I breathe him in as we kiss.
CHAPTER TEN
Oscar
I stand up. “I need to show you something. Wait here.”
I don’t wait to see her reaction—because if she refuses and leaves, well, I won’t be able to cope with it. So, I run. I run up the stairs, and my breaths come in short, sharp bursts.
The album.
I’ve got to show her the album.
I put it together exactly six months after we broke up. After I broke her heart.
I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Jared thought that if I put everything that reminded of her together in one place—and then burnt it—I’d get closure and be able to move on and not mind sleeping with a bunch of different girls each week.
Huh. It was a dumb idea, but, painstakingly, I went through all my things, finding every little thing that linked to her, that I hadn’t been able to throw away, and I put it into a cheap photo album. I bought it for the purpose, to hold all of her—told myself it would make it easier to burn all my memories in one go. I didn’t think I’d ever want to look at a photo album again, not after losing the one Grandmother gave me. But creating an album of Emma calmed me.
And it made me realize how much she meant to me.
I never burnt it. I couldn’t. I just told Jared I had.
I push open the door to the spare room, where the album is kept, and immediately Sookie opens one eye and looks at me. And, of course, Nicky, that one pesky kitten who always wants my attention, wakes up.
“It’s okay,” I murmur. “You go back to sleep.”
But he stands up on slightly wobbly legs and mews softly.
And of course my heart melts. I scoop him up and cuddle him, because I know that’s what he wants. What he always wants.
I tell him what a good boy he is and how he’s my favorite—even though I shouldn’t have a favorite—and stroke him. He’s predominantly black, but he’s got one little white patch on his chest. I fuss over him some more, and Sookie—more alert now—watches me. I take Nicky to the window, show him the swirling snow.
And wow, it’s falling faster now. A blanket covers Emma’s car.
Then I hear movement. I turn and see Emma in the doorway.
“A kitten?” She stares at me. “Oh my goodness.”
I nod. “Six of them.” I jerk my head toward the bed, where Sookie and the other kittens are. “Took her in and never expected to become a father.” I laugh. Somehow, that always gets me—and I say it at every opportunity I can. “It’s stressful.” I smile. “I’ll just be a moment.”
“It’s okay.”
Emma watches me as I talk to Nicky, before putting him safely back with Sookie. He climbs over two of his sisters in order to get the best position, closest as possible to the safety of his mother.
I can’t help but smile, then remember why I’m here and how important this moment is.
“Okay.” I head to the wardrobe. “Sorry about that.” I glance back at her, just for a split second, as I pull open the drawer at the bottom of the wardrobe. “That’s Nicky, that one. He always wakes up and wants attention the moment I’m in here.” Shit. I’m rambling. She’s going to get bored. “Anyway, this is what I want to show you.”
The album’s slightly cool to the touch. It’s the leather.
Emma stares at me, a slight frown appearing, and I hand it to her.
“Open it.”
She frowns some more, then sits on the end of the bed. Sookie focuses all her attention on Emma as she opens the album. She stares at the photo for a long moment, then looks at me.
I can’t read her face.
Then she’s turning through more pages.
“It’s from the first time I met your parents,” I say when I see she’s paused with her finger on the bus ticket. It was the first time I ever visited Rose Haven too, a place she’d told me rarely experiences rain. “Remember? I had to get the bus over, and you were waiting for me at the stop.”
Rain plasters her hair to her face. Of course she’s not got a coat. Apparently, this is just a quick shower. So she tells me.
“Ready?” she asks.
And I nod. I think I’m ready. But her parents—this is a big step, and it sounds silly, but I don’t know how to act around parents. With my grandmother, she’s pretty chilled about what I do. But parents—that’s a whole other thing, one I have no experience of.
She nods, and a glassy look fills her eyes. It’s a look I don’t understand—then something’s buzzing.
Emma pulls out her phone, and I catch a glimpse of a woman—one that can only be Jenna—dressed in the most hideous outfit, pulling the most hideous expression.
“Woah. That is one scary caller ID.”
Emma tries to hide her smile, and she clicks to reject the call.
She rejected her best friend’s call. That’s got to be a good sign. My heart pounds as she returns her focus to the album. She pauses on the Christmas card this time.
