Samantha smiled evilly and glared at her. “In the flesh baby. George told me before he died in jail that he wanted to make sure that you got what’s coming to you. But he asked me to handle you however I felt put. You know he died in there? Without me being able to say goodbye! And you want to know why? Because apparently men in jail can’t stand men who try and rape women! You could’ve kept your little mouth shut! But you chose to run to the police just because you had some cuts and bruises. Bitch you know you wanted him. You lied! You knew that he had me so you got mad and tried to seduce him! He told me everything!”
Zack leaned against the door and listened to the conversation. His heart fell to the floor as he heard a dark part of Emma’s life that she never spoke about. A part of her life that he was sure she had tried to forget until now. He pushed open the door and had his hands in fists restraining himself not to throw Samantha out.
Emma ran to Zack and threw herself in his arms. “Zack please, make her leave. I can’t listen to this anymore. He assaulted me! Her boyfriend tried to rape me and she tried to lie and pretend it never happened. She lied on me Zack. Make her leave. Please. I can’t take it!”
“You need to leave right now Samantha!” Zack bellowed.
“Not until I say the rest of my piece...” Samantha laughed maliciously. “I never loved Kevin. I just took him from you because I could. I mean, don’t get me wrong, at one point I did. But I want you to know that now you know what it’s like to hurt. To pain the way I once did. Yes, I lied on you because I didn’t want George to be seen as that. He’d hit me sometimes too but I got over it. Just like you should have. I loved him and you took away the man that I loved, so I did the same.”
Kevin walked out of the bathroom and glowered down at Samantha. “We are done you evil, conniving whore! Get your shit out of my condo by the time I get back or I swear I will burn it. Cops are on their way if you decide to do something stupid!”
Samantha stared back at Kevin and gave him the middle finger. “We’re done here anyways.” She looked over at Emma and stormed out of the house.
Kevin’s eyes held empathy as he searched for words to say to Emma. “I am so sorry. I should’ve known you would never have hurt me. Please find it in your heart to forgive me someday.” He looked over at Zack who looked ready to pummel Kevin at any moment. “I’m going to guess this is the father of your child.” When Emma didn’t answer while her head was buried in Zack’s chest, he took that as his answer. “Just take care of her. She deserves the best.”
Zack nodded and with that Kevin left.
When Emma heard the door close she dropped to the floor and cried on her knees for what felt like eternity. She’d done everything she could to repress those memories but it came back to haunt her with full force. She wept with everything she had in her, flashing back to moments when George struck her down with the back of his hand. He had always kept her on the side, but she never had sex with him.
He had refused to let her be with anyone else, and the day he found out she was going on dates, he came over to try and make her sleep with him so he could claim her too. No one ever knew the truth behind George until she came out and put him behind bars. She ended up with a concussion and bruised ribs. She promised herself she would never let it happen again.
Just as she started to catch her breath, Emma held onto Zack for life. He and this baby were the only family she knew. Her own family abandoned her when she went against one of the most prominent family’s son in her county. She was left on her own and felt betrayed that no one believed her. So she left South Carolina and came out to New York to make a life of her own and she did it.
Emma began to rise and Zack helped her up as he hugged her and his shirt stained with her tears. Emma felt something pool at the bottom of her legs and she saw that it was blood.
Chapter Thirty
Zack saw the blood around Emma’s feet and immediately realized what was taking place. Without a word Emma looked at him, looked back down, and then screamed. He instantly picked Emma up and rushed to his car. They had to get to the hospital before they lost this baby.
Hours later…
The doctor came in with the results. Emma heard nothing besides the words, “Miscarriage, stress, strain…” and she fainted. Emma’s world went black.
Over the next few days…
She pretended to be ok and acted as if she’d be alright so that the doctors wouldn’t try and check her into a psych facility. But when she got home, she shut everyone out. Including Zack. She cried herself to sleep holding her stomach where her child had once been. She’d finally seen that she was having a boy. She felt like she failed him. She should’ve gotten her emotions together and not let her memories cause her so much pain. It was her fault. She should’ve known better. But she didn’t.
Over the next few weeks…
Emma barely went into work. Hank understood and would only call her in when it was necessary. Bills had to be paid but Emma didn’t care. She told Zack to tell the bank whatever excuse he could come up with. What she didn’t know was that Zack was actually taking care of her even when she was pushing him away.
Zack hurt at the sight of Emma’s grief. He felt the pain, but he knew it would never be the same to him as it was to Emma who grew the baby in her own body. He ached to just hold her and let her know that it wasn’t her fault but he also knew that he had to give her space. He had to give her time. He loved her, and that meant he had to be there in the good times and the bad, and that’s what he intended to do.
Zack sent her fruit and hearts, and gave her the space that she needed for a couple of weeks. She seemed to get better day by day after the first week of the miscarriage, but he also saw that in her eyes there were words she didn’t say. Zack was even paying her bills with his money. Whether she liked it or not, he wasn’t going anywhere.
Zack finally got sick of the distance after two months. He went to Emma’s house and knocked on the door. Emma opened it with a ferocity that frightened him a bit and she snarled out, “Why would you pay my bills? What is wrong with you? Where do you get off thinking its ok to do that without telling me? I don’t want to owe you anything! So if that’s what you wanted you can just leave!”
Emma tried to slam the door in Zack’s face but he held his ground and pushed the door back against her and walked in. “First of all, don’t come at me because you’re mad that I did something nice for you. You are displacing your anger! Second-“
Emma cut Zack off, “Don’t tell me what I’m doing-“
Zack cut her off and put a finger up. “No, it’s my turn to speak. I have been doing the very best I could to give you space and let you grieve. That was my baby too. What you’ve been through is hard and I understand that, but you need to stop pushing me away! I’ve been here for you this whole time!”
