by V. T. Do
“Oh. It’s nice to meet you,” I said. “Did you say something?”
He flashed me a charming smile, dimples and all. “Yes. I was introducing myself. My name is Cole Ross. This is my friend Wyatt James.”
Wyatt. I now had a name to the face.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said quietly, shaking his hand. “My name is Emery, and this is my friend Joey.”
Cole’s smile widened. “I know. Joey told us already.”
“Oh.” My cheeks turned hot from embarrassment. Obviously, they already introduced themselves. I was too busy drooling over Wyatt to notice.
I turned to Wyatt and held out my hand. I tried to ignore the slight tremors in it due to the cold weather. He paused, and I wondered if he would shake my hand, and found that I wanted him to. I wanted to know what his skin felt like engulfing mine.
Then he took my hand and shook it gently.
I let out a small gasp and pulled away quickly. Electricity still tingled where we touched. I wanted to grab my hand with the other one to make sure that hand was still in my control. If Cole or Joey thought my reaction was weird, neither said anything.
“I know you said you have a ride coming, but I want to put it out there that my offer still stands. It wouldn’t be any trouble at all,” Cole said.
Joey and I shared a look. I wondered if she was thinking the same thing I was. Can we trust them?
“Look, if it’ll make you feel better, you can take a picture of my license plate and send it to one of your friends. That way, someone knows who you were with tonight.”
I shrugged. The decision was up to Joey. I didn’t much mind waiting for a cab to come, though waiting outside in the dead of night seemed like it was just asking for more trouble. We might run into someone like those men earlier, and this time, Cole and Wyatt wouldn’t be around to help us.
“Okay,” Joey said, pulling out her phone. She made the short walk to Cole’s car and took a picture of the license plate. Cole, Wyatt, and I followed her. When we got closer, Joey took Cole’s and Wyatt’s pictures as well. Cole seemed to find the whole thing amusing, while Wyatt was a little harder to read.
“Just in case,” she said. I hid my smile. The action was very much like Joey. She didn’t even hesitate, whereas I might, afraid it would offend them somehow.
We got into the back seat of the car and waited for the men to get in. Wyatt was saying something to Cole outside, but his voice didn’t penetrate through the car, so I didn’t know what he was saying. For all I knew, he could be objecting to this whole thing.
Wanting to give us a ride home seemed to be Cole’s idea. And I had an inkling of why that was. He was interested in Joey. It was obvious from the way he watched her. And Joey knew it too. I wondered if part of the reason why she accepted his offer was because she was interested in him as well.
I felt her eyes on me and turned to her. “What?”
“Are you okay, Emery?”
“Of course I am. Why?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Why? After what happened tonight, you need to ask?”
“Oh. That. I’m okay. Just glad we made it out of there unscathed.” I looked up at the bump on her forehead. “Well, almost. We’ll put some ice on that when we get to your place.”
“What happened when I was knocked out?” she asked quietly. Knowing her, she was probably assuming the worst.
“Nothing. I tried to run to you, but the other guy grabbed me. Then Wyatt and Cole showed up and... saved the day.”
“That’s it? They didn’t do anything to you?”
I shook my head, shooting her a small smile. “No. I promise I’m telling the truth. So please stop worrying.”
“I’ll always worry about you. You’ve been known to take risks.”
“That was years ago. I’m better now. Promise.”
Joey didn’t look like she believed me, but our conversation halted when the men got into the car.
“Where to?” Cole asked from the driver’s seat. Joey gave him her address. He nodded and pulled away.
The drive was silent until halfway through. I stared out the window most of the time, watching as New York passed me by in a blur. Mostly I was looking outside to resist the urge of looking at Wyatt in the front seat. What was it about the man that interested me so much?
It couldn’t be his good looks, considering Cole was good-looking too, if not more so than Wyatt. Yet Wyatt had held me captive from the start. I wanted to learn more about him, but I wasn’t brave enough to ask. I had never done that sort of thing before, where I flirted with guys. I was unskilled and perhaps a little awkward.
Cole broke the silence first. “So, what do you ladies do?”
“We’re students at Columbia University,” Joey answered.
“Ah. What year?”
“Second,” she answered absentmindedly.
“Oh?”
I realized too late that she’d now given away our age. I looked at Joey and found her expression remained uninterested, yet her posture was tense.
“What’s your major?” Cole asked after a weighted pause.
“Criminal justice with a minor in prelaw.”
“I’m guessing you want to be a lawyer?”
“Prosecutor, if I have my way.”
He nodded, clearly impressed. I turned back to the outside world, hiding my smile. Would they become more than strangers? He looked like the kind of man able to handle Joey. Other men found her intimidating. And she could be. But underneath that hard exterior was someone sweet and lovable. No man had ever gotten past her hard exterior though.
“And what about you, Emery? What are you majoring in?” This came from Wyatt. I sucked in a sharp breath at the sound of my name coming from his lips.
Joey shot me a look, obviously not missing my strange reaction.
“I’m a literature major,” I answered, still avoiding his eyes, though I wasn’t sure whether or not he was even still staring at me.
