Seconds before Diego's voice whispered, "Surprise," in her ear, an open, black velvet box was in front of her. Georgie looked down in shock and confusion. Not necessarily over the gift itself, but how she should react to it.
Her first instinct was to squeak with excitement and beg him to put it on her. The chain was simple, braided silver. Or white gold? Maybe platinum, which wouldn't be so simple, but the design was simple enough. The pendant, however, not so much. A circle of diamonds – Georgie counted five – encompassing a sparkling green emerald. It was gorgeous and elegant, definitely not matching the denim shorts and open-necked blouse she wore. But, she wanted to wear it anyway.
Her other instinct, though, was to tell him, yet again, that he didn't have to buy her presents. Little things were nice, but even those were unnecessary. This—This could have at least waited a few days for the graduation party, if he bought it at all. He didn't have to buy her things. He just had to keep loving her.
"Diego…" Georgie's more frugal sensibilities won out as she ducked away then turned to face him. "You didn't—"
"I was going to buy you flowers, but my uncle said that jewelry was better. He said that girls really liked when you bought them diamonds. So, I bought you diamonds."
"Ya know, your father would have told you to just get the flowers."
"Can we not talk about my father?" He groaned, and Georgie just sighed. Since his release from the hospital, Georgie had done everything she could to close the rift between Diego and Lorenzo. The closest she could get was convincing him to move back into his father's house. They still spoke to each other through Luis, but at least they were in the same house. That was an improvement.
"Your father loves you, Diego. I don't know why-- No, well, I do know why, but he's sorry, and he wants to make it up to you. You should let him do that."
Diego snapped the box closed with a loud pop. "You don't like it. That's why you're changing the subject. You wanna talk about Pop so you don't have to hurt my feelings." He muttered something in Spanish, and Georgie really thought that she would have to learn the language. "I'll take it back."
"Diego, no!" He started to turn from her and she grabbed his arm. Georgie sighed and shook her head. "I just—It's so much, ya know? I'm not even gonna ask where you got the money for it."
"My uncle gave it to me."
"You didn't have to say that. You told me you stopped whatever you were doing for Coleman, and I believe you. I just… It's really expensive, and I'm not used to getting gifts like that. Good girls don't except really expensive gifts."
"You never… I mean…"
Diego's brow furrowed in confusion, and Georgie knew what he was thinking when he stopped speaking. Dillon wasn't one to do big presents. Honestly, she was lucky to get flowers from him, whether it be on a random occasion, or because he had messed up really bad.
"Dillon didn't buy me things, Diego, and you don't have to buy them because you have to live up to anything. I just… I do like the necklace, Diego."
"Then take it. I'm not trying to live up to Dillon. I'm not him and I don't want to be him. I just wanted to buy you something and this was so beautiful." He sighed and shook his head. "If you don't want me to buy you things like this, I won't, but just take this one, okay?"
"Why is this so important to you? That I take it?"
"Is it wrong if I say because your mother's here and I don't wanna lose face in front of her?"
Georgie's eyes went wide. "What? She's still here?" She looked around Diego and groaned. Felicia was staring at her, waiting to see what happened. Or maybe she was waiting to see if she'd get a formal introduction. "I wish she'd go home. Or back to Texas."
"Georgie?" She turned away and Diego ducked around her, making her face him again. "Georgie, what's wrong? What happened?"
"Why can't my family be more like yours, huh? Your father and uncle don't tell us that we shouldn't be together. And Liz thinks this is good for me. But my family? Mac called Mom and she humped it to get back there. Ya know, I love my mother. Really, I do, but she can't just come into my life whenever she feels like it and tell me what to do. She just shows up and I'm expected to act like she was here all along."
"She told you I was bad for you."
Georgie sighed. "Yeah. She gave me her big parental thing about wanting me to be safe and she really doesn't have any room to talk. It's not like she ever went for the safe guy, ya know? She's making judgments on you when she doesn't even know you."
"Then introduce her to me." Diego winked. "Maybe I can buy her something, too? I can't buy your affections, but maybe I can buy your mother's."
"Diego, don't joke. Though, knowing my mother, that might actually work." She rolled her eyes. "You don't have to buy my affections, you already have them. And you shouldn't have to buy anyone else's. You should be given a fair shot just like anybody else."
"You know, you sound like Elizabeth Webber. That's not a bad thing," he added quickly as Georgie's face started to contort. "She's always ready to defend my uncle. Carly used to sound like that about Pop. So did Skye." Diego sighed. "I guess I just keep waiting for the day to come when you don't sound like her anymore. And when she doesn't sound like her, either."
"I don't really know what to say, Diego. I just… It's not right and I may not be the best person to talk about morals and right versus wrong, I know that it feels right defending you. And I really don't think Elizabeth is going to change. She really loves your uncle."
"Yeah." Diego snorted a laugh. "Ya know, she keeps telling him not to buy her expensive gifts, too."
"Does it work?"
"Not really." He shrugged. "It's who he is, and since he's the one I'm learning from…"
"It's who you are."
"Exactly. So, why don't you let me put this on you, because you said you like it, and I already paid for it. Then, you can introduce me properly to your mother."
"I don't know about the second," she said with a groan, "but I think we can do the first."
Georgie turned around and lifted her short hair from her neck. The metal was cool against her skin, and Diego's hands were warm in contrast as they moved around her. As the necklace touched down, Georgie stared at her mother. Felicia still had that disapproving look, and Georgie really didn't care.
She rose a hand to touch the pendant, her fingers tapping against the jewels. She let her hair drop, then reached up to grab Diego's hand before he could drop them both to his sides. She brought his hand around to kiss the inside of his palm. His free arm snaked around her waist and pulled her back against him. Her eyes fluttered closed for a second, then popped back open. And her mother was still watching her.
It was entirely petty, this public display of affection. Georgie knew that it was partially for Felicia's benefit. To show her mother that she was stronger now, that she was her own person, and she still fought for what she believed in. She believed in Diego, she believed in the feelings she had for him, and no one, not even her semi-estranged mother was going to ruin that.
But still, it wasn't completely for her benefit. Diego had really nice hands. And he always smelled so great. She would take any opportunity she could find to take in his scent, to feel his hands. And, to be totally honest, he really did buy the greatest gifts… even if she didn't always want him to buy them for her.