me then back at my mom. “Not really,” she answers with a shrug.
A wide smile forms on her face. “So, you wouldn’t mind spending the night here with us?”
Way to lay it on thick, Mom.
Emma pushes her glasses to the top of her head. “Um…” Her eyes find mine. I shrug, letting her know that I’m happy to do whatever she wants.
“Watching The Sound of Music does sound like a great plan,” Emma says, giving in. My mother stands up, beelining for her and hugging her tightly.
“Sorry,” I mouth to her when she looks at me.
I should’ve warned her that my family is filled with huggers.
EMMA
I couldn’t have imagined that Zack’s mom would get me to agree to stay the night. I mean, I wasn’t even supposed to be here in the first place. This day has been full of surprises and it isn’t even over yet.
When Zack mouths his apology to me, I just smile. Once again, I could’ve said no, but I didn’t want to. Having a nice dinner and a morning watching movies with family sounds so unlike what happens at my house. I could tell the moment I met his parents that they were good people. There’s just something about the kindness in their eyes and the comfort of Mrs. Hayes’ embrace.
“Did you bring any clothes with you?” Zack’s mom asks.
“No, ma’am… Margaret,” I correct.
“Zack, why don’t the two of you run over to a nearby store and grab a few things for Emma?”
I guess I’ll need a toothbrush now, among other things.
From beside me, Zack says, “Sure.”
“Your dad and I also have to head out to the grocery store to pick up a few last minute things.” At Mrs. Hayes’ words, her husband stands and follows her out the living room. I watch them retreat, focusing on the way Mr. Hayes’ hand is placed on his wife’s back. The gesture is so gentle—so unlike the ones my parents share—that I can’t help compare.
“Are you ready?”
I turn to find Zack towering over me.
Nodding, we walk out the front door, toward my car. “Do you mind driving?” I ask. I’m kind of tired of driving already.
“Sure.”
I hand him the keys and climb into the passenger seat.
“So, you’re staying over, huh?” he says, smug, once I strap myself in.
I shrug. “I didn’t know how to say ‘no’ to your mom.”
He smiles. “It’s a tough thing to do, trust me. But I can say no for you if you want.”
Does he want me to say no?
I hesitate before answering because I don’t know what to do. I mean, I know what I want to do. “What do you want? I mean…” I start thinking about the options we have. “We could do a couple of things. We could leave tonight after dinner. I could leave tonight and you can stay and we’ll meet for tutoring tomorrow. Or I could stay the night. I’ll let you choose.” I don’t know which choice I should make, so I make him pick. Then, I’ll know if he wants me to stay or leave.
“Do you mind staying the night?” he says, his words so low I almost miss them.
“Do you want me to stay?”
“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be asking.” He seems sincere, but by the way his eyes widen after he says them, I see he’s shocked even himself.
I nod. “Okay. I’ll stay.”
“Let’s get you some pajamas then.”
I smile. “Lets.”
25
EMMA
Zack pulls into the Target parking lot and parks the car.
“Okay, so what are you getting?” he asks as we walk inside. The bright red signs everywhere make me more excited than they should. I’ve never been to Target on Christmas Eve before, but I have a feeling I’m going to be here a very long time—not just because I love it here, but because the lines are massive. I guess some people take last-minute Christmas shopping seriously. Speaking of last-minute Christmas shopping, I mentally add getting gifts for Zack and his parents to my list. I’ll have to figure out how to keep Zack’s prying eyes from seeing them because I want to surprise him.
They’re opening their house to me and I’m practically a complete stranger. The least I can do is show them my appreciation.
“I need a toothbrush, pajamas, underwear…” I start listing all the things I need.
“Do you need a second outfit for tomorrow?” he asks.
I think about it before deciding it’s not necessary. “I don’t think so. I could just wear the same thing I have on today.”
“Wow, repeating an outfit,” he says in mock horror.
“I’d never do that. I was just kidding.”
“Were you?”
I laugh. “Nope. I’m cool with wearing my clothes more than once.”
“I should’ve probably told you…”
“Told me what?” I ask, bracing myself.
He bites his lip and I zero in on his mouth before forcing myself to look him in the eyes instead—not that it makes it much better. “My parents like to dress up for Christmas Eve dinner…like really dress up.”
“Dude! You suck! Why didn’t you tell me?” All I packed was a cardigan in case I got cold, a science book, a romance book and my laptop. If he’d told me about the dress code earlier, I could’ve brought something nice to wear.
He scratches his head. “I sort of forgot.”
Pretending to be mad, I say, “You’re terrible.” But my smile betrays me.
“I know, but you don’t seem to mind.”
“It’s too early to tell. I’ll add a dress to the list.”
Zack gets a devious look in his eyes. “Let’s divide and conquer. You can choose the outfit for dinner tonight and toiletries, and I’ll pick out your pajamas and underwear!”
