Disappointment and Anger.
"Merry Christmas, Pops!" I smile warmly before embracing him in a tight hug. His woodsy scent reminds me of hugging him as a child. The fond memories bring tears to my eyes. Seeing Gramps on Christmas reminds me of my father and how deeply I miss him. He's dressed smart, in a striped blue shirt with pleated black trousers.
"You look very smart, Gramps." I compliment him. He beams with pride before planting a sweet kiss on my cheek.
"Thank you, dear. Your Granny always made sure I looked presentable on Christmas so I try not to let her down. I miss her and your father so much," Gramps says with grief lining his voice. I blink back tears before nodding in agreement.
"Me too, but they'd want us to enjoy our day together."
I step back and Jake takes a step forward with his hand outstretched.
"Merry Christmas, Mr Wentworth."
I chew my bottom lip with nerves as I watch them interact. The secrecy of my pregnancy hangs in the air like a grenade waiting to explode. Pops shakes Jake's hand firmly before giving him a fierce look.
"Merry Christmas, Jake. You've been treating Emily well, I hope?"
"Yes, Sir. She deserves the best and I intend to give it to her," Jake responds confidently to show he isn't intimidated by my Gramps.
I know he isn't scared easily by anyone, but he does worry about making a good impression on my only family member. My heart warms at his response. Gramps nods his head in approval before taking a seat at the dining table. I walk around to take a seat by his side and Jake sits beside me. Opposite me is Tobias and his girlfriend, Jane. She's a bubbly girl with short dark hair and pretty eyes. Best of all, she's a girl Tobias didn't have to steal from Jake. They've been dating for a couple months and all appears to be going well between them. She brings out a softer side to Tobias and I hope it's enough to pull him out of the darkness he's been spiraling in for a long time.
Tobias shoots me a small smile as Jane talks to him quietly. I notice her pause for a second before she briefly glimpses at me and urgently tears her eyes off me. Huh, that was weird. I turn my attention to Ivory and Ben who are seated at the other end of the table. They're giggling together, looking equally as loved up as when they first met. Everybody I love, beside my best friend, is seated at the table. I couldn't be happier or more content with my Christmas this year. I reach out to place my hand on Jake's knee.
"The table looks incredible. Your Mom and Aunt Myra really pull out all the stops."
"They plan the Christmas Dinner in November. It's a big deal for them. I figure it's because they travel so much during the year so they want Christmas to be as family orientated as possible," Jake tells me. From opposite us, Jane chimes into the conversation.
"Myra has been stressing about the dinner all day, but from the looks of it, she doesn't need to. It all looks and smells delicious," Jane says. Tobias' dark eyes flash with approval and he smiles down at his girlfriend before pulling her chair closer. I smile at the sight of them together. It's nice to see him happy with someone.
"I asked Myra if she wanted help and she almost bit my head off. She practically threw a beer at me and told me to get out of the kitchen," Ben says from the opposite end of the table.
Everyone laughs beside Jake who throws Ben a glare. I know it's not his serious face, but Ben doesn't know that. He leans forward and raises a brow at him.
"Are you bad mouthing my favorite Aunt, Benny boy?"
"N-no, that's not what I meant." Ben stutters with discomfort. His pale face turns beetroot red and he falls silent before reaching for his beer. I swat Jake's arm before leaning closer to whisper to him.
"Leave him alone, Jake. He's terrified of you," I tell him. Jake's eyes flash with approval and he grins down at me with victory.
"Good, I want it to stay that way."
I roll my eyes at his fiercely protective nature toward Ivory, his cousin. Apparently he and Tobias are always freaking out her boyfriends and intimidating them. They don't stick around for long and I don't blame them. If I didn't know the two boys, I'd be intimidated too. They both exude masculine energy and their troubled past doesn't help their reputation. Ben appears to be fighting through the discomfort like a real trooper. My stomach rumbles loudly to break the silence and I blush with embarrassment.
"I'm starving, I could eat a horse," I joke.
"You are eating for two now so it's understandable," Tobias comments without thinking. The room immediately falls silent and everybody freezes in their place. My smile disappears and the color drains from my face. Did he really just say that? I feel Jake's leg jerk underneath the table followed by a loud thump. Tobias' face contorts with discomfort and he groans in pain.
