Embracing Emma (Companion to Brisé) (18 page)

“Jacobs, we going tonight?” I shake my head at him. Boy doesn’t catch a clue.

“Not me. Have fun.”

“Come on.” He follows me into my room.

“Make yourself at home.” I don’t hide my sarcasm. I watch him look at the pictures of Emma and me.

“This your girl?”

“Yep,” I can’t help the pride that gives me.

“She’s gorgeous.” I level him with a glare. “Hey, not interested. Just stating a fact.”

“Keep it to yourself, Samuels.” Blake Samuels is a good guy until he discusses my girl’s looks.

He laughs at my possessiveness. Emma would have my balls in a sling if I pulled that shit with her. “One game of pool. I’ll break you in nice and easy.” He’s still begging me to go with him.

I sigh. “One game.”

“Deal.” I follow him out, and we walk off campus to the strip center next door. Neither of us drink, I’m underage, and we’re both in training. Sitting back at a table waiting for our turn to play pool, the twenty questions begin. “How you doing, fresh meat?”

“Good. I love playing, but I miss home.”

“I’m glad we have you, but how’d you end up here and not a bigger school?”

“Long story.” I don’t want to get into it. Picking up a fry and shoving it in my mouth, I hope he drops it.

“I’m all ears.”

“I got into a fight with some teammates at Championship Game. University pulled its interest.”

“Shit man. That’s not like you. Did you get your temper under control?”

“Nah, I don’t have a temper. Just pushed to that point.”

“Spill it.”

“This isn’t happy hour. You’re worse than a girl for gossip.”

He doesn’t quip back but stares me down. I flag the waitress for a refill, glance at the pool tables, basically avoiding this conversation as long as I can. I settle back, and brace myself for the judgment that’s come all my life. “I’m from a small town four hours north. Outside of Atlanta. I was adopted.” I look at him. Story time over.

“Hell no man, that doesn’t explain shit.”

“Outsiders don’t fit in, with my heritage and my parents, it was rough.” I don’t know how to ease into this. I’m not ashamed; it’s just a fact that a lot of people judge. “My parents, my dads, are gay. They adopted me from Honduras when I was almost three. On top of my heritage, I didn’t speak English, having homosexual dads . . . it didn’t bode well with most kids my age. Seth and Brian led the lynch mob, and I tried to avoid it, ignore it, whatever I could to evade it. They said their bullshit; I didn’t believe it or listen. My parents, color of my skin, my minority status . . . it was never ending. My girlfriend hates that shit and harped on me when I didn’t defend myself. It came to a head, and I laid Brian out.”

“Hell yeah. Those guys are some serious assholes.” He fist bumps me and seems to let it all go. Surprising. “One question.” I knew it was too good to be true. I nod, letting him know he can ask it. “Why didn’t you defend your parents and yourself all those years? You don’t believe that shit, do you?”

“No
,
I don’t believe it. At first
,
I was a scrawny kid, no idea of the prestigious family I was being thrust into. My girl lives across the street, and her parents were like the golden children growing up. She’s scrappy, so I was busy defending her to them. I got my ass handed to me a few times. As I got older and understood what they were saying, I didn’t defend my parents because I don’t feel they are doing anything wrong. I wasn’t harmed in any way. Hell, they did me a favor. Adopting me from a shitty situation, giving me everything growing up. They gave me a chance.”

“I get it. But there comes a time you have to take a stand.”

“Yeah, but at what cost? They are ruthless. The shit they do in that town is deep. They don’t have rules about who gets hurt. I defend my parents, fight for principle, and it draws attention. Attention they don’t like. I’m doing what I have to do to ensure the safety of those I love. Beating the shit out of them isn’t going to change their minds. They believe the ignorance they spew. Enough people look at me like I have the plague, so it’s best to draw less attention.”

He sips his drink, eyes narrowed. “That’s why you’re here?” He poses it as a question, but I’m pretty sure he knows the answer.

“Yeah. That’s why I’m here. Plus, I get to play ball. Not all bad.” I laugh. “Seriously
,
though. They’ve backed off since I signed, and I’m hoping it stays that way.”

“Jacobs, you’re a bigger man than me. I get your reasons, not saying I’d be able to do the same thing. I got your back if you need anything.”

“It’s all good.” We missed our chance to play pool, so we shoot the shit a bit and head back to the dorms.

I’m finally heading home. Ten days got cut to six with football and training, Ems was upset, but I reassured her I’d make it up to her. Begging and pleading, I got permission to take her away for two nights. Going back to Tybee Island, alone this time, is a surprise to her because I was sure Luke would flip his shit and deny me. I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth and don’t care how the hell my parents and Phoebe managed it. Granted, Ems will be eighteen in a few months, but she’s still in high school.

I text her that I’m running late when in truth I’m five minutes from her house. Her damn sad face emoji comes through, but she’ll be distracted enough I can sneak in and surprise her. I stop a few houses down and walk through the side yard to sneak in the back door. Phoebe and Luke are at the table smiling. Well, Phoebe is smiling, Luke is glaring. I nod my head at him and sneak into the living room where I know she is. I put my hands over her eyes, and she squeals. I may have permanent damage to my hearing from that, but I’ll deal. “Liar,” she giggles at the same time, launching herself at me.

