Her Perfect Gift

But now Christmas Day is over, and I’m pretty restless. It isn’t that I’m unhappy here, I just need something or someone, a bit more. I’m missing Darcy like crazy and I can’t wait to see her again. I guess she snuck out in the early hours of the morning because of Christmas Day, and now I’m done with us being apart. She’s only next door, it won’t take long for me to get over to see her, which is exactly what I’m going to do. Communication was my problem in the past, and I’m not going to let that happen again.

“Do you need anything from in town?” I ask Dad idly as I walk towards the door. “I’m headed out.”

“Just for a walk out by yourself?” He cocks a knowing eyebrow at me. “Or is there something that I should know? Because I am pretty sure that I heard some voices last night. And more than just yours.”

A secret smile creeps up on to my face, I can’t hide anything from my father when I’m so damn happy. I already know about his opinions when it comes to love and Darcy, but that isn’t going to change my opinion of her and how incredible all of this is. She makes me feel amazing and I want more.

“I don’t have anything particularly planned,” I say in the most innocent voice that I can imagine. “I just thought that it might be a nice day for me to go for a walk. See the town, get to know the area again.”

“Oh yeah? You forgot, did you? I know that it’s been a long time, but really?”

“Alright, Dad, you already know what I’m up to.” I roll my eyes and chuckle. “But I really am going into town so if you want anything, let me know. I can grab whatever you need.”

He shakes his head hard to let me that he doesn’t, which is good because if I’m around Darcy then I will likely forget. She has this way of completely distracting me from whatever I need to do. I don’t know if it’s that gorgeous smile of hers or the way that her eyes twinkle whenever she talks, but I can’t think straight around her. The fact that we have now kissed, and we seem to be going somewhere just makes it that much harder. I know that I will be thinking of her lips at every second of the whole day, wondering if it can happen again.

Eventually, I head out and I cross the garden in the way that I have done a million times before, and I stand outside Darcy’s door. Excitement courses through my veins as I lift up my fist to knock. All I can think about is her face and how happy she will be when she sees me… at least, I hope she will.

“Oh.” The door swings open and I find myself faced with someone who I wasn’t prepared to see, certainly not with that expression on her face anyway. I thought that me and Mrs. McNeill were on good terms but she’s looking at me like she hates me. “Seth. I heard that you were back in town. What do you want?”

“Er…” My eyebrows furrow in confusion. Now that was just rude. I don’t know how to take it. What should I say to respond? “I was wondering if Darcy was in? I would love to speak to her.”

“What about that ridiculous over the top necklace you bought her? What was that about?”

“I’m just… trying to be nice.” I want to call her out on this, but it doesn’t feel like the right thing to do.

“I know what men like you are nice for, and I don’t think that’s right for my daughter.”

Right, okay, now she’s trying to suggest something that I understand. It seems like Mrs. McNeill has seen all of the media reports about me and she’s decided to fixate on the idea that I am the bad boy that the media wants me to be. It’s a shame that someone who has known me for so many years, could change her mind about me so quickly. She knows who I used to be, she was around me, how can she just assume…?

This is why no one else can see the truth. If I cant trust people I know, why would anyone trust me? It’s a shame, but I’m hoping that at least Darcy will know the truth about me, and we can work from there. She is the one person whose opinion I actually care about, and she seems to believe in me. Which is why I am standing here and taking her mom’s words on the chin because I am hoping that it will lead me to Darcy finally coming to the door and seeing me. Because right now, I need her.

“Well, I think that Darcy is an adult now, and I would like to speak to her if possible.”

Mrs. McNeill stares at me defiantly, but she soon sees that I’m not going anywhere, and she turns on her heels and stalks to get her daughter. I might have to talk to Darcy about this, to check that her opinion isn’t being swayed by other people, because that is the last thing in the world that I want.

Please still like me, I pray while I tap my foot on the floor, waiting

for her to come. Please, Darcy.

Relief floods me as Darcy bounces to the door, smiling happily, looking at me like she isn’t filled with hatred which is a good thing. I should have known that she wouldn’t be swayed because she isn’t that sort of person.

“Hey there, Seth. How are you today?” She leans against the door frame and winks. “Did you have fun with my mother? Because she is in such a pleasant mood at the moment. A real joy.”

As she rolls her eyes, my eyes slide down her body until I see the necklace still around her neck. Even if her mother has been a bitch about the diamonds, Darcy is still wearing them, which make me feel amazing.

“Oh well, yeah, I mean she gave me a bit of a hard time, but it’s okay. I’m alright.”

“Oh God,” Darcy groans. “That means that she was horrendous to you. Sorry about that. Did she say anything too terrible? Actually, I don’t know if I want to know. The things that she has been saying to me…”

I want to ask her what she’s been told by her mother, but then I don’t really want to stand here and compare notes of nastiness. It’s boxing day and I just want to have a nice positive day with this woman, I want to forget all about Mrs. McNeill and her attitude. It hurts but I don’t need to worry about it.

“Look, I just came to see if you want to go out for lunch or something. It doesn’t matter that she wants to be a bitch to me.” I offer her a one shouldered shrug. “It’s up to you. If you have something else on, I totally understand, I just thought that it would be nice. Fun, even. You never know.”

“Of course I do! That sounds amazing.” She grins happily. “And I’m starving, so that would be awesome.” She leans behind her and grabs a jacket. “Let’s get going. I could use a break from this madness.”

Her hand slips in to my arm as we walk towards the nearest café to get some food, which is more friendly than we have ever been before, but it isn’t quite relationship like either. It’s somewhere in the middle, which I will take for the time being. It saves us having an awkward conversation before either of us are ready for it, since we’re doing our best to live in the moment, it’s best to leave it for the time being.

Of course I want to tell her that I want to bring her in to my life, to have her with me in LA, so we can have a happy ever after, but I need to hold back and wait for the right moment to say it.