"What the fuck is wrong with you, man?" Jake hisses at him. I slowly turn my head to look at the man at the head of the table, Pops. He's staring between me and Jake with an unreadable expression on his face. My hands grip onto the edge of the table with a deathly grip and it feels like I'm waiting for the penny to drop.
"Emily? Is this true?" Pops says quietly.
His voice is tense and he sounds like he's filled with disappointment. I begin trembling from the intensity of his stare. If I listen hard enough, I can hear the rise and fall of Jake's breathing as he waits for the explosion to happen. I open my mouth to respond but I struggle to form the words. Nobody speaks. The silence in the room is suffering.
"Jake?" Pops turns his attention to Jake. He winces for a brief second before holding his head up high and clearing his throat.
"Yes, Mr Wentworth. It's true. Emily is pregnant but we've only just found out so we've decided not to tell –"
"Pregnant?!" Pops' voice roars through the room. "You got my granddaughter pregnant?!" Pops yells at Jake.
Jake's eyes flash with surprise. Pops is usually incredibly calm and collected... the opposite of his current reaction. My eyes flutter closed and I take a deep breath in to calm the chaos building in my chest. It doesn't help. When I open my eyes, Pops is standing up and breathing erratically. He looks angry, disappointed and filled with shock. His eyes snap over to me and I feel my vision beginning to blur with tears.
"You're seventeen years old, Emily! You're a child!" Pops yells at me. It doesn't matter that I turn eighteen next month. All that matters is I'm pregnant and I've disappointed him. A tear slips from my face before rolling down my cheek. As soon as Jake catches sight of me crying, he stands up abruptly before turning toward my Grandad.
"You're upsetting her. I think you should leave until you've calmed down," Jake says quietly.
His words only seem to infuriate Pops further. He begins to turn red in the face and he slams his fist down on the table. The cutlery rocks and clatters to the floor.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen!" I cry out with exasperation.
Pops stares between me and Jake with an open mouth of horror.
"How do you plan on raising this child?! You're both children!"
The door swings open and Aunt Myra comes rushing into the room. Her eyes flash with realization when she notices my tear-stricken face. She turns her attention to my Grandad and places a gentle hand on his arm.
"Do you want to come into the kitchen, Stan? I'll fix you a stiff drink," Aunt Myra gently attempts to remove him from the room.
I keep my eyes glued to the table in front of me. Jake and Pops remain facing each other, almost as if they're in a silent stand off.
"Did you all know about this, huh? Did nobody think to tell me?" Pops says with hurt lining his voice.
Aunt Myra falls silent and he takes her silence as an answer. He scoffs with disbelief before grabbing his jacket and shaking his head.
"I'm the only family she has left! Your father would be disappointed, Emily." Pops yells as he pulls on his jacket.
His words are like a dagger to the heart because it's true. He is the only family I have left. My Mom doesn't care about me and my father is dead.My heart breaks because the uncertainty of a pregnancy followed by the disappointment of Pops is too much for me to handle. Talking about my dead father being disappointed in me too is a step over the line. A tiny sob slips past my lips and Jake snaps his head over in my direction. His eyes blaze with emotion and he takes a deep breath to compose himself.
"That's enough! You really do need to leave now, Mr Wentworth." He tries to remain respectful. Before Pops has a chance to hurt me further with his words, I scrape my chair back and flee the dining room.
Once I'm inside my room, I tear off my Christmas dress before replacing it with one of Jake's hoodies. I drop down in my chair to remove my makeup and tie up my dark hair. My eyes are red from crying and my cheeks are puffy. My first Christmas with the Melvin's is ruined and Pops hates me. There's a knock on my bedroom door before it opens and Tobias emerges. I hide my face in my hands so he doesn't see the state of me.
"What do you want, Tobias?" I stifle another sob. He silently walks toward me before pulling me up to my feet. Before I can pull away from him, his arms envelope around me and he pulls me straight into his hard chest.
"I'm sorry, Em. It just slipped out. I figured you could use a hug," Tobias mumbles in my hair. I hold onto him before releasing the first sob followed by many others... He's right, I do need a hug.
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