Page 10 of Cold Hearted Baren

We untangle. “You're sure you don’t want me to drop you off?” He asks, grabbing my hand as he walks me towards the door.

“No, I'll be fine. See you soon!” With one last lingering glance and a squeeze of his hand, I turn and head out the door, my heart still beating wildly from the intimate moment we just shared.

***

My exam went surprisingly smoothly, and I leave the lecture hall feeling a mix of confidence and relief, glad to finally be done with my studies and ready to find my own path in the world. I am in such a good mood and know I still have a few hours before David could even think about leaving the office, so I decide to stop by my apartment and check on Emily, and maybe grab a few more things to take back to David’s.

I have to admit, I was pissed at Emily after the arrest, but she came through on getting me out of jail with minimal issues. I’ve been neglecting her the past few days and I think it will be good for us to catch up.

“Oh my God, Tara!” Emily squeals and jumps into my arms the moment I walk into our apartment. I laugh, wrapping my arms around her. “I’ve missed you so much… and… I wanted to apologize for the other day, that was all my fault…” she murmurs in a muffled voice.

“I've forgiven you, Ems, you got me out, no harm no foul” I cut in, smiling at her. “It's all in the past.”

“Good,” she stays stepping back before lightly slapping me on the arm before yelling, “Now where the hell have you been! You’ve barely been responding to my texts; I was getting worried you were being held hostage or something.”

"I'm sorry," I say with a soft sigh. "It's just… I felt overwhelmed having to deal with the finals and my dad's anniversary. I just needed some time to myself. It had nothing to do with the arrest or you."

Emily places a hand on a chest and lets out a huge sigh. “You don't know how relieved I am to hear that,” she says then pouts playfully. “I was so scared. I thought you were breaking up with me.”

“You're so dramatic,” I say, shaking my head at her.

“So, where have you been staying?” Emily asks with a curious frown.

“At a family friend's house,” I reply ambiguously, unsure if I want to talk about my relationship with David yet.

“Are you back for good?” Emily asks then glances down at my hand. “I don't see your overnight bag with you.”

"Yeah, David…"

“David…” She drawls, wiggling her brows playfully. “Is your family friend perhaps a handsome, young man with abs to die for?”

My face explodes with heat even as I laugh. “Ems!”

“My God! You're blushing!” Emily gasps, her eyes growing wide with shock. “Does that mean I'm right? You like him, don't you?”

“Maybe I do…” I reply, pressing my lips together to hide a silly grin.

“This is big, Tara!” Emily exclaims with an excited smile. “It's the first time you're talking about liking a boy. Oh, you must tell me all about him! Is he someone I know? Does he go to our school? Is he…”

“Slow down with the questions, Ems,” I say, laughing. “To answer your question; he's not some college guy but he's someone you might know.”

“Really?” Emily asks eagerly then huffs impatiently. “Tell me already!”

“David Armitage,” I reply, watching her face closely to see her reaction.

Emily’s face lights up, she loves MicroBot and everything they have been doing to clean up our world. David is basically a god to her.

“Oh my God, T! An older man… wow. It’s not weird that he was best friends with your dad?” She asks. I know she doesn’t mean any harm by the question, so I answer her honestly.

“No… it’s actually been nice to connect with someone who knew him well. It makes me feel less alone, especially around this time of year.”

“Good. I think that’s good for you, I know you’re so used to carrying this grief by yourself. Just… be careful with him. I don’t want you to get hurt by someone so much older than you,” she says gently.

I nod, taking her warning to heart. I have a gut feeling that David would never hurt me, just based on the way that he looks at me, the way he has been holding me the last few days. But, I know that could all change on a whim, and I wouldn’t want my first love to end in a heartbreak so devastating I could never move on again.

I head to my room, pack up some extra clothes and toiletries, and leave Emily with a parting hug as my mind races around my relationship (is that what this is?) with David. The entire cab ride back to David’s house, I think about us and what we can be. I need to be honest with him, about how I want him in my life forever.

Chapter Eight

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