Текст книги "Beautifully Insightful"
Автор книги: K.C. Lynn
сообщить о нарушении
Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 20 страниц)
Chapter 12
Emily
I woke up the next morning feeling a light heartedness I haven’t felt in a really long time. My body was still humming with pleasure from Ryder’s intimate touch at the cliff, and my heart was warm from the kindness he showed me. The way he took care of me, and talked to me about my insecurities and fears is something I will never forget.
Unfortunately, my good mood went to hell the moment my father called and demanded I meet him and my mother for lunch. He did not sound pleased, so I knew that this meeting was probably going to be more unpleasant than usual.
When Andrew, my driver, pulls up and lets me out in front of the country club, I take a deep breath and dig deep for courage, knowing I’m going to need it. I’ve decided I’m going to tell my parents about trying hypnotherapy. The more I think about it, the more I realize that Dr. Ross is right; it’s important I try to find out what caused my disability in the first place. I also know that the more we find out, the more it can also help others in my situation.
When I walk in, the hostess recognizes me instantly and leads me over to my father’s table in the back corner. My stomach clenches at first glance of my parents. Out of all the people I finally got to see, my parents were the least shocking to me. They look the same as I remember, just a bit older. They’re an attractive looking couple who scream class and wealth, only I know who they are deep down, and there is nothing beautiful about either of them.
My mother’s disapproving gaze roams over me, most likely not liking my choice of sundress, but she pastes a fake smile on her face before leaning in to kiss my cheek. “Darling, how are you?” she greets for show.
“I’m doing well, thank you,” I reply quietly.
My father stands next and leans over to kiss my other cheek, but doesn’t bother with pleasantries. His entire demeanor is colder than usual, so I know he’s really upset about something. The waiter comes over right away, bringing me a mimosa that my parents already took the liberty of ordering for me. I know they will have already ordered my meal too and I’m sure it will be the usual dry salad. My mother’s way of making sure I don’t gain weight.
My mother starts with small talk, but there is no denying the awkward tension surrounding us. Once our meals are brought and my father knows we won’t be interrupted for a while, he finally brings up what he called me here for. “I spoke with the Rutherfords this morning,” he begins, mentioning friends of theirs who are just as stuck-up as my parents.
“Oh?” I stare down at my salad, wondering why he thinks I care about this.
“They were at Crustacia last night for dinner.” My head snaps up and my stomach bottoms out at the silent fury in my father’s eyes. “Who were you with, Emily? It better not be who I’m thinking it is, but from the description Henry gave me it sure sounded like it.”
I swallow nervously. Don’t show fear, Emily, you have done nothing wrong. “If you are thinking it was Ryder Jameson, then yes, that is who I was with. He’s in town on business and asked me out for dinner.”
“How dare you speak so blatantly, as if what you have done is okay,” my mother scolds, acting as if I committed murder rather than go out with someone she doesn’t approve of.
“It’s bad enough you broke the rules, Emily, but to show up at Crustacia with trash like him is unacceptable,” my father berates.
“He is not trash,” I grind out quietly, “he never has been, and for your information he is doing quite well. He can more than afford to take me somewhere like that.”
“Really? Is that why he pulled you out of there when your waiter brought your drinks?”
Those damn nosy Rutherfords. “It wasn’t like that. He didn’t pull me out because he couldn’t afford the bill.” He grunts in disbelief. “It’s true!” I defend loudly.
“Keep your voice down!” my mother snaps under her breath. “You have humiliated us enough.”
“It doesn’t matter why he pulled you out of there,” my father starts again. “You are not to see him again while he is here, do you understand me?”
“I am not a child anymore. You can’t tell me who I can or can not see,” I argue through clenched teeth.
“That is where you are wrong, Emily. You have a certain obligation to this family and it’s name. Which is why I have arranged for Kyle to accompany you to the Wilmington’s charity dinner tonight.”
I gape at him, wondering if he’s serious. “You can’t force me to go out with Kyle.”
“The hell I can’t. You will do this or you will not like the consequences.”
My blood runs hot at his threat. Before I can argue again, my mother speaks up. “I have to tell you how completely disappointed I am in you, Emily. Kyle has been so kind to you, especially this past month since your sight has come back, and you have been treating him like garbage.”
“You know how I feel about him, and what he has done to me in the past. Why are you doing this?”
