04.17 - c.s

I embraced the tall, blonde man that my sister got her hair from. "Hi, dad," I sighed, pulling back from the hug. My father looked like he'd gotten even taller over the last year, which was terrifying for me seeing I was still very small.

"Hey, little one," my dad grinned at me, "I've missed you." I smiled up at him, suddenly understanding why my mom had been so defensive of him again.

"I've missed you, too," I smiled. I grabbed Chris's wrist and pulled him away from behind me while my dad hugged Nadine. When he pulled away from the hug, dad was about to start up a conversation with Nadine, until he saw the brown haired boy that was standing beside me.

"Ah, hi," my dad stuck his hand out towards Chris, "I'm Gerald. Elle's father."

Chris shook his hand, "I'm Chris," he introduced himself. He trailed off and I was waiting for him to say 'Roxelle's boyfriend', but it never came. I understood it, though. Maybe it was too early to introduce Chris to my dad as my boyfriend. Maybe that'd make it too real.

We walked towards my dad's car and he threw our suitcases in the trunk before walking around the car towards the driver's seat. Chris and I had claimed the back of the car and Nadine climbed in besides my dad. We all buckled up and dad turned the engine on, earning a satisfying roar. I sighed contently, I had missed America. The drive from LAX to dad's house wasn't long and soon we arrived at his huge house in the suburbs.

"This is massive," Chris's eyes were wide as he looked from the house to me and back. His voice then turned to a soft whisper, "how rich is your dad?"

I chuckled, "America is by far not as expensive as Norway is. In fact, I think this house didn't cost a lot more than the house we have at my mom's."

"Really?" Chris sounded fascinated as eyed the house once more before taking his and my suitcases out of the trunk and carrying them to the house. I hurried behind him, my backpack slung over my shoulder.

"You don't have to carry my suitcase, you know?" I asked, trying to grab the suitcase from him.

"Uh-uh," Chris warned as he pulled the suitcase away from my grasp, "let me be a gentleman and carry your stuff for you." I chuckled at him, secretly loving how cute he was behaving. I led him up the stairs and showed him to my room.

"This is me," I stated as I swung the door open. The room was exactly as I remembered it. The wooden floor and walls, the white king sized bed and the fluffy maroon red carpet on the floor.

"Cozy," Chris commented, putting our suitcases down on the floor next to my bed. I smiled as he walked around my room, observing everything. He stopped at my white desk, taking a few moments to look at all of the pictures above it.

"Hey, aren't that Noora and Lila?" he then asked. I walked over to where he was standing and smiled at the picture from six years ago.

"Yes, we were so small," I laughed. I snapchatted the picture and send it to Noora and Lila quickly, before observing all of the pictures together with Chris. After a while we went downstairs together, snuggling up on the couch and catching up with dad.

"Dad, what are we eating tonight?" I asked curiously. My dad was a great cook, he always used to make dinner when him and my mom were still together.

"I was thinking pulled pork," my dad smirked, knowing how much Nadine and I loved it.

"Oh my god, yes," I exclaimed before realizing it probably sounded like an orgasm and shutting my mouth quickly.

Dad chuckled, "do you like pulled pork, Chris?"

"I've actually never had pulled pork before," Chris confessed. My eyes went wide and I sat up quickly, facing him.

"You're going to love it. Gosh, I don't even know how you're alive and standing here right now if you've never had pulled pork before in your life. Dad makes the best, it tastes like sweet baby Jesus sprinkled little parts of heaven on your tongue," I rambled. Chris and my dad both chuckled at my rambling, while Nadine — who was used to it — just shook her head with a smile.

"She actually took pulled pork home once. Two days later I got a text from her best friend Lila, saying how good of a cook I was," dad laughed. Chris laughed too. Dad then turned around and walked towards the kitchen, probably to prepare dinner.

"I think I'm going to like it here," Chris whispered in my ear, pressing a soft kiss to the side of my head.