“You are no match for him. You have to end this, Ryder, it’s the only way Emily will be safe, and…”
“Save your breath. I’m not leaving her!” I close the door before she can say any more. I try to keep her words out of my head the entire way back to my bike, but can’t. You are risking Emily’s safety as well. What the hell does that mean? Em said her parents have never laid a hand on her and I know she wouldn’t lie to me.
I quickly snap out of my thoughts when I reach my bike that I parked a ways down from her property, to see a sleek, black car parked next to it. Well fuck! I guess it was only a matter of time, but I did not want to deal with it this morning, though I’m glad Emily isn’t here and has to deal with it.
As I get closer, the driver of the car gets out and opens the back door because the asshole in the back thinks he’s too good to do it himself. Low and behold none other than Governor Michaels steps out. I’ve only seen him a few times, but even if I hadn’t there is no denying this man is Emily’s father. He has the same light brown hair as she does, and identical ice blue eyes, only where they look innocent on Em they look manipulative on him.
I don’t falter my step and continue to my bike, not wanting him to think he intimidates me, because he doesn’t.
“Mr. Jameson, we finally meet.”
Ignoring his greeting, I straddle my bike and hold my helmet on my lap before turning to him. I’m surprised when he walks up and offers me his hand. I stare at it for a long second then accept it. For two reasons: one – I want to know what his deal is, and two – he is Emily’s father after all, no matter how much I hate him.
“Governor,” I greet civilly.
He backs up and I hold his stare, waiting for him to say whatever he needs to say. “I’ve learned an awful lot about you the last few weeks, Mr. Jameson.”
Weeks? I grunt, of course he has, I’ll bet even that prick Prescott knew before yesterday.
“I have to admit, I am surprised how long you and Emily have been able to hide this little farce of yours from me. I never knew my daughter had it in her, maybe she’s more like me than I thought.”
I glare at him, all civility gone now. “She’s nothing like you.” I don’t know him well, but I do know he’s your typical politician – lying and manipulative. Emily doesn’t have a calculating bone in her body.
He smirks. “Are you trying to tell me I don’t know my daughter, Mr. Jameson? Do you think because you have known her for exactly three months that you know her better than me? Although, if you have been sleeping at my house, in her bed, then I guess you do know her better than I do.”
I clench my jaw and have to restrain myself from knocking him the fuck out. “It’s not like that,” I grind out.
“No?”
“No, it’s not. Emily and I care about each other, and I’m not going to let anyone – including you – keep us apart.”
He rubs at his jaw. “Well that just goes to show how little you know about me.” I hold his stare, showing him I’m not going to back down. “But like I said, I have gotten to know you quite well. I know where you come from, or rather who. Your parents are quite the, how should I say this?”
“White trash?” I offer, not having a problem admitting it.
He looks a little surprised. “Well sure, if that’s the term you want to use, that would work.”
“It does work because it’s the truth. It’s too bad we can’t pick our parents, isn’t it? I’m sure if many of us could, we would.”
He smirks, not missing the intention of my words. “Come on now, Mr. Jameson, you don’t really believe Emily would give all this up if she could, do you? Especially to be with someone who could never give her any of it.”
“Yeah, I do, but that goes to show how much you know about your daughter. She doesn’t give a shit about any of this.”
“Think logically about this. She is a sheltered, blind girl, and you’re the first guy to ever show her any attention, of course she is going to think she cares about you.” I keep silent and try not to let his words get to me. He releases an exaggerated breath and shakes his head. “I have to admit, I’m a little surprised to know how warped your view is of my daughter, but women… they sure can mess with our judgment, especially when they are spreading their legs for us.”
“You shut the fuck up,” I seethe, barely hanging on to my control. “I swear to fucking God, I don’t care who you are, if you disrespect Emily I will knock you out!”
He smirks, knowing he’s got to me, which pisses me off more. He reaches in his pocket and pulls out a white, folded piece of paper before handing it to me. I rip it from him, curious to know what it is. Opening it, I see it’s a check for a hundred thousand dollars.
I look up at him, wondering if he’s serious. “You have got to be kidding me. You fucking think you can pay me off?”
“I’m being kind enough to give you an out, Mr. Jameson. Use the brains that you did to score that full academic scholarship, and take the money to Florida with you. There is plenty there for you to live off of. The other option isn’t going to be so generous.”
I grind my teeth at his threat. “Yeah, and what option is that?”
“Believe me, son, you don’t want to find out, but I will tell you that more than your future will be at stake. I’m a very powerful man, Mr. Jameson. I would really hate to have to use that power on innocent people. Like, let’s say your friend Hector.” I falter in surprise. “He has worked so hard to build his business. Imagine if it were taken away from him, how would he be able to support his family? Especially his sick wife.”
A dangerous violence rushes through my veins, but more than that I feel fucking helpless. I consider my options, wondering what I can do.
“If you care about my daughter as much as you say you do, then leave her alone. You have nothing to offer her. You will never be able to give her what she already has. Do everyone a favor and leave, or else Hector will be first, and losing his business will be the least of his worries.” With that last threat he gets in the car and the driver pulls away.
I sit stunned for a second before my rage breaks loose. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” I throw my helmet against the tree in front of me, smashing it.
I drop my head into my hands, gripping my hair tightly, hoping the sting will calm some of the rage coursing through me. I sit, feeling helpless, and think about Hector. I think about everything he has done for me, I think about his kids, his wife who has cancer and needs chemo treatments. Then Rosa’s words replay in my head: You have to end this, Ryder, it’s the only way Emily will be safe.
I look down to see the check still in my hand and rip it up into a million pieces. Starting my bike up, I take off, knowing what I have to do. The entire ride to school my chest pulls so fucking tight that I can’t take in a breath, and I wonder if I will ever be able to fully breathe again.
Emily
I pull at the long strands of dry grass as I sit, leaning against the small wishing well that I love so much, and wait for the sound of a motorcycle to approach. My fingers run through Summer’s soft fur while her head rests on my lap. I listen to the water rush from the creek, just a short distance away, and the sound of crickets become more pronounced, telling me that night is wearing on.
“Come on, Ryder, where are you?”
The more time that passes, the more my anxiety increases. I haven’t seen or heard from him since he left my house yesterday morning, which is not like him. I figured he never came to trigonometry because he was too tired, but he hasn’t been to school at all and he hasn’t returned my messages. I’m praying he’s okay and his father hasn’t hurt him for not coming home the other night. After what Cece has told me about his parents, and Ryder being so upset the night he came to me, I have been worried that’s the case.
But wouldn’t he have at least answered my messages? I left him another message after school today, telling him to meet me here. We have met at this spot a few times before, late at night after he’s finished work. It’s a far enough distance from the main house that my parents wouldn’t know any better, especially because they are always so caught up in themselves.