Chapter 10 #4
“Do I love you? I don’t know. That sounds lame, but it’s true.
I’d thought I was in love before, but nothing about what I feel for you is like what I’ve felt for anyone else.
So maybe this is love, and what I felt before was nothing more than great affection.
All I know is that I think about you all the time.
I’m proud of you and want to tell everyone I meet how great you are.
I can’t wait to talk to you, and even getting a text from you makes me smile like a deranged psychopath.
I can’t stop thinking about all the things I want to do with you.
Take you dancing, even though I can’t dance at all.
Take you to the range. Go to the movies.
Even running this morning seemed easier with you by my side.
And every day that goes by, I feel closer to you.
It’s scary as hell, if you really want the truth. ”
Ember gave him a wobbly smile. “I know,” she agreed.
“I’m okay taking things one day at a time, but know that there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about you.
Where I’m not hoping I don’t fuck things up by saying or doing the wrong thing.
I was ready to distance myself from you before you showed up.
I knew it would kill me to be just friends.
To only talk on the phone and see you every now and then.
And the thought of you meeting someone else?
It almost destroyed me. Which is crazy, I realize, since we were nothing but friends. ”
“I don’t think we’ve ever been just friends,” Ember said quietly.
“You feel it too.” It wasn’t a question.
But she confirmed it all the same. “I feel it too. It’s why I moved here.
I didn’t want a long-distance relationship with you either.
I felt compelled to come here. To be near you.
I think it was more than luck that the gym was available.
And this apartment. And that Julio and Marie agreed to come help me.
Things have fallen in place for a reason, Craig. I truly believe that.”
“Me too.”
“Right, so…how does it work when you get deployed? Will you just up and be gone one day, or do you get advance notice?”
“I’ll never up and disappear on you,” Craig said seriously.
“Sometimes we only get a few hours’ notice, but we’re always given time to come home and make sure our families are situated before we head out.
Other times we have a few days to a week’s notice.
I’m hoping this time we’ll have at least a day or two to get our shit together before we head out. ”
Ember nodded. “Okay. Can we talk while you’re gone? Like, will you be able to get email and things like that?”
“Usually, no.”
“That sucks, but I get it.”
“It won’t be easy being with me,” Craig reminded her.
“Well, it won’t be easy being with me either,” Ember retorted.
“Wait until we go somewhere and I’m recognized.
It gets kinda crazy sometimes. And I’m gonna be spending a lot of time at my gym.
I need it to be successful, and the best way to make sure that happens is to be there in person overseeing things.
And helping and coaching the kids. I’m looking forward to that more than anything.
So yeah, it’ll suck when you’re gone, but there will be plenty of nights where I’m too busy to do this…
sit around on the couch and talk. Can you handle that? ”
“Yes,” Craig agreed immediately. “I—”
When he cut himself off and didn’t continue, Ember asked, “You what?”
“I’m just overwhelmed. I don’t know how we got here. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy we are, I just sometimes get afraid it’s all an illusion and will disappear in a puff of smoke.”
“Same here,” Ember agreed on a sigh. She was glad it wasn’t just her feeling that way.
Craig looked at his watch and winced. “It’s ten-thirty. I’m sure you have a ton of things planned for tomorrow before I come pick you up to head over to Oz’s.”
Ember nodded. “Yeah. I was going to go for a swim. Then double check to make sure Julio and Marie’s apartments will be ready next week, as promised, and pay the deposits.
Then I have a meeting with a guy who said he has some fencing equipment I could buy.
And I need to stop at the store after we figure out what to bring to the party tomorrow. ”
“I’ll go with you to meet that guy, it’s not safe to go by yourself. And I can go to the store, so you can cross that off your list. I’d invite myself to go swim with you, but that might be pushing my luck.” Craig smiled.
“One of these days, I’ll get brave enough to invite you to spend the night,” Ember blurted.
“When you do, I’ll accept,” Craig said with a tender smile. “Even if that invitation is to sleep here on the couch while you’re in your bed. Make no mistake, I want you, Em. But my desire for you doesn’t overwhelm my need to simply be with you. Near you. Next to you. Does that make sense?”
It did. “Yeah.”
“Good.” Craig stood and held out his hand.
Ember took it and he pulled her to her feet.
He held her hand as they walked to her door.
“I’ll help you replace these locks soon,” he said, eyeing the flimsy chain on the door.
“We’ll add a deadbolt too. It won’t keep someone out if they’re really intent on getting in, but it’ll slow them down. ”
Ember didn’t argue. It was a little discomfiting to go from her parents’ house, which had a state-of-the-art security system, to this apartment with only a doorknob lock and chain.
She’d bought one of those wedge things that went under the door and let out a loud, obnoxious noise if someone tried to enter, but she’d feel better with stronger locks.
Craig turned to her and without a word, Ember went up on her toes. She kissed him hard and deep. Her hands roamed, and when he finally pulled back with a groan, she realized she was gripping his ass as if she never wanted to let go.
“Happy first night in your own place,” Craig said softly.
“Thanks.”
“Call if you need anything.”
“I will.”
“Let me know when you’re meeting with that guy tomorrow. I’ll come and pick you up and we’ll go together. All right?”
“It’s supposed to be at nine-thirty. I looked up the address and it’s not too far from here.”
“Okay. How long will it take? Will we have time to come home and change before we head to Oz’s house?”
