Chapter Seventeen

I spend the next few days helping my mother with her preparations for Christmas dinner and before I knew it, Christmas Eve is here and my family and I are decorating cookies before bed.

Once my parents are tired enough I go to my room and make myself comfortable.

That's when I get an incoming call.

Tego.

The last time I spoke to him, he was very moody so I only condoned a few texts but would avoid his calls but for some reason I felt like I should answer this time.

"Hi." He sounds relieved.

"Hi."

"What's going on? I haven't heard from you in so long."

It's been a few day. Please bffr.

"Nothing unusual. Just excited for Christmas now." I say to him.

"Christmas? What? You're gonna get a lot of gifts?" He sounds amused.

Now that I think about it, I've spent this entire season doing so much preparation and gathering gifts and I never once thought about getting anything for Tego.

Why should I? It's not like he plans on getting anything for me.

As far as I see it, Tego sees me as a casual fuck but I do like him enough to want more.

"I hope so." I answer him.

He laughs. "I hope so too."

We talk for a bit more before Tego eventually tells me that he's tired so he's going to bed.

Tego's P.O.V.

I feel so bad for how I've been treating my princess recently but she has no idea what I've been going through recently and it's not exactly stuff that I would like to recall.

Tomorrow is Christmas and everyone is going to be spending time with their families. Luckily, I don't have to worry about all that family stuff. It might be an overall busy day for me so I decide to get a head start on my day by making some calls to have things arranged for the day.

I check the time. It's already Christmas.

It's 2 AM.

Merry Christmas to me.

I send my princess a quick text message before freshening up to go out and stop by her house.

Not that I think this will solve anything because like..

Jade nuh frighten fi tings at all.

Which is why it was so hard to get something for her.

But I do hope it will show her that I care.

I care a lot for her and I hope she feels the same way about me.

I pick up the phone to call Chino.

"Yo, why pree?" He answers.

Man sometimes e better fi nuh have nuh bloodclaat friend. How him a answer the phone at this hour and know wah mi deh pan and a guh seh "Why pree?"

Feel like heng up but I just kiss my teeth instead.

He laughs. "Yuh miserable like. Mi and my girl soon forward."

I kiss my teeth once more and hang up.

As promised though, Chino pulls up very soon and I have to squeeze myself in the backseat as we make our way to Jade's house.

Once I step out of the car I finally feel like I can breathe again so I take deep, long breaths.

Her friend walks up to the house and opens the door while carrying some of the stuff, Chino behind her brings some as well and I also bring some.

She pauses to whisper "Goodnight" to the mother.

She offers us a smile and then puts her finger to her lip before nodding her head in the direction of the room but I'm sure the girl already knows.

"She's gonna love it!" The mother whisper screams.

Jade's P.O.V.

As expected, I wake up to classic Christmas songs serenading me and the smell of roast beef and hot chocolate before I even open my eyes.

When I do open my eyes, I rub them and swing my feet over to the side of my bed but something crunches under my feet.

Huh?

I look down to see the cause and my jaw literally drops.

That's weird though because we usually open the gifts together under the tree.

I go downstairs confused, still in my pajamas to greet my parents in the kitchen.

"Merry Christmas, mommy and daddy!" I exclaim.

They both give me smiles. "Merry Christmas."

"You know what's even merrier?" My mother puts down her mug.

"What is?" It probably has to do with the change of tradition.

She turns her top lip up at me before kissing her teeth briefly. "Girl, yuh blind?"

I'm confused. "Huh?"

She points to the tree where my gifts are still sitting comfortably underneath.

Oh..

"Then where..." My voice trails off as I rack through my brain to try to understand.

"Your friends." She deadpans. "Yuh slow bad."

I don't think it's Jordan but who knows?

"Alexia, her man.." She trails off. "Your man." She blinks at me.

Oh.

I mentally slap my forehead.

"One sec." I inform her but she just continues to drink from her mug and slowly dance to the music.

I go back to my room and take up my phone to call Tego.

"Merry Christmas." He says with a small chuckle.

"Merry Christmas?" I can't believe they did all that for me. "Alright, Merry Christmas Tego but seriously?" I can't help but release a small laugh like his.

"Seriously what?" He sounds amused.

I playfully roll my eyes even though he can't see. "Thank you, Tego. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome. It's the least I can do for you for Christmas."

"I feel so bad though." I voice my immediate thoughts. "I didn't get anything for you."

"Yuh good." He says.

I shake my head. "I don't care what you say, Tego. I have to get something for you too."

"You're on the phone with me but I know the type of Christmas people like you have so why aren't you downstair drinking some cozy, warm beverage while opening gifts with your family?"

I laugh.

That is the type of Christmas we always have. We might look like a Hallmark movie.

"That was my plan but I had to tell you thanks first."

"I see." He responds.

"So what are you doing then?" I ask.

"Nothing special. A regular day."

What.

"Tego, be honest."

"I am." He deadpans.

"So where are you going for dinner?"

"I don't know. Bellefield and dem place deh always have dinner on holidays." I can almost see him shrug as he says it.

I shake my head. "Tego, you have to come over for dinner then."

"No man. That's fine."

"I insist. Especially after the amazing surprise you gave me." I press him.

He takes a deep breath. "Yuh stubborn nuh fuck." He lets out a short laugh. "Yuh people dem will be alright with that?"

"Of course! I wouldn't invite you if it would be a problem."

What kind of person does he think I am?

"Mhm. What time then?"

Yay.

"Can come around 3 or 4." I tell him with a huge, stupid smile on my face.

"Alright then. See you at 3."

"Bye." I hang up and then call Alexia and thank her as well as extending thanks to Chino since he also helped.

She informs me that she has her own personal gifts for me and that was just her helping out Tego.

She also shows me some of her gifts before we both decide to go to our families.

I open my gifts with my parents which consist of a few Cartier pieces, a new phone and laptop and a bottle of Miss Dior.

For the rest of the day I help my parents in the kitchen and before we all knew it, everything was finished.

I went to take a shower and get ready for dinner. It's 4: 13 now and Tego hasn't texted me or anything.

Maybe he changed his mind?

I told him 4 as the later time so even if he was working with that time, he's still late.

I don't usually text people in situations like this but I decide to just text him.

It's read almost immediately but no response.

I've never found comfort in being confused and I am sure that no one else does. That's why I usually avoid situations where that is a possibility- that is why I didn't want to get to know this nigga at first yet here I am...

Confused.

After taking a shower, I decide to wear a fluffy top red dress and brush up my braids in a ponytail before putting on some clear, coconut scented lipgloss.

It's almost 6 p.m. now and I know my parents are probably setting the table by now and my message is still unanswered.

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