The way she moved, the way she breathed and burned with me—just looked at me reconfirmed that the events of today made me forget because of possessive fear.
Emily was just as caught up in me as I was her.
Roger was a ghost that belonged in the past.
Chapter 33
_______
Emily
“I’m having Ben a surprise birthday party next Saturday. Bring your parents.”
Faith sat at a booth alone at Crash’s that following Wednesday. I blinked once, then just stared at her quietly because I wasn’t sure what to say. I knew the obvious answer was yes, but the thought of bringing my parents over to their house was nerve-wracking. My mom was a lesbian and my dad was a recovering alcoholic, and he would always be for the rest of his life. Her husband, on the other hand, Ben, was a lot more laid back than she was, and he always hung out with my dad, so he wasn’t a worry.
“I’d have to ask and see if they have any plans for that weekend,” I told her.
She nodded. “I never got to know your mom while she lived next door.” Because neither of them had wanted to get to know each other.
Faith was taking this a lot easier and quicker than I ever expected she would with me dating her son, but something about it all made me feel hopeful. I tried to remember if she had wanted to meet Tammy’s parents. I knew she gushed over Kelly and Tammy unlike the way she did me, but at the same time, I felt like my treatment was something to feel grateful about. Which was weird because the woman stalked my workplace instead of asking me if I wanted to hang out with her.
“Make sure to bring them,” she said again.
“I’ll ask them,” I told her quickly and got back to my tables. I wouldn’t get any tips if my customers thought I was ignoring them to talk to Faith.
Only I paused at a table when I saw Roger walk in. I ignored him being here and took an order and brought another table’s food out, then went around for refills. He was at one of my tables waiting, and I could no longer hold it off. I told myself that he was here to eat, but the feeling in my gut told me that wasn’t true. I had assured Benjamin that Roger would stop bothering me now that he knew we were together, but the texting hadn’t and now he was here at my workplace.
I found Linda, another waitress that was working today and asked her if she’d take his table. She saw that it was my ex and tapped my shoulder with a smile saying she didn’t mind. I refocused myself on work and glanced over at Faith who was scrolling through her phone while she waited for her food. I went to check to see if her food was ready and it was. I brought it out to her. “Here ya go.” I smiled as I placed it in front of her.
“Looks good,” she said.
“Do you need anything else?” I asked her.
“Not at the moment.”
I nodded and hurried off to another table, moving a lot faster when I got to Roger’s table. He caught my wrist when I walked by, making me jump. “Wait, Emily.”
My stomach filled with unease. I didn’t even want to talk to him. I didn’t even like that he thought it was okay to grab me. I loved Benjamin so much that I didn’t even want to look at my ex for fear of Benjamin thinking I wanted someone that wasn’t him. Which was silly because Benjamin was Benjamin. He trumped everyone in my life, and I was positive he knew that… Didn’t he?
“What is it?” I asked calmly, pulling my wrist out of his grip.
“Sorry,” he apologized. “But you’re completely ignoring me.”
“We don’t have a reason to talk,” I told him, stiffening.
“I miss you.” He knew he shouldn’t have said that, but he did anyway.
“I love Benjamin… You know that.” I didn’t feel bad for speaking my heart. “You probably knew the extent of my feelings for him before I did myself.”
He sighed, dropping his head in defeat. “You think I want to chase someone that doesn’t want me? I can’t help it, Em, you’re all I can think about… I love—”
“Emily.” I was already stiff from this confrontation with Roger, but when I heard Faith say my name, my body showed me just how much further it could tighten. I turned around and saw her peeking her head outside her booth to glance at Roger and me. I left Roger immediately and rushed to the woman I didn’t want to hate me any more than she already did.
“Do you need a refill?” I asked her in a rush.
“No. Just the check.”
My heart dropped to the floor. I felt sick to my stomach. She must have recognized him. Why else would she leave when she had just gotten her food? “Faith…”
Then she sighed abruptly, placing her fork down rather roughly. She met my eyes. “Do you want me to talk to him?”
“What?” Then my eyes widened. She must have been eavesdropping on my conversation. “NO,” I said quickly, raising both my hands in the air. “I’ll just ignore him.”
“Looks like ignoring him isn’t going to work,” she muttered, turning her head around completely once again so that she could scowl at Roger, then it landed on me again. “Just what do you do to these men?”
“Umm… I don’t know what you mean,” I told her honestly.
She shook her head. “Never mind.” She huffed. “Bring the check and remember Ben’s party.”
“O-okay,” I managed to say, slightly confused and shaken.
I couldn’t tell if she was upset with me, or Roger who came here for me.
_______
Benjamin
“I’m serious, Benny.” Mom huffed through the phone, clearly frustrated. I knew the feeling. She had me teetering toward a Freddy episode as she spoke. “He won’t stop. I could see the look he was giving her… With the way she looked, I’d say he’s been trying to get back with her for a while. Her body language screamed uncomfortable… I had to leave before I went over there and smacked the boy upside the head.”
