by N. Natishna
“Friends?”
I huffed out a breath. “We don’t know much about each other to be anything else yet, Dek.”
“I like it when you call me that.” He smiled and reached up to brush his fingers over my cheek.
“Yeah? I was going to go for Dekky just to get you for that whole ‘little girl’ thing, but I didn’t think you’d like it that much. ‘Dek’ suited you much better.”
He ran a hand through my hair and I couldn’t suppress the shiver that went down my back. “I think it’d be nice to hear you call me that…” He bit his lip and shook his head. “Okay, maybe just when we’re alone. Dekky doesn’t go with the whole badass persona I’m tryna pull off.” He grinned and played with the end of my hair. “So…truce?”
I laughed and grabbed his hand as it ran down my arm. “Yeah, truce.” We laced our fingers together and I examined how incredibly different our hands were. His skin was so pale and smooth, except his palm and fingers. I’m pretty sure that was from playing the drums or guitar.
“You know, it’s insane how strong this need to be with you is,” I told him honestly, flipping his arm over so I could run my fingers along the smooth underarm. “I tried to fight it, really I did. But it’s like, the more time I spend with you, the more I need you.” I felt relief now that I confessed that to him. I guess I should have been embarrassed at the fact that I needed him so badly after only a couple of weeks. But it was like my heart pushed the truth out to him, needing him to know how much it yearned for his.
“It’s not insane, Emma. Intense, yeah, but not insane. Being around you makes me feel things that I only thought existed in ridiculous fairytales. I get this feeling when I’m around you, I don’t know what it is…but it’s exciting.” He smiled and reached up with his free hand to run it down my hair. “This gorgeous platinum blonde hair that shines when the sun touches it; I can’t seem to keep my hands away.” He licked his lips and cupped my shoulders, his thumbs brushing my neck, bringing goose bumps to my skin. “Your delicate skin that’s so much softer than a flower petal.”
He sighed and brought his hands down to hold mine again. “But the first thing that drew me to you was those stunning emeralds that seem to dominate your face. I could stare at those beauties all day, if you’d let me.”
Wow! I never thought I’d actually mentally melt at a guy’s feet before. Now I know what Aria means when she said musicians say the sexiest things. He practically read me a poem, and what a delight of a poem it was.
I giggled and shook my head. “You have a wonderful way with words, Deklan Mayfield.”
He gripped my hands tighter and grinned. “You inspire me to say such wonderful words, Emma Van Buren.”
CHAPTER 6.
Deklan
My life wasn’t an easy one, but it was nothing I would complain about, either. I grew up in San Francisco with my parents and little sister. I was the linebacker on my school’s football team, and my sister was a sweet, shy violinist that was always on honor roll. We were just a normal middle-class family with a whole lot of flaws.
My dad, Hank Mayfield, was a construction worker and my mom, Ellie, was a secretary at some big office. They were the kind of parents you stay frustrated with. They were so strict and straight-laced, it was just ridiculous.
I was in a band that some of my guy friends and I started back in middle school, and kept unknown from my parents. We weren’t as well-known as Coming Undone was here, but we were good. I lived for music and I focused more on that than I did football; that was something I just did for the fun of knocking guys on their asses.
Molly played the violin and was an all-around sweetheart with a rare genius brain. She cared more about the people around her than herself, even with the shit people put her through. She loved playing instruments; flute, clarinet, piano…really anything you handed her. But her passion was the violin. She was going to be successful one day, that’s what I always told her. I was so proud of her, and I still am.
Things have changed since my sophomore year of high school. All it took was one bout of carelessness and it was like the world tipped even more upside down for my family. My father started to drift away and find his comfort at the bottom of a bottle. My mother had to work twice as hard to keep the family together. I quit the football team, left my band, and started getting into trouble. Everything just shifted in the worst way.
Now I’m at a new school, have met some awesome people, and became obsessed with a little pixy of a girl.
