by Gemma Weir
Walking slowly forward, I peer through the doorway into the family room, wondering what had Norris so excited, and that’s when I spot them. Nova and Valentine curled up together on one couch, Zeke asleep with his head thrown back in an armchair, and then Griffin fast asleep amidst a pile of blankets on the floor.
“Oh my god,” I whisper, so quietly it’s barely audible. They’re here, all of them. I don’t have a single message from them because they followed me home instead. I didn’t get a hundred questions, they just acted and came for me, because that’s what we do for each other. We’re there for each other, we support each other, we love each other, and I feel like an idiot for questioning that even for a second.
My knees buckle and I sink down onto the arm of the chair beside me and a crashing realization hits me so hard that it steals my breath and stuns me. I was running from the world I grew up in, desperate for something bigger. But why? My world might be narrow, but what more than an amazing family and the best friends possible could I ever want?
My mom has made millions of dollars. We could be living it up in a mansion on Sunset Boulevard or sipping champagne in the Hamptons. But instead we live in a beautiful, but normal house in small town Texas. I always thought it was Dad and the club that kept them here, that they were tied to the town, held tight by obligation. But that’s not the case.
My parents have friends who became family and they are rich beyond their wildest dreams before they even think about what they have in the bank. It doesn’t matter where I live, because it’s who I am that defines me. How can something so simple have taken me so long to figure out?
Maybe I’m too young to have this kind of epiphany, or maybe everyone else figured this out when they were a little kid and I’m so far behind it’s ridiculous, but that one simple thought feels huge and important and overwhelming in the best way possible.
A sigh falls from my lips, and it’s relief and gratefulness and love. Instead of going back to my room, I slide down into the armchair I’ve been perched on, curl up into a ball, my head resting on the arm, and fall back to sleep, surrounded by my friends and richer than I’ll probably ever be.
Several hours earlier
My fingers grip my cellphone so tightly, I swear I can hear the glass creaking and the plastic twisting. I read the stupid, selfish message she sent for the thousandth time since it came through and curse the fact that I’m stuck in class for the next fifteen minutes and can’t leave.
Emmy – Hi guys, don’t freak out, but I’m headed home for a couple of days. I’ll be back before Monday, see you later xoxo
What the fuck kind of message is that? Did she seriously just take off, just like that? Who does that? I’m so angry my thoughts barely make sense. Ever since I kissed her in the quad, my body has been wound so tightly, I’m surprised I haven’t snapped. Given the way the kids in my classes have been avoiding me, I guess I must look like as much of a psycho as I feel, but no matter how much I tell myself to chill out I just can’t.
She brought that fucker to lunch, he kissed her on the lips. The fact that I didn’t rip his fucking face in two is a miracle. He kissed her, right there in front of me and she let him.
She’s mine and I just about lost my fucking mind. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked to talk to her, I probably shouldn’t have kissed her again, and I definitely shouldn’t have just walked away. But in my defense, all I could think was that he touched her, he kissed her, and that she’s mine: my girl, my Emmy, mine.
I have no idea what she feels, but every time I’ve kissed her, she’s kissed me back with just as much passion and desire as I’ve been feeling for her, or at least that’s what it feels like. Doubt wallops into me, and suddenly my brain fills with everything I don’t want to think about.
What if she’s just kissing me back because she doesn’t know what else to do? What if she’s going along with the motions, or using me for practice before she fucks Kent or that other guy who’s sniffing around her?
What if she wants them more than she wants me? What if they take her from me?
If she were mine, I wouldn’t let a guy like me near her. I’ll be pushed out and become inconsequential while she falls in love with someone else.
People start moving around me and it takes me a moment to realize that class is over and that they’re getting up to leave. Shoving my stuff into my backpack, I barge past the mass of shuffling people and push my way out, ignoring the annoyed, angry cries from the kids I shove out of the way.
Breaking through the front door of the building, I start to run, my bag bouncing against my back as I sprint across campus, knowing that I need to get home, to see if she’s actually gone.
