Chapter 46
Chapter Forty-Six
GRAYSON
Marina hands Emma a container of leche frita, insisting she take it. Emma doesn’t hesitate and snatches it, knowing she won’t let us leave without the dessert.
“Thank you, Marina. We’ll see you back in Driscoll next weekend?” my girl asks.
Marina gives Emma a tight hug and pats her back. “I’ll see you both then. And you two.” She points to Wesley and Lainey, who are carrying their to-go bags in both arms. “Visit more often. I won’t live forever.”
Emma and I contain our laughter as my siblings look guiltily at her.
“We promise, Marina,” Wes says, giving her a big hug.
After he moves, Lainey goes in next. “I’ll be back after the season is over. Which isn’t for a couple of months, but if I manage to get any time off, I’ll be here.”
Marina pats her back. “That’s good enough for now.”
Emma is next to give her a hug, then it’s my turn.
“Bye, Marina.” I lean down so she can wrap her arms around me.
Marina smiles at both Emma and me, not closing her door until all four of us disappear from her line of sight.
It’s the second time we’ve eaten in her apartment in the city this month.
We try to see her as often as possible, but between her visits to her family in Spain and her time at the soup kitchen, it’s been tough.
The great thing is, she loves Emma. It’s not much of a surprise, she’s always liked her, but now, because she sees the love we have for each other and the amount of bullshit she’s put up with from my end, she loves her.
I’m pretty sure Marina loves Emma more than she loves me.
The four of us reach the busy streets of the Lower East Side, and Lainey takes a deep breath, turning to Emma and me. “I have to head to the airport, and the doctor here—” She points to Wesley. “—needs to get to the train. We’re already running late.”
“We’ll visit you over spring break if everything pans out,” Emma says before they kiss each other on the cheek.
Wes then tells her a joke and they all laugh while saying their final goodbyes.
I smile, recalling when they first met six days ago.
Lainey and Wes loved her from the second they met her.
She and Wesley argued about how she got accepted into Yale but didn’t go, which sparked a back-and-forth over whether Driscoll or Yale is better.
She and Lainey bonded over music, and after a couple of drinks, we ended up in a huge karaoke bar, singing with strangers.
“Bye, big bro.” Wes claps my back. “Take care of yourself and her. I’m going to plan one hell of a bachelor party in a few years.” I chuckle and tousle his hair.
“No strippers,” Lain yells.
I look at Emma to see her reaction to overhearing Wes’s comment. It isn’t like we haven’t talked about our future, but we’re both career-focused and want to take that part of our lives slow. When I find her eyes, she smiles, knowing a wedding will happen someday, and I can’t wait for when it does.
“All right, Grayson.” Lainey wraps her arms around me and pokes me in the ribs. “Behave while I’m gone.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I brush her off, already missing my siblings.
“I’ll make sure he does,” Emma responds.
They both leave in a cab with one final wave as Emma and I begin to walk.
“You okay?” Emma looks up at me.
I nod. “I’ll miss them, but I’m okay.”
She nods and looks ahead. “I’m stuffed. I can’t even think about taking a bite of this.” She lifts the container of leche frita. I wait for Emma to finish her thought. “At least for another hour.”
“There she is,” I say, wrapping my arm around her shoulders.
Emma rests her head on my chest as we walk through the streets of lower Manhattan, heading to SoHo to do one last check on our place.
There are only two days left before we head back to Driscoll, and the two weeks since I came back have been nothing short of fucking amazing.
I look down at Emma and grin at the bounce of her new curls.
Emma is mine, all mine, and we’ve made the most of the past few weeks and then some. She said she wanted a love that consumed her, but she’s the one who’s consumed me, mind, body, and soul.
I hold her tighter to me, and she tries to wiggle free, laughing beautifully, but I refuse to let go. I can’t get enough of her and never ever want to leave her side again.
We’ve done everything a typical city couple does, plus fucked a ton, and still managed to work. The woman is a damn machine. I have no doubt she’ll be running the newsroom of her choice after she graduates.
Every time we head to the bookstore we haven’t named yet, she isn’t afraid to be stern and ask for what she wants. Emma’s always been the no-bullshit kind of person, and it’s one of the many reasons I fell for her.
The last time she got mad at someone for making a huge mistake, I planned to fix it, but she took charge instead.
After it was resolved, I took her back to my apartment and fucked her on every surface I hadn’t already taken her on.
Not that there were many left. We’ve been at it every day and keep doing it in some public places.
Places where we both have to cover each other’s mouths because I make her scream and she makes me whimper every. Damn. Time.
“What are you thinking about?” she asks as we round the corner toward the store.
Smirking, I tell her the truth. “About the day we did it in the bathroom at the MoMA.”
Emma snorts. “Oh, that was one of our best times. I still can’t believe we pulled it off.”
We enter the bookstore and soon-to-be restaurant, where the construction crew is listening to music that we can hardly hear because of all the noise they’re making. I shake my head at how Emma insisted they play music whenever they needed to, to help reduce their stress.
Her advice is now taken seriously, and they don’t go a day without playing something.
Her curly hair moves as she walks to the general contractor, and they discuss what’s been fixed, built, and decorated since we visited four days ago.