Emma was like no other person I’ve met. She was feisty and classy, and a constant turn on. Except, it was more than that. The first time my eyes connected with those beautiful eyes of hers, I was hooked. She’d been staring at me and something had tugged at my chest when I stared at her.
When I sat behind her that first day I could smell the fruity scent of her soap. It surrounded me, drew me in, and all I did that first hour was run my eyes up and down her body over and over again. Her ankle boots had a lot of inches to the heel, but she still managed to look so small. She wouldn’t be able to even wrap her arms around my shoulders.
I will say this, though; for such a tiny thing, she sure had one hell of an ass. I couldn’t help myself the first time I saw it. I still remember how jealous I was of those white skinny jeans as she walked in front of me. I don’t think I looked up once the whole way to chemistry class. Her hips swayed perfectly and the ends of her hair swished back and forth between her shoulder blades.
When she had asked me for some space, I tried my best to respect that. For two weeks I didn’t touch her, barely said a word to her. I had things to work out as well, so I guess I was glad we were giving each other time. I didn’t know what the woman was doing to me, but I had never been so possessive towards anything in my life. When I saw that dipshit, Cody Hudson, trying to put the moves on her on her that first day, I saw red. That was when I realized I was in deep shit.
I hated seeing that guy and knowing that he had dated Emma, but I knew he wasn’t competition. I wouldn’t let anybody get in the way of seeing her. Yeah, I knew that I had pissed her off with the whole nickname thing, but she was way too adorable when she got angry. Her face was like an open book and I had fun baiting her.
I would have kissed her at work that night. If Eddie hadn’t walked out, I would have kissed her with every passionate bone in my body. Eddie really ripped me a new one after that. He told me to stay as far away from Emma as possible. Oh, and to keep any perverted thought of her from my brain. The guy had his heart in the right place, so I respected what he said…to a certain degree. It’s hard not to fantasize about a chick that looks like Emma. There were a lot of times at work that I saw her staring at me, but I pretended not to notice.
She rocked a cheerleading uniform better than a Dallas cowboy cheerleader; and that’s saying something. Her legs were killer, all tan and silky looking. I wanted to run my hands over them, but I fought that urge. Every day I had to endure a different outfit that never ceased to make my blood run hot. At times, I wanted to punch every guy that turned their lustful eyes her way, and then throw a coat over her. But the cheer outfit really did it for me.
She looked damn good out on the sidelines cheering her heart out. I didn’t go to those kinds of events since I quit my old football team, but if tonight works out well between me and Emma, I’d go to every damn game just to see her.
I wanted to spend more time with her, and I didn’t want people telling her bad things about me. I knew what everybody thought of me and my sister; that we were trash because our father was a murderer. I was happy when I met Zane at Al’s Pizzeria. He was a pretty cool guy, and so were his friends, and even Mr. Alvarez. Al didn’t judge me like others did. I respected him for that.
As I got ready for the bonfire tonight I thought of what I’d do with Emma. Would she let me steal her away for some time to talk? Would she let me continue touching her like I did during school? I was as anxious as a teenage girl when it came to her and I couldn’t wait
to find out what would happen tonight.
Walking out of my room, I jogged down the stairs and into the living room. Molly was sitting on the couch fumbling around in her purse. I shook my head as I took her in. She was wearing cut off jean shorts and a tight, black AC/DC top that stopped to just above her naval. Her piercing was showing and I’d bet money that so was her tattoo. She had gone with me when I got the finishing touches on my sleeve tattoo and had decided to get her own one. I took her to get her naval pierced when I got a second one in my lip. It was still hard for me to see her this way. She hadn’t always been one to dress in tight clothes and decorate her body.
“You almost ready to go?” I asked, sitting down next to her. She just shrugged and played with the end of her hair.
“Yeah, I guess. This is the first party I’ve been to in years, so it’s kinda hard to deal.” She cleared her throat and gave me a wary smile. “I wasn’t gonna go, but I don’t feel as threatened here as I did in our old town. Had to at least give this a shot.”