“Griffin.”
Nova’s voice has me skidding to a stop, and I snap my head from side to side to find her.
“Hey,” she says, her hand landing on my arm. “Come on, the others are all on their way home too,” she says.
I nod, then let her tow me forward. We make it home first and I push through the front door and run straight upstairs and into her room. Her bed is rumpled as if she just crawled out of it, but nothing else seems out of place.
“She’s not downstairs.”
I jolt at the sound of Nova’s voice so close behind me. “She fucking left,” I snarl.
“Yeah she did.”
“This is my fault.”
“Yep,” Nova says firmly. “What the hell were you thinking kissing her like that then just leaving? If you’d have stuck around and had an actual conversation with her, or I don’t know, maybe manned up and told her how you felt, then maybe you guys would be the reason those sheets are all rumpled and your girl wouldn’t be on the way to Texas on her own.”
There’s no anger in her voice, just mild censure.
“I know, it’s just…” I start.
“She gone?” Zeke shouts up the stairs interrupting me, a moment after I hear the front door being thrown open.
“Yeah,” Nova calls.
She grabs my arm, squeezing lightly. “Come on, let’s go downstairs. We can talk about this later once we decide what we’re doing.”
I nod and follow her out of Emmy’s room, taking one last look at her space before I pull the door closed behind me.
By the time we enter the living room, Valentine is walking through the door, his cell in his hand, all of his attention focused on it. “The next flight isn’t until ten tonight, we won’t get home ‘til late, but unless we want to drive hours into Georgia to catch a flight that only lands an hour earlier than the one from Tuscaloosa, this is our best option.”
“You booked flights?” I ask him shocked.
He lifts his attention from his cell and looks at me, his brow furrowed. “Yeah, I figured we were going after her. Aren’t we? I mean this is what you guys do right? You’re close, it’s weird, but that’s who you are. You’re family.”
“Thank you, brother,” I say, crossing the room to him and pulling him in for a quick bro hug.
He pats my back awkwardly. “No worries, let’s just get home, then we can make sure she’s okay.”
Turning to head to my room I take two steps and run straight into Zeke’s fist. “What the fuck?” I yell, my head jolting back with the force of his punch.
Zeke grins at me. “Figured Prez might not kill you for upsetting his daughter if he thinks we already got a few hits in.”
“Fuck you,” I hiss, but I’m laughing too, my heart a little lighter now that I know we’re going after her.
It’s after midnight when we step out of the airport in Houston and Sleaze is waiting at the curb for us in his huge jacked up truck, smiling when he sees us. Valentine climbs into the passenger seat, while the rest of us get into the back. The others chat quietly as I stare at my cell, trying to distract myself from the fact that I’m going to see her soon. I’m so fucking pissed at her, but this is just as much my fault as hers. I should have talked to her, or maybe just not stopped kissing her until she accepted that she’s mine and that I can’t live
without her.
“So, what did one of you do to piss Emmy off?” Sleaze asks.
All eyes turn to me and I lift my chin and meet Sleaze’s gaze in the rear-view mirror. “I fell in love with her,” I say simply.
Sleaze’s laugh is low and rumbly. “Well damn it, you finally get the balls to tell her?”
“Nope, he kissed the shit out of her, then stomped off and left her standing there staring after him like an idiot,” Zeke says, and for the first time I can hear the anger lacing his tone.
“In Griff’s defense, she did bring the guy she was dating to lunch and then kissed him right in front of all of us,” Nova says.
Sleaze whistles. “So Emmy’s dating, but she knows you’re in love with her and she still kissed the new guy in front of you?”
“She doesn’t exactly know; I haven’t actually told her how I feel. But there are guys coming from everywhere, this kid Kent and then a douche called Van and fuck knows how many more just waiting for their chance with her,” I growl.
He laughs again. “You’re gonna have to tell her, have a come to fucking God moment and tell that girl you love her, or be a man and let her go.”
