I will lower the moon for you

by Becca Randall

  "Wow. This looks straight from one of your paintings Niki. You outdid yourself tonight. Mom dad will be so happy." Nate complimented me as he looked around in awe as well.

  "I know, right? Thanks Brother. I hope the food is as good too."

  "Yes, it is. I just tasted a few dishes. They are great." He replied confidently.

  "Well done then. I think mom dad should be down any minute. They were finally set free from their room arrest." I chuckled remembering how I restricted them from coming down. They kept saying how childish I was attempting to keep it all a secret even by the very last minute, but I just couldn't let them see it until it was complete and polished.

  "Here they are." Nate glanced at the staircase, pointing in their direction. I could read the expression on their faces; they looked thrilled. m

  "You both did an amazing job. Come here." Dad opened his arm, gesturing us for a family hug.

  "How did we get so lucky?" Mom was teary-eyed.

  "Come on, you two. No tears. Just enjoy to the fullest, tonight is all about you." I gave them both a slight playful nudge.

  "Ya ya, we know. But more so we are looking forward to meeting the guy who keeps my daughter so happy all the time." Dad gave me a bear hug. I will always be his princess.

  "True. Tonight, is about him too. He will be here soon." I cooed shyly.

  "While we are on point with the family bonding, let me get you all a drink." Nate rolled his eyes. He was not good with expressing sentiments.

  Barry was amongst the first few guests to arrive. He looked nervous to me as soon as he entered; but eventually, as I introduced him to Nate, mom and dad, he got at ease. I let them spend some time alone, and started attending other guests who kept arriving. Soon, the hall was full of people. Max and Britney had come too, that gave Barry a breather as Jessica was clinging to Nate and him way too much.

  I took my mom inside the kitchen for a bit. I just couldn't wait any longer, "so mom? What do you think? How did you like Barry?"

  "Oh, Darling. He is so handsome and well behaved. We love him already. He is a smooth talker. Your dad liked him too". She said lovingly, and I couldn't help but jump in joy, almost squeezing her in a hug.

  "I am glad you both liked him, mom. Come let's get back inside, people might be looking for us."

  I felt so relaxed after that. Nothing mattered more than your parents approving the guy you love.

  I took another drink and was enjoying myself now.

  Soon, I saw Emma's family entered the hall. I rushed to welcome them.

  "Hello, Mrs. and Mr. Carter." I greeted them both with a warm hug.

  "Hi, Niki! Aren't you looking gorgeous, as always?" Emma's mom gave me a loving peck on cheeks. I practically grew up in her household when we were still neighbors.

  "And aren't you the sweetest as always?" I reciprocated the gesture.

  "Emma is running late. We just got off a call with her. She will be here soon. Her boyfriend had a delayed meeting it seems." Her dad mentioned as we walked inside.

  "I am sure they will be here soon. Jake is a very busy guy."

  "Is he? Have you met him? How is he?" He interrogated in a typical dad tone.

  "Yes, I have. He is great. He cares about Emma. You will see when you meet him today." I replied, finding the best possible words. Not my place to give them a lot of details. They nodded as we walked past the guests and straight to my parents. As soon as they met, they all hugged and exchanged greetings. I left the elderly party to find Barry.

  I finally found Barry, Britney and Max, and we were chatting about random things when Jessica and Nate joined us.

  "So where is Emma? Did she bail? I knew she wouldn't be able to face Nate again." Jessica stated in a sarcastic annoying tone.

  "Sorry to break your illusion Jessica, but she will be here any minute." I was controlling my urge to break her nose and not create a scene.

  "Or rather! There she is." Britney pointed at the entrance as we all turned in her direction.

  There she was. Wearing the simplest yet most elegant plain burgundy gown, with her arm wrapped around the arm of one of the most handsome guys I had ever seen, dressed to perfection in a black suit.

  They looked regal. Like royalty. I felt so happy seeing them together, straight out of a fairytale.

  Emma didn't need a Ralph Lauren gown to look good, even though Jake could buy her any freaking thing in the world. Her beauty was in her simplicity.

