Page 33 of Such a Naughty Girl

‘I have to,’I sniffed, trying to hold my emotions in check. ‘We knew it had to end sometime.’

‘Princess, I can make him go away. Say the word.’Emmett’s strained voice made my tears fall all the harder.

‘She’s half your fucking age,’my father said, disgust marring his words.

‘I wasn’t asking for your opinion.’Emmett didn’t even turn when talking to him. His eyes focused on me.

‘I’m sorry,’I mumbled. ‘I never should have?—’

‘Don’t apologize. Not to me. Not to him. You’re old enough to govern your own life.’

I pulled on the last of my clothing, grabbing my shoes and shoving my feet into them.

Humiliationwarred with sadness. I’d wanted to go home, but another day or two wouldn’t have hurt. I felt like I had cracked through Emmett’s outer shell, seeing the man beyond the rugged exterior. I wanted more.

Chunk sidled over to my dad as I grabbed my coat. He swiped out with a foot, kicking Chunk square in the side. The yelp of pain made my knees buckle.

Emmett strode over, dropping the axe and punching my father square in the jaw. My father yelped almost as loudly as Chunk, spitting blood onto the cabin floor.

‘Get your ass off my property before I punch a new fucking hole in it,’Emmett growled, Chunk hiding behind his legs.

‘Izzy. Now,’ Dad demanded.

Before I could follow him out the door, Emmett grabbed me, pulling me flush with his naked body.‘Don’t let him force you back into a box you don’t want to be in. Okay? Come back and see me. Anytime. I’ll make sure I have a tree waiting for you next year andeverything.’

‘I can’t,’I whispered, his beard tickling against my jaw.

Roughly, he pulled at my hair, opening my mouth to him. The kiss was full ofeverythingunsaid, of burning desire and sorrow. At missedopportunities,and longing. Our tongues collided, my salty tears tainting our mouths.

‘Go out there, enjoy college. Live and explore. I’ll be right here if you get bored,’ Emmett whispered against my lips.

‘Get off him!’My dad yelled, slamming his hand against the door. I jumped out of my skin at the noise,extractingmyself from Emmett’s grip. Shame suffused every part of me when I saw the revulsion in his face.

Emmett let me go, scowling at my dad. ‘If you touch one hair on her head, I will track you down and pull your spine from your meat sack one vertebra at a time. She’s not a child. Stop treating her like one.’

At that moment, I was sure I could have loved him.

‘You’ll never see her again. Now, Isabella, come with Daddy.’ I’d called him my daddy my entire life, but hearing the words on his lips after what I’d done with Emmett turned my stomach.

‘I’m her Daddy,’Emmett said as I walked out, following my father into the snow.

CHAPTER TWENTY

EMMETT

Summer came with the chirp of crickets and the buzz of mayflies, blissful warms sweeping through the forest. Newborn deer grew from wobbly-legged babies into bouncing youths. Buds turned to blossoms,decoratingthe forest floor with pockets of colour.

Chunk darted between the pines, chasing after the scent of some creature or another, zoomies making him think he was a puppy all over again.

I hadn’t set out with any direction inparticularwhen leaving the cabin, yet again my feet took me to her.

Always to her.

The clearing hummed with the chitter of birds, our tree alone amongst the brimming forest.

Chunk amused himself as Iapproachedthe weeping willow, finding our initials and tracing my fingers over their indented forms.

Taking a long inhale, I rested my forehead against the rough bark, letting the months-old memory of her wash over me. I shivered as the imaginary cold swelled around me, the distant echo of a howl, now nothing but a fading memory.

---