The Way Back Home (Homecoming Novella)

by C. Lymari

  “Hi, how may I help you?” I said as cheerily as I could manage.

  Jake grinned at me, and I'll admit I got flutters; he was handsome. Light brown hair, fair skin, and roughness you wanted to explore.

  "You good, Ems?" he asked.

  No, I was not good. Not only did I make a fool of myself last night by getting drunk and calling the police, but I let Dex give me an O and then I punched him, got picked up by Prescott, who was weirdly my friend, and now people were looking at me. I stayed in the shadows. I liked it there. This, I didn't like. However, I didn't say any of this.

  “I don’t want to hear about it.” I pointed a finger at Jake.

  Clark leaned into the counter and grinned at me. They usually didn't look alike since Clark had more of his father's features, whereas Jake and Cubbie were blonder. His grin was almost like Jake's, except his front tooth was slightly crooked.

  “Delete that file,” I said, narrowing my eyes at Clark.

  “Don’t be like that, girl. It’s a little harmless fun. You know we tend to get bored around here.”

  “Everyone at the station heard my call because of you,” I snapped at him while I gave each brother their order.

  “No one is going to say shit, Ems.”

  “Oh, I’m sure,” I snickered.

  "Ems," Clark said, and I turned to look at him.

  Jake was drinking his new coffee—he had yet to find his signature drink—while he looked at the exchange between his brother and me.

  "No one is going to say shit,” Clark insisted. “Hendrix will kill anyone before one curl of that pretty little head of yours gets out of place."

  I was looking at Clark, hoping he was jesting, but he was dead serious, and I knew he meant what he said. I had a feeling he and Dex were close. I should have been grateful that no one other than Prescott knew of my walk of shame. That was one story I wouldn’t live down.

  “No quote today?” Jake asked.

  Looking at the blackboard, I cringed. I didn't have the mental energy today to think of something profound and inspiring.

  "Give me chalk." Clark extended his hand.

  Jake smacked his head and pointed to where the cup containing chalks was.

  Clark picked one up and started to write. "Freya is one crazy bitch, but she's good for you."

  If you have crazy friends, you have everything.

  Had I really changed that much since meeting Freya? I stood there and waved goodbye to the Carson brothers. Then I realized what I had just done.

  The morning rush went fast. The same people smiled at me. Others said various versions of, “Glad you had a fun night out. You work too hard.” Frank laughed and said I should stay inside during the next full moon. Also, he wasn't that surprised Freya and I had become friends. Freya showed her crazy, and I just hid mine.

  It was almost noon when Freya walked in. She came in ranting, oblivious to the attention she got, not just from men but from everyone. She was an enigma, and lately, I noticed Max staring at her more and more. He didn’t always come in, but when he passed by the store, he would stare, trying to catch a glimpse of her.

  I was mad at Freya because essentially the predicament I was in was her fault, but when she came bearing gifts, I couldn't stay mad. Especially not when she was helping me for free. If it hadn’t been for her, I would have already called defeat, told my parents my shop was sinking, and let them convince me to close it down. And the burger she brought was so, so good.

  “So, tell me, how was it waking up in Dex’s arms? Anything I should know?” She wiggled her eyebrows at me.

  “No!” I shouted, freaked out of my mind.

  Freya could not know what happened between Dex and me. I blushed thinking about the way he touched me. How his hand pressed against my center without inserting a finger. I wanted him so bad last night, I was pretty sure I would have let him do anything to me.

  “A werewolf, Emma? Seriously?”

  “I panicked,” I whined.

  This was something I was not living down anytime soon. When it slowed down, as it always did on game day, I went to go look at my ledgers. I knew not much had changed since I last went over them yesterday. Desperation was a pain in the ass, and I didn’t like it.

  “It tends to be pretty dead when there’s a game. I’m going to catch up on some work in the office. If you want to go get food or something that’s cool. I’ll hear the bell chime in case someone comes in,” I told her.

