Page 34 of The Runaway and the Rugged
EMELIA
My heart was pounding like a drum in my chest, fast and hot in anticipation for what was to come. To make matters worse, the soles of my feet ached like no other while every crevice and curve felt thick with sweat.
“What’s going on, Emelia?”
Her question was bouncing around in my head for the past minute and although my response should have been straightforward, it was anything but. Largely due to the fact I had two sets of beaming eyes zeroed in on me, sending my anxiety straight through the roof.
“It’s all right, Emelia,” Garth encouraged, suddenly pulling me out of the state of uneasiness with just the mere sound of his gentle tone. “Just tell her what you told me.”
I shot him a wary glance, it was easier said than done. I knew just how important this entire wedding was to Greta. Not only for herself, but for the ranch as well. And it was clear to see that she poured her heart and soul into every aspect and detail. From taking every single unannounced phone call from Nathaniel these past few weeks to executing his demands and wants flawlessly in such a short amount of time.
In other words, she pulled off something that no one else would have been able to handle, and knowing that I had to be the one to tell her that I was essentially tarnishing her moment, I wanted to retreat into obscurity.
“Oh god,” Greta groaned. “You are hurt, aren’t you?” She palmed her face while mumbling a string of curses to herself.
My eyes went wide while my stomach sank further.
For the love of God, Emelia, put this poor woman out of her misery.
I peered at Garth, pleading with my eyes for some sort of help here. I was the ultimate empath, and right now, it was my greatest antagonist.
“No, Greta, I promise, I’m not hurt.” I finally found my voice, hating the way my tone lacked any reassurance. Even Garth shot me a concerned look while his stare scoured down the length of me. “Really, I’m fine.”
Though I was focused entirely on Garth when I spoke, I made sure to carry that encouragement over to Greta. In return, she blew out a heavy breath as her shoulders sagged.
“What the hell were you thinking disappearing like that?” she scolded softly, as if attempting to hold herself back from flying off the handle. “You had myself and everyone else worried sick, and Nathaniel… He’s losing his damn mind right now.”
I could only imagine the uproar he was causing. Even just imagining it had my body running painfully cold.
“I wasn’t thinking. Not how I should have been anyway,” I admitted. “I needed fresh air and the next thing I knew, I was… lost.”
Greta groaned.
“I told you we needed to close off those damn trails before the wedding. Now look at the predicament we're in.” She launched her words over to Garth who ultimately chuckled in return.
“Now don’t be placin’ all the blame on me. If you were really worried about someone venturing out onto the trails, you should have closed them off yourself.”
Greta’s stare narrowed menacingly on her brother. Pupils dilated, brow furrowed, I knew it was only a matter of seconds before she took all of her frustrations out on him. Refusing to let him take any of the blame for my actions, I swiftly intercepted the deteriorating discussion with a blurted confession.
“I can’t marry him!”
Both sets of eyes soared over to mine as a burst of heat swept up my neck.
Oh hell.
My eyes refused to meet Greta’s, too terrified to see her reaction that I could so effortlessly feel heavy on my face. Instead, my attention was solely on Garth, the only one I felt safe with seeing discomfort on full display. He’d seen and heard so much already that his intensity was much more bearable than his sister’s.
But I knew I couldn’t keep my gaze on his much longer before it turned into a whole other problem I declined to tackle. It was suspicious enough that he carried me onto the back deck without so much as an opposition from me.
“I… I can’t marry Nathaniel.” I found the courage to lock eyes with Greta, her shock palpable and simmering all around us. It was difficult to determine what exactly she was feeling, the only thing certain was the news must have come like a bombshell.
Eyes as wide as saucers, her mouth opened and closed repeatedly as if she were grappling with finding the words to speak.
“You… you can’t marry him,” she stated matter-of-factly.
My heart skipped a beat as my head instinctively shook from side to side.
“I’ve known for a while now, I just…” I averted my eyes while blinking away tears. “I can’t believe it took me until now to finally admit it aloud.”
