SETTLE DOWN, matty healy

Chapter 23: I Like It When You Sleep

Song Selection: Thank God It's Christmas by Queen

I eyed the stacks of novels I'd been meaning to read while on my winter break, finding it hard to start any single one whilst the holidays caused for some commotion around the house. Christmas Eve is always the busiest for us here at the Carson residence, my mother always having family come over to ring in Christmas Day together at midnight. For Matty though,I'd have to ring in Christmas at 8 because of the time difference and everything.

Still totally worth it. Promised not to open each other's presents until then and it's been hard to keep myself under control.

Anna stepped out of the car with me as I heaved a deep sigh, unlocking the doors of Matty's apartment to water his orchids like he'd ask me to do while he was away and to keep all his mail inside. "You're so yourself when you're with him when you think about it," She brought up as she began to peruse through the kitchen.

I looked to her confused, tilting my head. "What do you mean?"

"All the things that make you more mature than the rest of us is really just you being yourself when you're with someone like Mr. Healy. Like two just really deep people just really talking it out." Anna stared off for a moment as I looked onto her surprised for her sharing any sort of advice. "Or whatever you wanna call it I guess."

I laughed under my breath and nodded in agreement to pull her out of the apartment just as quickly as we came. "You've got Christmas dinner groceries to buy and I won't keep you, just wanted to spend the morning together and all," I told her as I hugged her tightly, "Still have plenty of plans for us and Ryder this break no doubt."

"Counting on it." With that she left off in her car while I took my parent's van now packed with my own set of responsibilities for hosting everyone tonight, already dreading the thought of being surrounded by guests all night. I heaved a deep sigh, opening up my laptop to look through the Facebook Messenger I had set up with Matty and chuckled at the comment he left me.

It's snowing over here and it's all so beautiful, but I just looked at a photo of you and remembered I have something more beautiful at home. Miss you always.

I plopped myself back onto the bed, the faint sound of people coming into the house downstairs as I twirled the pair of presents that I had at the edge of my bed from Matty. The breeze still was bellowing out in Los Angeles and I frowned to the quivering trees outside my window. "You're supposed to spend the holiday with people you love, aren't you? It's no fair," I said to myself, clutching onto the stuffed turtle Anna had given me when the two of us left each other today.

The night continued on with my parents having me come down to greet family coming in, the clock ticking away slowly it seemed as I waited for a notification to come up from Matty. "Oh Emma sweetheart you look just as sweet as ever," One of my aunts began to tell me, squishing my cheeks with a light laugh, "All the boys must think you to be such a catch."
I heaved a deep sigh, ready to sprint away into the night if another one of my family members asked if I had a boyfriend or even mentioned boys.

Seriously why do family do that? No Aunt Carol I really do not need a man to constantly coddle me up and I never did, but when I decide to open up about the secret boyfriend I have now I will gladly be the hit of the family and be normal enough for them for once.

My phone suddenly began vibrating persistently and I looked down to see it was 8 o'clock, smiling happily to ignore her comment. "Boys are dumb and I'm not some gossip magazine for everyone to keep asking me the same kinds of questions now if you'll excuse me-"

I rushed up the steps, locking the door behind me to my room as I opened up the laptop before me to connect the call. The present sat atop my lap as a beaming Matty greeted me on the other line, chuckling at the sight of me. "Merry Christmas!" The two of us told one another simultaneously over the line.