by Amy Brent
I sat up in the bed and pulled my feet over the edge, stretching my arms up high in the air. I walked across the room, trying to remind myself that being angry with Josie wasn’t going to solve anything. It wasn’t going to bring Emma back to my arms, it wasn’t going to make my daughter magically not have to grow up without a mother, and it wasn’t going to make me feel any more justified in any of my actions. All it was really going to do was make me a colder and more bitter man, something I was trying to avoid at all costs. I opened up the mini-fridge, pulled out a beer, and popped the top. I tilted my head back, took a long hard sip and pulled it away, looking at the mess of a man I was in the mirror.
I shook my head, trying to tame the wild mane I had going on. With a sigh, I set the beer down on the desk and shuffled back over to the bed. I clicked off the television and rolled over on my side, staring out the window into the darkness. I wondered what Emma was doing right then, if she was sleeping or not, and if not, if she was thinking about me at all. I wondered if Caroline had talked to her about what I had shown her or if that would ever even be brought up. I had a hard time believing Caroline would keep that to herself. She wanted Emma to be happy, and she was not the kind of girl who would lie to her.
Several cars passed by the inn, and I watched as the lights passed by. The next car turned into the inn, the lights beaming through the windows. I squinted as it pulled in, parked and shut its lights off, turning my vision back to the pitch-black outside. I turned over onto the other side and sighed, wishing my life was different, wishing I had made other choices, something that would have kept Emma in my life. I didn’t know what else I could have done, but whatever it was, I wished I had seen it before this whole thing came crashing down on me like a landslide. I stared over at the blank television, watching my reflection on the screen. I could barely even look at myself anymore, and I was definitely not a man I felt my daughter could be proud to call her father. I was a shell, a complete mess of a person, and I knew it was because Emma wasn’t at my side.
Thinking about Emma and what had happened over the last couple of days, I felt like a fool. I had been so sure when I boarded that plane to Camden that I was going to get here and make everything better like the first time. I never imagined it would turn out like it had. I never imagined that when I found her, she would be so distraught, so angry, that she would collapse right there in front of me on the street. The fight may not have been what took her down, but the fact that she was so depressed that she wasn’t taking care of herself all fell back on me.
I looked up from the bed and pulled my eyebrows together, hearing a light knock on the door. I wondered who could be coming to see me that late, and fears that something else had happened flooded through me. I raced over to the door and pulled it open, looking hard at Emma standing on the other side. She looked pale and fragile leaning against the doorframe, her belly starting to fill out her sweatshirt.
“Emma,” I said, reaching forward and grabbing her arm, ushering her into the room. “What are you doing out of bed? You just got out of the hospital this morning, and you’re in no condition to be driving around late at night on your own. Are you okay? Do you need help?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head as I slowly set her down on the edge of the bed. “I’m okay, just a little tired. I slept all day, though. I couldn’t sleep anymore. I needed to come talk to you. I’m taking meds for stress, and it really helped clear my mind and see through the anger I had.”
“You had to do that at eleven at night?”
“I talked to Caroline,” she said. “She told me about you in the waiting room, that you cried, that you told her that everything was a lie. She told me there are texts from Josie that proves you’re telling the truth. At first, I didn’t care, I’ll be honest. I didn’t care because I was afraid I couldn’t trust you anymore, but the more I thought about it, the more I knew I needed to know the truth. I need to be able to let go of the anger that was always inside of me. Please, I’m listening now, I promise. Tell me about what happened, and don’t sugar coat anything. I want the absolute truth no matter how you think it’ll make me feel.”
“All right,” I sighed, sitting down next to her. “Josie lied to you. I never alienated her or pushed her out or anything else she lied about,” I said. “She came up with that story to tell her rich friends so she could stay part of the cool club, I guess. She left over two years ago just like I told you from the beginning. She started coming around before I found you. The first time she wanted to see Sicily, and I turned her away. The second time, Sicily came home in the middle of us talking, so I gave her the chance to make her own mind up. She told Josie to leave, that she didn’t want her in her life. She didn’t like that, but she left. After that, I didn’t see her until I came looking for you, and you were gone. I didn’t tell her there was any chance for us to work things out. That whole relationship is buried and gone, and Josie disgusts me.”
I pulled out my phone and clicked through to Josie’s messages. I looked over at Emma who looked like she was really tired. I got up and grabbed her a bottle of water and sat there while she drank it. When she was done, I handed her the phone.
“Josie started to send me messages the day you left. Those are the top ones,” I said. “The last three came through when I landed in Bangor. They’re all about her gloating for ruining my life, about lying to you, about how she would continue to torture me until I forced Sicily to accept her back into her life. They’re all telling me she was the reason you left, that she made sure you believed everything she was telling you. I wanted to delete them, to block her from texting me, but I knew that if I had a chance, I could show them to you.”
I sat there silently for a few minutes, watching Emma scroll up and down through the messages. She shook her head, reading silently but not saying a word. I wanted to know what she was thinking, what she was feeling, but at that moment, I knew I had to respect her boundaries. So, the two of us sat in silence as she digested everything in those messages. When she was done, she handed me the phone back and cleared her throat.