I sighed and nudged her shoulder with mine. “I’ll be there, Molly. I’m not drinking, and I’m not going to keep you out of my sight.”
She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You don’t have to sit and wait with me, you know. Zane and Aria are almost here and I know you want to see Emma.”
“Whatever,” I grunted and threw my arm over her shoulders. Our mom was still home, and there was no way I’d leave my baby sister to be targeted by her. “You know, I was really proud of how you held your own today at lunch. Jeff was right, you are pretty badass.”
She shrugged. “I learned from the best, you know that.”
“Yeah, I do.” I sighed and squeezed her closer. “I know things are different now, but I’ll always have your back, like you had mine today.”
She frowned up at me, the pain that was always shielded from others dominating the depths of eyes so much like mine. “You don’t have to tell me, Deklan, I already know.” Her lips trembled, and her eyes glossed over with unshed tears that I knew she’d never let fall. “You’re the only family I’ve got and I’d never let anyone fuck with you.”
I nodded and kissed the top of her head. “You’ll be careful tonight?”
She nodded. “You know I will.” Then she gave me a serious look and grabbed my hands. “I know you’re happy here, Deklan. Despite all my fears, seeing that makes it all better for me. You’re my big brother and I know you’ll always protect me, but I don’t want you to worry about me.” She swallowed hard and blinked back the tears, squeezing my hands. “I want you to enjoy tonight, okay? If I need you, I’ll call, but I don’t want you to hover around me. Have fun with Emma and I’ll watch my own back tonight.”
I looked away and swallowed the lump that threatened to suffocate me. She was asking a hell of a lot, but I knew I needed to do this for her. She’s been put through the wringer and still kept her head up. She was so strong, even when I saw the pain that she hid so well. But still, I wasn’t going to leave my sister high and dry, not again. I’d do my best to be attentive to Emma, while making sure my sister was in safe hands.
Nodding, I pulled her in for a quick hug. “Okay, I promise. I trust you to take care of yourself. My cell will be on and I’ll keep it close.”
Our mom walked in from the kitchen and glared at us. She still looked pretty at thirty-eight, even if she was still cold-looking. The past couple years have given her stress lines and some grey hair, but she didn’t look old. She was tall and had blonde hair and hazel eyes. Molly and I both got our eye and hair color from our dad, but our pale skin came from our mom’s side.
“Don’t stay out any later than one. I’ll still be up, so don’t try to pull a fast one.” Her eyes narrowed and we knew she was trying to act all hard and serious. This was her speech every time we went out. She’d threaten to ground us if we were late and then she’d be in a drug-induced coma, on the couch around midnight.
Molly’s phone rang and she answered quickly. When she hung up, we both stood. I was relieved for us to get the hell out of this place, especially with my mom’s vicious voice lashing out like usual.
I squeezed Molly’s shoulders and kissed the top of her head again.
“Don’t do anything stupid!” she called after us. I threw up a hand and waved behind me.
“Whatever.”
Molly just sighed and raised her hand to fist bump with mine. “See you there, bro.”
✽✽✽
It took me twenty minutes to get to Emma’s house. I’d already seen it a couple times on my way to Liam or Zane’s house. The first time I saw it I almost ran off the road. The house was…well, not exactly a house. It was like five times the size of mine, if that, and ridiculously beautiful, with a circular driveway; a huge water fountain in the center of it. There was a big ass gate at the entrance with ‘Van Buren’ at the top of it.
It was a little intimidating as I drove up to the gate and stopped next to the intercom. It took me a moment to figure out what to do, and then realized there was a little latch I had to open. I pressed the TALK button and a loud buzz rang out.
“Um…hello?” I tried not to sound like I didn’t know how the hell one of these things worked.
“Dekky, hi!” Emma’s voice cheered inside the machine. I grinned at the nickname she used.
“Hey beautiful, you ready for a fun night?” I heard her giggle and I could just picture her eyes lighting up. Her mouth would be opened wide as she grinned full on, her plump lips all glossed up.