My mouth hangs open, making Zack burst out laughing. “Absolutely not.” There’s no way I’m letting him pick out my underwear. I can’t believe he’d ask in the first place. Well, it’s Zack, so I guess it’s not too farfetched.
He raises both hands in front of him in surrender and steps away from me. “I’m really good at picking clothes,” he argues.
He’s such a clown. “You can pick the pajamas and the dress. I’ll get toiletries and underwear.” I like the idea of dividing and conquering because it gives me an opportunity to get the gifts without him knowing. The price to pay, however, is being stuck with a terrible outfit. I guess I can always change it if I don’t like it.
Some risks are worth taking.
I just hope this is one of them.
“Deal. What size are you?”
I don’t think a guy has ever asked me that question before. “Medium.”
“Got it!”
I look down at my boots. They won’t go well with a dress. “Can you also grab some flats? Size eight.”
“Is a size eight considere
d big for girls?” he asks and I glare at him. “You know what? Just forget I asked.”
“Okay. So you go your way, I’ll go mine. We’ll meet here in forty.”
“Forty minutes? How long does it take you to get toiletries?”
I know it won’t take me long to get what I need but figuring out the perfect gifts will. I give in. “Fine. Thirty-five minutes. I’ll meet you by register five. Please don’t pick out a terrible dress.”
“I’ve got good taste!” he argues.
“I don’t know about that,” I respond. He looks at me, his mouth opening as if he wants to say something but then doesn’t. “See you in a bit,” I tell him before walking away.
ZACK
I’m in the women’s section of Target picking out a dress and shoes. I’m so freaking thankful none of the guys are here to see this because this would do some real damage to my reputation.
Searching through the racks, every dress I pick doesn’t seem like the right one. I need to find one that will complement Emma.
Seriously? What the hell am I doing right now?
Before I can answer my own stupid question, I see a red dress hanging on the wall. My mind immediately wanders to the girl from the celebration party. I don’t have enough information to find her, so what’s the point in lingering on her?
Turning around, another dress captures my attention. This one is light pink, not as daring as the red, but something that I think will look good on Emma. It’s a little tighter on the top and then flares out at the hem. It’s pretty—and something I know she’ll agree to wear. Making up my mind, I look for one in Emma’s size.
Throwing the dress over my shoulder, I head over to the shoe department and start looking for a pair that will match. As I look over the racks, I suddenly feel out of my depth. I almost exclusively wear running shoes and sneakers, so I don’t even know where to start.
“Can I help you find anything?” a girl wearing a red shirt says and I look at the logo and her name-tag.
As an employee, she’s probably the perfect person to help me find what I need. “Yes, please. I’m trying to find some shoes.”
“For the dress?” she says, pointing at my shoulder. I hope she doesn’t think it’s mine. It’s not like I could ever fit into a medium-sized dress and size eight women’s shoes, even if I wanted to.
“Yeah…my…my girlfriend challenged me to find her an outfit for Christmas dinner.” The word girlfriend rolls out of my mouth so easily it scares me. This is the second time I’ve referred to Emma as such and, even though the first time I was joking and this time I’m lying, it seems to be getting easier and easier.
She takes me in and I can see it in the way she bites her lip that she’s disappointed I’m here shopping for someone else. “Wow, she must have a lot of faith in you.”
“She does.” I grab the dress from my shoulder and hold it in both hands so she can see what I’m working with. “What do you think about this one?”
She inspects it for a few seconds. Then, her eyes find mine. Once again, I notice the way she checks me out, her eyes flashing with disappointment at the knowledge I’m taken. The truth is I’m not and, for the life of me, I don’t know why that disappoints me. Being single has never bothered me before.
“It’s pretty. I think she’ll like it. She’s a lucky girl.”
I smile. “I’m the lucky one.” I clear my throat when she stares at me for so long it starts to make me uncomfortable. “Do you have any suggestions?”
“I saw the perfect pair earlier that would go great with this dress,” Target girl says excitedly. She looks back to ensure I’m following. “What size shoe is she?”
“Eight,” I respond.
“What do you think about these?” she opens a box and shows me a pair of cream flats. They look okay, I guess.
“These look great!” I say, faking enthusiasm, but if she thinks they go with this dress, then that’s good enough for me. Picking out a dress I can do, but shoes I’m less invested in.
“Perfect, here you go. Let me know if you need anything else.”
“This should be all, thank you.” I grab the box from her and start walking away. “Wait,” I say, turning around when a thought comes to mind. “What do you think would be make a good Christmas present for my…girlfriend?” I already got my parents gifts—they’re in my bag—but I didn’t get Emma one since things happened so suddenly. She deserves one. She’s more than earned it.
“What does she like? Is she into jewelry?”