“Like your father said, you have a certain obligation to this family, and dating people within our social class is one of them. You’re not going to push him away for a piece of trash you spread your legs for when you were seventeen-years-old.”
My fists clench and my heart pounds with anger. “My rejection of Kyle has nothing to do with Ryder. I have a lot of personal stuff I am dealing with since getting my sight back. I’m not interested in a serious relationship right now.” Which was true – until Ryder returned. But I know the probability of that is slim to none, considering he doesn’t plan to move back. The entire thought has me feeling even more upset.
“What do you mean you have a lot of personal stuff going on? Has something happened we don’t know about?” my father asks. Most people would think his question is from concern, but it’s not. It has to do with making sure it’s nothing that will embarrass our family’s reputation.
“I’ve had a lot of adjustments. This hasn’t been easy you know, and…”
“Oh please, Emily, stop feeling sorry for yourself! I am sick and tired of you being nothing but an embarrassment to this family,” my mother chides, cutting me off.
Tears begin to blur my eyes, which makes me even more angry. I ignore her cruelty and decide now is a good time to tell them about Dr. Ross. I look only at my father as I speak. “I went and saw my doctor.”
His eyes narrow in confusion. “What are you talking about? Dr. Shepard never said anything about seeing you.”
“I didn’t see him. I saw a different doctor. I found him on my own when my sight returned.”
“What the hell do you mean, you have a doctor of your own? You are only supposed to deal with Dr. Shepard. You know this!” he shouts, getting more upset than I expected.
“I wanted a second opinion, and Dr. Ross is great. He thinks it’s crucial to my well-being to know what happened all those years ago. He has suggested I try hypnotherapy, and…” My mother gasps and my father’s face drains of color. He looks almost panic-stricken for a moment before complete rage takes over his expression. What on earth?
“You will do no such thing! Do you hear me?”
My mother leans over and touches his arm in alarm. “William, keep your voice down. People are staring.”
I stare back at my father’s enraged face, not believing how upset he is over this. “I don’t understand why you are getting so angry. Dr. Ross thinks this is a good thing for my mental health.”
“The man is clearly an idiot!”
“You don’t even know him.”
“I only work with the best, which is why Dr. Shepard works for me.” I shake my head and am about to interrupt but my father doesn’t let me. “I’m serious, Emily, this nonsense stops right now. You will not see that Doctor again, there will be no hypnotherapy, and you sure as hell will not be seeing that piece of trash again.” I stand up, refusing to listen to this crap for another second. “Sit down now!” The low warning in my father’s voice along with the fury in his expression has a shiver of apprehension running down my spine. I have dealt with his anger before, but never anything like this.
“No, I won’t,” I whisper shakily, trying to hold on to my courage. “I am tired of you dictating every single aspect of my life. I’m tired of never being good enough. From now on I am choosing what is right for myself, not what you think is right for the family name. And until you can respect that then don’t contact me again!” Turning, I rush out of the restaurant before they can stop me. As soon as I get outside I see Andrew waiting for me but I walk past him, not trusting where I will end up if I let him take me.
“Miss Michaels, where are you going?”
Ignoring his question, I quicken my stride and turn the corner. I search for a taxi, but there isn’t one in sight. Worrying about Andrew coming to find me, I rush into one of the shops, and the smell of coffee immediately penetrates my senses. I take in my surroundings and quickly realize I’m in a cafe. Swiping at the tears streaking down my cheeks, I go take a seat by the window and pull out my cell. I speak into the mic, asking for it to call Cece. When I get her answering machine right away I worry her phone is turned off. I try again, only to get the same thing.
“Shit!” I mutter, my panic escalating, wondering how I’ll get home. The country club isn’t close to where I live. I think about calling Rosa but remember her telling me last night that she had a full day planned with friends, and I do not want to ruin it for her. Staring at my phone, I call the only other person I can think of who will help me. My heart pounds wildly as it rings, praying he picks up.
“Jameson.”
“Ryder?” I whisper, sounding as distressed as I feel.
“Emily, what’s wrong?”
“I’m really sorry to bother you, but can you pick me up? I just had a horrible lunch with my parents and I have stranded myself. I don’t know my way home and I tried Cece, but…”
“Where are you?” he asks, cutting me off. I hear scuffling in the background as if he’s already moving.
“By the country club at a coffee shop. Umm,” I look around trying to figure out the name, “hold on.” I walk over to a group of girls sitting at a table not far from me. “Excuse me, could you please tell me the name of this place?”
