Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Her words cut me to the core. “What? There is no fuckin’ way in this world you’re leaving me over cock. No fuckin’ way!”
“I hoped tonight would be different. I hoped you would give me a reason to stay.” She lets out a sob. “I don’t know if or when I’ll be back. It’s not fair for you to wait for me. Go on with your life. Find a woman that you can give it all to.”
Her last sentence is a death blow.
“A woman I can give it all to? Emmalee, I want you to be my wife. Except I can’t drop to a knee and propose. I want you to have my babies, except, what kind of dad would I be when I can’t teach them to ride a bike. I want to watch you reach your dreams, but I can’t stand on two legs beside you when you do.”
“We all want things, Wesson. I wanted this night to be the night I had it all with you. It didn’t work out. I’ll still have the best memories of our times together. You’ll always be my love, but I can’t do this. I need to get out of Haywood’s Landing and see the world. I was never meant to be here. It wasn’t part of my plan. I thought we could do this, but tonight, like many other nights, we can’t.”
“You can’t mean this.”
“I can and I do. If you love me, you will let me go,” she whispers pushing my arm off of her and moving away from me in the bed. “If you love me like you say you do, you will understand, I have reached the point in my life where I need more than you can give me. We both see that. I need to leave here and find where I belong and who I belong with in the world.”
I don’t say another word. Where did this shit come from? This is about more than sex. She’s been happy and comfortable with me. Where did it all fall apart? I lay in silence beside her listening to her cry.
An hour passes and she finally stops the shuddering tears. “Emmalee, why are you doing this?” I whisper to the dark. “Why are you destroying what we have?”
“I don’t want you to worry. I can’t have you follow me. This has to be how it is. I need to do this.”
“Baby girl,” I turn over once again and pull her to me, this time she rolls and faces me. “Whatever is going on, whatever you’re running from, talk to me.”
“I can’t,” she whispers.
“Please, don’t shut me out. I know you want a life with me as much as I want one with you. Why now do you want to leave it all?”
“I can’t,” she repeats.
“You can’t or won’t?” I toss her own words back at her.
“Like you, I won’t. I have to leave tomorrow Wesson. “And you have to let me go. You can’t come after me, you can’t reach out to me. I need to go experience the world and life without you.”
There is definitely something here and I don’t know what it is. What is she keeping from me?
“Give me this, please.”
Without any answer to hold her here I nod as I tuck her body against mine. Sometimes in battle, a retreat is necessary to regroup. For now, I’ll give her the play. Let her go, though, not in a million fucking years will I let it be for good. I’m going to get to the bottom of this. And then, she’s going to be right back here, in my bed, in my arms.
I went to sleep with her against me tight in my arms and woke up to emptiness. From my arms to my bed, to the house, Emmalee Van Etten was gone.
Waiting is a challenge. Especially when I don’t know where I stand with her. Will she come back to me? Am I waiting for nothing?
The hard line in my face can’t be clear enough where I stand on Kick being involved. “I think they’ve been through enough. Emmalee wants this play. I’m giving it to her. I won’t put Kick in a place to lie to Diem. I won’t fuck with their relationship by asking that of him. I also won’t break Emmalee’s relationship with Diem.”
“You realize,” Tripp leans forward looking at me, “this is gonna cut your brother to the quick he finds out you kept this shit locked up from him.”
“I do, but Emmalee didn’t want me involved. She didn’t want the Hellions in this, and she damn sure wants Diem nowhere near it. I bring in Kick, Diem is involved. Emmalee will never forgive me for that. My brother will understand once the dust settles.”
“Then,” Tripp starts, “how do you want to play it?”