Page 36 of Ramsey & Emerson

I may have wanted them to pay for what they’d done, but enough to commit suicide over it? “What did you do, Ramsey?”

His jaw clenched as he said, “It’s nothing for you to worry about. Just know that you’re safe, Emerson. You’resafe.”

I couldn’t do this with him. Maybe he was right, and I should have just stayed home and rested, because I felt like my emotions were everywhere. Granted, I always felt like this whenever I was dealing with Ramsey, but this time, I felt exhausted on top of confused.

I let out a deep breath. “Just leave me alone, Ramsey,” I told him, meaning it this time.

He sounded like he was on the edge, but not defeated. “That’s never going to happen, baby,” he whispered across my lips. “I’ll give you today, but tomorrow you’re mine, and wewillfigure this shit out.”

Rage pushed back all other emotions. “What’s there to figure out?!” I shouted. “Just leave me the fuck alone, Ramsey!”

I shoved my way past him, then headed to first period. I knew that it wasn’t going to make a difference since we shared the same first three periods, but I didn’t care. I had to show him that his word wasn’t law. He might be able to play with other people’s lives, but I wasn’t going to let him play with mine.

Either he wanted me, or he didn’t.

It was that simple, and that was heartbreaking because I knew that I wanted him. Despite all his cruelty, despite all his taunts and insults…despite it all, I wanted him. I wanted him because his touch drowned out the insults. His kisses dissolved his cruelty. His intensity evaporated my doubts. The way that he made my body feel, it made everything else fade away.

I imagined that this was what it must have been like for my mother during the early years of her marriage to my father. My father would hit her, then bring her flowers, begging for forgiveness, and then he’d worship her into forgiving him.

Except, I wasn’t my mother, and Ramsey wasn’t my father.

We were much worse.

Chapter 21

Ramsey~

Ihad stayed away from Emerson all day yesterday, but Deke, Liam, and I had made sure that one of us had been near her throughout the day. Her accusation that Liam and I were just as bad as a guy that would resort to rape had gutted me, and I knew that Liam hadn’t fared any better.

After she’d left us standing in the hallway the other day, I had called Deke, and he had joined us in finishing off Jamie, Ricky, and Roman. We’d driven them to the lake, then had dragged them into the thickness of the surrounding trees. They’d started to come to on the drive over, but we’d made it to the lake before they’d become aware enough to run.

Deke, Liam, and I had waited until they had been fully alert before informing them of their fates. Jamie had done his best to explain that it’d all been one huge misunderstanding, but Liam had gotten there in time to hear Jamie tell Emerson that they were going to fuck her until there was nothing left of her to fuck, and that hadn’t sounded like a misunderstanding to me.

By the time that I’d been done with Jamie, Liam had been done with Roman, and Deke had been done with Ricky, all three guys had been a bloody, broken, paralyzed mess. The beatings had been so brutal that they were going to spend the rest of their lives sucking their food through a straw.

As we dropped each piece of shit off at home, I had calmly explained to whichever adult had answered the door-whether it’d been a parent or housekeeper-what had happened, and whatwouldhappen should anyone feel the need to call the police on Deke, Liam, or me. After that, I’d gone home feeling confident that the situation had been handled, and that Emerson was safe.

When I’d seen her striding across the lawn at school the next day, I’d been floored by her resilience. It’d made me question what she’d been through even more to know that she could endure attempted rape and still show up to school the next day.

My fit against the wall had also had the entire student body speculating on what was going on, but unless Emerson said something, they’d have to keep speculating because Liam, Deke, and I weren’t talking. I did end up sending out the word that Emerson was officially mine, and that if anyone somuch as mispronounced her name, then it’d be the last thing that they ever did. Needless to say, everyone was confused by my inability to make up my mind, but I didn’t care. As long as they towed the line, everything would be okay.

Now I was breaking into Emerson’s aunt’s house…well, not really breaking in. When Bailey had tried to corner me yesterday to ask me what was going on with Emerson, she had inadvertently let me know that she’d be visiting her mother this weekend in the Hamptons, and that Emerson would be home alone until Sunday night. The stupid bitch had also joked that Emerson didn’t know the key code to the alarm, thus how I was able to be in her house now.

It wasn’t even nine am yet, but I figured that I had a better chance of catching Emerson at home if it was fairly early. I had no idea what she did on the weekends, so I hadn’t wanted to miss her while I’d been planning my little breaking and entering.

I headed up the stairs, figuring that her room must be on the second floor somewhere, and it wasn’t until I tried the third door on the right of the hallway that I saw Emerson on her bed still sleeping. I quietly made my way into her bedroom, and like a certified creeper, I walked over to her bed, then stood over her, just watching her inhale and exhale in complete peace.

Christ on The Cross, she was fucking beautiful.

I stared down at her for a few minutes before I decided to take my life in my own hands. I moved to the other side of the bed, then began undressing. I stopped at my boxer briefs, but only because I imagined that she’d be waking up in full ass kicking mode, and I didn’t want to engage in combat with her while my junk was free and hanging all out.

I opted for climbing into bed with her quickly rather than slowly and stealthily. I didn’t want to take the risk that she’d wake up before I had a chance to get comfortable. So, like a complete lunatic, I pulled back the light blue comforter and matching sheet, then slid into bed beside her.

Emerson startled awake as my arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back towards my body. “Jesus Christ! What the fuck, Ramsey?”

“Shh, baby, go back to sleep,” I chuckled as I nuzzled the back of her neck with my face. I knew that I should be scared for my life right now, but the fact that she automatically knew it was me in bed with her had me smiling like a fucking loon.

Emerson squirmed for a good couple of minutes more, but the more that she tried to pull out of my hold, the tighter that I held her. She finally gave up on a deep sigh. “What are you doing here, Ramsey? And what fucking time is it?”

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