  Semi-closing the door to my office, I got to work on re-counting all the numbers. As I looked at the screen, a tear rolled down my face. My dream was crashing down. There was no way I could save my shop.

  Looking at my phone, I saw all the red ignored calls from Harold. Sooner or later, he would start hounding me down.

  DEX

  As soon as I walked into the station, Clark looked at me and howled. I tried making it to my office and closing the door on his face, but he wouldn’t have it.

  “Was this the werewolf or the girl who cried wolf who got you good?”

  I didn’t say a thing; I just glared.

  “Prescott called me pretty early in the morning.” Clark took a seat in one of my chairs.

  Just hearing Prescott’s name pissed me off. Out of all the people who could have driven by my place, it had to be him. I was mostly mad because Emma went with him after I made her come last night... after she said my name. She was mine, damn it, and it had been forever, and if I didn’t get inside her soon, I was going to explode like a time bomb.

  “He wanted me to pick up Emma’s car. Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t he pass by your house most mornings?” he continued.

  If I could have punched Clark right now, I would have, but he was a mean fucker, and I knew he would finish what Emma had started this morning.

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” I replied.

  Clark shook his head while he grinned. When he left, I did some paperwork. It wasn’t until much later when someone walked into my office.

  “Dude, what happened to your face?” Freya mocked as she made herself comfortable in my office.

  “Aren’t you hilarious?” I stuck my tongue out at her. I’d only known her for a short time, but I felt comfortable with her.

  “Did you have fun blowing it? I give you the girl, I give her to you to watch over, and you think getting in bed with her was the right move? What kind of dumb-ass move was that? You could have woken up, made her breakfast, and forced her to have a conversation with you, but instead, you got a busted nose and a spooked girl.”

  “She had a nightmare,” I defended myself.

  When Emma started shouting, I jumped off the sofa so fast, scared out of my mind. I’d thought for sure someone had gone crazy in town and I’d had a break-in. However, that was not the case. Emma was dreaming of her adventure. She kept saying wolf. I tried waking her, I swear I did, but she kept thrashing and then she said my name. “Dex, help.” How the fuck was I supposed to leave her alone after that? I told her I was there; I got in bed and hugged her. Damn, did she feel good in my arms, her hair all over my chest—heaven.

  If I had to get punched all over again, I’d do it because waking up with Emma was the stuff that dreams were made of. So, I listened to Freya and her half-cocked plan.

  -

  That was how I found myself at Moore’s the next day. I liked to think I knew Emma pretty well by now, and Freya was not getting her in here without deceiving her. And after last night I was sure Emma had her reservations about having another girls’ night.

  “Hey, Dex,” Stacy greeted me.

  She smiled at me from the bar, her mischievous grin and lustful eyes had my skin crawling. Not that Stacy was an ugly woman. She was hot. Jake had been fuck buddies with her for a while now. But my luck would be Emma walking in and thinking I was here to pick up another woman.

  “Stace, how’s it going tonight?”

  “Better, now that you’re here.”

  I looked at the door, hoping th
at Emma wouldn’t walk through it right now. I finally had a chance at a real date. I didn’t need to blow it before it began.

  “I’m still not on the market, babe,” I unapologetically told her. This was something she had heard before even before I permanently moved to town.

  Her grin fell, then she rolled her eyes. “Don’t you think little Miss Goody-Two-Shoes would have caved by now?”

  I bit my tongue to stop myself from snapping at her. Stace meant to be a bitch; there was malice in her voice. I grabbed the drink she handed me when I saw a few people turn their head to the entrance. My hand shook, and I had to hold the bottle firmly before I dropped it. My body hummed, and my cock grew hard.

  There they were. Probably the two prettiest women in the room. But to me, Emma was the only one. I’d seen her in a dress before, but never like the one she wore now. The skirt was shorter, and every time Emma moved, it bounced, and I felt like a teenager trying to see if I could look at her underwear. She wore a black leather jacket, making her look badass, and I wanted her to ride my cock so bad now. Her hair…fuck, don’t get me started on it. I freaking loved her curls, but right now it was all silky and straight. When my eyes finally made it to her face, I lost the ability to speak. Her makeup was done, her lips painted a nude color I would die to see smeared on my dick. I think Freya was talking to me, but I couldn’t hear a thing.

