THE BAD BOY OF MANHATTAN
Chapter 24. The Boy Who Emma Never Had.

"It's delicious, Lessy (it's delicious, Lessy)." Elric praised Lessy's cooking many times. Almost every time he finished chewing his food, praise always flowed from his mouth. Even Lessy shook her head while chuckling.

Although Emma was happy to see Elric's attitude change towards those around her, however, it felt a little overwhelming. Emma's mind couldn't escape James. He felt bad to make the man wait for him and finally decided to cancel his dinner plan.

"No need to think about James, I'm sure he's dating Hannah right now" Elric said, munching on his food.

Emma hissing. Then looked towards Elric who was smiling sideways while raising his eyebrows. The boy could always guess the contents of Emma's head.

"I'm afraid of having dinner with James, I can still have dinner with me, right?" Elric smiled his mischievous smile at Emma. "With this delicious Lessy cuisine," he continued, turning to Lessy and raising his eyebrows.

"You've praised me a hundred times, Elric," Lessy snickered as she flicked her hand.

While Emma's face still looked pouted. He's also upset about not having dinner with James Howards. It will be a very special moment for Emma.

"You'd better stay here. I'm afraid outside is still dangerous. Especially you, Elric," Lessy said after they finished dinner.

Elric seemed happy to hear Lessy's offer. He also agreed directly. Regarding his parents, he will inform them later.

"I'll just go home, Lessy .. Anyway my apartment is only a few blocks from here" Emma said.

"Don't, Emma .. Even if it's only a few blocks away, it's still not safe let alone gang-related riots. You know what East Harlem was like when it happened, right?" Lessy convinced Emma.

Emma sighed, then turned to look at Elric who looked overjoyed. What's wrong with the kid? Why does he look so happy? You freak!

"Elric, can you help me pick up the mattress in my room?" ask Lessy. Elric gladly assented to the middle-aged woman. Emma sat on the couch staring at her phone screen. James hasn't contacted her since the last message about the cancellation of the dinner plan. Emma's lips are tickling. Maybe Elric was right. James is dating his girlfriend. Suddenly his heart was disappointed.

"I only have one room. The bed is small too. You guys okay sleeping here?" ask Lessy when finished preparing the mattress, bed linen, two blankets and two pillows in the living room that is not so spacious.

Emma gasps. "Ah, yes .. I can sleep on the sofa."

"Don't! Let me just sleep on the couch" said Elric.

Lessy chuckles. "You set it up," he said. "Good night, kids" he said, leaving Elric and Emma both in the living room.

Emma throws a pillow at Elric until it hits her face. Making the young man grimace while spontaneously catching his pillow. He sat down on the sofa and gestured with his chin to Emma who was beside him to get down onto the mat.

The clock shows ten o'clock at night. Elric took the phone out of his pants pocket and wrote Alya a message saying he didn't come home tonight. Not forgetting he told his mother not to worry about him. After that, he called Michael. There was an impromptu voice across there that seemed to be the voice of his best friend.

"Sorry, I've been kidnapped by someone(sorry, I've been kidnapped by someone)" Elric chuckled and glanced at Emma who was preparing blankets and pillows on the mat. The girl rolled her eyes at Elric's words.

"It's been cleared by Fat Tony."

"Owh, okay." Elric. He hung up his phone and laid his body on the sofa. He only realized that his body felt crumpled due to the blow and hit of one of the Fordham Fire members.

"Emma?" call him.

"Hmm."

"You're asleep?" elric asked as he looked down at the sofa where Emma had gotten into the blanket. He could only see the tip of the girl's head.

"Yes," replied Emma lazily.

Elric's hand was about to touch Emma's hair, but he abandoned his intention because the girl had slightly changed her sleeping position. "Elric ...," call Emma.

"Yes?" sahut Elric fast.

"Can you turn the lights off?" pinta Emma's.

"Owh, okay." Elric let out a disappointed breath. She thought Emma was still talking to her. "Alexa, turn off the light, please (Alexa, please turn off the light)," his orders to a small flat object were black and blue led lights on the bottom layer were on the sideboard with a pouting face.

***

In the middle of the night, Elric woke up when he heard someone sobbing. In the dim light of the city lights that swoop in through the sidelines of the window curtain, he saw Emma was bowing her head hugging her knees.

"Alexa, turn on the light (Alexa, please turn on the light)" Elric said as he climbed off the sofa.

When the lights were on, Emma hurriedly stopped her sobs and shrank her tears rapidly. He immediately put on his ugly face.

"Are you okay (are you okay)?" ask Elric.

"Yeah." Emma hugged her knee. "I just can't sleep (i just can't sleep)."

So lying. Clearly Elric heard her sobbing. Holding his painful back, Elric approached and sat down beside Emma. Hugging his own knees like the girl did.

"For me, yeah, it's pretty tough (for me, yeah, pretty loud), '" Emma said with a blank look.

Elric turned to Emma and looked at the girl's face. He wants to entertain her. But, it was hard for him to compose words. He is afraid of sounding cliche or just pleasantries. Elric berated himself for having no experience at all with women.

Liked a girl just this time.

Whahuh? Liked a girl?

Elric cleared his throat once. "Nrank ...."

"Hmm?"

"Are you sad?" Elric cursed himself in his heart. What kind of question is that. Emma is sad. Otherwise he would not have cried.

"Do I look happy?" syndicated Emma.

"Yeah." Elric grimaced as he scratched his non-itchy head. "You want to borrow my shoulder?"

Emma squinted her forehead. "For what?"

"To ... emm ... yeah .. who knows you're sharing your grief with someone else." Elric really hated himself now. His words are not very neat.

Emma hissing. "Not with you" he said.

"Why?"

"Your mouth is unbelievable. You must just want to make fun of me," Emma said as she held Elric's temple in her wound, causing the young man to grimace in pain. But Emma was laughing.

"I'm serious" said Elric, staring at Emma.

"Don't you hate me?" Emma raised her eyebrows.

"Who said? I like you!"

"Huh?" Emma was surprised to hear Elric.

"My mother, yes, I hated you, long ago, when you broke my nose." Elric read his words.

Emma giggles. He then sighed and crawled back into his blanket. "Here you go, just sleep" he said, closing his eyes.

"Emma ...," call Elric quietly.

"Hmmm," murmured Emma lazily.

"May I sleep next to you?" Elric's body was hot coldly saying those words.

Emma clucking. "What's wrong with the couch?"

"Too small. I have to straighten my body. My back hurts a lot" complained Elric.

Emma took a deep breath. "Spoiled child!" his gerrick. "I'm the only one sleeping on the couch" he said as he pulled up a blanket and crawled onto the sofa.

"Don't Emma!"

"Huh?" Emma rolled her eyes.

"Here alone," said Elric grimacing and patting the empty spot next to him.

"You're not a kid anymore, Elric!"

"So (then)?"

"Hm ...." Emma breathed heavily. "From you," he ordered.

With a big smile Elric approached Emma who was already sitting on the sofa. "Auchh!" she was strangled when a handful of her hair was pulled by Emma hard. "Eeemmaaa," he said.

"Sleep, Brat!" hardik Emma pulled her blanket and laid her body on the sofa. While looking back at Elric who was on the martras, Emma's lips revealed a thin smile. That brat was like a little brother he never had.

***