AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“For what?” he asks incredulously, brow furrowed.
I take a moment to gather the right words. “For being by my side for that. It felt—it felt good to get that out. Like the ending of a book that should have been finished a long time ago.”
“I'm proud of you, Emmy.” Turning me to face him, I can see that statement shining in his eyes. “I'm so fucking proud of you. For everything you went through and how you’ve come out the other end. I'm in awe. I know I've said this a hundred times already…but I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn’t see what was happening, and I'm sorry you felt like you couldn’t tell me.”
Releasing a sigh, I cup his cheeks. “I knew Nox would have killed Tommy for laying his hands on me again if he found out. So, I kept it in, trying to keep you all safe. It’s not that I didn’t want you to know. Trust me, I wanted to tell you. I just didn’t want you to have to keep that secret for me.”
His eyes close while his arms embrace me, and I continue. “I love you, Colton. I thank my lucky stars that I had you and your family all those years.”
“Love you too. But I still feel like I should kick your ass or something for putting me through hell,” he teases, trying to hide the sound of a light sniffle.
“I’d like to see you try. Although, you have gotten huge, I must say.” I laugh through the tears I swipe away.
“I think I could take you.” He wiggles his eyebrows and bumps my shoulder as we resume walking to Mickey’s.
I can’t believe that just happened, and on a public street, nonetheless. It brings me peace knowing I said what I had to say to them. I release a final cathartic sigh, letting all remaining thoughts of Tommy and his family out along with it.
It’s my turn to live the life Iwant, not the one dealt to me.
Fifteen
“Are we going to the Asheboro Zoo?” I shake my head at Emerson’s third guess of where I’m taking her and Kiran today.
“No, we aren’t going that far, but that’s a good idea for another family outing.”
I never thought I would get so much joy out of planning a day trip somewhere. But the thought of being with my family and the excitement on Kiran’s face when he experiences everything for the first time is addicting.
I have lived, ate, and breathed training for the past two years but, for the first time, I find myself dreading the dedication that training camp takes and the time away from them. I’m even more thankful now that I chose to stay in Richmond Hills and train with my local coaches instead of moving to Charlotte like Cliff had originally offered to me.
“Ugh, I give up.” Emerson lets out a little huff, falling back into the passenger seat.
I chuckle, giving her thigh a squeeze. “Just sit your pretty little mermaid head back and enjoy the view.” We are riding through the Blue Ridge Parkway on one of my favorite scenic routes.
Emerson smiles and checks on Kiran, who is sleeping in the back seat, before turning her head to admire the scenery.
“Willow is obsessed with elephants. Maybe once they are here, we can plan that zoo trip and include them.”
“Sounds like a plan.” And it truly does, but I can’t say Jade’s arrival in a little over a week doesn’t scare me slightly. Originally, Emerson and Kiran were going to stay at my place until Jade moved here, but now, I can’t imagine them not being under my roof. They are my family, and I have already missed out on so much.
“Are you excited for Charlotte?” Emerson asks me, steering me away from those thoughts.
“I’m excited for a weekend with you in a hotel room,” I say, raising my eyebrows suggestively, causing her to backhand my arm.
Emerson giggles as she looks out the window for a few more moments, and I notice her leg start to bounce as she seems to be overthinking something.
“Are you worried about leaving Kiran? I could always ask my mom to come with us and keep him there.”
She shakes her head. “No, no. I trust her. I know he will be in good hands.” I hear her swallow roughly. “It’s not that. It’s just…” She pauses before blurting out, “Are you going to see Leslie this weekend? Like, is she expecting you? I heard she lives in Charlotte and that’s typically when you would see each other.”
Fuck…I had forgotten about her comment regarding Leslie in my house a few days ago.
“No, she isn’t expecting to see me… Well, not in that way.” I grab her hand in mine, pulling it into my lap. “As you know, she works for Cliff, so we are both likely to see her.”
Her hand stiffens, so I softly stroke my thumb over hers. “Would it help if you knew the deal with Leslie and me? It’s likely not quite what you think.”
My eyes shift to hers before looking back toward the road, and I see her close her own before responding, “I’ll probably hate myself for this later, but yes, please. I need to know.” Nodding, I lift her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to each finger before I dive in.
“I had met her a few times after she started working for Cliff. I think I noticed her because she had the same sadness in her eyes that I carried around with me.” She squeezes my hand at that, knowing the cause of my pain. “One night, I went out with a few guys who fight locally for Cliff’s organization, and they invited Leslie. I was shocked when they told me who her husband was.”
