Page 60 of For Emery

I sucked in a sharp breath.

“Now I’ll ask you again. What do you want?”

“I want you,” I blurted, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. I clasped my mouth with my hand. Shit.

His head whipped back. “What?”

I hated my lack of control with him around. I dropped my hand. “You heard me,” I grumbled like a sullen child.

“Jesus, Em.”

“It’s not like you didn’t know.”

“Of course I didn’t know. I mean, I knew you were crushing on me as a kid, but…”

“But what?”

He shrugged, and for the first time ever, he was at a loss for words.

“Is it that hard to envision?”

“What? No.” He moved closer, cupping my cheeks with his hands as he looked intensely at me. “You’re the most beautiful girl I know. I just…”

My gaze dropped from his. This wasn’t how I wanted all this to play out. My emotions were just so out of whack after what happened to my mom, my lack of sleep, and him showing up. “Just forget I said anything.”

“Forget it?”

“Emery?” my mother called softly from the bed.

I flew out of Jordan’s grasp and made my way into the chair beside my mom. “I’m right here, Mama.” I grasped her frail hand. “How are you doing? Can I get you something? Should I get the doctor?”

“Slow down,” she said.

“I’ll get the doc,” Jordan said as he moved to the door and disappeared in the hallway.

“Have they caught Wayne?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Not that I’ve heard.”

She closed her swollen eyes, and I could see the pain of what she’d endured. “There was knocking on the door. I should’ve known better than to open it without looking.”

“Mom, it’s not your fault. He’s a sick man.”

“When I saw him standing there, I knew it was over. I knew he was going to kill me.”

Tears pooled in my eyes. “Mama, save your energy. It’s not good to think about it. You survived.”

“I just need you to know. I just need you to be aware. He could come for you. And the thought is destroying me.” Tears fell freely from her eyes and streamed down her swollen cheeks.

I cupped her hand in both of mine. “I’ll be fine.”

“I won’t let anything happen to her,” Jordan assured my mom from the doorway.

“Thank you,” she said to him.

“The doctor’s on his way,” Jordan said.

I was too embarrassed to look over my shoulder at him, though I wondered how much of our conversation he’d heard. “I think the swelling’s going down a little.”

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