  Britney and I went ahead to meet them, but before I did, I stopped to see Nate and Jessica's reaction. Nate was numb as if he was hit by a bus, and Jessica, well her jaw almost dropped to the floor.

  "You can close your mouth. I see a drool." I whispered in her ear before leaving to attend Jake and Emma.

  "You guys are here finally. Welcome." I hugged them both.

  "Sorry I made your friend late, Niki. The party and decor look beautiful!" Jake smiled at me with apologetic eyes.

  "Thank you, Jake. Come on in. Emma, your parents are waiting for you both." I made them walk towards the center where I could see our parents laughing and chatting.

  "They are?" Emma asked nervously.

  "Yes, come, let's go meet them."

  We walked through the crowd of people and trust me. There was not even a single person who didn't turn around to look at Jake. Their glares were fixed on him, while he had eyes only for my best friend, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

  He was Jacob Richmond after all. The Big bad boy of the corporate world.

  "Hey, you guys. See Emma and Jake are here." I announced excitedly making all four of them turn around.

  "Sir, pleasure to meet you." Jake said respectfully as he extended first to shake hands with Mr. Carter and then my dad, "Congratulations Sir on your Anniversary today."

  He then nodded at our mothers who were staring at him. I am sure like every other person present; they were in awe of him too.

  "Mom, dad. This is Jake. Umm... which is short for umm... Jacob Richmond. He is the CEO of Richmond Corporation." Emma stuttered nervously at his introduction. She looked adorable fumbling on the fact that any other girl would love to boast about.

  I could have paid to watch this tonight. Firstly, Emma was all awkward and anxious in a tight spot; and on top of it, the priceless reaction our parents had on their face. Epic was an understatement.

  After the longest and most awkward pause of our lives, and a minute after the piece of information must have sunk in, my dad finally broke the silence,

  "It's our pleasure to meet you son. We have heard the greatest things about you and your company. You have made a lot of headlines for your hard work. I am so glad that we could meet you in person, come, let's grab a drink." The men went ahead to the bar, leaving our moms and us behind.

  "Emma, you are dating the CEO of Richmond Corp? Why didn't you tell us before?" Mrs. Carter whispered loud enough for all of us to hear. She was utterly in shock.

  "Mom... I just wanted to…"

  "Come on, Samantha. Give her a break. Emma, my darling, that boy is a keeper. He is gorgeous and powerful. A hard to find combo. And he looks so sincere. Both our girls found such amazing guys. Come here, you two!" My mother interrupted before Emma could complete, and in a quick gesture, she hugged us both.

  We all chatted a bit after that, and Emma also calmed down as she saw Jake mingling with our dads. Everything was going well. Britney joined us too, and we all were enjoying the soft music, which was now playing in the background.

  Suddenly, the lights went dim, and it got dark. I couldn't figure out what the hell was happening. I frantically looked around for Nate, and that was when only the center light was turned on, focusing on someone standing right in the middle of the hall.

  I was trying hard to see the face of the person, there were many people in between, and it got a bit chaotic as everybody was as clueless as me.

  "Who could that be? What the hell is happening?" I almost said it loud making a few heads turn in my direction.2<
br />
  I went ahead to see, and my feet froze the moment I reached the center.

  Oh, my freaking god!

  Chapter 37

  Taken

  Emma

  I woke up by the sound of my alarm clock, blaring in the far corner of the room. I saw the time. It was almost eight am.1

  Crap! I might get late if I don't rush.

  I quickly got out of bed and saw Jake was not around. He might have gone down already. He wasn't a lazy ass like me.

  I swiftly got ready and rushed downstairs, hoping to see Jake in the dining area. As soon as I entered, it was empty. I started looking around; that's when Aunt Olivia walked in.

  "Hi, dear? Looking for someone?"

  "Umm yes, do you know where Jake is? Is he in the study?"

  "No, he left a bit early. He asked me to inform you he had some urgent appointments, and that Brett and his driver are waiting for you in the driveway."

