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“Which you inherited.” She snapped back, cutting me off. I couldn’t decipher the look in her eyes, I wasn't sure if she was angry, upset or even disappointed. If it was me, I’d be angry as fuck. She pushed my hand off the door and slipped into the driver’s seat. “Em, come back to the house. You can grab your mother’s things and we can talk this over. Maybe we can come to some arrangement.”
“No thanks.” She reached out and gripped the handle to pull the door closed but I stopped her.
“Why not? If you don't do it today, you’ll have to do it another day.” I challenged her with my eyes, “Well?”
Her lips pouted and twisted to the side; fuck me she was gorgeous. Even more so now than the last time I saw her.
“Fine. I’ll meet you back there.”
I nodded and stepped back from the gap and closed the door for her. I wanted her to look at me, just a glance would’ve done, but I got nothing. I wanted to see the desire swimming in her eyes that I saw not too long ago, but it had disappeared. She drove past me while I was stuck in my own head and I caught sight of the back of her Audi as she pulled out of the car park.
I felt like a total dick. I didn’t regret kissing her but now I just wanted more. If I thought Emily Lancaster hated me when we were younger, then she hated me even more now. Why did Mitch leave everything to me? I had no idea.
I tugged my car keys from my trouser pocket and spun them around my finger as I headed towards my own car, and pressed the fob. I climbed into my black Range Rover Sport, pulled into the lunchtime traffic and headed back to the Lancaster estate.
I arrived back at the estate and Emily’s Audi was parked out the front. I pulled up behind her car and went inside. When she wasn’t in the lobby or the kitchen, I went on a search and opened the door to Mitch’s study. She stood in front of the painting that hung on his wall. It was a painting of a girl wrapped in her father’s arms. Her hands covered her mouth and her wide eyes were focused upwards on the canvas.
“Thi…this is mine.” She stuttered. Her voice was full of emotion, “I painted this.”
I nodded as she glanced sidewards at me.
“But…” Her jaw tensed briefly, “I don't understand.”
“What is there to understand, Emily?”
“All the times we met for lunch or for dinner, he never once told me he was proud of me. If he wasn’t proud of what I’d achieved then why would he buy one of my paintings? It was like he couldn’t get the words out. All I wanted to hear was those few words.”
I reached out my hand and touched her shoulder, she didn’t push me away or even shrug my hand from her; I moved closer, “Come with me, I want to show you something.”
Her head turned to me and I walked from the room. I didn’t need to check to see if she was following me, I felt her behind me. I took her into my office, where more of her paintings hung. I felt it deep in my black soul when I heard her gasp. I didn’t say anything. Instead, I led her into the lounge where another of her paintings hung over the fireplace.
“Why are you showing me these?” I turned to face her just as she wiped a tear from her eyes.
“I wanted to show you that you did mean something to him and he was proud of you. He was just the kind of man that couldn’t show his feelings.” her nostrils flared as she tried to push her tears back.
“Erm, do you have the trunk? I need to get home.”
“Have a drink with me?”
“Why, are we friends now? Just because you showed me what my father did does not change things between us.”
“What things?” I felt my eyebrows meet in the middle as I frowned, “Come on Em, tell me, what are you really mad at? Are you mad because I took your virginity and didn’t snuggle afterwards, or are you mad I’ve inherited everything? That I took your place when you wouldn’t be the daughter that daddy wanted.”
“Fuck you, Troy!” she snapped and glared at me, “I knew it was a bad idea coming here.” her lip curled as she spun around and moved towards the door.
Shifting a step closer I grabbed her by the elbow and stopped her, “Or is it because I kissed you and you actually enjoyed it?” She tried to shrug out of my hold as she spun back to me but I wasn’t budging and with a snap of my wrist I tugged her forward and she fell against my body. I wound my arm around her back and held her tightly. Her palms pressed against my chest in an attempt to get me to release her but I just held her tighter.
“Let go of me.” She ground out through gritted teeth and wriggled in my arm. I weaved my fingers into the hair at the back of her head and smashed my lips to hers again. This time, she didn’t respond, I must’ve loosened my hold just a fraction and she forced me away from her, shoving at my chest.
“Why deny yourself, Em?”
“Because I fucking hate you! Ever since you walked into my life you have taken everything away from me.” She balled. “My father, my chance to make it up and now everything else I’ve ever known. And what am I supposed to do now, just forgive you and let you kiss me? Was this your plan all along? Cheat my father out of everything and use it against me.”
With slow steps, I moved towards her, “Let’s just backtrack, shall we? You walked away from your father; I didn’t push you away.”
“No, you just betrayed me. And that was worse than anything.” She sniffed.
“Then tell me what it is you want?” Her gaze trailed down my body as she stood there, her shoulders tense body tense and her nostrils flared. “Because, I know what I want, Emily.”