“She looked so convincing,” Emma said. “Tears and all.”
“Yeah,” I scoffed. “She used to do that to me too. It was hard to realize she was faking it the whole time. There’s obviously something seriously wrong with this girl. I’m so sorry that you had to be the brunt of her revenge.”
“You don’t need to apologize for her,” Emma whispered. “I’m just glad you came all the way here to make this right. I’m glad you saved those messages.”
She leaned over and put her head on my shoulder and let out a long deep breath. The feeling of her head so close to mine sent butterflies into my stomach. I had missed this woman so much, so very much, and my heart was pounding wildly in my chest.
“I understand now,” she whispered. “I’m sorry for running.”
“I’m sorry you were given a reason to,” I replied.
She sighed again, and I turned, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her close. She laid her head on my chest and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. I could smell her lavender and vanilla shampoo as I kissed her on the top of the head. We settled down on the bed, and I pulled the covers over both of us before wrapping my arms tightly around her body.
“I love you, Emma, and I always will,” I said.
“I love you, too, Brandt, forever.” She yawned.
We fell asleep just like that, back in each other’s arms.
Chapter 36
Emma
Falling asleep at Brandt’s hadn’t been my intention, but once I was there and once I knew that everything Josie said had been a lie, I didn’t want to leave his side. I was the first one awake the next morning, and I lay still staring out at the birds sitting on the window sill. I felt so much better than I had the day before, and even my appetite seemed to be back. I couldn’t help but think that Brandt had the magic touch. I was so relieved to finally know the truth about everything and have evidence in those text messages to
back everything up. I didn’t know what I was going to find when I’d headed over here in the middle of the night, but I sure was glad I’d decided to do it. I couldn’t stand spending another minute in the dark, not knowing whether I was giving up on us for good reasons or really bad ones. It turned out that I didn’t have to give up on us at all. I just needed to hear him out.
I turned over slowly in the bed and stared at Brandt who was still asleep. Somewhere in the night, he had taken his shirt off and his hard, tight muscles were gleaming in the sunlight. I had missed his sexy body lying next to me. I had missed waking up next him and watching him as he dressed for work. I bit my lip staring at his chest and arms, feeling myself getting turned on by him. It had been a couple of weeks since we’d had sex, and my hormonal little body didn’t really want to wait any longer. I smiled, deciding I was going to wake him up with my mouth.
Slowly, I pulled myself up and closer to him, stopping as he moved slightly in the bed. I leaned up and pressed my lips against his neck and then trailed my lips down, over his chest and down to the buckle on his shorts. His skin was warm and soft under my mouth and the smell of his cologne was hot in my nose. He slowly opened his eyes and looked down at me, a slow smile moving across his lips. He reached down and grabbed me under the arms, pulling me over on the bed next to me. He leaned forward and kissed me gently before propping his head on his hand.
“I’m really happy to be waking up with you by my side,” he whispered. “And to your lips on my skin. How are you feeling?”
“Besides horny? Really good.” I smiled.
“Are you sure you want to? Are you feeling up to it?’
“I have never wanted anything more in my life,” I whispered. “Now the question should be if you are up for it.”
He chuckled, sliding his fingers down the front of me and to the edge of my sweatshirt. He helped me sit up in the bed and pulled my sweatshirt off, putting his hand under my head as he lowered me back down onto the bed. He bit his lip, running his fingers between my breasts and over my belly. He rubbed my belly for a moment and dipped his head down, kissing my lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him harder, gasping as he pulled my shorts off with one hand. With his mouth pressed against mine, he pushed my thighs apart and slowly ran his fingers through my folds, my body writhing at his touch. I moaned out softly into his mouth, my hands moving over to his pants. I unbuckled them and tugged, feeling his long, hard shaft catching inside. He sat up in the bed and pulled them off, pulling his boxers with them. His dick bounced out free, and he leaned forward kissing me again as I gripped tightly to his cock.
Our lips moved passionately over one another’s, our chests moving up and down as our breathing increased. I rubbed my hand slowly up and down his erection, feeling him getting harder and harder with every passing moment. His hand trailed down to my breast, and he gently massaged it, rolling my nipple in his fingers. Electricity shot through my chest as I felt him pushing heat deep into my body. The hormones put everything on edge, my nerves awake and ready for him. He pulled his lips away and kissed down my body, moving in front of me and lying down on his stomach. I ran my hand through his soft hair, watching as he leaned forward and kissed my wet pussy. I smiled and moaned, feeling him pulling my folds apart and rubbing his fingers through my wetness, reaching the bottom and slowly pushing inside.
He fingered me gently, sliding his hand forward and twisting as he pulled out. He leaned his face into me, taking his tongue and pushing down on my clit. I groaned, my body arching slightly as he rolled his warm, wet tongue over me, pulsing it before moving down and back up again. The feeling of his gentle nature and the movements of his mouth was erotic and sensual. I rubbed my hands up my body and grabbed my tits, squeezing them as he continued to please me. My hips tilted upward and moved in a circular motion, grinding against his mouth as he pulsed his tongue against my nub. I groaned, the fire inside of me igniting, teetering on the edge of explosion.