  "Oh! Ok, I will head to the office too."

  "First have your breakfast dear."

  "No, I lost my appetite, I guess." With that, I just strode out to the car. Aunt Olivia and her tone still gave me chills. It felt as if she was scanning me, keeping a close watch, whenever she was around. I was still learning to be careful around her.

  Today was the first time that Jake left without meeting me in the morning. I felt anxious as I was used to seeing him as soon as I woke up. He usually waited for me to get ready, and we ate together.

  As soon as I got in the car, I decided to call him. He picked up after a couple of rings.

  "Hey, Jake. I didn't see you at home today?"

  "Hi, Sunshine. Good Morning to you too. I am sorry, I am regretting to leave you behind too, but something urgent came up. I have all-day meetings with my lawyers for the lawsuit."

  "But your first hearing went so well. All your evidence were accepted in court. You have a winning hand in this case. What's the urgency?"

  "Yes, and that's why we are not taking any chances. We want to shut out Windsons in the next hearing itself. We are attempting to get a date for this Thursday."

  "Wow. That's just two days away. I am glad all this will be over soon."

  "Yes, and that's why these two days are crucial. I can't wait to put this behind us." Jake sighed as he completed his last sentence. I know he wanted us to move on in life, once he was assured that his father's culprit is punished, he would be at peace.

  "Don't worry Jake. We are close. I can feel it." I assured him.

  "I know baby. I can feel it too. I have to rush now, but I will meet you at home earlier in the evening today, I promise."

  "Great. Have a good day. Love you. See you in the evening."

  "Love you too, Emma. Always."

  I felt better after talking to him, especially after knowing that this lawsuit would soon be over.

  It's been almost a week since Niki's party and I haven't been this happy in a very long time. Everything seemed to be falling in place.

  Jake and I were going rock solid. My parents loved him. They were initially a bit skeptical as he was so rich and famous, but they saw genuine love in his eyes for me and then everything else became insignificant.

  Britney was getting married, this lawsuit was going to be over, and my darling best friend was now engaged.

  Well, that reminded me, I owed her a call back since yesterday. I still had a couple of more minutes left in my commute, so I decided to call her as well.

  "Hi, Niki. How is my bestie doing? Sorry, I got busy last night, so couldn't call you back."

  "Hey, Emma. It's fine. I know your nights have become busy now. I understand."

  "Look who's talking. I still cannot get over the fact that you are engaged. Especially after Barry's dreamy proposal. The way he got down on one knee in front of hundreds of people and declared his love. It was magical."1

  "I know. I had no clue; for me, it was just my parent's 25th Anniversary party. But he made it the most memorable day of my life."

  "Aww, you both looked beautiful together. We all felt touched witnessing that moment. You both are just perfect."

  "So are you and Jake. I am happy we are all crazy in love."

  "Me too. Listen, I am almost outside my office now. Let's meet up for lunch this weekend. I want to know all about your wedding plans." I entered the building and walked towards the elevator.

  "Sure. Done deal. Have a good day, Emma. Love you!"

  "Love you too, darling. See you soon." The moment I said the last part, I saw people around me turn in my direction as if they saw a ghost. I suddenly felt amused. I am sure they thought I was talking to Jake.

  Will they ever get over it? I went ahead and entered the elevator, leaving those shocked gossip mongers behind, and straightaway pressed my floor button.

  I settled in and dived right into my work. Richmond's Norway proposal was now in the final stages of signing, and we had the last meeting in half an hour from now. I quickly collected my files and left for the conference room.

  It was almost noon when the meeting got over. I took out my phone to check the time and saw thirteen missed calls from an unknown number.

  Somebody was desperate to hear my voice.

  I dialled back the number to check who it was. The other person on the phone picked in the first ring as if they were waiting for me to call back.

  "Hey, Emma! It's me, Erica."

  "Oh, hi, Erica. How are you? Is everything okay? I saw your missed calls."

  "Sorry about that. I have been trying to reach Jake. His secretary told me he is in all-day meetings and cannot be disturbed, so I thought to call you. It was kind of important."