They look at me in annoyance and I realize my mistake too late. The blonde one picks up the small sign that sits in the center of their table. “Um, how about you read the fucking sign, idiot. ‘That’s A-r-o-m-a’,” she replies slowly, making me feel stupid. They all laugh, finding the situation hilarious.
I walk away and try to speak past the humiliation clogging my throat. “I’m…”
“I fucking know where you are. I’ll be there in less than ten minutes. Don’t move!” he barks furiously, clearly hearing everything that was said, which only makes me feel worse.
I look back at the girls who are still laughing at me and can’t take the humiliation any longer. Rushing outside, I sit on a set of stairs that lead up to a space for lease, the wall giving me a small measure of privacy. As I wait for Ryder I try really hard to reign in my emotion, but the pain becomes suffocating, desperately needing to be released.
“Oh please, Emily, stop feeling sorry for yourself! I am sick and tired of you being nothing but an embarrassment to this family.”
“Um, how about you read the fucking sign, idiot. ‘That’s A-r-o-m-a’.”
Not being able to stop myself, I drop my head in my lap and cry out all the hurt and humiliation I’ve just endured in the past hour. I don’t know how much time has passed before I feel someone lean down in front of me. I immediately know it’s Ryder by the amazing scent that penetrates through my sadness. I try to stop my tears, but now that I have let go I can’t seem to stop.
His strong hands run up my bare arms in a comforting gesture. “Em, look at me.” I shake my head, not wanting him to see how broken I am. I hear him sigh before he pries my arms out from under my face and wraps them around his neck. I hold him close and soak in his comfort, desperately needing his strength. Eventually he leans back, then reaches up and cups either side of my jaw, lifting my gaze to his. The sympathy on his face, when he sees mine, has me crying harder. “Shhh. It’s okay, baby. Please don’t cry,” he murmurs, bringing his lips against my wet cheek. I thread my fingers in his hair as he kisses away my tears. “Are you hurt?”
“Just my feelings,” I whisper truthfully.
His jaw flexes and his eyes spark with fury. Just when he’s about to say something, a female voice penetrates the air. “Well hey there, sexy.”
I hear a bunch of giggles and stiffen in recognition. You have got to be kidding me.
Ryder stands and looks over at the group of girls from the coffee shop in annoyance. They stop short and gape at me when they realize he isn’t alone. I quickly turn my face away, feeling even more embarrassed now that they know they’ve made me cry. I see Ryder out of the corner of my eye look back and forth between us, putting the pieces together.
“Come on, baby.” Bending down, he catches me off guard by picking me up and cradling me in my arms. I bury my face in his neck, feeling mortified that he’s carrying me away, but not enough to let him go because it feels good to be in his arms. It feels safe. “Get the fuck out of my way,” he barks, trying to walk past them to his vehicle. Their quick shuffles sound distant the further we get.
Once we are headed back to my apartment, I rest my head against the passenger window, feeling emotionally exhausted. “Thank you for picking me up. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything important for you,” I whisper a few minutes later, breaking the silence.
“You didn’t interrupt anything, Em, and even if you did it wouldn’t have mattered. I still would have come for you.” I feel a small smile touch my lips, his sincere words bring a small measure of warmth to my heavy heart, but it vanishes quickly when he says: “Are you going to tell me what happened with your parents?”
I think about the original reason my father called me there, but don’t want to hurt his feelings with my parent’s judgment so I decide to skip that part. “I told them I want to try the hypnotherapy.”
“It didn’t go well?” he prompts when I explain no further.
A bitter laugh bubbles up my throat. “That is a major understatement.” I think about my father’s furious expression and shake my head. “My father was so angry, Ryder.”
“Did he hurt you, Emily?”
My head snaps up at the anger in his tone and I see pure violence hardening his expression. “No, of course not. He just scared me is all.” I think about how upset both my parents were. “It doesn’t make any sense that he would be that mad over me getting hypnotherapy.” I guess he was already pissed about me going out with Ryder, but still.
“Unless there is a reason he doesn’t want you to remember what you saw.”
“What?” I ask, thinking I misunderstood him.
He shrugs. “It seems to me he might not want you to remember what you saw all those years ago.”
I think about that, my mind running at the possibility but I quickly reject the thought. “No, it’s not that. If he didn’t want me to remember he wouldn’t have had me try it when I was younger.”
“Are you certain he did?”
“Of course.”
“So you remember doing it.”
