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“Yes.”
My response makes him smile and damn is that smile of his breathtaking. I can see why that Sarah chick was angry that he wouldn’t sleep with her.
“Good, because I want to take you somewhere. I did something for you, for us, and I want to show you. Let you make a choice.”
My brows pucker together, and I nibble on the edge of my thumb.
“What did you do?” I squeak out.
Clark’s smile widens, a mischievous glint reflecting in his eyes. “You’ll find out, just trust me, okay?”
I shouldn’t. I really, really shouldn’t, but that doesn’t stop me…
“I do,” I say, moving off the bed.
Chapter Five
Clark
Trust. I know without asking, without even thinking that it’s something that Emerson doesn’t give freely, and yet, she said she trusts me. That only affirms my choice to get this condo even more. Since my father’s appearance at the house, Emerson has hidden in her bedroom, either sleeping or finding something to do within the four walls of that room.
The few times she did make it out of the room, she had one small panic attack after the next. I don’t know what it is that freaks her out about my dad so much, but I know I can’t watch it any longer. I’m tired of it, tired of her hiding, of being afraid. I don’t know what happened to her, but it’s not going to suffocate her, not in my presence, not anymore. The old me, the one before Emerson ever came along never would’ve done something like this, something so committing, but I’m no longer the same person and I haven’t been since the night of that party. Saving her that night, it brought out the best in me, it made me want to do better. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve dreamt of her every night since that night. I wanted her to reappear in my life and as if God knew, as if he heard my silent prayers, he made it happen.
“Are we almost there?” Emerson asks from the passenger seat of my F-150. I got this truck as a fuck you. My dad got me a sleek sports car for my sixteenth birthday, one that screamed, look here… we’re rich. I went to the dealership the next day and traded the car in for a truck. It’s not a bad vehicle, but definitely nothing my dad would drive around.
I glance over at Emerson, she looks nervous as she shifts uncomfortably in the leather seat, gazing out the window as if she is trying to gather clues on where it is I’m taking her.
I grip the steering wheel hard, hoping, praying that she’ll say yes, that she’ll be okay with what I’ve done.
When I pull up to our destination, a small but modern condo, ten minutes away from campus, she looks no less confused than she did on the way over here.
“This is it,” I tell her grinning nervously.
“And what is this exactly?”
“Your new home…” I exhale. “I mean if you want it to be that is.”
She stares at the condo for a moment shock clearly written on her features. When her gaze swings back to me, I see tears filling her eyes… fuck, this is not what I wanted to happen. I’m not good at this shit, and I can’t tell if it’s good or bad tears.
“You’re getting rid of me?” She starts to sob, lowering her head and covering her face with her hands.
Fuck! I act before I can stop myself and grab her tugging her across the center console and into my lap.
“No! No, Em. I’m staying here with you. I want us to stay here together. I know you have a hard time around my dad, so I thought you would be more comfortable here, where it’s just us.”
I can feel my heart beating in my chest, the blood rushing in my ears, and when she looks up at me tears clinging to her thick lashes, the air in my lungs stills. The pain radiates out of her and into me like a waterfall and I wonder how I ever lived without her before this? I’m consumed by her, with her, and desperate to know her story, to know her secrets so I can heal her, protect her, cherish her.
“You mean it?” she whispers as if she doesn’t believe me.
“Of course, that was my plan all along. Both of us were going to stay here. You really think you could get rid of me that easily? Not a chance in hell, sweetheart.”
A tiny smile ghosts her lips, but it’s enough to make my heart skip a beat. She is so breathtaking when she smiles. I’m going to make it my life’s mission to make her smile every day. Using the pad of my thumb, I wipe a stray tear from her cheek and then press my lips to her forehead.
