Chapter 52 New Year
Emma found out about travel plans the day before New Year and immediately burst into tears, covering her mouth and sobbing hard.
Helen felt awful too and spent the whole morning talking to Emma, her eyes red from crying.
Emma kept venting about Daniel, saying she couldn't believe how much he'd changed and how he was ignoring his family's feelings. She also worried that Zoe was manipulative and that Daniel would get hurt because of her.
Helen didn't know what to say, so she just tried to comfort Emma with different reasons and cried along with her.
Our families had been neighbors for twenty years, practically like family. We always treated each other's problems as our own. But when it came to Zoe, Helen was at a loss for words.
For the first time in twenty years, our families ate separately. I wasn't sure how the Pitt family was doing, but the three of us were pretty happy.
Helen set the table, Ronan opened a bottle of red wine, and poured a glass for Helen and me. I picked up my glass, ready to say something to lighten the mood, when there was a knock at the door.
I put down my glass and rushed to open the door.
Thinking it was Emma, I opened the door without looking and said, "Emma, our food's ready, come in and try it."
"Calling everyone Emma, where are your eyes?" a teasing voice said.
It was Brad!
I rubbed my forehead where he flicked it, tilted my head, and asked what he wanted.
Brad, being Brad, just pushed past me and walked in. "I'm here to eat, is that okay?"
"Of course, make yourself at home! Sit down! Jane, set another place."
Ronan, happy to have a drinking buddy, was thrilled. They ended up finishing a whole bottle of red wine together.
Brad kept telling my parents how great I was at school, how my paintings were used as examples in class, how I made a lot of money on my own, and how I was now a little rich girl. He said Ronan and Helen would definitely enjoy life with me in the future.
During the meal, Brad's charm had my parents laughing and constantly giving him food and wine, while I just played along, occasionally fetching things.
After dinner, Ronan and Brad got excited and started playing chess, loudly arguing over moves, which really lifted the holiday spirit.
Eventually, Ronan got tired and said he needed to lie down. Helen had to take care of him, so she asked me to keep Brad company.
I pulled him to my room and sat him at my desk. I took a small stool and sat beside him, finally asking, "Brad, why did you come to my house for dinner? Won't your mom be mad?"
"My mom would love to come too, why would she be mad?" Brad said.
"What?" Emma wanted to come too? I lay on the table, full of questions, leaning my head towards Brad. Before I could say anything, the faint smell of alcohol hit me.
At that moment, I thought Brad looked really good, and he seemed even gentler after drinking. With one hand on the table supporting his head, he looked like a gentle big dog, making me want to tease him.
Looking at Brad's soft hair, I couldn't wait to ruffle it like he always did to me.
"What are you doing?" Before I could lift my hand, Brad held my head in place, stopping me.
I shook off his hand and leaned forward again. "I'm not doing anything, just curious about what you meant."
Brad looked at me softly for a moment, then pinched my chin and leaned in.
All I saw was his handsome face getting closer. I could see his thick eyelashes trembling, his thin lips pressed together, and his Adam's apple moving as if he was holding something back.
I sniffed and thought the wine tonight smelled really good.
I had never been this close to any guy before, not even Daniel, so my heart started pounding, making me flustered.
I tried to lean back but hit my head on the bookshelf, yelping in pain.
Brad sat back nonchalantly, but seeing my teary-eyed complaint, he reached out to rub the back of my head. "You really go hard on yourself," he teased gently.
I glared at him. "It's your fault. You scared me by getting so close."
He chuckled, staring at my slightly red face. "I just wanted to see if you had eye gunk."
"You have eye gunk!" I slapped his hand away, only to make my own hand tingle.
Instinctively, I rubbed the corner of my eye and found a small piece of eye gunk!
It was a small moment of social death.
Seeing me staring at the eye gunk in humiliation, Brad laughed heartily.
His laugh was infectious, and soon I was laughing along with him until my stomach hurt.
Later, Brad told me their food was ready too, and they were about to eat when they saw Zoe outside the window.
Since she was already there and it was the holiday, they let her in.
Once she was in and the food was served, they couldn't not let her eat.
Hugh and Emma were unhappy, but Daniel was happy. It was the holiday, so they had to accept it.
Just like that, Zoe successfully entered the house the day before New Year's Eve.
Honestly, I kind of admired her.
"Your future sister-in-law came for the holiday, and you bailed. That's not good," I said.
Brad replied, "I don't care. I can't stand eating at the same table with someone like that."
I stayed silent.
On the day we left, Brad seriously saw us off at the airport, ignoring me with a cold face the whole time. After I said all kinds of nice things, he finally told me to come back soon.
It was quite novel to spend New Year's away from home for the first time.
Everything in the hotel was ready for us, and we only had to eat, drink, and have fun. It was really great.
On New Year's Eve, we had a big dinner in the hotel lobby with many people from all over the country.
The hotel had new sound equipment, and everyone sang and danced, making it very lively.
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