“I…” I close my mouth and think about it for a moment. “Actually, no I don’t, but I don’t remember a lot from back then.”
He grunts. “It’s something to consider, Emily. Why else would he get that angry about you potentially regaining your memory?”
I think about the quick flash of panic I saw in my father’s expression before his angry outburst. Could it be because he’s worried what I will remember? Is that why I have only ever seen Dr. Shepard? If so, what on earth could he be hiding? I try to think of different scenarios but none of them feel right. By the time we pull up in front of my apartment building I’m even more conflicted.
“What did you end up telling him?” Ryder asks as he puts the vehicle in park.
“I told him that I was going to be making whatever decision was right for myself, and if he couldn’t respect it then not to contact me again. Then I got the hell out of there before he could bring the wrath of hell down on me. I was pretty tough,” I joke, trying to lighten the mood, even though there is nothing funny about any of this. It’s worth it when I look over to see a smile on Ryder’s handsome face. Good god the man is seriously sexy.
His smile turns into a smirk as if he knows what I’m thinking. Grabbing my wrist, he pulls me across the seat until I’m straddling him. Then, cupping my face between his strong warm hands, he kisses me. Warmth explodes through my entire body in all the right places, especially my heavy heart.
The kiss is not desperate or frantic like last night. This one is slow and thorough, but just as intense. It steals my breath and eases some of the pain that was suffocating me just minutes ago. By the time he releases my lips we are both breathless. I feel him watch me but I keep my eyes closed, wanting to bask in this moment for as long as possible. My hands find his face, going back in time. I smile when he encircles my wrist and presses his usual kiss to my palm.
“What is something you’ve been wanting to do since getting your sight back?”
His question catches me off guard. Opening my eyes I see him watching me, his gaze hot and intent. “Hmmm,” I muse, thinking about it. “Going to the movies. I was supposed to go with Cece the other night, but instead we stayed in because I was feeling a little off-kilter by this sexy, bossy guy who had just barged back into my life.”
He smirks at my teasing. “Sexy, huh?”
I roll my eyes. “And you heard the word ‘bossy’ too, right?”
“Yeah, but I like the sexy part better.” He chuckles before leaning in and trailing his mouth down my throat. I moan and tilt my head to the side to give him better access. “I guess that means I owe you a movie date.” His husky voice vibrates against my sensitive skin, the same time his hands snake up under my dress to cup my bottom.
“Mmmm. Sorry, I can’t.”
“Why is that?”
“I’m washing my hair.” I giggle when I feel him falter, but my laughter dies abruptly and trails off into a gasp when I feel a sharp sting on my ass that was just delivered from his hand. My clit swells at the sharp contact, and before I can stop myself I grind down on his erection to seek relief.
He groans and thrusts up against my eager motions. “You liked that, Em?”
“Yes,” I pant breathlessly, not sounding like myself at all.
“If you liked that, baby, then just wait until I spank your pretty ass while my cock pounds into your sweet pussy.” I whimper at his dirty words, my panties growing insanely wet. My hips start moving frantically, creating a friction I desperately need. Unfortunately, he ceases my movements with a low growl. “Time to stop or I am not going to be able to control myself from slipping into you right here.”
“That’s okay with me,” I reply truthfully, and fight against his tight grip on my hips.
He chuckles then groans. “Soon, Em, I promise. First let me take you to the movies.”
I let out a frustrated breath when I realize this isn’t going any further. “Okay, when?”
He quirks a brow, surprised at how easily I agreed. After what he just did to me I’m willing to do almost anything he says at the moment, which is dangerous. “How about I come back around six? I have a few things I have to do first. We can grab supper after.”
I nod. “Okay.” He gives me one more delicious kiss before letting me out, and the moment he drives away I feel a sudden emptiness.
Chapter 13
Emily
“Well, girl, what do you think? Do you think Ryder will like it?” I ask Summer, who lays comfortably on my bed watching me get ready for my movie date. Her eyebrows raise, seeming to assess my outfit that Cece told me to wear. The faded jean skirt is short and flirty but not indecent, and the soft yellow lace tank hugs my body in all the right places. It shows just enough cleavage to tease but still remains classy. The outfit is dressy casual and perfect for the movies, Cece had said. I really had no other choice but to take her word for it.
Summer lifts her head and responds with a low howl of approval. Giggling, I sit next to her on the bed and run my fingers through her soft fur. “Thanks, girl, you always know the right thing to say, huh,” I croon as she licks my face with her sweet kisses. “You are the bestest friend a girl can have.”