“Can’t let her go,” I say, locking my eyes with him again so he can see my resolve.
He nods slowly and smiles. “Figured as much. Just gotta hope Prez doesn’t kill you before you get your girl.”
I realize the truck’s stopped and we’re sitting outside Emmy’s house, the lights still burning brightly inside.
“Good luck,” Sleaze says, then turns to Valentine. “Make sure you come home, Brandi knows you’re back and she’ll tan your hide if she doesn’t get to see you soon. We missed you, kid.”
“I’ll come around tomorrow, or as soon as we get Emmy sorted,” he says. “I missed you guys too,” he adds quietly.
“Thanks, Sleaze,” I say, as I open the door and climb out, shouldering my bag and inhaling sharply as I make my way to the front door. It swings open before we reach it and a glowering Prez fills the doorway.
He looks past us and dips his chin to Sleaze, then focuses his attention back on me. “What the fuck did you do to her?”
“I fucked up,” I admit.
“What. Did. You. Do?” He snarls slowly.
“Prez, you scare the fucking shit out of me, not gonna lie. But what happens between me and Emmy is between me and her. I fucked up today, I’ll admit that, but we’re all here because we love her, and if she runs, we run. We’re Scions and just like Sinners we look after our own. If she chooses to tell you, that’s up to her, but all you need to know is that I love her and I’m going to do whatever it takes to make things right.”
Blade’s expression hardens and I tense, expecting him to launch himself at me, but instead he offers me a single terse nod and steps back to allow us into the house. The others all pass me and head inside, but Blade grabs my arm stopping me. “Emmy do that to your face?” He asks.
I smile. “Nope, that was Zeke.”
“I fucking love that kid,” he laughs, releasing me and shoving me forward. “Get in there, she’s asleep so you’re gonna have to wait ‘til the morning. Don’t even think about taking your ass upstairs. If I find you in my daughter’s bed I really will kill you.”
Nikki and Blade head up to bed just after we get there, leaving the rest of us sitting in the family room, unsure what to do. The urge to go upstairs and climb into bed with her is strong enough that I actually hold onto the arms of the couch to stop myself from moving.
My skin’s crawling. Knowing that I’m in the same house as her, but that I can’t get to her is eating me alive. It’s only been hours since I last saw her, but I’m desperate to see her face again. I need her, I always have, and I’ll do whatever it takes not to lose her from my life.
The TV’s playing low, but none of us are watching it. “I’m exhausted,” Nova says, her voice weary. “Airplanes always make me feel tired and I never know why, because all you do is sit there.”
A soft smile tips at the corner of Valentine’s lips and he pulls her closer to him, pressing her body against his. I want that. Not Nova obviously, she’s like my sister, but I want that with Emmy. I want the right to touch her, to comfort her, and hold her and not because I beg for her attention, but because she gives it freely. Because she wants to touch me as much as I want to touch her.
“Do you think she’s okay?” I ask no one in particular.
“She’ll be fine. Knowing Emmy, she probably just needed some time to cool off and get her head around things. You both need to sit down and actually talk to each other. That girl is in love with you, just as much as you’re head over heels for her, but the pair of you are idiots. So talk to her, tell her how you feel, it’s all you can do,” Zeke says, wiggling down in the armchair and sighing tiredly.
We fall into an exhausted silence and one by one the others start to fall asleep. Eventually, I pull the blanket from the back of the couch and lay down on the floor, my eyes fixed on the stairs, wishing I was in her room and hoping she doesn’t hate me.
When my eyelids flutter open, I remember Norris waking me up and letting him out in the yard. My heart pangs when I think of my silent cell and then I glance around the room and see them all here. They all came home just because I had a hissy fit and ran away. They followed me, because they love me and want to be there for me, regardless of the circumstances. A contented sigh falls from my lips, then I let my eyes wander to Griff. He’s still on the floor, his head rested on one of the throw pillows, but he’s no longer asleep. His eyes are open and he’s looking at me.
