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He tucked a piece of her blond hair behind her ear, tracing the edge of her jaw with his knuckle. She shivered.
“What if what’s best for me is you? What if I told you, you were my dream, my future?”
Her eyes widened a fraction. “You want me . . . after everything? With all my problems? I’d only drag you down.”
He shook his head, his voice steady and firm. “I want every piece of you, scars and all.” After pulling her healing wrists to his mouth, he took his time to kiss each jagged scar.
Tears poured from her eyes, and she sniffled every now and then.
When he finished, his mouth hovered over hers. “When you feel the urge to hurt yourself, let me be there for you. You’re gonna have bad days and good days, and I’m gonna be there for all of them.” He kissed her gently. “I’ll dance with you in the light, carry you in the darkness, and love you in the grey.”
42
Emma
A week later, Emma handed Link the handle to her suitcase. He loaded it into the car as she turned around to give Remy and Jasmine a hug goodbye. Mikel and Atlas spoke to Link, along with Mason and Reese.
Little Phoenix, Remy’s son, clung to her leg. She smiled and reached out to grab him, tucking him into her arms. “I’m gonna miss this cute little face.” She kissed his chubby tan cheek as he giggled.
“What about me, Auntie Emma?” Zoey and Lyra asked in unison.
She handed her nephew over to his mama and opened her arms wide for the two little girls. “You know I will. Should I bring you back some presents from my tour?”
“Yes!” Lyra clapped her hands excitedly.
“Peas!” Zoey added jumping up and down.
Emma stood. “I think I can manage that.”
Reese clapped Link’s back before loudly laughing, drawing her attention to the man she loved with all her heart.
“I’m so happy for you,” Jasmine said, tears gathering in her eyes. She waved her hand. “Sorry. It’s these pregnancy hormones.”
“Me too.”
News would come out soon about her and Link’s relationship. Her new manager thought it would be better to get ahead of the story before it could become a scandal. She and Link had already done an interview with someone from the media. The story would be breaking later today, making it clear that there was no relation between the two of them and nothing nefarious had occurred. Of course, the world loved drama and she would face some heat, but she wouldn’t be alone. Her boyfriend had her back, and so did her band.
“I’ve got everything covered for the next two weeks. Enjoy your vacation,” Reese said to Link.
Link’s eyes met hers, and a giant grin split his face. “I will.”
He’d join her on the road for a couple of weeks, and she’d fly to him when she had more than a day off. They’d make this work long distance for the tour. And then the band had agreed to buy Shattered Cove Records. They’d stay here to record their next album and make this their studio. A part of her felt guilty asking them to relocate back to Shattered Cove for a portion of the year. Had they just agreed because they thought she was so fragile after what happened? She had a long way to go to make up for how much her choices had affected them too.
Her phone rang in her pocket. She pulled it out. Auntie Yaa’s name flashed before she answered. “Hello, Auntie.”
“E te sen?” she asked in Twi. How are you?
“E ye,” she answered. I’m good. “How are you?”
“I am very well.” Her Ghanaian accent reminded her so much of Solomon. A twinge of longing and sadness crept over Emma.
“Are you on the road yet?” Yaa asked.
“Almost. Just saying goodbye to our friends.”
“Okay, I won’t keep you. Just wanted to wish you safe travels. You and Link have to come here for a visit when things slow down. I’ll show you where my brother and I grew up. You can meet some of our other family,” her aunt offered.
“That would be amazing, Auntie.” Emma smiled. She’d love nothing more.