  "Oh, sure. Yes, Jake is busy all day with his lawyers. If you want, you can tell me what is this about?"

  "Are you sure Jake won't be able to get free even for an hour?" She sounded nervous

  "I doubt it. He told me he has back to back meetings all day. I will let him know to call you back once he is free."

  "No, that's ok. If you have some time, would you mind meeting me for lunch, Emma? I cannot talk about this on the phone."

  "Ohh alright. I have a small window to spare, let's meet for lunch then." I agreed but was skeptical since I had a lot to cover on the Norway project today.

  "Great. Let's meet at Cafe Bavana in the City Center in half an hour from now. It's close to your office, and I won't take much of your time, I promise."

  "Ok, sure. See you."

  I wondered what important matter she wanted to discuss with Jake. She sounded a bit off on the phone. I guess I will know soon.

  I went back to my cabin and left Jake a message that I will meet Erica for lunch. I called Brett to meet me with the car and driver outside the office ten minutes from now.

  I took my purse and headed straight out. The traffic was smooth. Within twenty minutes, I reached the decided destination.

  I walked inside the mall to the cafe Erica mentioned. As always, Brett followed me like a shadow.

  When I reached the cafe, Erica was already seated inside.

  "Hey, Erica."

  "Hi, Emma. Thanks for coming on such short notice. Please have a seat."

  "No problem. What happened? You look worried, is everything alright?" I sat across the table, placing my bag on the seat beside me.

  "No. Everything is a mess. My dad has been out of town for business for two days now, and I have been kind of alone at home." She paused for a bit and took a deep breath before she continued, "I was feeling scared. I felt I was being followed, as if someone was keeping an eye on me."

  "Really? This sounds serious Erica. What are you planning to do about it?" I got worried because I was familiar with this feeling, and it was genuinely not a good position to be in.

  "I don't know. I have a lot of security, and dad assured me that everything is under control. I just still feel uncomfortable." She completed, and soon the waiter arrived to take our orders.

  We both placed our respective orders, and as soon as he left, Erica conti
nued, "I am sorry Emma, I called you because I didn't have anybody else to talk to. Jake was busy and..."

  "Hey, it's fine. I am glad I can help you in any manner. In my opinion, you can always go to the cops. I mean, they are here to help us. Even after Jake's apartment accident, he got the FBI involved."

  "Yes, you are right. I have been thinking about the same. I may go to the cops. I am sick of living in constant fear."

  "Yes. Nobody deserves to live in fear. Work it out, talk about it to the right people. You can come over and spend some time with us if that makes it any better."

  "Thanks, Emma. I do feel better. I will think about it." She gave me a soft smile, which I reciprocated. She had no friends or anyone close to depending on. She was just very alone.

  We both ate our food and chatted a bit about general things. It was almost three in the afternoon and I wanted to rush back.

  "So… you can call me whenever you feel like talking or in case you need any help. I will let Jake know of this too and have him call you back." I said warmly as we both walked out of the cafe.

  "Thanks, Emma. I appreciate it."

  "No worries at all. Alright then. I will be leaving for office now, where are you headed?"

  "I will be heading home now. My car is parked in the basement. Do you want to walk down together?"4

  "Sure. I will ask Brett to get my car outside the exit gate of the parking lot."

  We both walked down as I informed Brett. As soon as we reached her car, I heard a loud crash. There were screeching tires, and a black sedan stopped right next to us. Four masked guys got out of them and came straight to attack us. There was sudden chaos as I saw some of Erica's bodyguards running towards us.2

  "Emma!!" I heard Erica scream as she pushed me from behind, making me fall on my face. The guy who was attacking me turned to her and smacked her face with a heavy rod. I saw her fall flat next to me, lying in her pool of blood.

  I was shocked. I couldn't breathe. I was numb, unable to move or speak. I saw more masked men attacking and tackling the bodyguards. There were gunshots and a lot of blood. I was struggling to get up as I finally saw Brett sprinting towards my direction.