No, he’s not just looking at me, he’s devouring me with his eyes, begging me, and beseeching me and telling me something that I wish I could understand. There’s something between us, there always has been, but I thought it was just friendship. Now it feels like more, but I have no idea what it is, and I don’t know how to ask.
That kiss, all of our kisses, have felt like more than just a kiss, but we’ve never talked about it. In fact, beyond the obvious fact that we don’t seem to be able to keep our lips away from each other, we’ve behaved like nothing has changed. We’re friends, best friends, but it has to be something more than that, doesn’t it?
His lips part, as if he’s going to speak, when suddenly the house bursts to life. Phoenix’s alarm screeches out, an obnoxiously loud heavy metal track that he swears is the only thing that wakes him up. Then the sound of Mom and Dad’s feet move down the stairs, followed by the familiar gurgle of the coffee maker coming to life, the timer set for the same time each morning.
My eyes never leave Griff’s, even as a small familiar smile graces his lips, even as the others start to stir and the quiet moment we’re sharing is shattered.
Nova sits up, stretching her arms above her head and yawning loudly. “Emmy, I love you, but I’m gonna kick your ass,” she says, her eyes still half closed.
“I can’t believe you’re all here.”
“Where the fuck else would we be?” Zeke snaps, sounding surprisingly awake considering he was snoring like a beast a moment ago.
“You’re here,” Griff says quietly, as if that’s all the answer I could need, and he’s right. If one of them had run off, I’d have followed too. It’s just how our group works.
“Morning, kids,” Mom shouts, “I’m making pancakes if anyone’s hungry.”
“Pancakes, awesome,” Zeke cries, ruffling my hair as he darts past me and toward the kitchen.
“Come on. I’ll kick your ass after breakfast,” Nova says, grabbing my hand and pulling me up from my chair.
I let her tow me to the kitchen, only looking behind me to Griff once, before the ritual of morning chaos descends. Mom bustles around, flipping pancakes, while Dad fills us all a cup of rich aromatic coffee, sliding them along the counter to us each in turn.
Phoenix stalks in the moment Mom drops the first pancake onto a plate, his eyes half-closed, his hair a wild mess. “Morning,” he grunts, dropping onto a stool at the b
reakfast bar and pulling a plate full of pancakes toward him. After a moment he lifts his head and scans the room, eying us. “Why are you here?” He asks, squinting at us through tired eyes.
“Just feeling a little homesick,” I say quietly, not wanting to get into everything that’s happened between Griff and I in front of my family.
“Cool,” he says with a nod, his attention dropping to his plate as he begins to shovel huge forkfuls of pancake into his mouth.
Breakfast passes quickly, with everyone eating Mom’s delicious pancakes and only exchanging small talk beyond requests to pass the syrup and offers of coffee. Eventually Phoenix heads to school and my dad to the club. Then there are only Mom, me, and my friends left.
“Kids, I’m going to meet your Auntie Dove, you know where everything is,” Mom says, leaning in to kiss my cheek and whispering, “Talk to him,” into my ear before she disappears out of the room.
I haven’t told my mom what’s going on with Griffin, but she’s always been intuitive and no doubt she had everything sussed out before I even got off the plane. I offer her a small smile as she leaves, then we all fall silent for a moment until we hear the sound of the front door closing.
“I think I’m gonna go see Brandi.” Valentine says, clearing his throat.
I smile at him and he nods back.
“Yep, we need to go see Mom and Dad,” Nova says to her brother. “You know the telephone tree will have been engaged and everyone will know we’re back. Mom will slaughter us if we see anyone else before going home.”
“Griff can keep you company; Duke won’t care if he has to wait a few hours to see him. You guys have stuff you need to talk about anyway,” Zeke says pointedly as he gets up and walks around the counter. Stopping at my side, he leans down and wraps his arms around me. “We don’t run, Em; we’re Scions. You shout, you cry, you fight, but you don’t run, especially not from us.”
“I know,” I say, my throat thickening with emotion. “I’m sorry.”