“You’re too cute. I’ll let you in. Just park behind Miracle and come to the front door. Jay will let you in.” She said that so fast that I had a hard time keeping up. The iron gate opened and I drove through, parking my Camaro behind her SUV – or Miracle, as Emma calls the big machine. It was cute that she named her car, though.
When I got out, I took a scan around her front lawn. It was really colorful; with trees, flowers, and bushes spread out. There were boulders in different shapes and sizes and lawn gnomes. I didn’t expect the place to look so…not empty. I’ve seen mansions on television and they always look like there was no emotion within the house. Here, I could feel warmth from just the outside. It made me kind of anxious to see the inside.
I rang the bell and the door opened almost immediately. A tall older lady with her gray hair in a bun and glasses falling down her nose, was studying me with narrowed eyes. She was wearing a black pant suit that looked as if it cost more than my car. I figured this was her mother. She had her arms crossed and she shook her head before motioning me in.
“Um…hey,” I said lamely as she shut the door. She nodded and went to a monitor on the far side of the wall and pressed a button on the keypad underneath it.
“Emma, he’s here.”
I looked up at the chandelier all the way up there. The ceiling was two stories high, almost three. There were beautiful paintings on the walls and plants everywhere; big ones in pots – to small ones hanging from the wall. Beautiful.
The woman came back to me and pointed a finger at me. Her eyes were still glowering at me as she wagged that finger. “You listen here, buster, if something happens to that girl you’re going to have one coming to you. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I agreed quickly. “I’ll take care of her, I promise.”
“I know how you boys think these days, hormones making you-”
“Jay!” Emma cut in from the top of wide, curved stairs against the far right wall. On the left side of the door was another pair of wide stairs.
“I was just letting him know the rules. He’s a boy, darling, they only think with one head, and it’s not the one located north of the belt.”
My eyes widened in shock and Emma gasped. “Shame on you, Jay! What would my parents think of such vulgar language?” I could hear the laughter in her voice, so I knew that this was Jay’s normal behavior. Very blunt behavior, but I wasn’t offended.
I looked over at Emma and smiled. Her hair was swept up i
nto a high ponytail and I could see silver hoop earrings dangling. She looked stunning in a pair of nice looking jean shorts and a pink off-the-shoulder top that showed one whole shoulder and part of her upper arm. It was short, too, stopping just above her belly button. She didn’t have it pierced, but I’d bet she’d look hot with it done. I looked down at her feet and saw that she had on white sandals that had about five inches on the heel. I studied them and tried to figure out how she can wear high-heeled shoes so much. As hot as she looked in them, they looked very painful.
“You look great, Emma,” I told her and she beamed, making me smile in return.
“Thank you, Deklan, you look dashing yourself.” I laughed at her attempt of an English accent. She laughed, too, and hugged Jay. “I’ll be safe, I swear.”
“It was nice to meet you, ma’am,” I told her with a warm smile. She rolled her eyes.
“The names Mrs. Jeffries, not ma’am. And I’ll let you know if it was nice meeting you when you drop Emma off at the correct time, unharmed.”
Emma grabbed my hand and pulled me to the door. “I’ll call to check in, Jay!” When we were outside I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Well, that was awkward.” I laughed and opened the passenger door for her. “I’ve never done the whole meet the parents thing.”
I got in the car and started it, making sure to be careful not to hit her Miracle as I pulled away.
“That was just my housekeeper,” Emma told me with a smile. “Daddy’s at work and my mother just left this morning for a fashion show in New York, and then she’ll head to Australia from there.”
“Is she a model?”
“Nah, she’s a designer. Mom’s really famous and her job keeps her away a lot. We don’t make a big deal out of it because we know how much she loves designing clothes. It’s her passion.”
“That kinda sucks. What about your dad?”
She laughed and shook her head. “He’s a neurosurgeon and very serious about his career. He and my mom have been together since college and they still cling to each other when they’re together. He’s barely home when my mom is away on business.”