Oh, that card.
Her cheeks are flushed with cold as she greets me outside, her eyes sparkling.
“Two weeks, and we’ll see each other again,” I whisper, my arms circling her. My breath fogs in the air, and I look down at her.
How is it possible for her to be so beautiful?
I kiss her deeply, and I never want to let her go. She’s mine, and we belong together. I feel it more now than ever before.
“Two weeks,” she breathes into my ear, and her breath tickles.
I smile.
“Wait, I’ve got a card for you. Open it when you’re at home. Alone.” There’s a mysterious glint in her eye.
I smile. “Why, what have you written?”
“Not so much what I’ve written as drawn.” Her smile is infectious, and then I’m kissing her deeply in the way that makes my body respond.
“You kept all these?” Emma stares at me, and I move closer, trying to gauge her reaction. I think she’s happy, so I sit next to her.
Nicky is mewing plaintively, and I glance at him. He wants picking up again, I can tell, but I need to focus on Emma.
“Of course,” I say. There was never any question about me not keeping these things. “I didn’t want to forget you. Not ever—and I’ve never stopped thinking about you.” I pause, blinking slowly. “I’m so, so sorry, Emma. If I could go back and stop myself breaking up with you, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Because I love you. I always have, and I always will.”
The words burst from me before I even realize I’m going to say them. But they’re there, dancing between us, and I stare at her, and I want her.
I pull her to me, wrap her in my embrace. She is shaking, and I breathe hard against the side of her face. Emma, in my arms, again.
This is right. Her heartbeat, against mine.
My eyes smart. Tears. No. I can’t start crying. I can’t.
A minute or so later, she pulls away. Her eyes drink me up, and I just want to hold her, touch her, never stop touching her.
And then, of course, Nicky chooses this moment to pull himself onto Emma’s lap. She may be wearing jeans, but I know how sharp his little claws are, and I reach out to lift him up and against my body, so he can’t needle her thighs anymore.
“Can I stroke him?” she asks, and her eyes have lit up even more.
I nod, and she strokes Nicky for a few moments. Then Nicky’s squirming to go back to Sookie. I twist around, planting him next to Sookie and the other kittens.
I take a deep breath and look back at Emma.
I steady my breathing. “Can we start again? Can you forgive me?” The questions come out altogether, and I want to sound calm—but I don’t. I sound desperate. And I am. Desperate for her.
I need her.
She reaches for my hand, squeezes it, looks into my face.
I watch her lips, begging them to move. The right movement.
“Yes,” she whispers.
I pull her close to me, and my lips find hers. Emotions build inside me, and I
’m kissing her, and my arms are around her, and she is mine again.
THE END
Do You Want to Know More about What’s in Store for Emma and Oscar?
Hey there!
Thank you so much for reading When We Were Young, a prequel short story to my Rose Haven series. I hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse into Emma and Oscar’s complicated relationship.
Want to know more about what’s in store for these two? Both Emma and Oscar make appearances in the Rose Haven series! Look out for Jenna and Jared’s story in book one, What We Have, which will be available from Spring 2020.
Don’t forget to sign up to my newsletter to get sneak peeks at upcoming books in the Rose Haven series and follow me on Amazon to be the first to know when my next books release.
Acknowledgements
When We Were Young is my first romance short story, and I had so much fun writing it.
A huge thank you goes to my critique partners and beta readers: D. Renee, Isvari Mohan Maranwe, Rosie Craney-Higgs, and Anna Gamble. You really helped me make Emma and Oscar’s story so much better!
To Crystal Lacey, thank you for all your encouragement, help, and guidance. I simply cannot express just how amazing you’ve been, and you have taught me so much. Thank you!
And to my family and friends: thank you so much for believing in me and helping to make this writing thing work.
About the Author
Elin Annalise is a romance writer. She graduated from Exeter University, where she studied English literature and watched the baby rabbits play on the lawns when she should’ve been taking notes on Milton and Homer. She’s a big fan of koi carp, cats, and dreaming.
When We Were Young is her first publication. Look out for Elin Annalise’s debut novel in spring 2020.
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