“You want to continue our conversation?” He pushes on, regardless of my “go away” posture. Lays his hand casually on my bent knee, propping it up at the wrist and rests quite happily there.
“What conversation?” I ask, genuinely confused but stay concealed under my arm, my gut churning like I may not like this.
“You don’t remember?” The surprise in his voice makes me a little wary. I shake my head and the color rises in my cheeks; Jake never presses for no reason.
What the hell did I say to him last night?
“I put you to bed.”
Well, that explains why my cell was off.
He turns his off every night, whereas I normally don’t. Just in case I’m needed.
“Thanks.” I mumble. I want to ask him what I said, but I don’t, because I’m scared. I’m scared I might actually have told him something I didn’t want him to know.
“You talked about your father.” He says matter of factly.
Crap. Like that.
The anger rises in me unexpectedly and it’s too quick to grind back down.
“He’s not my father! … He’s just a donor to my existence, and nothing more.” I snap, jumping to my feet, his hand falling to the couch, surprising him. The heat rises in my chest; teen Emma’s anger renewed with a fury and I’m pissed at myself for her appearance once again. I angrily storm to the kitchenette, I need water and a second to calm down.
And a boss who stops bloody well digging into stuff that has nothing to do with him.
“And Ray?” The question is so precise and unimposing yet has a devastating effect on me. Stomach lurching to my throat, I falter and drop my water bottle hard on my foot, giving out a shocked yell and jump back as pain sears through my toes.
“Are you okay?” He leans around, looking at me. His eyes steady on me as I scramble back but my head reels as I bend down to retrieve the Evian bottle and try to take a deep breath through instant dizziness.
Control Emma … Control.
up slowly, and more deliberately, letting it
does he know
“Fine.” I answer stiffly.
about this.” He watches me intensely, a no-nonsense
of my water, it almost chokes me going down. I want to know what I told him about Ray, about my father but I also don’t want to know, don’t want to talk about this. I feel sick, maybe I should tell him I need to throw up and lock myself in my room for an hour, make him leave me alone.
so hurt, it hurts me too and knocks me sideways in
to him, flashing anger. Incensed at the
could he
have to trust him, I do trust
the first time I’ve admitted to myself that I actually do, and it startles me a little to really let it sink
Jake! I trust a man! When did that happen? How
Carrero … my
still steady on me. I shake my head and turn away because I can’t look at him while
certain things don’t need to be brought up …
about it only makes it linger. Brings it to the forefront of my mind, where it has no place to
don’t need to talk about this.” I huff,
for stubborn clients. He grabs my upper arm gently and pulls me to face
said he beat you and tried to
that I even let that much out in my drunken
don’t want him to know about this. What
like some sad little victim, incapable of taking
would I
by my reaction and lets me go
this; he has no right. I can’t get upset and let him see weak Emma, she doesn’t exist anymore; I’ve no will to let her come back
you’re my friend.” He follows me, and the anger writhes inside of me once more. Teen Emma raising her ugly head and losing control like she always
nothing!” I snap a little too
Shit …
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!