by A. K. Evans
“What’s going on?” Elle said.
Wes kept his eyes on Levi and said, “Respect the shit out of you, Levi, but it’s not fucking happening, man.”
“Wes,” Levi began. “I’d never disrespect you like that in your own fucking house.”
“Excuse me?” Elle interrupted. “I’m not sure what you think is going on here, Wes, but I merely went to get Levi so he could come have lunch with us. Regardless, I’m pretty sure that you just tried to put your foot down and tell Levi that he shouldn’t think about being interested in me. I’m not saying that’s what’s going on here, but you don’t have that right.”
“Elle, you’re my baby sister. I have every fucking right,” he responded.
“Really?” she asked, incredulously. “I can’t even believe you right now.”
With that, she turned around and ran down the hall. Everyone stood there, staring, except for Levi. His eyes followed Elle. I could tell he wanted to go after her, but he realized he was in Wes’ house and some shit just went down.
“Fuck,” Wes said. “I’ll be back.”
He took off down the hall where Elle went. Thankfully, Luke said, “Levi, my man, long time no see. How’ve you been?”
And just like that the tension in the air dissipated and everyone went back to their conversations and to getting food. Even though I wasn’t feeling hungry I made up a plate. After it sat in front of me for a good ten minutes with me only nibbling on food, Zane asked, “Can you come with me a minute, Em?”
I nodded and walked out of the kitchen into the great room with him.
“What happened, sweetheart?” he asked, gently.
“What do you mean?”
“Saw the look on your face when we got here and you’ve been pushing food around your plate for the last ten minutes.”
“I’m just not feeling hungry right now,” I said, knowing it wouldn’t be a pretty sight if I got into this here with him.
“Emme, my girl appreciates food. She does not put it on her plate and let it sit there. What happened?”
My eyes welled with tears. I chanced a glance out into the kitchen to see Stone standing near Monroe, a look of concern on his face. He said something to her and they got up and walked out of the kitchen.
“Monroe is angry with me,” I said to Zane.
“Come again?”
“I think she is. I’m not sure. I told everyone about everything that has happened since Sunday. I even told them about everything that Seth had done to me over the course of the eight years that I was with him. She didn’t even acknowledge it. She just changed the subject and hasn’t even looked at me since. Maybe she’s repulsed by me.”
Zane pulled me into a hug and I felt myself let go of the tears I had been trying so desperately to hold back. Zane held me while I quietly cried in his chest.
“I’m sorry, I know your friendship with her means the world to you. You shared a lot of shit with her; maybe she needs some time to process it. As someone who loves you I can tell you that hearing all that is not an easy pill to swallow. And for girls that are as close as the four of you are, maybe she’s a little hurt, too, that you waited so long to tell her. I’m not saying it’s right, Em, but everybody reacts differently to things. Give her some time and then try to talk to her.”
“What if she won’t talk to me?” I asked, pulling back to look him in the eyes.
He looked at me a moment and without a shred of doubt in his voice he assured me, “She will.”
I dropped my head and Zane’s fingers were instantly at my chin lifting it. “Keep your head up, Em. You do not need to feel any shame or embarrassment.” Then, he brought his thumbs to my cheeks and wiped away the tears that had fallen.
“Do I look hideous now?” I asked.
He smiled at me before he said, “Most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on. Now, come and eat some food before you wither away to nothing.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s hardly going to happen, Zane. I’ve got plenty on this body that I could go for weeks without eating and likely not see any effects from it.”
“Well I fucking love your body just the way it is, so I’m not taking any chances. Food now, Em.”
“Ok, baby.”
We walked back out into the kitchen to find that Wes and Elle had rejoined the group. Elle was talking to Levi, but Wes, even though Charley was doing her best to keep him distracted, had his eyes on his sister and Levi.
“So Emme’s birthday, right?” Nikki yelled out.
I whirled my head around to her from where I was sitting at one of the barstools.
“What about it?” I asked.
“Um, big celebration, babe. I’m coming back out here for that and I’ll be staying longer than twenty-four hours.”
“When is that?” Luke asked.
“March,” Nikki answered.
“I’m not so sure a celebration is a good idea,” I said.
“Why not?” Zane asked.
I looked around a minute, my stomach feeling cold. I felt Zane wrap my hand in his and squeeze, “The weekend after the US Open is the anniversary of Taj’s death. My birthday is the following weekend. It wouldn’t feel right.”
Charley’s eyes welled up and everyone grew silent.
“Alright,” Nikki said. “So, Monroe and I will come out and stay two weeks. We pay tribute to Taj on the first weekend and we celebrate Emme the following weekend. That work?”
I looked to Charley. I couldn’t do this to her.
“I would love that,” Charley said.
My brows drew together. “Really?” I asked.
“Absolutely,” she answered. “Taj deserves a tribute. We do that for him and then we celebrate another year of your life. That’s what Taj would want. It’s why he’s not here, Em -- so you could live life. That’s worth celebrating.”
My eyes filled with tears.
