17. Emerson
Emerson
“The bodyguards are in place. They've been ordered to stay at a distance and remain discreet,” Jax said through the speaker. “They will send you updates through our app every time she makes a move.”
“Perfect,” I replied, breathing hard as I raised the intensity on the treadmill, pushing my legs faster. It was the only thing I could do to distract myself while Pearl was at school.
I drove her there and tried to convince her to let me go with her, but she refused. So, to keep my sanity, and since I wanted to give her space, I decided to start Jax’s contract a little early.
“This is the first shift. You’ll have another one on rotation once these men are off. Since this was a rush order, we didn't have time for a meeting, but I'll schedule something with you this week.”
“That sounds good, I appreciate this. I owe you one.”
Jax was good at her job. I'd been lucky to meet her at the club, and while at first I thought she was just another annoyance, she turned out to be pretty useful.
“I'll hold you to that and just add it to your bill,” she said with a cheeky laugh. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have things to get to, but I am just a message away if you need me.”
She hung up, the abruptness pulling a smile from me.
The app had already been updated in the last few minutes, and according to the group chat, Pearl was on her way to her second class of the day.
So far, nothing suspicious.
Having them there made me feel the tiniest bit better, but I still wished it were me instead.
I raised the intensity even more, focusing on channeling all my anger into my running. I imagined my dad. Him showing up and me being ready for him. He might think he was going to get one over on me, but I'd been preparing for this day longer than he knew.
There were so many times growing up that I wanted to be like him. Stronger. Especially when he beat me. I wanted to make him regret it.
Maybe now, I would actually get the chance.
When my heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest, I finally set the treadmill to cooldown mode while I focused on what I wanted to do to that bastard.
He thought I had just been sitting on my hands, but he had another thing coming. He might have caught me off guard by being out already, but I had a plan.
Having more money than I would ever need came in handy.
But first, I had a girl to impress.
Let me determine what I deserve. Let me choose whose love I’m worthy of, okay?
I heard what she said loud and clear. No matter how many times I told her that she was worthy of someone way better than me, she wanted to stick around. She would.
For me.
That gave me hope. I had another chance to show her how much I wanted her. I might not be able to tell her what she wanted to hear, but I could show her.
Even though I still wished the damned words would come out of my mouth.
I ran my hand through my sweaty hair, pulling a bit too roughly.
It was so easy for Pearl to tell me she liked me, even though I knew it probably wasn’t. She had her own demons.
But every time I wanted to tell her that I was in love with her, my mind went crazy. Thinking she’d reject me was probably insane, especially after what she’d said. I couldn’t stop the fear, though. Whenever I wanted to admit it, part of me thought that she would take it back. All of it.
And then what would I have?
She was mine. She had always been. She was mine even when the way I wanted her made me be cruel to her. I didn’t want anyone else because no one else would do.
So I needed to try to be what she deserved.
No matter how scared it made me, I was going to make sure my love was worthy of her.
Getting off the treadmill, I marched toward my room with renewed confidence.
I waited near the normal pick-up place for Pearl, immediately noticing her bodyguards. They were lingering off to the side, looking like normal college students. The only difference was that their gazes were much sharper.
I probably wouldn't have noticed them if I hadn’t been looking, though. Jax knew how to pick her people.
I looked at all the college students as they walked around campus, many of them chatting with friends and overall, just very happy to be there. This was the first place in a young adult’s life when they could truly be on their own.
I remembered college feeling more like a burden, given that I needed it to get to where I was today. I took it very seriously and didn't have time to make friends or party or do anything else others did.
I always imagined Pearl as one of them, talking and laughing with friends, after she left our hometown. Being free. When I came over to NYU to look for her, I waited outside for hours until I finally saw her leaving with a group of people.
I thought she was doing okay. I didn’t want to rain on her parade by letting her know I was there, so I looked my fill, and I left.
Even if she was the one who invited me, the one who said she’d wait for me here and be my tour guide as she said she would that night, I didn’t want to take her back to the past. Not until I was ready.
