Page 81 of Roses, Pearls, and Hot Summer Nights
Jeremy patted his older brother on the back. “That’s nice. Surprising you noticed that over the years, but yes I do.” He pulled a long box out of his pocket, the kind of box that could hold a necklace.
I caught my breath. “Jeremy, I don’t know what is in there, but it’s too much.”
“It’s not. It’s not nearly enough. What is that thing everyone is always talking about?” He snapped his fingers, and I stared at him, waiting for him to finish.
After a moment, I spoke again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He turned to Barrett. “You must know.”
“Your brain is moving a hundred miles an hour, so how could I guess what track you’re on? What are you trying to say?”
Finally, Jeremy knocked on the table. “Love languages. I always hear people talking about them like it’s a thing. I don’t know anything about it, truthfully, but we can say that my love language is gift giving.” He held out his hand. “I know. Too soon for that word, but I’m not injecting that into this conversation. Not with Barrett here, anyway.” I blinked but he continued, notgiving me a chance to process the fact he mentioned love. “I like giving gifts to people I like.”
On that note, he pushed the box across the table toward me.
My hands shook slightly when I took it from him. I lifted the top of the box and spotted a shimmer from pearls. Pink pearls. I had never seen anything like them before. They were … gorgeous.
Tears threatened to spill. “Oh wow.”
“You like them? They seemed like you. To me, they did, at least. They’re natural pink freshwater pearls. There are other pink things, but this is what they had in terms of real pearls.” He took my hand in his and squeezed. “Do you like them?”
Do I like them?I lifted my gaze to meet his. “I love them so much, but I don’t want you to do things like this. I am … I am overwhelmed.”
Barrett laughed. “Well done. They’re perfect for her.”
“I know.” Jeremy rushed around the table to put them around my neck. With my hands still not steady, I lifted my hair for him. “They are.” He leaned over and kissed my neck after he set the clasp. “Thank you for loving them.”
As he took his seat, I searched for something to say. “Jer, they’re perfect. Thank you and please don’t … don’t think I expect this or anything like it. I just feel lucky to spend time with you. I feel lucky because you want to spend time with me.”
“This was my pleasure. Really.” He looked around. “Do we go to the counter to buy coffee or is there a waitress?”
Barrett shook his head. “No, little brother. You don’t need any caffeine. Not a drop.”
Jeremy grinned. “Maybe not but Iwanta muffin. Did I miss the dress shopping?”
“Up next.” Barrett adored me with his eyes. “They look incredible on you, Alatheia. They really do.”
Jeremy headed to the counter.
“Barrett,” I said as I touched the pearls again carefully. “They’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever owned. But won’t your parents hate this?”Do charity cases get gifts like this?I couldn’t ask that, but I couldn’t help thinking it just the same. “I don’t want any of you to think you need to spend money on me. The clothes, the food, this necklace … I don’t know how to accept it. I don’t know how to think about all of this.”
He scooted his chair closer to me. “I know. I can see that. But the thing is? We are all going to want to do things like this for you. That’s just how it is with us.”
“How can I ever repay it? I can’t reciprocate.” My voice shook as Jeremy sat back down with his muffin.
“Don’t think you have to, because you’re a gift to us in a million ways.” He kissed my cheek. His easy affection had increased since we’d been cuddled in bed together. I couldn’t say I minded, but shouldn’t they be more careful? We were in public. Maybe the location was okay? I sighed in frustration, because if no one explained how it all worked, how could I hope to judge how to act and where?
Jeremy ate his muffin fast and then scooted his chair back. “Come on. Dress time. I am so up from seeing you in those pearls. I’m going to be on a high from it for a week.”
“No, you won’t.” Barrett rose and offered me his hand, which I took because I was still so stunned I wasn’t sure my legs would work otherwise. “Tomorrow is the big party, and we know that it always sucks and drains the life out of us.”
Really? Is it that bad?“Jeremy, you and Barrett came to Manhattan just a few days ago for the sole purpose of getting me out of Julian’s life. Now you’re treating me like a princess. I really can’t fathom it.” In fact, Jeremy sometimes called me Princess. I hadn’t focused on it, but that was what he did.
“Ah, no,” Barrett said then shook his head. “By the time I got there, I was trying to get you out of Jeremy’s life, too.”
Jeremy pulled me to his side, and I wrapped my arm around his waist as though I had done so a million times. “Would have been the biggest mistake of my life, Princess.” There it was. “I was hooked the second you walked out of the library because I was being a jerk. Just hooked.”
“That is not true. You were mean to me at dinner, too.”
