“No, we’re not together, and we’re not going to be. Todd is an ass.”
“I don’t understand why you won’t give the boy a chance. Is there someone else who you’re interested in?”
“Of course not. I’m not interested in Todd or any of the other trust fund guys at school.”
“And why not?”
“I don’t know. Does it matter?” Emma asked.
This was a train wreck that I couldn’t tear my ears away from.
“Of course it matters! You need to learn your place in life, Emma.”
“Are you even listening to yourself? Maybe I don’t want to take my place with all of those people who you try to force on me. Maybe I want to choose my own life.”
“I’m not even arguing with you about this. I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately, but it stops now. Get your act together, or you’re grounded.”
With that, her mom slammed the door behind her as she left. I stayed where I was just in case she was still in the room. I didn’t want to get Emma in any more trouble than she already was.
“You can come out now,” Emma said as she stepped into the closet.
I stood and walked out of my hiding spot.
“I assume you heard all of that?”
“Kind of hard not to,” I replied.
She went back into her bedroom and sat down on the bed. I followed, but I didn’t sit on the bed with her. I was so pissed with the entire situation. All the emotions I’d been feeling these last few weeks bubbled up to the surface, and I couldn’t ignore them any longer.
“I don’t even know what to say. I will never understand her,” she said.
“I’m not sure what there is to understand. She’ll never accept me, and we both know it. I’m so tired of hiding us from everyone in your world. It’s like you’re ashamed of me.”
Her head snapped up to stare at me. “Are you kidding me? Of course I’m not ashamed of you! I want to shout that you are mine from the rooftops, but I can’t. If anyone found out, she’d force us apart.”
“You’re almost eighteen. What can she really do about it? You won’t have to stay here anymore soon.”
“You want me to move out of my mom’s house right now? Where would I go? I’d have nothing, Jesse, and my dad can’t help me until I turn eighteen.”
“You could stay with me until your dad gets you a place to stay.”
“I can’t just give up my entire life!”
“Of course you can’t. I don’t know what I was thinking, asking you to come to the trailer park with me after living this kind of life.”
“It’s not even about that, and you know it.”
“It will always be about that. Even if we were together ten years from now, I’d never be able to provide this kind of life for you. Never,” I said as I realized it was the truth. I would never be able to take care of her the way she’d come to expect. She’d have to lose everything to be with me. “I’m so tired of this game we’re playing, Emma. I just...I can’t do it anymore.”
“What are you saying?” she whispered as tears filled her eyes. “Are you breaking up with me?”
“I don’t know what I’m doing. We both knew that we came from different worlds when we started this, but we ignored it. Well, I can’t ignore it anymore.”
“Jesse, please...”
“I have to go.” I walked to her bedroom door. Getting out of here without her mom seeing me was going to be tricky.
“I drove you here. At least, let me take you home,” she pleaded.
I shook my head. I needed to be far away from her. “I’ll call Andy or something. I’ll see you later.”
“Will you?”
“Will I, what?”
“See me later?”
I opened my mouth to say yes, but I closed it. Will I? I had no idea at this point.
“Bye, Emma.”
I slipped silently into the hallway and crept to the stairs. I could hear her mom talking on her phone in her room when I passed it, and I begged the powers above to keep her on that phone until I could get out of the house. I moved silently as I walked down the stairs and to the front door. It creaked just a bit when I opened it, and I froze, but no one appeared at the top of the stairs to see what had caused the noise.
When I reached the end of the driveway, I breathed a sigh of relief. I’d made it out without anyone catching me. I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed Andy.
“Hello?”
“Andy, it’s Jesse. Can you come get me?” I asked.
“Sure, where are you?”
“I just left Emma’s.”
“Okay...I’ll be there in a few.”
“Good. And call the guys. I need to blow off some steam.”
“Fuck yeah! I’ll message them and tell them to meet us down at the beach.”
I disconnected the call and sat down on the curb to wait for Andy to show up.
I tipped back my beer to get the last few drops out of the bottle.