I would have laughed if this had been about anything else because this was my mother for you. She was overprotective when it came to me… But this didn’t feel like it was entirely about me, which I knew part of it was. She didn’t like anyone messing with my happiness, but the way she wasn’t upset with Emily about it…
“I’m your mother and I shouldn’t tell you this, but you should probably do something. She thinks ignoring him is going to make him stop.”
I gripped my cell phone. “Don’t worry. He works at the hospital. I can pay him a visit,” I muttered, already planning a trip over there when I got off work in another hour.
“He had scrubs on, now that you said that… But don’t do anything stupid,” she warned me. “Just… Maybe scare him a bit or tell him to leave Emily alone nicely.”
“We saw him over the weekend. He’s asking for trouble.”
She sighed. “I’m so angry!”
I smiled a bit. “It sounds like you might have affections for Emily.”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt,” she said quickly.
“Uh-huh,” I mumbled with an even bigger smile. “Was he still there when you left Crash’s?” I asked her.
“He was, and she was going out of her way to avoid his table. It was a disaster.”
That was what pissed me off. The simple fact that he was disrupting her workday and making her feel uncomfortable, but at the same time, I hated that she thought she had to avoid him because of me.
“She should just go ahead and quit. If everything works out, y’all won’t stay around here anyway,” Mom said softly.
Her words confused me. “What are you talking about?”
She was quiet. “Your dad hasn’t spoken to you yet?”
I had a weird feeling. It almost felt like a bad one because I had no idea what they had planned behind my back. “No. What is it?”
“Let him tell you.” Now she was rushing off the phone. “Make sure you deal with that Roger guy but don’t do anything stupid. Okay? Just let it be known that Emily’s your girlfriend, and you don’t want him going to her workplace making her uncomfortable. He had to kn
ow she was uncomfortable! It was easy to see.”
“You are aware that I’m a grown man, and I can handle Emily’s ex on my own, right?”
“Right.” She laughed. “I’ll talk to you later, Benny. Love you.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
Once we hung up, I stood and went in search of Dad. It was a slow day at the dealership, so it was just him and me working. I found him on the phone with the bank trying to get this family approved for the SUV they wanted.
When he ended the call, he plopped down in his seat looking through the papers he held in his hand. “What’s up?” he asked me.
“Mom said you had something to tell me?”
He looked up at me and nodded. “Yeah, been meaning to talk to you about it.” I walked toward his desk and sat down in the chair in front of it. “You know the big dealership we have in Charleston?” he asked me.
I nodded. “Yeah, isn’t that actually our biggest besides this one?”
“It is. As of last week, it’s been without any management. The guy quit, and I sent Tom up there for now, but I plan on going up there and staying until I can get some help.”
“Okay…?”
“I wouldn’t have to do that if you’d take it off my shoulders.”
“You mean permanently?” I asked, surprised. “That’s two hours away or more.”
“You have no kids or responsibility right now, Benjamin. It’s the perfect opportunity for you to find a home and get out from underneath my thumb.” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his stomach. “You and Emily can pack up and leave and start a life together.”
His words sent spasms to my heart. I couldn’t fathom the fun it would be to take Emily and see how much more we could be together. At the same time, I was uneasy because I couldn’t see Emily picking up and just leaving with me. Her dad was the first thing that entered my head. She already hated him living alone. How could I ask her to leave him and move across the state with me?
“We’ve only been together two weeks,” I managed to get out. “How could I even ask her? Besides, the fall semester is about to start for her.”
“Junior, you two were living together before you even got together. You’ve always been close with Emily.” He got me there, but it didn’t make me feel any easier about it. “Just talk to her about it. For now, I’ll go up there and stay. I’ll be back the weekend after this one since your mom wants me home for my birthday.” He smiled warmly. “But, that will give you both time to think about it. If not, then I’ll start looking for someone else.”
“Thanks,” I replied.
“She’ll want to go.” He was trying to assure me.
I still didn’t feel any better because I made a trip to the hospital once I got off work and confronted Roger about leaving Emily alone. I had a feeling he would this time. I wasn’t sure what Emily would think about me going to visit him, but I couldn’t handle the idea of him aggravating her any longer. Even before she was mine, I always ended up doing things like this because of her. She depended on me then, so hopefully, she’d let me take care of her now.
Besides, there were coincidences and there was asking for trouble. He was trying to steal her back. Like I’d let that happen.
Chapter 34
______
Emily
Something was wrong. I knew Benjamin like I knew myself. Since I came home from work last night, he was quiet and wrapped within himself. Whatever it was, had him trapped inside his head and it bothered me. He had brushed it off when I had asked him what was wrong.
I wondered if maybe his mom brought up Roger being at Crash’s.
One thing was for sure, he kept me in his arms regardless of what was bothering him. He cocooned me with his masculine scent and warmth and laid with me all night, not even budging his arms to give me room to breathe. And when morning came, he didn’t let me out of bed until I was underneath him, writhing and pulsing around his rigid length before he left for work, delving his tongue so far into my mouth as a goodbye, as if to make sure I’d miss him more than I already did when we were apart.
