28. Emma
EMMA
Two weeks have passed since I told the guys everything.
They have kept their promise and spend every free minute with me.
They took me to the new treatment, held my wig back when I got sick after, rubbed my back and took care of me.
They even held my hand when I finally confessed the news to Grandma.
I told her what the doctor said, and we cried until we had no tears left. Then we decided that it’s enough with the sadness and time to fight. I’m not giving up, and I won’t let the doctor’s timeline haunt me.
It’s not even an hour into the party at Briggs’s and Wren’s house when I come to an unsurprising conclusion: I’ve been missing out on a lot.
I mean, I knew that. And it’s not like I didn’t deliberately lock myself away from the world so I could keep my secret safe. But sitting here on the back patio, surrounded by people, laughing and swimming and having fun… I can’t help but wonder how much more I’ve missed.
Except for a few curious looks when we first got here, everybody’s been pretty accepting. At least that’s how they seem. Like they were all following somebody else’s lead, and now that the Scott twins have accepted me, they can do the same.
I don’t really care about all those people. I do care about the twins’ core group of friends, though, who seem a lot more genuine. “Are you having a good time?” Elliana asks from where she sits on Carter’s lap.
“Give her room to breathe,” Carter murmurs, grinning my way. “Don’t shine a spotlight on her.”
“It’s all right,” I offer. It’s not easy to speak up, but the more I do it, the easier it feels to be a part of things.
“And I am having a good time, thanks. This is the first party I’ve been to since we moved here.
” I can’t remember the last party I went to before that, but nobody needs to hear my sob stories.
Maya and Tucker join us, both dripping from the pool. “Where are you keeping the towels?” Tucker asks, shaking his head like a dog, so beads of water fly in all directions.
“Watch it!” Preston growls. “If you want to get somebody wet, your girlfriend is right there.” He jerks his chin at Maya, who scowls.
“You are such a poet.” She squeezes water out of her hair before she starts shaking out her curls. “I can totally see why Emma wants to spend time with you.”
“I already told him he should be a lawyer.” Giggling, I shrug. “But he could definitely write greeting cards, too.”
“That might not be a bad business idea,” Briggs muses, handing Easton a fresh beer before taking a gulp of his own.
“We could call them Fuck You Cards, Incorporated,” Preston muses with a grin. “Honest cards. None of this flowery bullshit that nobody actually means in the first place.”
“You could probably make some money off that,” Maya reluctantly agrees before Briggs directs them to the pool house where extra towels are kept. Tucker smacks Maya’s ass on the way there, and she swats his arm away while her laughter rings out over the noise filling the air.
It’s nice. Seeing the two of them so natural together, happy. I wonder if I’ll ever get to that point with the twins, just like I wonder whether or not anyone is going to say anything about me being with the two of them. I’m still waiting for a mean comment. It has to be coming eventually, right?
Then again… everybody’s been pretty cool so far tonight. I’m sitting between Preston and Easton, and neither of them is shy about rubbing the back of my neck or resting their hand on my thigh if they feel like it. Nobody seems to care either way. They just… accept it.
Could it be that easy? It’s hard to imagine when there’s been so much in my life that has gone poorly and been so challenging. I’m like an animal that’s been abused for too long. Hand-shy. Waiting for something bad to happen.
As it turns out, something does happen. It’s not necessarily bad, but it’s not positive, either.
“What the hell is she doing here?” Easton pops up from his chair, followed by Preston. They’re looking toward the door leading into the kitchen. A pretty girl with long, dark waves and familiar dark eyes is standing on the patio, her head swinging in all directions like she’s looking for somebody.
“Isn’t Sarah a little young to be hanging out here?” Carter asks.
This is Sarah ? “Take it easy on her,” I urge, following them when they march in her direction. Poor thing. Nobody wants to be bitched out in front of a bunch of people. She’ll be so embarrassed.
Only she doesn’t act defensive when they approach. “There you are!” Close up, I see the trails of tears on her cheeks. “I remembered hearing you saying you were coming here tonight. Thank god I found you.” She’s breathing fast, hard, looking over her shoulder like she’s scared.
That’s all it takes for their anger to turn into something else. They move in close to her, one on either side. “What’s the matter?” Preston asks.
“What happened? What can we do?” Easton won’t take his eyes off her. I can feel the protective energy radiating from him.
