Farm Girl Meets Bad Boy (#1)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“So what did my parents get me?” I ask curiously, staring up at the stars. I’m lying on the roof, staring up at the perfect twinkling sky. To my left, is Emery, with his arms stretched underneath his head. To my right, is Mary, who’s humming a song I’m unfamiliar with. Were slanted so that the whole, sparkling sky looks like were sitting in front of a movie screen.

“You’re not allowed to know until tomorrow,” Emery laughs, kicking my left leg with his foot. “Stop asking.” I had been asking all day, and so far I wasn’t getting any hints. My parents had said I wouldn’t be getting my car for my birthday, but I knew them well enough to not let my celebration go without a gift.

“Okay,” I giggle mischievously. I nudge both Emery and Mary in the sides with my elbows. “What did you guys get me then?” Mary stops humming and rolls her eyes while Emery refuses to look at me.

“Well, you’ll get my present tomorrow because it kind of goes with your parent’s present,” Mary grins and I sit up to smack her arm with the back of my hand.

“No fair!” I whine. I hated waiting for my presents, especially considering it’s the night of my birthday and I’m officially another year older.

“Hey, I bet Emery got you something nice,” she winks, and sits up as I cross my legs on the slanted roof. “Right Emery?” His head snaps towards Mary and his eyes squint into a glare. “Well,” she mumbles awkwardly as she stands up. “I’m going to go get a drink.” Without meeting my eyes, she crawls towards my open window and jumps through. I hear her walk along the floor and shut the door to my room. Once she’s gone, we’re left in silence. The only noise is the sounds of the chirping crickets in the grass below us.

“What you said to Ocean,” I mumble after a few moments of silence. “It was really nice.” Emery doesn’t respond, but instead nods. “So,” I say five minutes later. I’ve been thinking of the conversation between Mary and I all day. “What are you going to do once your probations up?”

Emery sits up and raises his eyebrows at me. “You really want to discuss this on your birthday?” I think about that, and decide that yes, I do. If I didn’t, I would be wondering about it until I asked again. I nod my head and he sighs. “I don’t really know yet.”

“You don’t know?” I ask curiously. “I thought you were counting the days until you could run off out of our lives,” I snap annoyed, and then close my mouth tightly. Sure, Emery had hated me before, but things have changed. I guess I’m just really mad that he hasn’t talked about it with me.

“River,” he sighs, and takes my left hand in his right. “I meant that I don’t have anywhere to go at this point.” I don’t meet his eyes and instead stare at the rooftop underneath us. “Can we just talk about this later?” When I don’t respond, he squeezes my hand tightly. “I want to give you something.”

I can’t help myself as I look at Emery. He reaches into his jean pocket and removes a small, silver box. He smiles shyly, and holds it out to me. “I saw it while I was in town today and thought of you.” I take the delicate looking box in my hands and wonder how someone like Emery could get me something without it being a death threat. When he sees my cautious eyes, he rolls his own. “Go ahead, open it.”

I smile at the tiny silver bow and avoid ruining it as I lift the lid of the palm-sized box. Inside, the present catches my eye immediately. Like the box, it’s shiny silver, but that’s not what makes me smile. It’s a necklace, with the charm being a small horse, mid gallop. Every piece of it is in beautiful detail, from the eyes to the tail. I can’t form words as Emery takes the box from my hands. He takes the necklace out, and gestures for me to turn around.

I grab my wavy hair and put it over my left shoulder. Emery’s hands brush my neck as he lays the necklace on my chest, and pulls the ends around back. It takes him a minute to clasp it together, and it makes me smirk. When he’s done, I turn around and twirl the horse between my fingers.