Page 176 of There's No Us Without You
“Is this what you want, Eden?” Emerson shoves a leg between mine and presses himself into me as he grabs the waist of my jeans, and tugs hard enough for the button to pop off and skitter across the floor. “Tell me”—he breathes heavy against my neck—“is this how you imagined your fantasy to play out? Doyou want me to fuck you up against this wall? Force myself onto you.”
“Stop it.” I slap at his chest and face in an attempt to get him off me. “Get the fuck off, Emerson. This isn’t you. Please, just stop.” A sob rips out of my chest, and I’m sucking in air like I only have seconds of oxygen left.
But when Emerson laughs, I’m torn apart from the inside, my lungs collapsing, my heart cracking into a million tiny pieces.
“Come on, Eden,” he says, running his nose up the side of my face. “I know you want it—someone to fuck you while you beg them to stop. I’m just giving you what you asked for.” He crushes his lips to mine, teeth clashing, tongue invading my mouth, hard and fast.
I squeeze my lips shut and turn my head as I shove him in the face as hard as I can. This does nothing except force him to pin my wrists above my head with one hand while he struggles to push my jeans down my hips with the other.
It’s all a bit of a blur, the seconds flying past. Yet, everything is happening in slow motion.
My skin prickles. My mouth dries up. But all I can think about is how much I love him.
Eye for an eye.
Heart for a heart.
I break his, he breaks mine.
When the front door opens and slams shut, another blurred figure comes into view behind Emerson, but with my tears so heavy and thick, I can’t see straight. I know it’s Will when the man forcing himself on me is yanked by his shirt and thrown to the ground.
Scrambling to his feet, spit flying from his mouth, Emerson breathes hard and fast, eyes wild like a feral animal. He’s visibly shaking, his hands fisted at his sides, until recognition settles over his features and his eyes glass over.
It’s like watching a balloon deflate when the air is sucked out of it, his entire body caving in on itself. He blinks a few times before focusing on me. “Eden? I—fuck.” Tears fall over his bottom lashes, while he tugs at his hair, blinking rapidly and mumbling to himself.
“Leave.” Will shoves him in the chest, keeping his other arm out in front of me, his own chest heaving. “Go walk that shit off. I’ll deal with you later.”
Trembling, Emerson drops his head. “I’m so sorry,” he whispers, burying his face in his hands. “Fuck. What am I doing?”
Will takes a step forward, putting more distance between Emerson and me. “Go. Now. Before I put my fucking fist through your face. You may be my best friend, and I’ll fucking love you until the end of time, but if you don’t leave this house right now, we’ll both have something to be sorry for.”
Emerson glances up and swipes at his tears. “I’m so sorry,” he says again before giving me one last look and rushing out of my sight.
The door slams shut, the sound making me jump. For a moment, Will just stares at the space in front of him, his heavy breathing matching my own.
When he finally turns around, his eyes soften, and he cups my face in his hands. “Jesus, baby. Are you ok?” Frantic, he searches my face, my arms, my body. “Did he hurt you?”
Not physically—at least not really. I probably did more damage to him.
Pressing his lips to my palm, he kisses it, then the other one, moving up my arms, my chest, my neck, my face. “Fuck, baby . . . god, I could fucking kill him. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here.”
Everywhere, soft kisses replace the hurt in my heart.
Everything I was holding in rushes out of me in a loud cry, and my knees give way, my vision going dark around the edges.
“Shit.” Will wraps an arm around my waist, the other under my thighs, then he hauls me against his chest and lifts me off the ground. “I’ve got you,” he says. “It’s okay, beautiful.”
I fist Will’s white shirt and sob into it, leaving wet patches.
That wasn’t Emerson. At least not the one I’ve come to know over the last five weeks.
The one I’m in love with.
Will pulls me tighter against his chest and kisses the top of my head. “Let it all out, baby. You’re safe.”
FORTY-NINE
Emerson