But I’d been wrong. And she’d been hurt.
Not anymore. No one will touch her now.
I watched as Pearl walked down the stone path walkway toward me. She was wearing casual jeans and a hoodie. The trees overhead created a sort of an arch all students had to walk through, and leaves floated down past her face, drawing my eyes to it.
The dark circles under her eyes were bad. All the midterm studying was taking a toll on her. They’d happen the following week, and I hoped that all the late-night studying was going to help her.
When she got close to me, she paused, taking in what I was wearing.
I stood straight, pride bursting through me as a blush coated her cheeks.
“What's the occasion?” she asked.
I ran my hands down my perfectly tailored suit jacket. I’d chosen my best one for this event. The best one for her.
“Becoming worthy.”
Her blush intensified, and I couldn't help but smirk. I pushed away every thought that wasn’t about Pearl and me. I had waited a good chunk of my life for the moment when we could be together like this. And I wasn't going to let my father or her stalker ruin it.
For now, I was going to give her the life she deserved. I might not be good at sharing my emotions or being a sweet and generous partner, but I would try.
“Is that what this is all about?”
I pulled open the door for her and motioned for her to get in.
“We have a busy night ahead of us. Let's get going, shall we?”
She ducked into the car, and I gave her bodyguards one last lingering look before getting in on my side and taking off.
The first stop was a private, custom clothing and jewelry experience.
Pearl looked like a fish out of water, but I loved seeing her eyes light up at all the beautiful diamonds and gems in front of her. She had no idea what to pick, so I helped her choose a beautiful white and pink diamond set that would match her new floor-length pink gown.
Selfishly, I didn't really let her pick the clothes, but she didn't seem to mind, and I certainly didn’t when she pulled back the curtains and I was hit with the stunning image of her in the shimmery fabric.
It was a strapless gown with a hard corset that perfectly melded to her body.
The bicep-length satin gloves with tiny pink crystals glittering around her wrists, the shimmery nude high-heeled shoes she picked herself after almost running to get them as soon as she saw them, and a shawl placed on her shoulders made up the rest of the set.
The final step had been hair and makeup, and by the end of it, Pearl was a vision. She would look good in anything, but smiling the way she was now? She was drop-dead gorgeous.
And mine.
It was a pity that we wouldn’t be going somewhere more extravagant, but inside I was happy that I was the only person that was going to be able to see her like this.
“This is crazy. I feel like a princess,” she said with a giggle as we pulled up to our destination. “Who knew you had it in you to be so romantic?”
“Careful. I’m not Prince Charming. I’m more like the big, bad wolf. Plus, it's money, not romance.” I grumbled the last part, suddenly feeling insecure about all of it.
She let out another giggle. I loved hearing it. I wished to hear it more often.
“I could make a joke about liking the wolf better because he’d eat me, but instead…” She looked straight at me as if she wanted me to pay attention. “It's definitely romance, Emerson, and you're pretty good at it if I do say so myself. I mean, look at this!”
Night had already fallen, and excitement was clear on her face when she realized we were at The Met.
“We're going inside?” she asked as her door was opened by the valet.
“Private tour.”
When I rounded the car, she took my arm, so excited she was practically bouncing as we walked up the steps.
“It's only going to be us in there?” she whispered as if she was afraid anyone would hear, but there was no one else there but the one security guard who let us in.
“Just us. There was an optional tour guide, but I thought you'd have a better time this way.”
Mostly, I was just being selfish again. I wanted to take credit for everything and spend some alone time with her.
“This is even crazier!” she exclaimed as she threaded her hand through mine and pulled me further into the museum.
To be honest, I did not care for art at all. I could appreciate the aesthetics of it, but I was never one of those who found a deeper meaning in all of it. All I saw were nice-looking images on canvas or a well-put-together statue of a naked person.
Throughout school, and even though there were always books around her at all times, her electives were all art-based. She had an appreciation for all of the things that I found old, dusty, and useless. I was just happy to look at her.
I took it in, relieved at just how normal it felt to be touched by her.