Everyone thinks I’m odd for saying she is my best friend, but it’s the truth. Most people don’t understand that a dog will be the greatest friend you’ll ever have.
They are loyal, compassionate, and accept you for who you are – faults and all. They don’t discriminate or hold grudges, they don’t care what brand of clothes you wear or how much money you have. They will love you unconditionally until their last breath, and, to me, that is the true meaning of friendship.
The knock on my door interrupts our moment. Grabbing my cell phone I hit the button for the time, and hear Ryder is ten minutes early. “Wish me luck, girl. I’ll see you in a few hours.” I give Summer one last kiss on the head then grab my thin cardigan in case it gets cold in the theatre. As I make my way to the door my heart kicks up in anticipation, my body still remembering his love tap from earlier and his promise for later.
Doing a quick fluff of my hair, I open the door with a smile. “Hey, you’re early, I…” My words trail off and my stomach sinks when I see the person on the other side of the door isn’t Ryder, it’s Kyle. Shit!
His eyes sweep down my body. His predatory gaze doesn’t make me feel pretty like Ryder’s does, it makes me feel sick and exposed. I put my cardigan on over my tank top to cover myself as much as possible.
“Kyle, what are you doing here?” I keep my tone light but I’m not friendly by any means. I quickly take notice of the suit he wears then remember what my father said earlier at the country club.
“I’m here to pick you up for the charity dinner. I have to say, Emily, as much as I love your outfit it’s not really great attire for tonight’s occasion. But you can wear it for me another night.” He winks and gives me a charming smile, one so many girls find attractive.
I guess if you judged him by looks only you could say he was good looking. His clean-cut blonde hair, blue eyes and dazzling smile with perfect white teeth make most girls swoon. But I know what he looks like on the inside and there is nothing attractive about him.
“I told my father earlier that I wasn’t going.”
“I was hoping I could change your mind.”
I shake my head. “Sorry, but no. I don’t want to be anywhere near my parents tonight.” Or you…
“Come on, Emily, it will be fun. And I promise I will be on my best behavior.” He tries convincing me with the most insincere smile.
“I’m not going, Kyle. Sorry you wasted your time coming here.” I begin to close the door but he slams his hand against it, the loud bang making me flinch.
His blue eyes flicker with impatience. “What the hell is your problem? Why are you fighting this so much?”
“You know what my problem is. We don’t get along, we never have. I am not going out with you just to appease my parents.”
“You aren’t even giving this a fucking chance!”
I realize this is getting us nowhere. “Look, it doesn’t matter. I have already told you I’m not interested in a relationship right now. I have a lot…” I gasp when he grabs me by my arm and pulls me against him. My heart jackhammers at his furious expression.
“You are a fucking liar. I know all about your date last night. Decided to go slumming again, hey, Emily. When are you ever going to fucking learn?”
“Ryder is none of your business!” I seethe through clenched teeth.
“That’s where you’re wrong. It is my business and you’re bringing yourself a lot of trouble if you keep fighting everyone on this. Now my patience is wearing thin when it comes to you. You need to pull the stick out of your ass and accept this.”
“Never! I will never have anything to do with you. Now let go of me!” His grip tightens painfully as I try to break free from his hold. One minute we’re struggling then the next he’s gone and I’m free. I stumble back but catch my balance quickly.
“What the fuck!”
I race back to the door to see Kyle slammed up against the wall, an enraged Ryder pinning him there by his throat. Oh shit!
“What the fuck are you doing here, Prescott?”
Kyle glares back at him but there is no denying the fear in his eyes. “I should be asking you the same question, Jameson. Still don’t know your place after all these years?”
Ryder applies pressure to Kyle’s throat, making him sputter and his face turn the color of a tomato. “And you still don’t know when it’s smart to shut your fucking mouth!”
“Ryder, stop!” People begin poking their heads out of their apartment to see what all the ruckus is about. I rush over and try to do damage control before this gets anymore out of hand. “Ryder, please stop,” I plead. “Someone is going to call the police.”
I start to think he isn’t even hearing me through his rage, but then he flicks me a glance before leaning in closer to Kyle’s now purple face. “If you ever put your hands on her again I will fucking kill you!” he threatens, before pushing himself away. Kyle doubles over with his hands on his knees, inhaling lungfuls of the oxygen he was deprived of.