“Why literature?” he asked after another moment of silence. I looked up. He wasn’t looking at me, though I got the feeling that he was aware of my eyes on him.
His body looked tense from where I sat, but the dark interior made it hard to tell.
“Because I love books,” I answered honestly. Sometimes more than people, I didn’t add.
“It isn’t a practical major though, is it?” Did I detect a smile in his voice? Why did he sound so condescending? Or was I being paranoid?
“I’m sure I can find work in my related field of study,” I said tersely. “If not, the education I receive will still be invaluable to me. Just because it might not be practical does not make it worthless.”
Tense silence followed my impassioned speech. I knew Joey was looking at me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look anywhere but at the back of Wyatt’s head. He laughed, changing the whole atmosphere in the car.
I relaxed into my seat a little, even if I was sure he was laughing at me. There was just something about seeing him so carefree, even in small moments like this, that affected me.
“You are not what I expected,” he murmured.
I looked at Joey then, confusion written on my face. She shrugged. “What does that mean?”
He shook his head. “I expected someone else. Someone shallow, superficial. Especially since you were raised by Joseph Caldwell.”
I tensed. “You know who I am?”
I didn’t like the fact that he knew who I was. It made me feel defenseless. Because I didn’t know his name until tonight. “You’re hard to miss. Your family is well-known, is it not? Yet the person I met tonight surprises me.”
“Why, because I’m not superficial or shallow, like you said?” I was feeling defensive again. All my life, my wealth and family name had defined me. As if it was the only thing that mattered. Perhaps in my grandpa’s world, it was. But it did not define me. I wouldn’t let it. Yet it seemed to follow me wherever I went.
“Exactly. You are someone who values her education,
even if she has enough money in a trust fund to never have to work a single day in her life. You plan to work, that much is obvious. And you care for your friend. Begging the man in the alley to take you in her place, just so she wasn’t harmed, isn’t that right?”
Joey tensed beside me. “What?”
“Joey. Nothing happened, like I said. Okay?”
“But you were going to offer yourself up in my place?” She sounded angry. I could only guess why. “Why do you think your life is worth less than mine? I told you to stop taking risks, and there you were, doing the very thing we’ve worked so hard to change over the years. Are you crazy?”
“Joey. Not now.”
We both turned away from each other. The rest of the car ride was spent in silence. Couldn’t say I didn’t prefer it to the conversation. I just wanted the night to be over. I needed it to be over soon.
Cole pulled up to Joey’s apartment complex. I had thought he would let us out and drive off, glad to be rid of us. I was surprised, however, when he pulled into a parking spot and parked the car, turning off the ignition.
“What are you doing?” Joey asked.
“Walking you ladies to the door.”
“If you think I’m going to show you where I live—”
“I already know where you live. But it’s still nighttime, and I just want to make sure you’re both safe. For my peace of mind, okay? If I was some sick motherfucker, trust me, the last thing I would do is drive you home. I would take you somewhere secluded instead.”
Joey looked away from him, but not before I caught her smile. She did like him.
I opened the door and got out. My steps faltered when I realized Wyatt had gotten out as well. We stared at each other over the roof of the car. It wasn’t until Joey called my name that I came out of my stupor. I looked away first, then quickened my pace to catch up. She held out her hand, and I took it.
She gave me a small squeeze. Her apology.
I squeezed back. My forgiveness.
The men followed behind us, all the way to the third floor. They waited patiently for Joey to unlock the door and open it to the darkened apartment inside. Everything was exactly as we had left it. If I closed my eyes, I could almost convince myself tonight had never happened.
Only, the evidence that it did happen was standing directly behind me.
I turned around and braced myself. I didn’t know why Wyatt affected me so much, only that he did.
And Joey was no longer by my side. Cole had pulled her off to the side, talking to her in hushed whispers. I didn’t know what Cole was saying, and Joey showed no reaction.
“I owe you an apology,” Wyatt said, surprising me.
I looked up and met his gray eyes. “Forget about it.”
He shrugged. “Okay. If that’s what you want.”
“Yes. That’s what I want.” He nodded once and looked away, just as Joey and Cole were finishing their conversation. Joey walked over to me and turned to the men.
“Thanks again. For everything you both did for us tonight.”
Cole took a step toward her, his charming smile in place. He grabbed her hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it. Joey stilled at the contact, and I wasn’t sure if she wanted me to step in or not. But he didn’t linger.
He shot a wink my way and backed away. At least he didn’t try to kiss my hand, I thought, almost smiling. Then my eyes caught Wyatt’s, and my breath caught instead.
He didn’t smile. He was not even half as charming as his friend, yet he was the one I was fascinated by. Why did it have to be him? Why did it have to be him who made my heart soar and my knees weak? He held my gaze until he got to the top of the stairs, and then, without a word, he turned away and walked down, following closely behind Cole.
Joey pulled me away and back inside the apartment. She turned on the lights and locked the front door, shooting a concerned glance my way before tugging me into her room so we could get ready for bed.
