beginning because neither of them ever
really wanted to stop it from happening.
They'd never had a
choice.
Dear Emily,
The earth moved.
Chapter 7
Amy slept better than
she had in years. Her body
fit perfectly against Jack's as they slept, wrapped up in
each other, under the covers. The phone rang and Amy hesitated
before answering. Did she want to answer a phone call from her
mother while she was in Jack's bed?
No.
Reluctantly, she pushed up from the
mattress. Jack squeezed her arm but didn't try to stop her. “Seems
important,” he said. Considering it was her
mother's third try in a row, he was right.
She pulled on the first article of
clothing she found, one of Chase's t-shirts that hung to
her mid-thighs and left the room.
“Surprise!” Her mother said from the
other side of the phone. “We're here.”
Amy broke out in sweat,
and it felt as if her stomach had dropped.
“Here where?” Chase exited the bedroom, wearing basketball shorts
and a t-shirt.
“At your apartment, we came to visit
you. Open the door.”
Then they heard the
knock on the door. “You're outside the door?” Amy asked.
“That's what a surprise is,
right?” Her mother said. “Amy?”
“I'll be right there,” she said.
She ended the phone call and stared at Jack with wide eyes.
“You have to hide.”
Jack stood taller, with
a look for fierce determination in his eyes. “No, I'm not
hiding, and you're not lying anymore,” he whispered.
“Are you crazy?” she asked.
He kissed her hard and fast.
“Go get dressed. Everything is going to be
okay.”
“You don't know that,” she
said, shaking her
head. But he was already heading to the
front door.
Rather than having her
parents see her in Jack's T-shirt, and nothing else, she
dove for the bedroom door and closed it behind
her just in time before Jack Harper opened the front door
to her parents.
Safe in her bedroom, Amy dressed
in a flurry of movement. She threw on jeans and a tank top as
she heard Jack say, “Mr. and Mrs. Knight.”
“I don't understand,” her mother
said.
Amy entered the living room, as
Jack was asking them to sit down.
“No, I think I'll stand,” her father
said.
“Amy, what's going on here?” her mother
asked.
Amy sputtered nonsensically.
“Mrs. Knight, I'd like to
speak with you and your husband, please.” Jack said.
Amy felt her chest go tight.
She had to have known this would happen
and she'd tried to prevent it. She
should have known there was no stopping
this. She should have known the truth would come
out eventually.
Secrets bring a cost.
Amy's worlds were colliding
and there was nothing she could do
about it.
“What are you doing here? In Amy's
apartment?” Her father went to his wife to place his hands on her
shoulders, shielding her as if she were weak.
“Sir, this is my apartment. Amy and
I have been living together for a few months now and she
hasn't told you because she was worried about what you
would say. But I want you to know that I
care about her a lot and I'd like to be a part of her
life.”
Amy had to remind herself to
breathe as she divided a look between her parents and
Jack Harper.
“I don't understand.” Carol said to
Amy.
“Mr. Knight,” Jack said. “I'm in love
with your daughter.” He looked at Amy when he said this
and she felt sick and lightheaded because
she felt the same way too.
“What do you mean?” her mother said,
her voice high and bordering on hysterical.
Her father stepped forward and for a
moment Amy worried this was going to turn
physical.
“She's nineteen and she's supposed to
be focusing on school. How could you take advantage of
her like this? Not to mention how inappropriate this is. Her sister
is dead. What sort of man are you?”
Jack's hands were in fists at his side.
“I'm the kind of man that took your daughter in when
she was at her lowest.
really wanted to stop it from happening.
They'd never had a
choice.
Dear Emily,
The earth moved.
Chapter 7
Amy slept better than
she had in years. Her body
fit perfectly against Jack's as they slept, wrapped up in
each other, under the covers. The phone rang and Amy hesitated
before answering. Did she want to answer a phone call from her
mother while she was in Jack's bed?
No.
Reluctantly, she pushed up from the
mattress. Jack squeezed her arm but didn't try to stop her. “Seems
important,” he said. Considering it was her
mother's third try in a row, he was right.
She pulled on the first article of
clothing she found, one of Chase's t-shirts that hung to
her mid-thighs and left the room.
“Surprise!” Her mother said from the
other side of the phone. “We're here.”
Amy broke out in sweat,
and it felt as if her stomach had dropped.
“Here where?” Chase exited the bedroom, wearing basketball shorts
and a t-shirt.
“At your apartment, we came to visit
you. Open the door.”
Then they heard the
knock on the door. “You're outside the door?” Amy asked.
“That's what a surprise is,
right?” Her mother said. “Amy?”
“I'll be right there,” she said.
She ended the phone call and stared at Jack with wide eyes.
“You have to hide.”
Jack stood taller, with
a look for fierce determination in his eyes. “No, I'm not
hiding, and you're not lying anymore,” he whispered.
“Are you crazy?” she asked.
He kissed her hard and fast.
“Go get dressed. Everything is going to be
okay.”
“You don't know that,” she
said, shaking her
head. But he was already heading to the
front door.
Rather than having her
parents see her in Jack's T-shirt, and nothing else, she
dove for the bedroom door and closed it behind
her just in time before Jack Harper opened the front door
to her parents.
Safe in her bedroom, Amy dressed
in a flurry of movement. She threw on jeans and a tank top as
she heard Jack say, “Mr. and Mrs. Knight.”
“I don't understand,” her mother
said.
Amy entered the living room, as
Jack was asking them to sit down.
“No, I think I'll stand,” her father
said.
“Amy, what's going on here?” her mother
asked.
Amy sputtered nonsensically.
“Mrs. Knight, I'd like to
speak with you and your husband, please.” Jack said.
Amy felt her chest go tight.
She had to have known this would happen
and she'd tried to prevent it. She
should have known there was no stopping
this. She should have known the truth would come
out eventually.
Secrets bring a cost.
Amy's worlds were colliding
and there was nothing she could do
about it.
“What are you doing here? In Amy's
apartment?” Her father went to his wife to place his hands on her
shoulders, shielding her as if she were weak.
“Sir, this is my apartment. Amy and
I have been living together for a few months now and she
hasn't told you because she was worried about what you
would say. But I want you to know that I
care about her a lot and I'd like to be a part of her
life.”
Amy had to remind herself to
breathe as she divided a look between her parents and
Jack Harper.
“I don't understand.” Carol said to
Amy.
“Mr. Knight,” Jack said. “I'm in love
with your daughter.” He looked at Amy when he said this
and she felt sick and lightheaded because
she felt the same way too.
“What do you mean?” her mother said,
her voice high and bordering on hysterical.
Her father stepped forward and for a
moment Amy worried this was going to turn
physical.
“She's nineteen and she's supposed to
be focusing on school. How could you take advantage of
her like this? Not to mention how inappropriate this is. Her sister
is dead. What sort of man are you?”
Jack's hands were in fists at his side.
“I'm the kind of man that took your daughter in when
she was at her lowest.