I’m constantly on call, but have hired a trusted project manager who came with a reference from a former colleague of mine.
She and Emma got along right from the start, and she’s been on-site almost every day.
The place is coming together nicely, and everything should be ready in about five months, including the liquor license if all goes well.
The book area with lounge seating is in the back, while the restaurant is at the front.
The bar and some stools separate the two areas.
It’s huge and just what I imagined. I had no disagreements with Emma, and even if she had wanted to paint it neon pink and green, I wouldn’t have cared, as long as I got to see that gorgeous smile of hers.
I lean against the doorframe and stare in awe of her.
Those weeks we spent apart were the worst torture imaginable.
She still doesn’t know how hard it was to stay away from her.
Then again, she also felt the fucking pain I did.
I hated making her wait, and I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of the tiniest bit of guilt that still lingers in the back of my mind, even if she has forgiven me.
Maybe once I’m more integrated into her daily life, I’ll feel better.
And that isn’t me saying I doubt us, because I don’t, haven’t in months.
It’s about her people. She’s comfortable with my siblings and the other people in my life.
She met Jamal and his girlfriend, and, unsurprisingly, they found something in common to talk about, specifically traveling.
She has something in common with everyone close to me, and even if she doesn’t, she still knows how to gauge everyone’s comfort level and then guides the conversation.
She’s amazing.
I, on the other hand, haven’t had a real chance to spend time with Jake because he was in Aspen the entire winter break, according to Emma.
I’ve also seen two pictures of him with a woman in some tabloids.
It seems they can tell when the paparazzi are around, since they haven’t managed to photograph her face once.
It’s strange that she has a friend with such a public life, and after what happened between Emma and me, I can’t help but feel sorry for the poor bastard.
I’d gotten the worst kind of calls after the picture spread. More than threats toward me, they were aimed at Emma and what the sick fuckers wanted to do to her. I’ll never tell her what they said. It’s not something she needs to know, and I’ll protect her from that every day.
I’ve gotten to know Levi, Stevie, Cameron, and Kamila well, and as I’d already suspected, they’re good people. They’re incredible friends to Emma and have been courteous enough to welcome me with open arms…after threatening to kill me if I ever left her again, that is.
I deserved it.
We all went to a concert and spent the rest of the night eating and drinking. Then, when I was drunk enough, Emma convinced me to tell them about my wild college stories. After that, I had their full stamp of approval.
Her dad’s a different story. Paul is slowly warming up to me, while her mom, Kate, was friendly from the beginning. They’re protective of their daughter, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I have a feeling her dad would have been this way with any man Emma chose to be with.
Emma is surrounded by people who love her. Almost everyone who meets Emma instantly loves her. She’s a unique person. She’s a fucking force to be reckoned with and still doesn’t realize how much power she wields.
Taking in a deep breath and snapping out of my haze when Emma gives me a look that says, I’m horny, I check my watch, knowing we won’t have time to do anything because she promised Paul her last two days of vacation. And there is no fucking way I’m getting in between that.
Emma loves her dad, he spoils the hell out of her and has been an excellent example of how a man should treat the woman he loves. He will love me someday, I’ll make sure of it, because whether he hates me or not, I’m marrying this girl one day.
She frowns from across the room and waves her hand to everyone as they stop what they’re doing. Even the crew admires her.
“I’m heading out, but I’ll see you guys soon.” She points to them. “Behave and don’t screw anything major up. We’re trusting you guys to take care of the place.”
Some “Yes, ma’am’s” and “Will do’s” are thrown around along with some farewells. The crew returns to their tasks, and none of the men look at her as she heads my way. They know better than to do that when I fired the last guy who was constantly looking at her ass.
“I’m going to miss you.” She hugs my waist and pouts.
Tracing her jaw with my thumb, I chuckle. “Same here, Princess.” Emma leans into my touch, her eyes heating up and stirring my cock awake in the middle of a busy sidewalk outside the bookstore. “Emma,” I warn her.
“We can find somewhere around here for a quickie.” Her smile is as seductive as her tone.
I already hate myself for what I’m about to say. “I’m sorry, love, but Paul was clear about taking you and your mom out tonight for that concert.” Emma’s bottom lip sticks out again, and I laugh, kissing it and then running my tongue over it discreetly, which only makes things worse for both of us.
“Real quick.” She kisses me again.
Shaking my head no, I say, “Such a stubborn little thing.” I give her one last passionate kiss as everything in me wants nothing but to take her home and not come out for the two days we have left.
Being the first to pull away, Emma’s eyes remain closed. “I hate you for doing that,” she says breathlessly against my lips, and I groan.
“Yeah, me too.”
The sunlight reflects in her light blue eyes, which are full of adoration I most definitely do not deserve but selfishly take.
“I should grab a cab,” she whispers.
Taking out my phone, I request a ride. There’s no way I’m letting her pay for anything when she’s with me. Not unless she somehow beats me to the punch, because as I’ve been saying for months, she’s a stubborn little thing.
We kiss until the ride pulls up seven minutes later, and as soon as she’s out of my arms, I regret letting her go.
On my way to meet up with Jamal—who’s visiting his parents—for a drink, I keep telling myself it’s time for me to fit into the last key part of her life.