Ryder pulls me against his side and wraps an arm around my waist. “You all right, Em?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” I respond shakily, not sounding fine at all.
Once Kyle finally catches his breath, he stands and glares at both Ryder and me. The violence in his eyes causes a shiver of fear to run down my spine. “I’m sure your father will be thrilled when I show up at the dinner and tell him you completely disobeyed his order from earlier today,” he says like an immature tattletale.
Ryder goes at him again. “You talk to me, asshole, not her!”
I jump in front of him and put a trembling hand on his chest. “Ryder, just let it go,” I say firmly, before looking back at Kyle. “I told my father today that all decisions are my own and I won’t be forced by any of you to change them. This crap stops here, Kyle. Leave now and don’t ever come back.”
He watches me for a moment then shakes his head. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Emily.”
Ryder stiffens and I apply pressure to his chest, making sure he doesn’t go after him again. “You better listen to her warning. Don’t come back here, or next time you won’t be walking away from it.”
Kyle smirks arrogantly and I consider letting Ryder at him again, but thankfully he walks away. I blow out a relieved breath and run a shaky hand through my hair. I glance up at Ryder who seems to be looking more pissed by the second.
“You ready?” his tone is clipped and he doesn’t look at me.
“Yeah, just let me get my purse.” I grab it off my counter then lock the door behind me. Silence surrounds us as I follow him out to the vehicle, his body radiating pure fury the entire time. Is he mad at me?
As soon as we get into his SUV he slams the door so hard that I jump. He grips the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white and his chest heaving with angry breaths. “What the fuck was he doing there, Emily?”
His accusing question pisses me off, but I try to tamp down my anger since I’ve had enough drama for one day. “My father wanted him to take me to a charity dinner tonight. I told him at lunch I wouldn’t go, but clearly he ignored me, like always, and sent Kyle anyway.”
“So that’s what the fight was about today with your father – me, not the hypnotherapy?”
“He called me there because family friends saw us last night at Crustacia. The lunch ended with us in a fight about the hypnotherapy.”
“You shouldn’t have fucking lied to me.”
“I didn’t lie to you. I just left that part out. I…”
He laughs bitterly. “Same fucking thing, Emily. What – didn’t want me to find out that daddy didn’t approve once again?”
Tears begin to blur my eyes at what a dick he’s being. “No, I didn’t want you to know because I didn’t want your feelings hurt, and it didn’t matter what he said because I was making my own decision. Just like I am now and I’ve decided this date is over.”
I go to open the door and get out, but he grabs my arm. “Em, wait, baby, don’t go.”
His soft tone has me looking back at him. “Look, I’m sorry I’m being an asshole. I’m not mad at you. I’m just pissed at the entire situation. Seeing Prescott’s hands on you like that made me fucking insane!”
“I’m okay,” I mumble quietly, sitting back in my seat.
“Does he come often?”
“I’ve had to deal with him a little over the years. Our parents really want us together, but it was never this bad. Not until my sight returned. Now he’s shown up almost every day.”
His teeth grind so hard I’m surprised his jaw doesn’t snap. “You should have told me everything about your father today.”
“I didn’t want my parent’s ignorant opinions to hurt your feelings,” I whisper, feeling guilty that he knows about it even now.
Reaching over, he cups my face. “Their opinions don’t bother me, baby, the only thing that can hurt me is if they hurt you.”
I place my hand over his. “I don’t care what they say about us. I never did.”
We watch one another for a moment, six years ago hanging heavy between us. I wait to see if he will say anything about why he left, but he doesn’t. Instead he kisses me until all the bad fades away and nothing else matters but us. He eventually pulls back then rests his forehead on mine. “We’ll talk about all of it later, Em, but let’s go see a movie first, okay?”
“Okay.”
He gives me another quick kiss before putting the SUV in drive and pulling away. The entire way to the theatre I can’t help but feel nervous for him to tell me what happened all those years ago. I just pray, that whatever it is, it won’t leave any more scars on my heart. Hopefully it will heal it.
A short ten minutes later we walk into the theatre that shares the same street with a bunch of boutiques and antique shops. The sound of popcorn popping and the delicious smell has me craving to buy some. The place is fairly busy, from couples holding hands, to families with small children. My gaze lands on a group of high school girls laughing, looking like they are having a blast with each other. I instantly feel a pang of sadness, knowing that’s something I always missed out on.
