chapter Nineteen
I sat alone, bottle in hand, as I listened to one depressing song after another. The walls I had built to keep everyone out were crumbling around me. I could no longer numb the pain I felt with alcohol or a one-night stand. I had no choice but to face it head on.
As I sat, lost in my self-induced pain my phone glowed to life. I had enabled the tracking on Emma’s phone, purely for her safety. At least, that is the lie I told myself. Regardless of my excuses, she was leaving the safety of her friend’s home and making her way to the busier side of town. I growled as my anger began to boil over. I had sent her away for her own safety and she is already putting herself in more danger. Does she have no sense of self-preservation at all?
I pulled out of the parking lot and followed the small glowing dot. She was unknowingly moving closer to me. It only took me a moment to spot small cherry red convertible. I slipped inside the club and made my way to the far side of the bar. It took every ounce of my will power not to go to her side. She was surrounded by men and with the clothes that she was wearing, it wasn’t a surprise. I watched her, trying to convince myself that she wasn’t mine to worry about but the note had made that decision for me. She was in danger, and whether she took that seriously or not, I had to. I pulled out my phone and dialed her number.
“Bad girl” I said as I heard her breathe heavily into the phone.
“We just went out for a few drinks. How did you…” Her voice trailed off. She nervously bit down on her bottom.
“Stop biting your lip before I bend you over the bar and punish you right here.” I couldn’t help but laugh at my own twisted thoughts. I lie to myself about protecting her, and all the while, I want to torture her. I stared past the pretty little blonde who had perched herself between us. I waited. Emma’s gaze scanned the bar until it finally fell on me. Her cheeks burnt with anger. I knew she would be upset that I was here. I didn’t care.
“How did you know?” Her face looking like she was trying to solve a problem in her head. I smiled.
“I activated the GPS on your phone.” I motioned for the bartender to fill my drink, knowing I was going to need it.
“You what?” She was angry. Over her shoulder, Becka had noticed me and I heard her say my name in the receiver. I turned quickly, trying to make it less obvious whom I was staring at.
“We are leaving now” I wanted to take her back to my place. It would be safer than this club.
“I’ll be out for a few more hours.” She replied and the phone went dead. How could she not understand that I was trying to protect her? I glared down the bar at her. Becka was hugging her and over the music, I could hear her ordering another round of drinks. I clenched my jaw as I resisted the urge to grab her and carry her out of this place. I sent her a quick message before ordering another drink.
Last chance
I watched her look down at the phone and shrug before turning away. My stomach knotted. A man came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. I nearly broke the glass in my hand. His name was Jeff and he was in one of my classes. She looked over her shoulder, smiling. Pain ripped through me as I watched her exchange pleasantries with him. His hands lingered on her body. I typed out a quick warning, hoping she would end this little game.
I will f*cking kill him if he puts his hands on you again.
I didn’t know how seriously she would take my threat, but I meant every word. She didn’t look my way. Hand in hand her and her new friend walked out into the dance floor and began to move against one another. His hands moved possessively over her body. I felt the heat in my body rise as I thought how I would make him pay.
“You wanna dance?” The pretty little blonde was leaning closer and I finally allowed myself to look at her. She smiled and ran her fingers down my chest. I grabbed her wrist and pulled it back from my body. She looked rejected. I pulled her towards me so her face was inches from mine. I wonder what Emma will think. I wonder if she would feel the way I feel with someone else touching her. The blonde stepped closer, filling the void between us.
“You seem like a man who knows what he wants.” She whispered in my ear. Emma had turned around and our eyes met for a brief moment.
“It’s not you. I’m sorry” I whispered back in her ear. Emma had already resumed her dance. I pushed the blonde away from me slightly so I could slide out from behind her. She stormed off, rejected. I knew exactly how she felt. I made my way outside, letting the cool night air pull me away from the thudding beat of the music and the equally fast beat of my heart. I stumbled to my car, looking for refuge. I couldn’t leave her here, not knowing how she will get home and if she will be safe. If she will be alone.
I sat for a few minutes doing a little searching on my phone to find out more about Jeff while I waited. It only took a minute to locate him as a newly added friend on one of Emma’s social network pages. I read over his information, looked through his pictures. It is amazing how much personal information people willingly give out, without a second thought. I thought of how easy it would be for whoever threatened me to find out the same from Emma. Within minutes, you could find out where someone lived, where they liked to hang out and who with. A flood of light came from the front of the building, catching my attention. Emma stepped out of it like an angel exiting the gates of heaven. She was looking at her phone, oblivious to my presence. I waited, hoping no one would follow her out. No one did. The doors closed slowly behind her as she made her way out to the street and began walking towards her home, with no concern for the dangers that lurked in the darkness.
I felt the anger rise inside of me again. I pulled out behind her. She didn’t look at me as I pulled up beside her and it ripped me apart inside.
“Get the f*ck in the car.” I didn’t care how it sounded. All I cared about was her safety. She stopped but still didn’t look my way. “Don’t make me repeat myself.” I warned, hoping she knew just how serious I was. She bit down on her lip and got in, not looking my way. I drove off into the night, wanting to put as much distance between us and the club as possible. She was killing me inside and she was oblivious to it, or she just didn’t care. The thought made my anger magnify. We drove in silence. The only sound was the clicking of her seatbelt as we sped down the dark road.
I pulled inside the garage bay of my building, not waiting for the door to close completely behind us before getting out and slamming the door hard. I couldn’t think straight, couldn’t guarantee her safety with myself. I ran my hands through my hair and made my way up to the next floor, not waiting for her.
I waited at the top of the stairs as I counted every step she took, closing the gap of space between us. She looked down at the ground as she walked by and made her way inside. How fitting it was to watch her only moments before walking out of the light, and now she followed me into the darkness.