I pull my arm out from under the two and rise to my feet. Ember follows suit, and comes over to wrap her arms around my waist. I rest my arms around her, my head sitting on hers. “I’m going to say something, and it might scare you.” I feel her tense beneath me, and I realize I could have said that differently.
“It’s a good thing, pretty girl.” I tell her softly, “I just want you to know that I'm head over heels for you.” I tilt her head up, so I can look into her eyes and tell her, “I love you, Ember Alden, and I have no intentions of ever letting you go again.” Her eyes shine with unshed tears. I lean down and plant a soft kiss on her smooth lips. She returns with the same soft energy.
I sway from left to right with Ember in my arms, and every part of it just feels right. I finally have to pull away.
“Alright, beautiful, I’m going to go so you two can have the sweetest dreams.” I make it to the door. “I love you, lock the door.” She grins, and I don’t miss that I've said I love you twice and she hasn’t reciprocated. Not that I expected it from her, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t notice it.
Just give it time, she has walls you have to be careful with,I remind myself as I walk to the car.
I hear the lock click, and blow Ember a kiss through the curtains when I see her peeking from behind.
As I start my car, my first instinct is to head home and take a hot shower and pass out. For some reason, I have this feeling in my gut that I shouldn’t actually leave. I back out and decide to make a pass around the block. Maybe it’s just being away and feeling territorial over the two girls sleeping in that house.
I get to the corner before I turn back onto Ember’s street, when something moving catches my eye in the dark. Turning my lights off, I park my car on the other street. I softly close the door, before hiding behind cars, trying to get closer. As much as I would love to think this is just some random dude, unfortunately, my gut tells me this is exactly why I wasn’t supposed to go home yet.
I get right up behind Dean’s bald ass head, wrapping one arm around his neck and the other around his mouth.
Getting right at his ear, I grit my teeth. “I’m getting real fucking sick and tired of you camping outside my girl’s house.”
Dean fights back, and he’s taller than me, but it’s clear he spends his days being a bum. “She’s not your fucking girl,” Dean spits at me, doing his best to wrestle out of my hold, unsuccessfully.
“I distinctly remember her screaming my name when I had her bent over in the bookstore last week,” I taunt him.
I shouldn’t push too hard in fear of how he might retaliate against Ember later, but I know that she won’t go through it alone. I’ll be there to support her through anything he puts her through from here on out. Unless I get rid of him first.
I drag him backwards before throwing him to the ground. He gets up quicker than I anticipate and he lays a right hook into my eye. He goes to swing again, and misses, leaving me with the opportunity to grab his left arm and pull it down, shoving his head down, connecting my knee to his face.
“I’ll be in her life forever you fucking loser,” Dean spits at me, slowly trying to advance on me. I shove him back in the center of his chest with all the force I can, causing him to trip over his own feet, falling backwards to the ground.
“I’m only going to say this one more fucking time, Dean.” I tower over him, my control on my rage starting to slip. “You stay the fuck away from that house, and anyone who lives in that house, visits that house, or walks past that fucking house,” I spit at him.
I get to my car, whip out of the spot I was in down the road, and quickly pull back into Ember’s driveway. I back into the driveway quietly so that I’m facing out towards the street. I keep my lights off and keep my car idling with the heat on. I’ll be damned if he thinks he’s going to make me fucking flinch. That’s MY girl in that house. I keep watch all night, until sleep finally takes me.
A loud tap wakes me out of my sleep. I look up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, and see Asher’s face filling my window. I roll down my window, look over at my phone, and see it's seven o’clock in the morning.
“Dude, did she beat your ass and kick you to the curb already?” Asher laughs. I glance up at the rearview mirror and catch a glimpse of dried blood and a little bruising where Dean got his licks in last night.
“What do you know about Dean?” I ask him without laughing. Asher’s face goes pale.
“Fuck.” He blows out a breath, placing both hands on the car window frame. “Is he still fucking with her?” he questions.
“Yeah dude, he’s stalking her.” Asher backs up, letting me get out of the car. “We installed cameras just so that Ember could be more aware,” I tell him as I close the door.
“I left last night so the girls could get some sleep.” I lean my butt against the car, arms folded across my chest. “I circled the block and before I turned onto the street, Dean was sneaking towards the driveway and we went to throwing fists.”
“Fuck, man.” Asher slides his hands down his face. “Atlas hasn’t said anything, so I figured everything had burnt out with that.”
“Honestly, I doubt Ember has clued her in. I know she’s worried about Atlas’s mental health right now.” I glance over at him.
Before he can respond, the front door opens, and a very sleepy Ember stands there, with a very happy Aria sitting on her hip. Seeing her standing there, with that sweet baby on her hip, sends flutters to my stomach.
She has a grumpy and confused look on her face, which confuses me until she comes down her front steps and stops right in front of me. “What the fuck happened to your face, Harley?” She’s pissed. I contemplate lying to her, but I don’t want to lie and risk her safety in this situation.
“We should talk about that in a little bit,” I tell her as I grab Aria from her hold. We head into the house.
Ember must have known Asher was on his way because all of Aria’s stuff is pulled together, waiting by the door.
“Did Atlas at least get a little sleep?” Ember asks, her eyebrows showing all of her concern.