  13

  Emma

  "Your grandpa seems really nice," I said once Freya and I were in the car.

  I ran my hand through my straight-as-a-pin hair. I felt like it was too vain to pull the mirror down so I could ogle myself.

  Freya, on the other hand, said, "Damn, I look good enough to eat," when she saw her reflection in the rearview mirror.

  “He’s the best.” She paused then turned to look at me. “I could never regret coming back home because I missed him so much…and I got to meet you.”

  My body grew warm at her words. I couldn’t have imagined that Freya would be my best friend. She never asked a thing of me, and she gave so much. I wanted to repay her someday. I should key Abbi’s car. That might make her happy. With my luck, I’d probably get caught. But will Dex arrest me?

  I shook my head as I cast away the thought of Dex with his uniform and handcuffs. When we passed a bump, I made sure my seat belt was on extra tight.

  “How is this truck still running?” I asked.

  “I have no idea; I don’t question it since I won’t be able to get a car anytime soon. I’m just glad Old Red isn’t breaking to pieces on me.”

  The rest of the ride was quiet, and I hated that it was all because of Max and Abigail. Wouldn’t it be nice if every time you broke up with someone, they would be erased from your mind and the echo of their love removed from your heart? People wouldn’t be walking around with pieces of their heart missing.

  When we parked at Moore’s, I was starting to have second thoughts. I’d never been inside the bar. To be honest, new places made me a little nervous. When I put my hand out to open the door, Freya stopped me.

  “Emma, don’t be afraid to take risks because you’re scared you’ll get hurt. Take it from someone who once had it all; nothing beats that feeling I had in my heart every time I saw him.”

  I stayed quiet, listening to her pain. I couldn’t help but think of Dex as she spoke about the feelings she still had for Max.

  “Don’t be scared to open your heart because you’re afraid of a little pain,” she told me. “You’ll end up regretting it.”

  My stomach dipped, and I didn’t want to be having this conversation anymore. The truth was, I was scared.

  “Oookay,” I said before Freya could keep talking.

  Once we were outside, Freya grabbed my hand and led me inside. The place was dimly lit, but everyone’s eyes were on us.

  “Freya, people are staring… I’ve changed my mind. We can go back to the woods. Hell, we can even vandalize Abigail’s car, just as long as you take the blame.” I didn’t need Dex with his handcuffs anywhere near my body.

  However, Freya didn’t listen; she kept walking towards the end of the bar.

  My body tensed as soon as I saw him. It was like no one else was there with us. He was holding a beer standing by the bar, but his eyes had not left mine.

  Don’t be afraid to take risks because you’re scared you’ll get hurt. Freya’s words rang in my ear.

  Freya stopped right in front of Dex, and her cheery voice led me to believe this was all a setup. “Dex, fancy meeting you here.”

  Yeah, real fancy.

  “You look lovely,” Dex rasped.

  Meanwhile, I couldn’t stop staring at him. Freya nudged me so I would speak.

  “Hey,” I said. Even to my own ears, I could hear the shyness.

  We went to take a seat in a booth. As soon as I sat down, Freya said she’d be right back. She had to pee.

  “She’s not coming back, is she?” I didn’t dare look up from the table.

  I felt betrayed by Freya. Yeah, I got that I shouldn’t be scared, but when I decided to take a leap, it should have been my choice. I shouldn’t have to be pushed.

  "Sunshine." Dex's tone was demanding.

  Slowly, I lifted my eyes to meet his. He took a sip of his beer as he drank me in. Out of nervous habit, I ran my hand through my hair and forgot I had it straight, so my fingers glided effortlessly.

  "You look beautiful."

  "Thank you," I replied hesitantly.