I went to the bathroom and cleaned myself up before I laid back down once he was gone. I told myself I’d lie around a little longer before I headed to the college to sign up for my classes.
I swore, I stayed so blissed out on Benjamin that I couldn’t remember what life was like between us before two weeks ago, before we were sharing our bodies. I couldn’t imagine the devastation of never having him like I do now. Just thinking about it made me want to tear up.
I kept him in a place he shouldn’t have stayed in. With me, beneath me, above me, or inside me, those were all places he belonged. As my best friend and my lover.
The fierceness in the way I loved him frightened me. I loved Benjamin for so long until one day it was a new love—an earth-shattering, soul-crushing one.
We loved each other in every way.
So why did he not want to tell me what was wrong?
_____
Benjamin
I’ll tell her about Dad’s offer tonight, I told myself on the drive to work when I had failed to tell her the night before.
It shouldn’t be hard to bring it up, but it was. The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea of moving and starting anew with Emily somewhere else. I liked the idea of being my own boss and branching away from Dad. Of course, we were still in the same business, but he must know I had the potential to handle things on my own since he offered it to me. That felt…relieving. It meant I must be doing something right. There was no way my dad would offer one of his precious dealerships to me if he thought I couldn’t handle it.
I’d only been working with him a few months, but cars and dealerships had been a part of my life for as long as I could remember.
I really wanted to go the more I thought about it. Which was what decided it for me that I’d ask her tonight for sure. If she said no, then I’d be okay with that. I’d stay here, no problem. Emily was the center of my universe. She’d always come before anything else.
Even so, that night came and when she whispered, “Is there something you want to talk about?”
I still couldn’t ask her. I’d had Emily a part of my life forever, we dealt with everything together. I took care of her, and she always came to me. She was my confidant more than once. This wouldn’t be the first time I’d ask her to leave this town with me. Only it was easier that time around because I had been in the safety of our friendship. I had been asking her as a friend and because I liked her next to me rather than the idea of being away from her.
Now… When I asked her, I would be asking as a man. I would be asking her to leave and let me take every part of her with me. Her heart, her body, her smarts, and her beauty. All of it.
And I’d make sure she never wanted to take them back from me.
Only the idea of her turning me down again crushed me. I thought that maybe letting the opportunity slip through my fingers was better than making Emily question us when we had just gotten together. Maybe she’d think I was rushing into us. I hated the idea of her second-guessing what we had only just now started.
So, I kept quiet and loved her instead.
Chapter 35
______
Emily
Faith: Are you coming to your dad’s?
That was the text message I received from Faith Friday morning, and it spooked me. How did she know I was coming to wash clothes today? That woman was a psychic. I had planned to write some once I was there, but it seemed we’d be entertaining a guest instead. My series was doing amazing. Within two weeks, I had scored the amount I was making at Crash’s in two weeks in tips. I couldn’t trust it to stay that way though, so I’d watch and wait. I started sponsoring ads for the series now that I could afford it on Facebook and Amazon.
Not to mention, my amazing boyfriend was still distracted, until he turned his distraction to my body—now that, I didn’t mind, but I still wanted to know what was bothering him. I
f it was something at the dealership, he could talk to me. We’d always talked to each other, so this was weird, and I hated it.
Maybe I imagined it. Now that we were together, perhaps I was looking too deeply into everything? But then again, this was Benjamin, and I’d like to think I knew him just like he knew the moment I walked into a room if I was upset about something.
I sent a quick reply to Faith to let her know I was going to Dad’s. I loaded up our dirty laundry in the truck and left. Benjamin had already left an hour ago. His dad was out-of-town dealing with another one of their dealerships, so Benjamin was running this one.
I thought that might have been what was bothering him, but he had told me he had actually preferred that his dad was gone. He genuinely seemed excited as he said it, so I believed him. I had gotten excited off his excitement. Benjamin was always that boy in school that was smart without trying or ever studying. He naturally did things with ease, so I didn’t doubt for a second that within a few months working there, he knew everything there was to it—inside and out.
It was a sight to see when I pulled into Dad’s driveway and Faith and him were standing there huffing and puffing at each other. She was pointing at her feet and lifted one up and I saw that her beige heel was coated in mud. It had been rainy the last few days, so Dad’s yard looked a little horrible.
Dad scratched his forehead like he was irritated with her but didn’t know what to say. They both turned to look at me for a second as I hopped out of the truck and opened the backseat door to grab our clothes.
“It’s not gonna hurt you to spend some money on making you a walkway,” she told him, inspecting her dirty heels. “Look at this. You can’t even get to your porch without ruining your shoes—look at my heels.”
Dad crossed his arms. “I see that Faith,” he informed her. “I didn’t tell you to walk in my yard though, did I?”
She huffed, snapping her head completely to the side, exposing her slender neck. “I was coming to see Emily.”
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