Always (Bold as Love) (19 page)

35

Emily

I head over to Dad's early, so I can talk to him. He's in the kitchen when I arrive, sitting at the table reading a newspaper.

“Hey, Daddy.”

“
Hey, honey. I didn't think you were going to be here until later. How's the ankle?”

“
Good. I wanted to talk to you though.”

“
Everything okay?”

“
Yeah.” I sit at the table just as he folds the newspaper to give me his full attention. “We're going to start packing my things today because we're leaving next week.” I watch carefully, but he doesn't give anything away.

“
Next week, huh?” he asks as he raises his eyebrows.

“
Yep. We need to get up there before school starts so we can get settled in and signed up. All that good stuff.”

“
Well, if y'all need any help, just let me know. What's Jake going to do about the house?”

“
It's officially up for sale.”

Dad nods. “Now, hon, don't take this the wrong way, but I've got to ask. I know you're engaged and you love Jake, but are you sure that you're ready to move with him? He'll be making enough money, I'm sure, to hire someone to help with Drake. Don't let that be your reason for moving with him.”

“I'm going to move to Chicago with him, Daddy. I want to move with him.”

“
Okay. Just making sure.” He stands and kisses the top of my head. “I've got to get ready.”

An hour later, my boys show up. Drake is in the other room helping Dad fix supper. Jake and I are in my room, packing things up. Well, Jake is more so than I am. I'm sitting on my bed and watching.

“You better be happy that I love you,” Jake says as he places picture frames from my wall into a box, smiling. “All I've been doing lately is cleaning up and packing. By myself.”

“
I told you I could help. It just might take longer. Plus, you going to be rewarded.”

He lifts his head, his eyes boring into me.”What kind of reward?”

“The good kind,” I smirk. “But,” I drag out, “I don't know when you'll get the reward. I might even change my mind.”

“
Oh, no, Sweetness.” He's across the room and sitting beside me in seconds. “You can't take it back now that you've promised it to me.”

“
I never promised anything, love.”

He pushes a lock of hair behind my ear and traces the pad of his thumb over my bottom lip. “Are you sure about that?”

I don't want to let him know that he's getting to me, so I tell him. “Shouldn't you get back to work? Losing reward points by the second.” When he stands to walk away, I smack him on the ass. He looks at me, completely shocked, and I can't help but fall over laughing. About ten minutes later, we hear Cherish arrive. Jake peeks into the hallway and then steps back in.

“
I saw her,” he whispers.

Giggling, I whisper back, “What do you think?”

He sticks his head back out and looks once more. “She's hot.”

I throw a pillow at him and he chuckles. “You're sick. Get back to work before I deduct more points.”

“Supper will be ready in ten minutes,” Dad calls from the kitchen.

“
Chop, chop, Jake,” I smile. “You've got ten minutes.”

I watch as he gets back to work and by the time dinner is ready, my walls are bare and it's time for us to have dinner with my soon to be stepmom. We've all fixed our plates and we're sitting at the table. This can't get too awkward, right? God, I hope not.

We're just biting into our steaks, it seems that is all my dad fixes anymore, when Cherish just has to open her mouth and say the wrong thing.

“
I know things weren't perfect with your mother and I hope that doesn't shadow how our relationship can be.”

Her eyes are full of nothing but pity. Dad told her everything. I know just by how she's looking at me with such sorrow and sympathy. Speechless, I glare at my father and if looks could kill, I'm sure both of them would be dead. I never expected him to tell
her
anything about that. It's none of her business and she damn sure didn't need to say anything to me about it. My chair falls backwards as I abruptly stand and grab my crutches.

“
Jake, take me home,” I say, still looking at my father.

“
Hon, don't.”

“
No, Dad, you don't. Jake.”

Jake stands and motions for Drake to do the same.

“Emily, you're overreacting,” Dad pleads.

“
No, I'm not. We're leaving now.”

“
Emily, I'm so sorry,” Cherish decides that she still needs to talk.

“
You can shut up,” I tell her. “I'll pick up my things before we leave.” I start my way out of the door, ignoring the fact that my dad is following me. “Jake, get me out of here.”

He leaves my side and I hear him talking to my dad behind me. These damn crutches are about to piss me off. I can't move as fast as my anger wants me to. I get in on the passenger side of my car and Drake gets in the backseat. A moment later, Jake is exiting the house. As soon as he's in the car and we're heading to his house, I let it out.

“I can't believe him! How could he just tell her those things? And her! How dare she think she can just say something like that to me! Not to mention she apparently thinks she's going to be my new mom. Who the hell does she think she is? Just because she's marrying my dad doesn't mean jack shit to me. I'm not even going to be in the same state for us to have a relationship! Seriously! Did you hear what she said? 'Things weren't perfect with your mother.' No shit!