And now I understand how they wound up beating Brody in that parking lot. They’re already prepared to kick somebody’s ass, and they don’t have the first idea what’s really happening.
Not for long, at least.
“I swear to God,” she wails. “I have been trying everything to stay away from him, but he must’ve been out looking for me tonight.
I was with my friends, and he found me. I got in my car, and he followed me.
He won’t leave me alone. That’s why I came here, because I knew you would be here—Mom and Dad aren’t home. I didn’t know where else to go.”
A fresh tear rolls down her cheek, and all I want to do is reach out and hug her, but the twins are blocking my way, almost swallowing her up with their presence.
“Did he follow you here? Is he here right now?” Preston looks around, then points to Carter and waves him over.
“Watch her. Don’t let her out of your sight! ”
“Wait. Don’t do this!” I feel like I’m watching a train wreck unfold in front of me as I trot behind them, trying every way I can to get through the layers of rage they’re wrapped in.
“Oh my god, what’s happening?” Maya has a towel wrapped around her when she meets me in the kitchen, where I’m weaving through the crowd while the twins search for Brody. “What is Sarah doing here?”
“Brody has been following her, so she came here for help.”
“Oh, Christ,” Maya mutters. “They’re going to kill him.”
“Why not just call the police?” I shout, getting the attention of more than a few people around me who decide to follow along and see what happens next. Either the twins can’t hear me, or it’s more convenient to ignore me. Either way, I don’t get a reaction.
Someone in the entry hall waves a hand over their head, barely visible in the crowd. “He’s on the front lawn!”
Suddenly, the door opens, and a bunch of people go flooding out because everybody wants to see what will happen next. They remind me of alligators crowding around, waiting for somebody to throw them fresh food to chomp on. It’s like they live on this.
And there he is. Once I reach the front steps, I see Brody swaying slightly in the middle of the emerald lawn. Lifting his arm, he points toward the twins, blinking hard. “Oh, I should’ve known! She can’t handle her shit one on one. She has to get her brothers to help.”
“Guys, please…” My fearful, pleading voice falls on deaf ears. I’m pretty sure Easton is even laughing happily as they storm down the front stairs.
“I’m recording this shit,” Maya murmurs at my side, holding up her phone. Where did it even come from? She’s wearing a towel over a bathing suit but somehow has her phone ready. It’s amazing, the things that will go through a person’s head when they’re on the verge of a panic attack.
“When are you going to learn?” Preston demands, shoving Brody with both hands once he reaches him.
Brody stumbles backward, but refuses to go down, making Preston bark out a laugh. “Cut the shit. Nobody thinks you’re tough, shithead.”
“We’re not some girl you can beat on,” Easton shouts, shoving Brody from behind and making him stumble into Preston, who shoves him away.
Pretty soon, shoving is not going to be enough. Especially once Brody decides to take a swing. And he does, too, stumbling awkwardly when Preston easily avoids the hit. “This is between me and her!” Brody shouts, as people slowly form a large circle around them.
“Stop! Don’t!” Somehow, Sarah must have broken free of Carter and run around the side of the house because now she comes flying over, breaking through the crowd.
Preston grabs hold of her, but she wiggles free and comes to a stop in front of Brody, positioning herself between him and her brothers.
“Once wasn’t enough for you? You want to do this again? ”
“None of this would be happening if you would just let me talk to you!” he screams in her face. He’s so much bigger than her—she shrinks a little in front of him, and I wish I was strong enough to kick his ass myself. He’s a vicious bully, that’s it.
“We’re done!” she barks. “Stop following me around. It’s not going to make a difference. I spent enough time pretending you didn’t hurt me. I’m sick of covering up bruises from you. I’m sick of you!”
“I’ll stop when I want to stop.” He reaches out and takes hold of her, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her in close before the twins can react. “You don’t fucking tell me what to do, bitch!”
That’s not even the worst part.
The worst part comes when he shoves her, and she turns an ankle and hits the ground.
I see it all in front of me as I run to them.
Visiting them in jail. Sitting in a courtroom when the judge hands down their sentence.
Because they’re going to kill him. I feel it.
I know it, and it’s what gives me the speed and the strength to reach them before either one can throw a punch.
They’re too busy helping Sarah up off the ground.