up.
Jacob could tell that his brother wanted to make a smart-mouthed comment, but he refrained.
"I'll be doing better after they get this damn tube out of my nose. I'm ready to remove it myself. It's irritating the hell out of me." Jacob couldn't stand it. His mouth felt like sandpaper and he wasn't allowed to drink anything yet.
"The doc said your stomach has to stay empty so your wounds can heal. Perhaps you can teach it how to be a slacker like the rest of you." Sean rolled up a magazine and gently tapped his brother's leg.
Jacob wanted to ask about Emma, but he didn't know how to bring it up. With Sean at his side, he knew that Tyler, Vincent, and Emma, were trying to keep an eye on Brian and Renee.
"I'll give you less than three cents for your thoughts, Bro," Sean teased.
"Is Emma doing alright? I haven't seen her." Jacob hoped his brother wouldn't read too much into the question, though it wasn't a secret that the pretty redhead wanted to choke the crap out of him.
"She's with Brian. Let me swap places with her for a few." Sean picked up his phone from the nightstand and called Emma.
"You didn't have to do that," said Jacob, though he was happy he did.
"I'll meet her in the hall. That way Brian isn't left alone, because the detectives have been hounding him. I'll be back." He turned and walked out the door.
Jacob felt so bad about the kid. He couldn't imagine being in his shoes, knowing that the cops could haul him back to his parents. Somewhere along the way, the Montclairs had become more focused on Brian's safety, rather than on him being a witness. But Jacob had no doubt that Brian, even if faced with dire circumstances, would walk into a courtroom to save Tyler. Besides, he'd risked his own life and possible capture, just to ensure Renee's safety, which said a lot about the kid's character.
"Jacob?" Emma walked inside the room, cautiously.
"Hey, Em. I hadn't seen you and wanted to make sure you were okay. I didn't mean to pull you away from Brian," Jacob could feel his cheeks getting warm. Here she was, seeing him at his worst, and yet she walked closer to him than she had in years.
She stopped at the side of his bed and bowed her head.
"Look at me, Emma, and tell me what's wrong?" Jacob feared that something had happened to Renee.
"I can't," she whispered. "Give me a minute." Emma choked on a sob as tears spilled down her cheeks.
"Shhh," said Jacob, as he reached through the railing and held her hand.
She immediately wrapped both of her hands around his, and then lowered her face so she could press her cheek against him.
Jacob wished he could get up and hold her. With his other hand, he reached up and placed his palm against the side of her hair, trying to hug her the best way he could.
"I thought—I'm sorry…" Emma sobbed. "Forgive me, please. I shouldn't have been so angry for all this time…to never see you again. Oh, Jacob, I'm so, so sorry." She squeezed his hand even tighter.
"We're all alive for a reason. Sean told me some of what you went through, and how hard you tried to help us in the back of the van. Thank you…you're a fighter, Emma. We all are." Jacob pulled her down closer to him so he could wipe the tears from her face. Each time he'd tried to talk to her in the past, to clear the atmosphere between them, she'd become angry and was cold as ice. Jacob couldn't risk never having another chance to discuss what had happened. "I didn't know why you were so angry with me. After I saw you that evening in the restaurant, things changed between us. If I offended you with my flirting, I apologize. I'm not normally like that." He hoped she wouldn't storm out of the room.
"This is embarrassing for me to talk about, Jacob." Emma slowly stood up straight, releasing his hand. "I got an email from you, inviting me out for dinner. By the time I got home, I was so excited. Normally I don't have a reason to try to make myself pretty, but that night…" Emma turned her back and waited a moment
Jacob could tell that his brother wanted to make a smart-mouthed comment, but he refrained.
"I'll be doing better after they get this damn tube out of my nose. I'm ready to remove it myself. It's irritating the hell out of me." Jacob couldn't stand it. His mouth felt like sandpaper and he wasn't allowed to drink anything yet.
"The doc said your stomach has to stay empty so your wounds can heal. Perhaps you can teach it how to be a slacker like the rest of you." Sean rolled up a magazine and gently tapped his brother's leg.
Jacob wanted to ask about Emma, but he didn't know how to bring it up. With Sean at his side, he knew that Tyler, Vincent, and Emma, were trying to keep an eye on Brian and Renee.
"I'll give you less than three cents for your thoughts, Bro," Sean teased.
"Is Emma doing alright? I haven't seen her." Jacob hoped his brother wouldn't read too much into the question, though it wasn't a secret that the pretty redhead wanted to choke the crap out of him.
"She's with Brian. Let me swap places with her for a few." Sean picked up his phone from the nightstand and called Emma.
"You didn't have to do that," said Jacob, though he was happy he did.
"I'll meet her in the hall. That way Brian isn't left alone, because the detectives have been hounding him. I'll be back." He turned and walked out the door.
Jacob felt so bad about the kid. He couldn't imagine being in his shoes, knowing that the cops could haul him back to his parents. Somewhere along the way, the Montclairs had become more focused on Brian's safety, rather than on him being a witness. But Jacob had no doubt that Brian, even if faced with dire circumstances, would walk into a courtroom to save Tyler. Besides, he'd risked his own life and possible capture, just to ensure Renee's safety, which said a lot about the kid's character.
"Jacob?" Emma walked inside the room, cautiously.
"Hey, Em. I hadn't seen you and wanted to make sure you were okay. I didn't mean to pull you away from Brian," Jacob could feel his cheeks getting warm. Here she was, seeing him at his worst, and yet she walked closer to him than she had in years.
She stopped at the side of his bed and bowed her head.
"Look at me, Emma, and tell me what's wrong?" Jacob feared that something had happened to Renee.
"I can't," she whispered. "Give me a minute." Emma choked on a sob as tears spilled down her cheeks.
"Shhh," said Jacob, as he reached through the railing and held her hand.
She immediately wrapped both of her hands around his, and then lowered her face so she could press her cheek against him.
Jacob wished he could get up and hold her. With his other hand, he reached up and placed his palm against the side of her hair, trying to hug her the best way he could.
"I thought—I'm sorry…" Emma sobbed. "Forgive me, please. I shouldn't have been so angry for all this time…to never see you again. Oh, Jacob, I'm so, so sorry." She squeezed his hand even tighter.
"We're all alive for a reason. Sean told me some of what you went through, and how hard you tried to help us in the back of the van. Thank you…you're a fighter, Emma. We all are." Jacob pulled her down closer to him so he could wipe the tears from her face. Each time he'd tried to talk to her in the past, to clear the atmosphere between them, she'd become angry and was cold as ice. Jacob couldn't risk never having another chance to discuss what had happened. "I didn't know why you were so angry with me. After I saw you that evening in the restaurant, things changed between us. If I offended you with my flirting, I apologize. I'm not normally like that." He hoped she wouldn't storm out of the room.
"This is embarrassing for me to talk about, Jacob." Emma slowly stood up straight, releasing his hand. "I got an email from you, inviting me out for dinner. By the time I got home, I was so excited. Normally I don't have a reason to try to make myself pretty, but that night…" Emma turned her back and waited a moment
Similar Books