“Hey Levi,” Greg called out. “Any chance you can get some of your employees to come to this thing for Emme. I hear they’re all just as fine as you.”
Everyone burst out laughing. It was in these moments that I loved that Charley had found a friend in Greg. He truly was the life of the party and knew just what to say and when to say it.
“You’ll have Tony with you,” Charley chimed in.
“Girl, if they are as hot as Emme says Tony will be totally ok with it. Trust me.”
I heard Zane growl behind me. I turned to look at him when Levi said, “Don’t know why you’re getting all worked up, Zane. She’s already told you that she thinks you’re the leader of Hot Guy Heaven.”
My face fell into Zane’s neck and I said, “I’m absolutely mortified right now.”
Everyone else laughed.
“Don’t be, sweetheart,” Zane said in my ear. “Though, if it really bothers you, I can do something about it since I’m his leader.”
I laughed and pulled my head back. “I think I’ll manage.”
At that point, everyone got back into their own conversations. It was then that I saw Monroe come back into the kitchen with Stone. She looked even more upset than before. Stone’s look of concern from earlier was worse than before they walked out of the kitchen. Monroe locked eyes with me, walked over and said, “Can I talk to you, Em?”
I nodded. When I looked to Zane he was giving me a small smile. He helped me off the stool and I walked with Monroe out of the kitchen back into the great room. We sat on the couch and I glanced out into the kitchen. I saw Stone talking to Zane, but Zane had his eyes on me. I brought my eyes to Monroe.
She took me in a moment before the tears spilled down her cheeks. “Emme,” she said, quietly. “I’m so sorry. I feel horrible. How did we let all that happen to you?”
I let out the breath I had been holding and felt my nose begin to sting. She took my hand in hers.
“Oh thank goodness. I thought you were angry with me.”
“What? Why would you think that?”
“You never said anything to me a
fter I laid all that stuff on you guys. Then, you just changed the subject, and haven’t even looked at me since. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Monroe.”
“I feel like a failure, Em. What kind of friend am I to have not known what was happening to you?”
“Charley said the same thing. I’ll tell you the same thing I told her; I was very good at hiding it. And, I didn’t say anything to the three of you because when I was with Seth I had very little left in my life that was not dirty or ugly, Monroe. I know I didn’t get to spend much time with you all the longer I stayed with him, but the time I did have with you three was all beauty. I didn’t want it to turn ugly with my stuff.”
She stared at me a moment before she said, “We would have gotten you out of there, Em. God, my best friend was not only being beaten, but also raped for over a year and I didn’t know it.” She dropped her head down toward her lap and cried.
“Mama, you’ve got to let go of the guilt,” I said as I cupped her cheek in my hand and made her look me in the eyes. “I’m here, I’m alive, and most importantly, I’m in a relationship with a man who loves and respects me. He would do anything to protect me and keep me safe. I love you and I understand why your heart hurts so much over this, but I’m ok now. I need you to let go of the guilt.”
With the tears still spilling down her cheeks she asked, “Are they going to keep you safe? Em, we almost lost you a year ago and it was the single most heartbreaking experience of my life. I don’t want to go through that again. Stone says Levi and his team are the best there is. Do you really believe they will protect you? I have to know you are safe, Emme.”
“I can’t say what will or won’t happen, but I believe deep down in my heart that they would stop at nothing to protect me. And, if something happened to me I know they’d do whatever they had to just to make sure I got through whatever it was. I’m not going to lie and say that I’m not scared about the fact that Seth is still out there actively stalking me, but I can’t keep giving him control. I decided to get my control back. It’s not easy and I have moments that I struggle with it, but I’m ok with being a work in progress. If I can get through this, mama, I know that there is so much beauty that awaits me.”
Monroe wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight. I glanced out to the kitchen to see both Stone and Zane with their eyes on us. Both were smiling at me and I gave them a small smile to let them know all was good. When I pulled back, I looked at Monroe. I wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks and said, “Love you, Monroe.”
“Love you, too, Em. Was going to wait to tell you this until it was definite, but after all this I need some happy stuff.” She paused a moment taking in a deep breath before she said, “I’ve decided to move here. I need a change from California and after thinking about it for quite some time I realized I can dance anywhere. I’ve started looking at places out here for a studio. I’ve spent enough time in California and while I love my job, I’m not feeling personally fulfilled. I want love, Em. I want a love like you and Charley have found out here. I’m not sure if I’ll find it here,” she said, pausing to glance out into the kitchen where Stone was. When she looked back to me she said, “But I think it’s worth the risk.”
“Really?” I asked, shocked that she had made this decision. I was so happy that I’d have her close by again. “When?”
“I’m hoping within the next month or two. I figure if I want the next chapter of my life to begin, the best way to get it done is to start it now.”
This girl deserved loved and my heart broke for what I was certain she didn’t know about Stone. I didn’t want to crush her hopes, so I decided to stay quiet on the subject. “Have you told anyone else?” I asked her.
“Nikki knows.”
I frowned. “What about her? She’s going to be there and we’re all going to be here.”
