“Yes. Breakfast is ready. Go sit down.”
“Have I told you how much I love you?”
“Nah. You only love me for my mad cooking skills.”
“Maybe, but I also love you for your mad fucking skills.” He smirked.
“Get your ass to the table, you dirty-talking man.” I slapped his ass with the spatula.
“Make sure you bring that to bed tonight.” He pointed at me with a grin on his face.
****
The pit of my stomach was twisted in knots as I pulled into the cemetery. Making a left on the first turn, I saw Adam’s car parked at the curb. I pulled behind him and took in a long, deep breath as I got out of the car. Feeling sick to my stomach, I leaned against the car for a moment to collect myself. I could see Adam straight ahead, kneeling on the ground. Slowly walking over to him, I stared at the headstones that displayed my sister’s and parents’ names.
“Hey,” I spoke as I placed my hand on my brother’s shoulder.
He turned and looked at me, squinting his eyes as the warm sun beat down on us.
“Hey. Thanks for coming.”
I knelt down beside him. “The headstones are beautiful.”
“Yeah, they are. When did you get back?” he asked without looking at me.
“Yesterday.”
“Are you staying?”
“Yeah. I’m staying.”
“So you and Alex are a thing now?”
“Yes. We’re dating and living together. Is that okay?”
He glanced over at me. “Are you happy?”
“Yeah. I love him, Adam.”
“Then it’s okay.” He reached over, grabbed my hand, and gave me a small smile.
“Listen, I’m so sorry for everything. You’re my brother and all the family I have left and I really screwed us up over the past eight years.”
“I understand now why you left, Em. But I was here to help you get through it.”
I looked down at the ground and pulled a weed. “I didn’t want help, Adam. I just wanted to escape the reality of what happened. It was a nightmare that I couldn’t wake up from and the only sense of peace I could find was to try and live the dream Emily and I had. You were right all along; I was running. Running away from the accident, the deaths, and my home. But I’m home now and this is where I’m staying.”
He hooked his arm around me and pulled me into him. Laying my head on his shoulder, I smiled.
“I’m happy you’re back, sis. I want our relationship back.”
“I will spend the next eight years making it up to you.”
“Only eight?” He laughed.
“Yeah. I was only gone for eight, so why would I take any more time than that?”
He sighed. “Sometimes I wonder how Alex puts up with you and that mouth.”
“Between me and you, he loves it when I give him attitude. It turns him on.”
“Okay. That’s enough. I don’t need to be hearing things like that about my friend and my sister.”
I laughed as I lifted my head and looked at him. Kissing his cheek, I spoke, “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For making me come back and stay with Alex. If it wasn’t for you, we never would have met and I wouldn’t have fallen in love with him.”
“You’re welcome. It’s still strange to me, though. Of all people, Alex Parker was the one I wasn’t worried about. In fact, the only thing that worried me was that he’d kick you out on your ass before I got back.”
“Thanks!” I laughed.
He shrugged. “It’s the truth.”
“It’s pretty here. Have you been keeping the grave sites up?”
“Yep. I come every Sunday and tend to things.”
I looked at the headstones once again and then got up and ran my finger along them.
“They’re always with us, you know,” I spoke.
“Yeah. I know. That night after our argument, I came home, opened a beer, and sat down on the couch. When I turned the TV on, it shut off and the picture I had on the wall behind the couch fell down. Scared the shit out of me. When I got up and picked it up, the room suddenly got really cold. I threw my hands up and said I was sorry for being such an asshole. The TV turned on by itself after that. I knew it was Emily or the parents yelling at me for the way I talked to you.”
“Probably.” I walked over to him as he stood up and wrapped my arms around him. Suddenly, I felt raindrops hit my skin.
“They weren’t calling for rain today,” Adam spoke as he broke our embrace and held his hands up.
“No, they weren’t. But it can rain all it wants.” I smiled.
Chapter 38
Emerson
Six Weeks Later
Life was wonderful. Alex and I were wonderful. In fact, we were perfect. Was that possible? Yes. With me and Alex, it was. I was out and about running some errands and thinking about him, missing him, and craving his kisses. Looking at my watch, I decided to pick up lunch, bring it to his office, and surprise him. After picking up some salads, I headed to his building. As the elevator doors opened, I stepped out and headed to his office. Apparently, his secretary, Olivia, must have been at lunch because she wasn’t at her desk. When I reached his office, I noticed the door was slightly open. As I was about ready to lightly knock, I saw him through the crack of the open door. My eyes widened and my stomach fell sick with what I saw. He was locked in an embrace with Bella. The two of them, alone in his office, hugging, and not a quick hug, but a long embrace. My heart started pounding out of my chest and it was hard to breathe. I went to the stairwell and, like a mad woman, flew down thirty flights of stairs. Making it to the lobby, I ran out the front doors of the building and down the street to where I had parked my car. Once I was inside, uncontrollable tears streamed down my face. When I finally calmed down as much as I could, I drove home. My mind was a train wreck and I needed to get a grip on myself.
When I arrived home, Jenna was in the kitchen. She could tell something was wrong the minute she turned and looked at me.
“Are you okay? What happened?”
Did I tell her? We had become very close since I moved back and she trusted me with things that she had never told anyone before. I needed to talk to someone, so I took a seat at the island.
“I went to Alex’s office to bring him lunch and I found him in there in a tight embrace with Bella.”
“WHAT?!” she exclaimed.
I wiped my eyes as the tears started to fall again.
“Did he see you?”
I shook my head. “No. The door was only open a crack.”
“Emerson.” She took hold of my hands. “There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation. There has to be. Alex would never do that to you. He loves you so much. I have never seen him so happy.”
“I don’t know anymore.”
Parker was whining at me.
“Okay, stop right there. You’re jumping to conclusions. Once you ask him about it, he’ll tell you and everything will be all right.”
“I’m not going to ask him about it. I’m going to wait and see if he tells me. If he doesn’t, that’s when the real trouble will start.”
“You’re overreacting. He’ll tell you. He would never keep anything from you.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. I’m going to go upstairs and lie down for a while before meeting Adam and his girlfriend at the club.”
“Can I get you anything?”
“Thanks, but no.” I got up from the stool, picked up Parker, and went upstairs.
I opened my eyes when I heard the bedroom door open and Alex walked in.
“Hi, sweetheart. Are you okay?” He sat on the edge of the bed and began to rub my back.
“Just a little tired.”
Parker went crazy and was jumping at him. He kissed my head, got up and started changing out of his suit.
“How was your day?” I bravely asked.
“Shit. Total shit.”
I could tell something was bothering him.
“Why? What happened?” This was his opportunity to tell me.
“Just everything that could go wrong did. Nothing for you to worry about.”
Nothing for me to worry about? Was he serious? Was he not going to tell me? Strike one.
“Are you sure you feel well enough to go to the opening of the club?”