“Actually,” I say with a smile because I do know exactly what she’s into. “She’s into books.”
Target girl nods slowly. “I can’t say that’s my area of expertise.”
“Could you point me in the direction of the books?” I’m sure I can pick something out on my own.
“That I can do.” Target girl gives me directions and I beeline for that section. I take a look at my surroundings, ensuring Emma isn’t around, and browse the shelves until my eyes land on what I think will be the perfect book for her. I mean, it’s not like I’ve read it before, but I know it was the one thing missing from her bookshelf. I laugh when I remember the deer-caught-in-headlights look in her eyes when I found her Fifty Shades books. I can’t wait to see the look in her eyes when she gets this one.
26
EMMA
“You know you didn’t have to do that, right?” I ask Zack as he gets into the driver’s seat of my car.
He shrugs. “I had to get out of there! There was a Target employee creeping me out.”
I smile at his ridiculous statement. “It can only happen to you, Zack.” Glancing over my shoulder into the back seat, I take in his bags. “You should’ve let me pay for the dress and shoes though. I’ll pay you back.”
Shaking his head, he says, “Nope, you’ll do no such thing. I wanted to get them for you.”
I chew my bottom lip. He already told me his family isn’t doing so well financially. The last thing he needs to do is spend money on me. My gaze jumps to him when he reaches over and touches my knee.
“Hey,” he says softly. “Don’t worry about it. It was Target, not Ann Taylor.”
Relaxing a little, I say, “Yeah, I definitely do not do my shopping there.”
“How come?”
I shrug. “It’s too fancy for me. Anyway, are you going to show me the dress any time soon?”
“I’ll show it to you.”
“When?”
“Don’t open it! I’ll show it to you when we get home.”
“How am I supposed to wait until then?”
He grins. “It’s called self-control, Emma. I’m sure you’ve got some.”
And just like that, I’m transported back to when we almost kissed in my room. I swallow audibly. “Okay. Fine.”
“In the meantime, wanna show me the underwear you got?” he asks with a wink.
I squeal. “No!”
His chuckle fills the air. Shrugging, he pulls out of the parking lot. “It was worth a shot.”
“I feel like you think everything’s worth a shot.”
“I live by the saying that you miss one-hundred percent of the shots you never take.”
“You definitely missed this shot; I’m not showing you my underwear.”
“Not yet,” I think I hear him mutter under his breath. I smile to myself but don’t say anything in response. I don’t need to fuel the fire that’s bound to burn the two of us, or at the very least, me.
When we arrive at Zack’s house, he parks the car and we walk up the steps, side by side. I’m surprised at how comfortable I am here—how comfortable Zack makes me.
It shouldn’t be this easy. He’s a football player, my head reminds my heart. Because, while I’ll never admit this out loud, I can’t help looking at him for longer than I should. I can’t stop feeling the desire to run my fingers through his red hair. Even when he laughs, I find myself laughing too.
“So, when are you going to let me see the dress?” I
ask, just as he opens the door.
“When are you going to let me see your underwear?”
“Zackary Hayes, did I just hear you right?”
I turn to find his mother standing just a few feet from the door. I can’t believe she overheard him; that’s so embarrassing! I look at Zack to see how he’ll respond—expecting him to deny it.
“I’m kidding, Mom,” he says with a smile. “Also, you do know my name’s not Zackary, right?” he asks, taking off his jacket. I walk in behind him, still terrified at what his mother might think about us—about me.
“I couldn’t think of a longer name to call you. I should’ve given you a middle name,” she jokes, making my fear disappear.
“Well, it’s too late now,” he says, kissing the top of her head.
“It’s a missed opportunity. Now, stop bugging poor Emma. You’re lucky she’s with you in the first place,” she tells him, and I watch the moment with admiration.
“How do you know she isn’t the one lucky to have me?” he asks. I can hear the humor in his tone. Lucky to have him? I guess I am. Lucky for now, that is, because as soon as the tutoring ends, as soon as he passes his biology exam, this will all be over.
“Have you seen yourself? I don’t know how Emma tolerates you.” Margaret laughs as the words leave her mouth. I laugh too, enjoying the way she makes fun of him. I wish I had something like this with my mom too.
My relationship with my parents hasn’t been great—not for a long time. It’s more transactional than anything else. We watched movies here and there, had family dinners, and did the things that families did, but it never felt genuine. It felt like we were crossing Ts and dotting Is.
Zack and his parents aren’t like that. I can see the love there—the lightness in their relationship. I mean, Zack’s mom overheard him say something completely inappropriate and all she did was laugh and make fun of him.
“Are you there?” Zack asks, and I realize I must’ve zoned out.
I nod. “Sorry, my mind was somewhere else,” I answer honestly.
Bragan Boys (Bragan University Boxset) Page 51
