Let's Hurt Tonight

27

"Hello?" she answers. "Oh, hi Harry!"

My hand comes swatting across the seat quicker than I can even say 'Harry'. I frantically hit Emma's arm, trying to get the phone, but all she does it put it on speaker. 

"Harry, you're on speaker now. My sister is in the car, eager to speak to you!" Emma announces. 

I groan. It's not that I don't want Emma speaking to Harry, but I don't want her or Charlie to blab about what we are doing. I'd rather Harry not know that we're looking for his Christmas gift. I've been trying to keep it a secret and I refuse to have it blown now. I don't want it to seem last minute and rushed. 

"Hello, love!" Harry cheerily says. He's always happy in some way or another. I actually find it quite endearing and it helps lift my mood a little. 

"Hi, Harry," I say, a smile appearing on my face. 

"Is that your boyfriend?" Charlie asks from the back seat, followed by a bunch of kissing noises in a mocking way.

"Hey Charlie, why don't you go call Abby when we get home, hmm?" I suggest in relationship to the girl that he has a crush on. "I'm sure she'd love to hear from you."

He blushes and quickly looks out the window, avoiding the conversation. 

"Are we still on for tonight?" Harry asks, an amused tone in his voice. I have no doubt that he's laughing to himself over the interaction between Charlie and myself. I think he gets a kick out of my relationship with my siblings for some reason, probably because we're almost always bantering or needling each other. I might be the oldest by a lot, but I won't hesitate to stoop down to their level. 

"Yeah. I might need a little more time but I'll keep you posted," I tell him. 

I hope I can find him a gift within the next hour. I'm desperately running out of time. I should have begun hardcore looking for a gift sooner but I honestly thought I would have found something by now. 

"No worries," he assures me. "Just let me know when I should come over. I'm free for the rest of the day." 

I had invited Harry over tonight to decorate ginger bread houses with my family. All of my siblings were insistent that he come over before he leaves, and Harry was all for the idea. I also secretly hoped he would come but I didn't want to push it with how tight his schedule is. He was called into a couple meetings with Jeffrey and Kid and we didn't know how much time we'd have together, just the two of us. 

"I will," I tell him. 

I suddenly get an idea as I'm driving past numerous shops and swerve into a parking lot to this vintage jewelry store. The idea hit me out of nowhere. There's a chance that nothing will come out of it, but there's only one way to find out. I figured it could hurt to look since I know Harry loves jewelry. 

"Are you get getting Harry's gift here?" Charlie asks.

My eyes widen as I reach blindly for my phone, trying to hang up. 

"Alright, bye Harry! See you later! I'm looking forward to it!" I yell, trying to cover up Charlie's question. Luckily Emma hits the 'end call button' before Harry can say anything else. It's not a big deal if he heard but I'd rather him not know what we are up to. I don't want it to seem like I just want to get him a gift because he got me one, or to think I didn't put as much effort into his gift as he did for mine. It's just that it's taken me forever to actually find something.

After I pull into a spot, Emma, Charlie and I exit and make our way into this store. It looks rundown on the outside, but the inside is actually quite nice. Glass shelves line the walls, elegant pieces of jewelry being housed inside. 

A small man with large framed glasses that make his eyes appear larger than they are, smiles at the three of us as we walk in. He reminds me of a cartoon character out of a Pixar movie.

"Hello there," he greets us with a thick and hoarse voice that sounds like he's been smoking for a majority of his life. "Can I help you with anything?"

I sigh and politely shake my head. 

"Just browsing," I answer. "I'm - uh - just looking for a Christmas gift. I know it's a little last minute but I've been struggling to find something..." 

The man kindly smiles. 

"I understand completely. I'm a little behind as well, especially for my wife. But take a look around and let me know if you have any questions," he says.

I return his smile and begin to peruse the store, looking at the various display cases. At least Christmas music is playing through the speakers of the store. It cause my stress to subside a little.

After a couple minutes of looking, I sigh heavily, nervous that I won't be able to find anything at all. But then my eyes land on something. I walk closer to it and furrow my eyebrows as I stare at it. It's pretty. I think Harry would like it. It has a masculine, yet almost feminine feel to it, which I think his fashion sense borders on. 

The rose ring sits perched on a red box. It doesn't look brand new, which I also like. It has an older feel to it which gives it some character. I wonder if it was designed to look this way or if it's been passed down from many generations. 

"Excuse me," I ask the owner of the shop. He looks over at me. "Can I see this ring?"

He stands up from the chair he is sat on and comes walking over to me. Unlocking the back of the display cabinet with a key around his wrist, he pulls out the rose ring I was pointing at. 

"It's a beauty, that one," the man comments. "I remember when we first got it. Probably a little a more than a year ago." 

I gingerly pick it up and roll it in between my fingers. It feels sturdy and has a little weight behind it. 

"If this doesn't fit the person I'd buy it for, can it be adjusted?" I ask. 

The man purses his lips as he thinks. 

"I think it can be," he assures me. "Only a size or two though. But if you're concerned, I'll allow you to refund it with no questions asked if it doesn't fit."

I slip the ring on my middle finger. It fits loosely so I think if anything it will be close to Harry's ring size. I suddenly regret not getting his size sooner. He wears rings all the time so it would be easy to find out, although I suppose I wouldn't be able to do that inconspicuously. 

"How much for it?" I ask. 

"250," the man replies, a slightly worried look on his face.

I briefly stop breathing. $250 is a lot to me. I don't particularly have a lot of money in my bank account, but at the same time Harry is worth it. He just bought a car for me and I know the ring isn't much but I really do think he'll like it. It's the only thing I've seen that really makes me think of him. 

"Okay," I say, letting out a breath I was holding. "I'll take it."