She smiled at me and said, “I’ll let Nikki give you her own news.”
My eyes bulged out of my head and I said, “Can we go out there now and give everyone else your good news?”
She thought a moment on it before she said, “Yeah, I think I’d like to do that.”
I shot up off the couch, grabbed Monroe by the wrist, and pulled her out into the kitchen. I raised my voice a bit and said, “Hey guys.”
Everyone turned their attention to me.
“Monroe has a bit of news that she’d like to share.”
I turned to look at her, my face beaming. Her eyes went to Nikki’s and then to Charley’s before she said, “I just told Emme that I’ve made the decision to leave California and move here to Rising Sun.”
Screaming.
All I heard was screaming from Charley who ran over and practically jumped Monroe, throwing her arms around our friend. Monroe’s twinkling eyes went to Stone’s. When I looked to him, I could see his were smiling back and his mind was working. Boy did I hope he could get past whatever it was that made him say he’d never settle down with anyone. Monroe was a genuine treasure and any man would be lucky to have her.
When Charley finally settled down she pulled her hand to cover her mouth and she looked to Nikki. She dropped her hand, pouted her lips, and tilted her head to the side.
“Nikki. You’re going to be by yourself back there in Ventura.”
Nikki rolled her eyes and looked to Monroe. “I thought we weren’t telling them yet?” she asked before turning her attention to Charley. “I won’t be alone, Charley. I’m coming with her.”
Screaming ensued again. Charley and I made our way over to Nikki and pulled her into a hug. As Charley began asking for all the specifics of when and what their plans were for work, I took the opportunity to steal a glance at Zane. He gave me a sexy grin and a wink. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist.
“Happy for you, sweetheart,” he whispered as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pressed a kiss to the top of my head.
I didn’t say anything. I simply snuggled into him and squeezed his waist in response.
“Only have a few hours left with the girls here, but we need to have a celebration,” Charley announced. “Can everyone stay for dinner?”
Everyone was more than willing to stay for dinner to celebrate and Charley told Greg to call Tony and invite him over. Wes and Charley ended up ordering food in for everyone and the rest of the night was spectacular. Given the start to my week I was easily satisfied with the way the week was ending. I had my man with me, my girls with me, and some great friends, too. After so many months of isolating myself, this really felt good.
It also felt good to see everyone else in such good spirits. Zane was happy; I think his happiness came mostly from the fact that he knew that I was currently sitting on cloud nine. Monroe and Stone, Luke and Nikki, Greg and Tony, and Elle and Levi were all cozy with each other. Even Wes had finally let go of whatever was bugging him about Elle and Levi and made the attempt to actually enjoy the evening. I knew he was doing it for Charley and I loved that for her. I couldn’t have asked for a better night; however, I knew Zane well enough to know he’d make it that much better for me when we got back to his place.
Many hours later, well after dinner, I begrudgingly said good-bye to my girls. The only thing that made this good-bye a little easier to swallow was the fact that I knew it was only going to be a few short weeks before they’d be back out here permanently. I wished them both a safe flight back and told them we’d chat later in the week.
With that, Zane and I took off. After he pulled the truck into the garage and shut the garage door, he got out, and came around to help me out. The moment we stepped inside the house I was pulled back into Zane’s body. He spun me around and crushed his lips to mine. I moaned as my body melted into his. He pulled me tighter to him and pushed his tongue inside my mouth. We stood there for a long time touching and tasting each other, moans and groans coming from the both of us. When Zane pulled his mouth from mine I asked, “What was that for?”
; “Haven’t done that all fucking day, Em. Been wanting to do it since I walked into Wes’ house.”
“Oh. Well, do I get to pick what we do next then?”
“I guess that depends on what you want to do,” he answered with a devilish grin spreading across his face.
“Hmm,” I said, contemplating. “I think I’d like to take a shower with you if you are up for it. I really enjoyed that last night.”
“Is that a serious question?” he teased. “Emme, sweetheart, any fucking time you want me with you like that you don’t have to worry about me declining the invitation.”
We made our way upstairs, down the hall, through the bedroom, and into the bathroom. Zane turned on the shower to let the water heat up while I began stripping out of my clothes. I was standing in front of the mirror in my bra and panties when he came up behind me. I could feel his erection pressing into my backside. His hand came up to brush my hair off to one shoulder while he bent his head down and kissed the skin on the top of the opposite shoulder. His mouth worked its way toward my neck as one of his hands wrapped around my waist and rested on my abdomen. His hand slowly traveled up toward my breasts where he gently squeezed. I moaned again. Zane’s free hand moved behind my back and undid the clasp of my bra. He put his fingers to the straps at my shoulders and helped guide them down my arms. Putting his hands to my waist he gripped the waistband of my panties and pushed them down my legs. As he stood up behind me again with his hands at my hips I arched my back. He groaned.
“Not going to make it to the shower, Em,” he growled.
I pulled away quickly and turned around. “Oh yes we are,” I said as I grabbed him by the wrist and led him toward the shower.