Chapter 133
It was like a guitar string breaking. The moment of ecstasy snapped like a twig in his hand. A second ago, he was in full euphoria. Kissing Emma was more than he remembered. Better still was the fact she had wanted him to kiss her. She kissed him back and he could feel her fervor. The heat he had felt was real. If that damned heart monitor hadn’t given them away, they probably would still be making out like a pair of horny teenagers. It was over to soon, Emma lamented. It was like she’d been asleep, walking through life in a haze. Kissing Will had brought her to the land of the waking. Bringing back all of the reasons she couldn’t let him go.
“What?” Will jumped out of the chair, startling Emma.
“We found him dead in his study, slumped over on his desk.”
“When?”
“Just now. The investigation is underway.”
“Okay… I’ll be right there.”
“No! You need to stay exactly where you are. They like you for this one.”
“You’re kidding. They think I had something to do with this?” This is never going to end.
“Wouldn’t you think so? You have motive and means. I’m calling to warn you. Do not leave that hospital. The fact that you are there and that you’ve been seen there is the only thing is saving you.”
“Shit,” Will bit out. He wanted to hit something, but he needed to keep his anger under control.
“Please tell you have some kind of trail that can account for the last few hours.”
“I’ll send you my damn call records.”
“Perfect. Keep your head up. They may come for you.”
“Who?”
“Whoever did this. They staged it to look like a suicide. But I know it isn’t. It’s a message. Be careful.”
“Thanks, Captain.”
Will hung up the phone and sunk back in the chair. His head fell into his hands, and he took a deep breath.
“What’s wrong?” Emma asked, having heard only one side of the exchange. Will’s reaction worried her.
“My uncle is dead. He was murdered in his house and there is talk that I did it.”
“Oh no!” she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “What’s going to happen?”
“I don’t know.” Will looked up at her. Her eyes were wide with fear, filling him with irrational anger. She was safe now. Nothing else was supposed to put her in fear anymore. Why did the world insist on putting her in danger?
“I want to see my dad,” her voice cracked. “He must be so worried about me.”
“Sabrina kept your name out of the media. He won’t have any details,” Will said, his voice showing how tired he suddenly was.
“Yeah, but… I’m scared and I want to see him, to talk to him. I want to know he’s okay. What if someone tries to hurt him?” she took a shuddering breath, trying to keep herself from crying.
“Hey,” Will soothed, taking her hands. “It’s going to be okay. We’ve had a protection detail on him from the beginning. No one is going to touch him.”
“My phone is probably gone or broken. He’s probably been calling me and is worried sick,” she openly sobbed. “I feel terrible.”
Will pulled his phone back out of his pocket and dialed a number.
“What are you doing?” she asked. He handed her the phone.
“Hello?” her father’s voice came through.
“Daddy!” Emma dissolved into a mess of tears.
Will got up to give Emma the privacy to speak to her father. He paced in the hallway, hands clutching at his hair. Things just got more complicated. He was sure this chapter would end but now another player was introduced. It was dragging out and he begun to believe the madness would never end. He just wanted to start his life with Emma, but the powers that be refused to clear his path. After a few minutes, he walked back in to find Emma wiping away at her tears.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she sniffled. “Thank you for that. I really needed it.”
“How is he?”
“He’s upset with me for waiting so long to call him, but happy that I’m all right. I had to convince him not to come here.”
“Did you tell him what happened?”
“Not really, but he figured it out. Apparently, you’ve been all over the news along with coverage of when Jess and I were rescued. He told me to thank you. And,” she continued with a watery giggle. “that you aren’t on his hit list anymore.”
“That’s good to know,” he smiled, taking his place back next to her.
“Are we back together?” Emma asked.
“I want to be.”
“Me too.”
There it was. What both had waited for. It was out in the open. But there were many things left unsaid. Their true feeling remained hidden. The unspoken words hung between them like thick curtains darkening a room. The sunshine that could have been their rekindled relationship was eclipsed by the darkness that loomed close by.
“But we aren’t, are we?” Emma asked, looking down. Will put a finger under her chin and lifted her face so she was looking at him.
“Not yet, no,” he answered, hating that those words left his mouth. “Things are going to be unstable for a while. My life will be unpredictable for a while, and I don’t want to drag you into that.”
“But… we just…”
“I know. And it was amazing. It’s all I’m going to be able to think about for a long time. I want to be with you, and you have no idea what it does to me to know you want that too. I can’t have you ever be in harm’s way again. We weren’t together at all, and you were still used as a weapon against me. I won’t do anything that puts you in danger again.”
“Will… part of our problem before is that we never talked about how we felt. We held back, and I don’t think we should hold back now. I want to be with you. I know what integrating myself into your world comes with. And I’m ready for that. I’m ready now. Why should I have to wait?” She pleaded. This time she took his hands in hers. “Why should we have to wait?”
Emma looked at him, into those honey eyes of his, and tried to find the answer. There was something that was holding him back. Was it fear? Is that what she saw?
“I want to be with you so much,” he said.
“Then be with me,” Emma brought a hand to his face. Now that she had allowed herself to admit that she wanted him, there was no going back for her.
“It’s funny,” he said, leaning into her touch. “When I imagined this, the roles were reversed.”
“Well, we both know you aren’t good at emotions,” she teased. “I can sense you holding back.”
“Emotions were never my strong suit. I think you’ve seen more of them today then anyone else has seen in my whole life.”
“I’m the William whisperer,” Emma laughed. She took a deep breath and decided to take her own advice. If they were going to do this, they had to do this the right way. She opened her mouth to speak the words she’d been so afraid to speak.
“I love you, Emma.”
“What?” Emma froze. She was positive she hadn’t heard that correctly. There was no way.
The words feel out of his mouth without permission. But there was no regret. It was like a secret that was holding him back from living his life. While he held onto those words, they shackled his soul. And now he was free.
“You just want to hear me say it again,” Will smirked.
“And again and again,” Emma was choked up.
“I love you,” he pulled her in close.
“I love you, too.”
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