There was that we pronoun again. She freaking loved it. “I think so.”
“Good. I’ll see you in the morning then. Sleep well,” Craig said and squeezed her hand.
“You too.”
“Not a chance,” he said with a grin, before opening her door.
Ember grinned back as he headed down the hallway.
She wasn’t going to sleep well either, and it was going to be all his fault.
She wanted Craig. Desperately. But it was obvious he understood that she needed to have this first night in her place by herself.
Needed to truly appreciate being on her own for the first time ever.
But tomorrow? She was ready to move this already-moving-at-light-speed relationship forward.
She wanted to see the long hard cock she’d felt against her belly minutes earlier, up close and personal.
She wanted to feel his calloused hands against her skin.
She wanted to spend the night in his bed, or have him in hers.
She didn’t care which. All she knew was that if she didn’t make love with Craig soon, she was going to explode.
Smiling, Ember locked her door and set up the wedge security alarm at the bottom.
She turned off the lights and headed for her bedroom.
Devyn and Aspen had helped her make the bed earlier so it would be ready for when she went to sleep.
She still needed to go shopping for things like a rug for the bathroom and a shower curtain.
That was partly why she’d decided to swim in the morning; she could shower at the Y.
She was looking forward to putting her apartment together, but she couldn’t help but think about Craig’s house.
It also needed a lot of finishing touches. Rugs, pictures for the walls, pillows.
Ember changed her clothes and climbed under the sheet and comforter.
Grabbing her phone, she checked her IG account.
Now that she was posting her own pictures, she had more of a need to see what her followers thought.
The posts were more personal, more meaningful to her, and she wanted others to see the beauty that was her new world.
Most of the comments were positive, wishing her luck and saying how much they loved the imagery behind the empty parking lot picture she’d posted.
But there were, of course, the angry, hateful comments as well.
Those that said they hoped she crashed and burned, hoped that her new beloved gym burned down.
You’re gonna fail, bitch. And we’ll laugh when you do.
Could you have chosen a worse building?
You’ve stepped on everyone around you to get where you are. You don’t deserve to be happy.
Seeing you flaunt your wealth is sickening.
The only good nigger is a dead nigger.
Seeing the n-word still made her breath catch in surprise and fear. It was hard to believe in this day and age, people still hated someone because of the color of their skin. But then again, it wasn’t all that long ago that Black people had no rights and were actually considered property.
Trying to put the hateful word out of her mind, Ember continued to read the comments, searching out the positive ones and trying to ignore the mean ones.
I love what you’re doing.
You’re truly making a difference in the world.
Can’t wait to see everything when it’s done.
A truly beautiful picture.
I love getting to know the real you.
Ember smiled at that last comment. She liked getting to know the real Ember too.
So far she liked what she’d learned. Clicking off her phone, she put it on the small table next to the bed.
She wanted to focus on the good in the world instead of the hate.
It was harder to do when scrolling through social media, that was for sure.
Making a mental note not to look at comments on her account right before she went to sleep ever again, Ember did her best to think about the new friends she’d made that day and look forward to the ones she’d make tomorrow.
And tomorrow night…well, hopefully she wouldn’t have to say goodbye to Craig at her door. He’d either stay, or he’d invite her to stay at his place. The last thing she thought about before falling asleep was to make sure to pack an overnight bag, just in case.
Alex scowled at the new picture on Ember’s account. And she wasn’t responding to anyone’s comments either. Which just proved how stuck on herself she was. Bitch was pretending to care, when in reality she was just using this new gym venture as another photo opp.
Oh, it was obvious she was going through with it. Buying a building, hiring people to work for her. But the motivation behind Ember’s sudden need to help the disadvantaged seemed disingenuous at best.
She was a huge failure at the Olympics, and all this charity out of nowhere was just her way of making everyone forget how much of a loser she really was.
Not only that, but how fucking wrong was it that she could get her new business up and running so quickly? All she had to do was flash money around and boom! Everyone did her bidding. It was sickening—and just another reason to hate her.
Alex would make sure she didn’t exploit anyone ever again.
Not like she’d done with so many in LA. Everyone who ever worked for her was just a stepping stone to get whatever she wanted.
The coaches, hairdressers, makeup people, photographers, the athletes she trained with, her social media staff…
even her parents. She just took and took, giving nothing in return, then dumped anyone she no longer needed.
It made Alex sick!
Ember Maxwell’s a user—and she can’t just move away, leaving destruction in her wake.
She can’t leave people behind without a second glance. That just isn’t cool.
It isn’t fair!
Frowning, Alex took several deep breaths, trying to make all the voices shut up. They were getting worse, speaking all at once, deliberately being confusing.
Taking one last deep breath, Alex focused on the plan for Ember.
It was time to deal with the bitch.
She wouldn’t know what was coming. There would be no warnings. No reason for her to get suspicious or hire extra security. No. Alex was coming for her—and within a week, she’d be nothing more than a memory.
No more big plans to exploit little kids. No more using everyone around her to make herself look good. No more flaunting her privilege.
Alex would do what needed to be done.
Then everyone would forget all about Ember Maxwell, because she was nothing more than a fake, greedy, money-grubbing, fame-seeking bitch.
Smiling, Alex relaxed. Soon. Within a week, all would be well. Ember would be dead, and all would be right with the world again.