Page 60 of The Heir

“I understand how it is to miss your family. I ache for my parents. I am sorry if you’re feeling that.” He moved closer to me and touched my cheek softly, pulling my face into his hands, and I wanted to fall into him. We stood close to each other. He wrapped his arms around me and picked me up in a warm and electric-enriched embrace.

“I am sorry for your loss, Emma.”

“I’m okay—actually, even better—knowing you,” I said, nearly breathless in his hug. I prayed and wished and hoped that he would hold me forever and never let me go. “You—You make me happy. I like being around you.”

His hands moved from around me, one hand cupping the back of my head and the other on my waist. “I am so glad, Emma. I like being around you, too.” His eyes looked so sad, still, and I wanted to kiss them, kiss away the pain I saw there.

“Are you sure you are okay?” I asked, looking up at him.

He nodded, but the pain in his eyes was all too real.

“I am okay, just sad this evening; sorry, I do not mean to make you worry about me.”

I shook my head, “No, Shad. I want to be here for you, alright?” I smiled at him, and he touched my jaw, sending surges of electric current through me.

“Oh, my darling, I am so happy to have found you.” I felt warmth surge through me as he called me “darling” again, still so strange, and yet, sohimin a way that I couldn't describe. His hand cupped my jaw.

“There you go, using that word again.” I barely breathed becausehow could I breathe when someone like him is touching me, looking at me in this way and calling me his darling, as if I am his everything.

He smiled. “I decided that the term suits you,” he said, rubbing his thumb over my jawline, and I wanted to melt into him.

“How so?” I was impressed that the words came out of my mouth.

“You are precious and timeless.”

I looked into his eyes, those golden eyes that made me weak in the knees.

“And so very sweet.”

“Don’t say that,” I said, barely audible, but I knew he could hear me—he alwaysheardme, even when I didn’t say a thing.

“Why not?” he asked, looking concerned.

“Because I am nothing, Shad; I am just me, Emma. I am broken and unfixable, and I—I am no one’s ‘darling’–not really.”

“You are not broken. You arenotnothing,” he stated. His eyes held me to that spot, like an anchor. It was as if he was begging me, pleading with my soul, to believe him, to know he spoke the truth: “And youare‘darling.’Youare ‘darling’ to me,” he whispered.

I tried, oh, I tried because I wanted to; oh, how badly I wanted to be his everything, his “darling”—his world. But, there he was giving me such happiness, and I could still feel the depths of sadness within his own soul as he touched my cheek. A tear trickled down my face, and he caught it. Seeing his sadness made me feel it inside of myself.

“What is wrong?” he whispered softly.

I thought of Shad being so sad, and I thought about the things Ryker had discovered about my parents, that they had been murdered. The face of the man who did it haunted me. “You seem so sad. I wish I could make you feel happy again,” I said.

“You make me happy, Emma. Do not cry because of me, please, darling.” His voice was low and rough as he called me“darling”again, so naturally; I felt my toes curl.

I wish he would kiss me,I thought and then quickly shoved the thought away before I said something embarrassing out loud.

“I should go; I shouldn’t be up here with you, alone; it isn’t proper.” He cleared his throat and moved a couple inches away from me, but he still held me there with him. There he was, acting like the proper gentleman who I was growing incredibly attached to. I moved my hands from around his shoulders, and he moved his hand from around my waist. Just as I was about to step back, he once again pulled me in closer, still holding the back of my head with one hand, and his lips met with my cheekin a kiss. Electric fire burned inside me, blossoming from where his lips touched my skin and bloomed through me, smoldering me at his touch. I almost gasped when he did it, but I clamped my jaw shut. He smiled as he pulled away and hopped out the window with a wave, and I stood there, frozen to the spot, to the place where Shad had kissed me.

This is now my favorite spot in my room.He kissed me! Okay, so it was only on the cheek, but that doesn’t matter.I lifted my hand to my cheek. Only two more days until Homecoming—two more days, and I would wear my dress and dance with Shad all night long. I stood there, watching his shadow walk across the street, thinking and knowing that I was the luckiest girl alive.

I still had a very hard time being around Shad without blushing or wanting to plant a kiss on his perfect face, but to that point, I had done a pretty good job of maintaining control. Shad was always a gentleman, and I loved him for that. It was something that made me instantly trust him and made me feel cared for and safe.

He is a little old fashioned, but I won’t lie; I love it.

That next morning, I walked to my locker to retrieve my books for the day. Shad was leaning up against it, looking at his phone. He was as handsome as ever. I hoped he was feeling better, not as sad as the day before.

“Hey, Shad,” I said, trying hard not to stare at him so I wouldn’t forget my locker combination, but I failed miserably.

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