“Go pack a bag.” I kiss her.

“What?”

“You. Me. Tybee Island. Two nights.” She looks over my shoulder and puts her fingers over her lips hushing me.

“My dad will freak if he hears this,” she whispers. I lean close to her.

“Your dad approved this,” I whisper back. Her mouth falls open, and her eyes round like saucers.

“What the heck?”

“Go.Pack.A.Bag.”

She flips me off as she heads to her room, and I head back to the kitchen to face the firing squad. “Thank you both.”

“One hair on her head is harmed, I’m killing you. It will ruin years of a great friendship between your parents and us, but that’s a sacrifice I’ll make.”

“Lucas Nichols,” Phoebe swats him, “we know you’ll take care of Emma. We trust you.” She’s saying the words to Lucas more than me, but I won’t rock the boat.

“I understand, sir. I hope you know you never have to worry about her when she’s with me.”

“Why do you think she’s going?” He’s a fair man. A good man, but Ems is his baby. I know he’s giving me his trust, I just hope he knows I’m grateful for it.

“Ready.” Ems kisses them bye and pulls me, rushing our escape. “Holy shit, I thought my dad was going to kill you,” she says as she slams the door to the truck.

“He will if he finds your birth control pills. You rushed to pack, sure you have everything?” She packed in record time. “I haven’t seen my parents.” I kiss her and start the truck.

“That’s gonna have to wait until we get home. I’ll make them a cake or something, but I’m afraid the longer we stay here the better chance my dad will come to his senses and banish me to the tower, never to be seen again.”

“We don’t want that, princess.”

“No, we don’t.”

“Hit anything else with your car?” I’m kidding.

“Your dad’s truck, my mom’s lawn chair, my dad’s golf cart, and Ms. Graham’s station wagon.” Ms. Graham is the principal at our high school.

“I was just kidding. Don’t ever ask to drive my truck.”

“I don’t need to. I have my own.”

“I can’t believe your parents still let you drive.”

“They don’t,” she laughs. “Dad has been driving me everywhere for the last month.”

“You’ve made it hell on him.”

“Of course. I mean I’ve had a mall trip at least four times a week. Then to the store to buy tampons, which I didn’t need. Then there was the night he got comfy in his chair and I just had to have ice cream…from Stubby’s.” Stubby’s is the best damn ice cream parlor, and it is three towns over.

“You are cruel.”

“I bet I have my car back in a few weeks.”

“Lord help us all.”

Our time flew by. It is time to head back this afternoon. We’re fishing off the dock, enjoying our last few hours together.

“How’s school?”

“Good. One more year and off to college.”

“Still thinking of Georgia?”

She shrugs. “You’re not there, so I don’t see the point.” My heart rate accelerates. She’s being evasive, and that’s never a good thing with her.

“So where?”

“There are great schools in Washington for my major, but I don’t want to be that far from you or Nana.” Shit. I didn’t think of this possibility when I signed with Southern.

“Go where you want, Ems. We’ll be fine,” I swallow my fear. I know we will survive but that’s a hell of a lot of miles. Hell, we’ve seen each other three times in almost a year, and only four hours separate us. We can do this; our future is carved in stone. How we get there isn’t the important part, but I’ll feel helpless if she needs me, and I can’t get in my truck and reach her. She is strong, has a bright career in front of her. I’ll be left, discarded again. The back and forth conflict in my head echoes in my heart. Fear, pride, disappointment, all wage war inside of me. What kind of man am I if I don’t give her my support?

“Talk to me. Wasn’t it you who told me that communication is important?”

“I’m scared. Not for us, but for me. I don’t doubt us, baby. I just can’t imagine not being able to get to you if you need me. Or if I need you. It’s a lot, Ems. I didn’t know you were thinking of a different school.”

“I wasn’t. I applied to several, but this one is ranked third for my degree. They have a Masters program there. I don’t know. I’ll end up at Georgia, so I don’t know why I brought it up.”

“What do you want to do?” I need the truth from her.

“Part of me wants to go. Explore. Spread my wings.”

I’m choking. “What does the other part say?”

“Nana,” she swipes the tears frustrating her, “you. I don’t want to be there and you here.”

“You’re not telling me something.” Her tears clue me into her thwarting.

“I don’t like to think about it, but if Nana isn’t here, what’s keeping me?”

Damn. “Did something happen?”

“Nothing new. Her body is strong, her mind is the same. No change.” Except there is. Three months ago Emma could handle the peaks and valleys. Now it’s becoming too much for her, and she wants to escape. She’s a runner—from life, from reality, from admitting she’s human.

“Ems, she’d want you to live your life. If you want distance from the situation, take it. She won’t be upset.”

“Because she won’t fucking know, Will.”

“Right now she won’t. One day she will, and it will be fine. Follow your heart.”

“Then I guess I should apply to Southern.” She smirks. That wouldn’t be bad.