74: Gift (Part 2)

WINTER:

Calcifer stared at me as if I had grown a pair of horns. “You won't accept my gift?”

Breathing deeply, I retorted, “Yes. And you need to accept my decision.”

Accepting his gift was easy. Dad had given me more expensive ones and I was able to put them on my jewelry collection. But are gifts coming from Calcifer? No, thank you.

He stepped backward as if he lost his energy.

“You won’t accept my gift, but you’re willing to celebrate with your bodyguard. What’s the difference between him and me, Pumpkin? Why did you approve of coming with him, when you cannot accept my gift? This is only a simple gift.”

There was nothing simple about that necklace. It cost a million. Or near to a million. Besides, accepting his gift for me meant accepting whatever he wanted from me.

“That's not simple for me, Calcifer. If I accepted your gift, what would you want in return?”

“You think I wanted a return? What do you think of me?”

Pain flashed in his eyes.

Did I hurt his feelings? But I was only