“You know what Zack? I can’t do this with you. I already see how this is going and I’m sorry I failed you and our child but I think we should end this now. Our feelings aren’t even mutual and it’s pointless now. There’s no baby anymore so you’re not obligated to stick around anymore.” Emma started to walk away and Zack stormed in front of her.
“Are you freaking kidding me?”
“No! I’m serious! I love you, you don’t love me, that’s how it goes in my life. Now just leave dammit! I don’t want to see you anymore.” Emma looked away from him and he watched as the tears shone in her eyes.
Zack’s heart dropped all of its walls and embraced what he already knew. He loved the woman that stood in front of him. Even at her worst, he still felt the same for her and he knew that he always would.
“Emma, look at me.” He pulled her chin towards him gently. “Look at me.” Emma lifted her eyes towards his and sniffled. “What?”
“You didn’t fail me or our child. Everything happens for a reason. What’s meant to be will be. And I guess that wasn’t the right time. But you finally got out the tears you’ve been holding in for so long. That child also showed
you that you could love again. That child also brought us closer. I love you Emma. Whether you believe it or not, I love you got dammit and I’m not going anywhere.”
Emma’s eyes widened at his confession. “You…love me?”
“Yes, I do. And I knew it before now. I just didn’t believe it could be true. But even here and now, when you’re at your worst, I love you even more. I can’t help that. And if you’d let me, I’d appreciate if you let me continue to be here for as long as I can be.”
Emma’s voice trembled, “What are you saying Zack?”
Zack looked at Emma and placed a kiss on her lips. He backed away and took Emma’s hand in his as he got down on one knee and pulled out the ring in his pocket. “Emma Marie Sanget, I am asking that you continue to make me the happiest man in the world, and officially take away my player card. I am asking you, would you do me the honor of being my wife?”
Emma looked down at the ring in the box and nodded without any words. “I don’t know why you love me, but I’m so glad that you do. I love you so much Zack.” As Zack rose from his knee and hugged Emma, she cried tears of joy. Joy that she thought had left her when she lost her child came back and reminded her that even without being born, that baby had brought her a life inside herself that she never even knew existed. She thanked God silently in a prayer as she whispered “Thank you for sending me a guardian angel.”
Epilogue
Eight months later…
Emma walked down the aisle in her wedding gown to her best friend, Zack More. Zack’s family and Emma’s best friends and colleagues, stood in the pews. Carly and Sarah were her bridesmaids and they all stood watching with teary eyes as they witnessed the marriage of Zack and Emma.
Emma decided that she would make her own vows to Zack. “Zachary Michael More. I love you with everything in me. I believe that you were sent to me for a reason and I should’ve known from the first time I laid eyes on you that you would be special to me. You have shown me a happiness that I never even knew existed, and I don’t deserve someone like you. But I’ll take you anyways!” Everyone laughed and tears formed in Emma’s eyes. “No, seriously Zack. You gave me hope and love again. You gave me a family again. And I will forever be grateful for your love. And I plan to show you every day of my life how thankful I am. Even when we argue and disagree, I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
Zack spoke to Emma as he teared up and spoke the truth from his heart. “I love you Emma Marie Sanget. You have taught me that one loyal, loving, and beautiful woman, is worth more than all of the easy ones out there. You showed me that love is real and that only those who can appreciate it can see the beauty in it. I vow to love you unconditionally until the day our hearts stop beating. And even after that, I’ll still love you.”
The preacher cleared his throat at the emotions that rose in everyone including Zack and Emma. “Do you, Zack, take Emma to be your wedded wife? – To live together after God’s ordinance – in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon her your heart’s deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?
“Oh I sure do!” Zack stated with excitement. The audience laughed at his enthusiasm.
And do you, Emma take Zack to be your wedded husband? – To live together after God’s ordinance – in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon him your heart’s deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him as long as you both shall live?
“Oh yeah. I sure do!” Emma nodded and started to giggle. Everyone laughed along with them again.
Placing the rings on each other’s fingers, Zack and Emma looked at one another when the preacher said, “By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!”
Zack and Emma kissed each other with a love that everyone could see.
As they walked back down the aisle, they waved to everyone and partied through the night at their reception. They danced to “For You” by Kenny Lattimore as their first dance. Watching them was like watching a fairytale. Emma couldn’t be happier. Standing in Zack’s arms was all she needed to know that her life was complete. She knew life wouldn’t be perfect, but she intended to love and cherish this man for as long as she lived.
When the reception ended and she threw her bouquet of flowers, Carly caught it. The best friends laughed at the meaning. Zack threw the garter and his younger brother caught it and pretended it was an accident. Zack and his family all slapped him on the back with humor and Chris just laughed. “It’s not happening! Bachelor for life!” Chris announced. “Yeah, that’s what I said at your age too” Zack laughed. “See you guys!” “Have fun on your honeymoon!” Everyone waved at Zack and Emma as they got into the limo the airport.
“So where is our honeymoon my dearest husband? Mmm, I like the sound of that. My husband.” Emma wiggled her eyebrows.
“Well, since I’ve been keeping this secret, if you must know my dearest wife, we are going to Bora Bora.”
Emma gasped, “Seriously? Oh my gosh! Yes! I’m so excited. I have a secret to tell you too though.”
Zack looked at her dubiously, “Uh oh. What is it?”
Emma smiled and kissed him, “I’m pregnant.”
Zack was at a loss for words. She smiled back at Zack as he kissed her. God had given them another chance.
Zack and Emma kissed one another with a passion that only they could unleash in each other.
The End.
Unleashed Page 12