  I didn't want to be here with Dex. He made me feel too much, and my brain couldn't catch up to comprehend my feelings.

  “Tell me, Emma, if you knew I’d be here tonight, would you have come?”

  Silence was my answer. I wouldn’t have come. Not because I didn’t want to, but what did I say to him after what happened? The girl who was in his bed was not me. Drunk me wasn’t me. I didn’t know how to handle that. How could I speak to him when I had yet to process my feelings? Once upon a time, I thought he could have been my dream guy, but I was nowhere near being his dream girl.

  “I’m tired of this, Ems,” he said, and I sucked in breath. “What we shared—I want more of it. A lot more. But I’ve got to know that you aren’t going to run away every time I make some progress with you. I’ve been patient, letting you get used to me. I get that I fucked up, Ems, but by denying this, so are you.” He laughed without humor before running a hand through his hair. “I came back for you.”

  Why couldn’t I breathe after that declaration? I was about to open my mouth and protest, because that was a lie. He did not come back for me. He didn’t even stay in this town for me. He left because he wanted something more. Something that wasn’t me.

  “I almost—you know, that doesn’t matter. Since I came back, I haven’t even looked at another woman. I haven’t touched anyone, Emma. It’s not like I don’t have other options.”

  I flinched at his honesty, because I knew women threw themselves at him. And I suspected he was never with anyone, but hearing him confirm it had my stomach dipping with adrenaline and butterflies.

  “I know that if I touched anyone, it would have come back to you and I would have blown my shot. But the thing is, Emma, I’m not so sure I have one.”

  My lips quivered. Not once in this conversation had he called me “sunshine”—and I wanted my nickname back.

  “I’m not a young college kid anymore. I know what I want, and I’m also done wasting my time. I could have seen myself with you, but I’m also not going to beg you.”

  When he got up and left his empty beer bottle on the table with a five, I felt all my walls closing in around me.

  It was fear, but mostly want, that made me blurt out, “I’m stone-cold sober.”

  Dex froze mid-stride. I closed my eyes, because if he walked out that door, my heart would break, and tears would start to fall.

  “What did you say?” His voice sounded much closer than it had been earlier.

  With my eyes still fully closed, I whispered, “I’m sober today.
”

  Saying those words was like jumping off a cliff. They scared me. But the thought of Dex giving up on me? That scared me more.

  “Sunshine.” I felt him slide next to me, and I felt relieved by the use of the nickname he’d given me. “Look at me.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t.”

  I felt his fingers at my chin, turning me slowly to face him. “I’m sorry.”

  What? Why was he sorry for?

  Slowly, I opened my eyes, and Dex was smiling at me. It freaked me out, but also cause my belly to quiver. When my eyes met his, he rested his forehead on mine connecting us in a way we never had been before.

  “I’m sorry for pushing you, sunshine.”

  “Pushing me for what?”

  “Emma.”

  I looked up at him, and he grinned.

  “I’d knew how you react,” he told me.

  “You did not.”

  “Yes, I did.” He smirked at me. “You were right there. Just needed a little push.”

  That cocky little bastard. I narrowed my eyes at him and raised my hand to call Stacy to get me a drink or five.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m getting drunk,” I said.

  I was not going to be sober any more. He could suck on that. I needed a little push? The asshole shoved me.

  But did he let you fall?

  Nope. I was not listening to rational me right now.

  Dex put my hand down and growled. “No, you are not. As a matter of fact, we are getting the fuck out of here.”

  No, we couldn’t leave yet. I wasn’t ready. I had to mentally prepare myself to do the nasty with Dex Sexy-Cop Hendrix.

  “I’m starving,” I said as I pushed him back.

  He shook his head, but he did it smiling. “You’re starving?”

  When I nodded, he called the waitress over. I don’t even know what I ordered, but Dex didn’t get anything.

  “You’re not hungry?”

  “I’m famished,” he said as he got closer to me.

  “Then why didn’t you order something?”