Page 69 of Ramsey & Emerson

Turning away from my locker, I looked around the hallway to see all eyes in our direction, and when my gaze landed on Ramsey’s, his chin went up, and I knew that he was waiting for me to go after him. He was expecting some sort of payback, and while he deserved it, I’d already made my bed where he was concerned, and I was more than willing to lie in it.

As soon as Ramsey, Deke, and Liam stood next to me and Roselyn, I stepped forward, and scanning the hallway again, I asked, “Anyone have any more used condoms that they’d like to throw my way?”

Crickets.

Taking another step, I asked, “Is there anyone else that would like to laugh at me or call me a whore?” Heads began to drop, but I didn’t care. “Does anyone want to tell me about any more plots to break up my relationship with Ramsey? Anyone else interested in raping me in one of the deserted hallways? Maybe call a couple of your friends to help out?” I looked around, and only a few students had the balls to still look my way, but most of them had their heads hung in either shame or fear of Ramsey, though I really didn’t care which reason it was. “No? No takers?” The silence was deafening, and it almost brought a smile to my face. “Okay, well…I’m only going to say this once, so if you need to pull your phone out to record this as a reminder, then please do.”

Not a single person pulled out their phone.

“If any of you has a problem with me, now would be the time to speak up,” I went on. “If any of you has something to say to me, do it now. And before you convince yourself that Ramsey is the reason why you’re going to keep your mouth shut, I can assure you that I don’t need Ramsey to fight my battles withanyof you. Guy or girl, there’s not one motherfucker in this school that scares me, and do you want to know why? Because all of you are nothing but weak sheep, and that’s all that you’ll ever be. As for me, I’m the only person in this entire town thatisn’tafraid of Ramsey Reed, and you’d all do well to remember that very significant fact.”

I gave everyone exactly ten seconds to say or do what they had to, and when no one said a word, I turned my back on all of them, then walked back towards my locker. Roselyn was quietly wiping tears from her face as Liam pulled her into a hug, and Deke looked as stoic as ever, but I could also see a mischievous glint in his green eyes, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say that I had just impressed him if he hadn’t already been impressed with me.

No one said anything as lockers started opening and closing, but once we’d gotten our things, Roselyn said, “I need to go get my stuff from my locker.”

“We’ll walk you,” Liam offered, and before she could accept or deny their escort, Deke and Liam were dragging her away, leaving me and Ramsey alone.

Ignoring the bustling hallway of students finally getting to class, Ramsey looked down at me as he asked, “What’s your plan, Emerson?”

My brows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“What’s your plan to make us all pay?”

“Wh…what?” I stammered as my head jerked back in surprise. “What are you talking about?”

“Are you really going to let me get away with what I did?” he asked seriously. “Are you such a saint that you’ve truly forgiven me? Or are you biding your time like any good predator?”

That’s when I realized that Ramsey didn’t trust my motives, and for the first time in our relationship, it finally felt like we were on even ground. We might love one another to an unhealthy degree, but that same love also gave each of us the upper hand in this relationship, and that was a power that neither of us trusted the other with.

“I guess you’ll never know until you know, Ramsey,” I told him, and that was my final payback for that morning. “Because you’re never going to get those answers from me.”

Instead of losing his shit, Ramsey gave me a terse nod of acceptance, and if I were a better person, I’d backtrack and try to reassure him that I wasn’t out for revenge. However, Ramsey Reed was still Ramsey Reed, no matter how much he loved me. If he smelled even one drop of blood in the water, I’d never stand a chance against him.

“We’re getting married after graduation,” he announced, and that statement gave me instant whiplash. “As soon as we get our diplomas, we’re getting married.”

“Which diplomas are you referring to?” I asked when I finally found my voice again.

“High school,” he answered seriously.

What in the hell?

“Ramsey…what…” I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “Why…what’s the rush?”

“You were always going to marry me, Emerson,” he replied, skirting around my question.

“But why after graduation? Why not after college?”

“Because it’s no longer enough for you to just be my girlfriend,” he said, and I knew that he was serious about every word leaving his mouth right now. “Because I need more.”

“Because you’re scared?” I asked candidly.

“Because I’m fucking terrified, baby,” he admitted, and his words hit my chest like a ton of bricks. A vulnerable Ramsey Reed was something that only I was ever going to be able to experience, and I took that privilege very seriously.

“Of what?”

“I’m never going to deserve you, Emerson,” he said. “We both know that, and the only thing that will help me with this is to put my ring on your finger.”

“Marriage isn’t the answer when divorce still exists in the world, Ramsey,” I told him, reminding him of just how much life really did suck sometimes.

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