We were quiet as we brushed our teeth. Joey had a double vanity, so we were able to get ready for bed quickly.
I checked her pupils and balance before we went to bed, in case the concussion was more serious than we thought.
It wasn’t until she pulled the blankets back and got in bed beside me that she spoke. It was dark in her room. I supposed it was easier to talk when we didn’t have to look at each other.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said, staring at the ceiling. Her window let in enough light that the room wasn’t completely dark. I could almost make out the outline of her small form lying next to me.
“Wyatt’s... interesting.”
“That’s one word to described him, I suppose. But so is Cole.”
There was a slight pause from her. “What do you think of him?”
“He’s charismatic. And hard to read. Only because he masks it so well with his charm. You like him, don’t you?”
“Don’t you think he might be a little too old for me?”
I turned to face her. “How old do you think he is?”
“He’s got to be thirty, at least.”
“An ten-year age difference isn’t a big deal. It would only matter if you were underage. But since you’re not...”
“Are you only saying that because you might have feelings for Wyatt?”
“Hmm,” I responded casually. Inside, my heart started fluttering like crazy at the mere mention of his name. “I don’t think he’s interested in me. Not the way Cole is interested in you.”
“Emery, everyone is interested in you.”
“That’s because of the money. Wyatt looks like the kind of man who has money of his own.”
I knew she was rolling her eyes at me, even if I couldn’t see it. She turned to me. “You think that’s the reason, but you’re so wrong. Men trip over themselves hoping you’ll give them the time of day, not because you’re richer than God, but because you’re beautiful and you don’t even know it. They want you because you’re also one of the nicest people to ever walk the earth, and everyone can tell that when you walk in a room, you’re the smartest person in it. That’s why they want you, and trust me, Wyatt wants you.”
“You have to say that because you love me. Not everyone sees me the way you do.”
“Emery—”
“Are you going to see him again?” I asked, cutting her off. I didn’t need to hear how she thought Wyatt wanted me. I didn’t want to place so much hope on such a beautiful delusion. That would be dangerous.
“Who?”
“Cole. That’s why he pulled you off to the side, right? He wanted your number. And you gave it to him.”
“I did.”
I nodded, even if she couldn’t see me. “So?”
“I don’t know.”
“There’s nothing to know. I think you should see him. He’s different, isn’t he? He’s not like the boys you usually date.” And I used the term “date” very loosely. I wouldn’t say Joey had commitment issues, though long-term relationships were definitely not her forte.
“So is Wyatt. He’s different for you. I could see it in your eyes. And your reaction to him? Yeah, I’ve never seen you so much as look twice at another person, yet with Wyatt, you couldn’t look away. I think you should try.”
“Let it go, Joey,” I said, not unkindly. I knew she wanted what was best for me, but I didn’t think that was Wyatt. He’d evoked such strong emotions in me, that was true. But he was also kind of an ass. And that made him unworthy in my book.
I just needed to tell my heart that. Maybe then, if there was a chance we met again, my heart wouldn’t beat out of control just from the sight of him.
I sighed. “We should sleep. I’m going to set an alarm three hours from now so I can check on you. That concussion is no joke.”
“You don’t have to do that. I told you, I’m fine.”
I ignored her, already reaching for my phone. When I had the alarm set, I laid back down and stared at her ceiling again.
>
It wasn’t long before Joey’s breath evened out, indicating she had fallen asleep. I never slept that night. Not for lack of trying, yet every time I closed my eyes, the image of either Joey’s motionless body lying on the cold concrete or Wyatt’s gray eyes intruded on my thoughts. Both images I found equally disturbing.
Chapter Five: Haunted
Wyatt
My Aunt Erin always said that life was funny. She didn’t mean funny in a ha-ha kind of way. Funny in that life will kick your ass and still give you something to laugh about.
She knew that personally from experience.
When she was sixteen, she fell in love with the wrong man. He was seven years older than she was, so that should have been a big enough hint about how wrong he was for her. Yet it wasn’t the man who made their love wrong for each other, but their story. It was the events that had brought her and him together so that they could meet and fall in love that were wrong.
It was Joseph Caldwell who was wrong. He was a powerful man, whose influence touched many lives. A man who, no matter how you looked at it, was irredeemable in every sense of the word. I only met him three times in my life, and each meeting was painted in vivid colors. He had left such an impression on me that it was hard not to remember what a formidable presence he was. Even to this day, six years after our third and final meeting, I could still recall the color of his tie.
Dark blue with thin gray diagonal lines.
The last time we met, I had asked him one question. I hoped that it was a question he had remembered, even on his deathbed.
What is the legacy you will leave behind for your children, and your children’s children?
We both knew I wasn’t talking about his multimillion dollar business corporation.
But it was a start.
I thought back to last night, and the image of the frightened girl with the big green eyes that haunted me. She was nothing like I’d imagined, and trust me, I had imagined a thousand times in the past what it would be like if we should meet, and in each scenario, there was something stereotypical I’d created about her. Something that told me she had his blood running through her veins.