“
How can he think that he can tell her that? How does that even pertain to their relationship? Anything that happened with my mom and me was after their divorce. It has absolutely no reason to come up in their conversation. What the fuck is wrong with him?”

We pull into Jake's driveway and Drake takes the keys to unlock the door. I slam my door shut and walk around the front of my car. I'm moving too fast and trip over myself, falling to the ground. I scream with frustration and throw both of my crutches away from me.

“Sweetness, are you okay?” Jake kneels beside me.

“
Just go away,” I plead softly, staring up at the sky as the fight leaves me.

“
Don't do that to me,” he commands in a hushed tone. “You are pissed at him, not me. C'mon and sit up so I can help you.”

I do as I'm told and he brings me into the standing position. Jake walks over to my tossed support and brings them back to me.

“Everything okay?” Drake asks from the porch.

“
Yeah, buddy. Come grab these for me, please, and put them in my room,” Jake says, holding up the crutches.

I keep my mouth closed as Drake takes them and runs back inside. He probably wants to play his video game before it's time for bed. Jake takes my hands and wraps them around his neck before he proceeds to pick me up and carry me inside.

“I think you've had enough of those things for one day, don't you?” He says more so to himself than to me.

I still don't answer. Jake lays me down on his bed and shuts the door on his way out. For some stupid reason, I'm sure, I cry silent tears. They keep building up and falling over, streaking down my face. Dad has called twenty times since we left and finally, I just turn my phone off. About thirty minutes pass before Jake returns with a glass of Dr. Pepper and two slices of pizza. Is this all we eat anymore? He hands them to me without a word and then leaves me again. By the time he comes back, I've finished my food and my drink and I've changed into my pajamas. It's a little after nine.

I'm facing the wall when he comes in and I close my eyes. Behind me, I can hear him undressing and then his bed creaks slightly from his weight. The lamp clicks off. Jake's arm falls over my waist and he gently drags me against his chest.

“
Feeling better?” his warm breath coats my neck.

“
No.” I was hoping my voice wouldn't deceive me, but it does as I choke back more tears.

“
Sweetness,” Jake begins tenderly. “I'm sure she had the best of intentions in mind.”

“
I don't care! She didn't need to know. He shouldn't have told her and she shouldn't have said anything in front of you or Drake. I feel betrayed.”

“
I know, Sweetness. You're going to have to talk to Mike about it before we leave.”

“
No, I don't want to talk to him. He should know better, Jake.”

“
We aren't leaving until you do, so get over it.” His tone is still kind. “He's already freaking out because you turned off your phone and won't answer his phone calls.”

“
You talked to him?”

“
Yep.”

“
Does he feel like an ass? He should.”

Jake snickers and kisses my neck. “Do you want to talk about it some more?”

“Not really.”

“
Then get some sleep, okay? There's always tomorrow. I love you. Always.”

“
I love you too.”

I try to sleep, I really do. But this crap with my father is bugging me. Since I can't run, I turn in Jake's arms and shake him awake. He was snoring softly and it turns into a snort when I wake him.

“What's the matter, Sweets?” he mumbles with his eyes still closed.

“
I can't sleep.”

Jake looks over his shoulder at his alarm clock. “It's three in the morning.”

“I know.”

“
C'mon, Sweetness. Just close your eyes and let's go back to bed.”

“
Jake,” I half whine. “I can't sleep. Wake up, please.”

His eyes peer out under hooded eyelids. “Did you want to talk about it or did you just want me to be awake too?”

“There's not much more to say other than it's still bothering me.”

“
That's because you need to talk to Mike and settle things.” He takes a deep breath. “Sweetness, if I had the chance to talk things through with my dad, I would. Believe me when I say that that is what you need to do.”

“
I'm sorry.”

“
Don't worry about it. Now can we go back to sleep?”

I hug him to me and that is exactly what we do.

Around noon, my father shows up, wanting to talk. We sit on Jake's porch steps and everything is awkward. Dad runs his hand over his face and then looks at me.

“Honey, I'm sorry. I never planned on telling her. That's not my story to tell, but somehow your mother kept coming up in conversation and the more I avoided it, the more she thought I still had feelings for Judy. I only told her so she wouldn't think that I did.”

“
That doesn't make me feel any better about it.” Sounds like Cherish has a bit of a jealously or insecurity issue.

Dad rests his hand on my knee and says, “I know, hon. I didn't know she was going to mention it to you either. Cherish wants us all to get along and that was her way of trying to ensure that.”

“Well, it was a shitty way. She didn't have to say anything about Mom.” I'm still mad and I want him to know that.