I closed my eyes and breathed deeply as his mouth engulfed my wet mound, his tongue now quickening as his fingers flickered inside of me. I grabbed onto the covers beside me and bore down, feeling the ecstasy move through me. As he flicked his tongue against my clit, I threw my head back and growled, waves of pleasure washing over me. I came hard and long, my body shaking and my thighs quivering beside his head. I wanted to taste him now that he had tasted me.
When the orgasm had settled, I pulled myself up and kissed his wet lips, smiling as I pushed on his chest, knocking him backward. He smiled, falling back onto his back and watching me crawl toward him. I bit my lip and took his big, wide cock in my hand, stroking it as I nestled between his legs. I dipped my head down and licked his shaft from the bottom to the top, smirking as he gasped and groaned. I hovered over his mushroom tip for a moment before sucking it into my mouth and rolling my lips down his shaft. I opened my throat and took it all the way down to the base, tilting my head as I raised back up. He breathed deeply, lifting his hands above his head and closing his eyes. I dove back down, sucking deeply in the back of my throat and swirling my tongue over his shaft.
His hand crept back down and rubbed over my head as I bobbed my head, taking him deep and then pulling back up. He wrapped his hand through my hair and groaned when I let my saliva roll down his cock and over his balls. I pushed down deep one last time and very slowly made my way back up to the head, looking up at him with watery eyes. He smiled and shook his head, pushing himself up and grabbing me under the arms. He lifted me and lay back again, pulling me over him. I straddled him, my knees on each side of his hips. I reached down between my legs and stroked his cock for a moment before slowly pushing my body down him, feeling him entering me. I sat all the way down, pushing my knees out to the sides and taking him in deeply.
My back arched, and I closed my eyes, sitting there for a moment, feeling how full he made me. He reached up and grasped my hips, and I opened my eyes and smiled, my hips starting to move over him. I swirled my body like waves on the ocean, pulling my arms up and over my head and then back down to my breasts. I ground my pussy against him, moaning softly as I felt my clit brushing against his skin. I bit my bottom lip and let his hands control my movements as he thrust his hips up and down, sliding his cock deep into me and then back out again. I gripped down on my tits, squeezing my nipples and panting hard, feeling my fire burning brightly once again. He smiled as my body moved over him, his shaft deep inside of me and my juices running down him. I groaned as he pushed up one more time, his muscles tightening and releasing.
He sat up, grabbing me around my back and kissing me sweetly, locking his eyes with mine as he lowered me backward onto the bed. He held his body tightly to me as he pulled his legs under him and then out behind him. He slid up my body, pushing back inside of me and pulling my legs up, hooking them over his elbows. He held tightly to my thighs as he began to push, sliding forward and back, feeling every inch of his big cock moving through my juices. I closed my eyes and moved my arms over my head, pushing against the headboard for leverage. He smiled and began to move faster, his hips thrusting forward and back, his body twitching with pleasure. I could feel him slapping into my clit, my body wanting more and more of him.
I screamed out, digging my fingers into the headboard as he moved fast and hard inside of me. My tits bounced up and down, and I looked up into his eyes, watching his jaw begin to clench. I growled, feeling his body against mine, his cock once again home where it should have been all along. I arched my chest into the air and tilted my head backward as I reached my climax. He growled, feeling my pussy tighten around his cock, and as he pushed against me one last time, I felt him explode, his dick pulsing through my wetness as he expelled his hot seed deep inside of me.
I gasped, my orgasm heightened by the feeling of him coming, and I lay groaning softly as the waves pounded against me. As they dissipated into a low soothing wave, I opened my eyes and watched as his muscles relaxed. He leaned back on his heels, pulling out of me. He opened
his eyes and smiled, gently laying my legs down and rolling over next to me. I curled my body up next to him as he pulled the blanket back over us.
“I’m really happy we can get back to our plans,” I whispered. “I have missed you so much.”
“I missed you too,” he said with a surprised look on his face.
“What’s wrong?” I chuckled. “You look like you’re in shock.”
“I guess in a way I kind of am,” he said. “I’m shocked but excited that you still want to be with me in New York. I have to say our apartment isn’t the same now that you’re gone. Sicily and I both have felt lost.”
“I feel lost anytime I’m not with you,” I said. “And I miss you both very much. I want to be with you in New York, and I want us to be a family. Now that I know that what Josie said was a complete lie, I can’t not be with you.”
“I love you, Emma,” he said, smiling.
“I love you too, Brandt,” I said. “And that never stopped.”
Chapter 37
A Week Later
Brandt
I stayed in Camden for a week, and on that Saturday, I packed my things up at the inn and met Emma in the parking lot. We grasped hands tightly as she drove me back to Bangor to catch my flight. We had turned my rental in near Camden so she could see me off as she insisted. My heart was heavy having to leave her, and I really didn’t want to say goodbye, but I had to get back to New York and to my daughter. I checked my luggage and then walked back over to her, thinking about how beautiful she looked standing there in the airport, her belly growing bigger every day. She grabbed my hands and brought them to her face, closing her eyes and feeling them close to her one last time. Saying goodbye was always so hard, but this time, I knew everything was going to be okay.