a chance of that no matter what you do in life. Fuck, the kindergarten teacher from the school up the road could walk outside and get hit by a car. Drive-bys. Hostage situations. Fire. Car accident.” I tick things off on my fingers until I know he’s heard enough. “Life’s full of uncertainties and it doesn’t matter what you do for a livin’. But the difference with Emerson is that she knows that. You don’t have to tell her because she’s willingly been on the unsafe side of that line. She’s lived it. She’s breathed it. Do you really think she does anythin’ without thinkin’ about it first?”
“No, Emerson’s a calculated person. I don’t think she even breathes without thinkin’ about it first.”
“Exactly. She doesn’t need to have you tell her what she can and can’t do because she’s probably already overanalyzing it in her head. What she needs is a friend that will stand behind her decisions and be there when she needs them. I’m not sayin’ that anythin’ is gonna happen between us. What I’m tellin’ you is that you don’t get a choice in it.”
Pushing off the sidewalk, I wait for him to stand up with me before heading toward the building.
“Still don’t like it,” he grumbles.
I laugh, pulling the door back for him. “Good thing you don’t have to.” I’m actually starting to feel like it was a good idea for him to storm out when I pulled in. If we hadn’t gotten this out of the way it would have built up all day and I would have exploded. It would have been like my balls were this morning all over again, just not as pleasant of an outcome. I head toward the locker room as he veers toward the offices but I stop when he yells my name. I turn and look at him.
“If anything happens and you hurt her they won’t even need a body bag because they’ll never find you. Understand?”
I nod, trying not to smile at him. “Yeah, man. I got it. I don’t doubt it for a second, either.”
I don’t know what the future holds for us, or if there even is a future. What I do know is I don’t plan on hurting her either way and if I see myself heading that way, I’ll end it before I can hurt her more. I refuse to be the old Gentry when it comes to Emerson because she deserves better than that.
EMERSON
The last time I was in front of this house I was here to say goodbye to my best friend and got the door slammed in my face. I knew she was mad at me because I was part of the reason she changed her routine and she blamed herself for the death of her husband, which means she blamed me. I should have known better than to mess with routine considering the fact that I need one for my life to run smoothly. I don’t know why I did it, but I was tired of watching her scramble at the last minute to get ready for him. Watching her break when she got the news was a million times worse, though, and I’ll never forgive myself for everything that happened.
I couldn’t get myself to come by yesterday after Gentry left. I couldn’t come here with my mind swirling the way it was. It’s not fair to show up with my mind on a guy. It’s not, but I don’t see the thought of him going away any time soon and I know it isn’t right to put this off any longer.
Taking a deep breath, I slide out of the truck and adjust my sling strap as I climb the stairs to the house. It takes everything I have in me to work up the courage to knock on the door, but I finally do. Everything about this place makes me sad even though most of the things I think about when I see it are happy. They all involve Brett and knowing I won’t see him when the door opens is hard. That thought continues to overpower all the good things and I don’t see that changing any time soon.
I’ve almost given up hope on Ari opening the door when it creaks open. What’s in front of me isn’t the girl that I’ve been best friends with for years, but a shell of her. Her skin doesn’t look like she’s been outside since I
“No, Emerson’s a calculated person. I don’t think she even breathes without thinkin’ about it first.”
“Exactly. She doesn’t need to have you tell her what she can and can’t do because she’s probably already overanalyzing it in her head. What she needs is a friend that will stand behind her decisions and be there when she needs them. I’m not sayin’ that anythin’ is gonna happen between us. What I’m tellin’ you is that you don’t get a choice in it.”
Pushing off the sidewalk, I wait for him to stand up with me before heading toward the building.
“Still don’t like it,” he grumbles.
I laugh, pulling the door back for him. “Good thing you don’t have to.” I’m actually starting to feel like it was a good idea for him to storm out when I pulled in. If we hadn’t gotten this out of the way it would have built up all day and I would have exploded. It would have been like my balls were this morning all over again, just not as pleasant of an outcome. I head toward the locker room as he veers toward the offices but I stop when he yells my name. I turn and look at him.
“If anything happens and you hurt her they won’t even need a body bag because they’ll never find you. Understand?”
I nod, trying not to smile at him. “Yeah, man. I got it. I don’t doubt it for a second, either.”
I don’t know what the future holds for us, or if there even is a future. What I do know is I don’t plan on hurting her either way and if I see myself heading that way, I’ll end it before I can hurt her more. I refuse to be the old Gentry when it comes to Emerson because she deserves better than that.
EMERSON
The last time I was in front of this house I was here to say goodbye to my best friend and got the door slammed in my face. I knew she was mad at me because I was part of the reason she changed her routine and she blamed herself for the death of her husband, which means she blamed me. I should have known better than to mess with routine considering the fact that I need one for my life to run smoothly. I don’t know why I did it, but I was tired of watching her scramble at the last minute to get ready for him. Watching her break when she got the news was a million times worse, though, and I’ll never forgive myself for everything that happened.
I couldn’t get myself to come by yesterday after Gentry left. I couldn’t come here with my mind swirling the way it was. It’s not fair to show up with my mind on a guy. It’s not, but I don’t see the thought of him going away any time soon and I know it isn’t right to put this off any longer.
Taking a deep breath, I slide out of the truck and adjust my sling strap as I climb the stairs to the house. It takes everything I have in me to work up the courage to knock on the door, but I finally do. Everything about this place makes me sad even though most of the things I think about when I see it are happy. They all involve Brett and knowing I won’t see him when the door opens is hard. That thought continues to overpower all the good things and I don’t see that changing any time soon.
I’ve almost given up hope on Ari opening the door when it creaks open. What’s in front of me isn’t the girl that I’ve been best friends with for years, but a shell of her. Her skin doesn’t look like she’s been outside since I
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