Emerald  The night didn’t deserve to end just like that—without cuddling him to sleep or saying I love you’s till daybreak. And every time he touched me, I was tempted to stay with him even more. I suppressed a laugh, thinking of how dramatic I had been on our date and shook my head at him. He looked at me, like I was the last girl standing making me want to run to his arms for some more but I had to go.

Emerald “Hey, ” I said grinning at James as he came down the stairs. His eyes never left mine and they were filled with much joy. 

Emerald Sighting James’ mother and a few guests in the house, I became nervous. There were two women who were as sophisticated as Mrs Connor, with a glass of champagne in hand and two guys dressed pretty decent in trouser pants and a shirt that looked our age and a latina girl.

James Laughing at something Tom had said, I was suddenly whirled around by someone and I was surprised to see it was Emerald. 

Emerald There were times I grew impatient and this was a part of it having Mimi’s date over for dinner. They looked like couple goals while I sat at the table faking a smile an looking like a potato. That could have been Mimi and me with our dates having fun but things just had to be this way with her not liking James and the whol