“How did you find out already?”

“Cece told her father after your phone call to her this morning, then Paul called your father. He figured he had a right to know.”

I’ll bet the motherfucker already knew.

“I was planning on telling you. It happened late last night and I’m fine. I…”

“We weren’t worried if you were fine.”

My blood heats at not only the asshole comment, but at the sound of her father’s voice again after all this time.

I hear Em sigh. “No, I suppose you wouldn’t be.”

“Oh stop the pity party, Emily!”

Okay, fuck this! Her mother’s words have me standing.

“You need to pack your stuff, you’re moving back home immediately!” her father demands.

“Like hell she is.” Everyone’s gaze snaps to me as I enter the room. Emily watches me in trepidation, her mother stares at me in shock, but it quickly morphs to disapproval as she looks me up and down, taking in my half-naked state. I have to admit it’s awkward not having a shirt on for this, but I don’t let it deter me.

Ignoring everyone else in the room for the moment, I focus on the one person I have hated for so long, the one who took away the only thing I’ve ever loved.

“Mr. Jameson, we meet again,” he greets calmly, but there is no denying the silent fury in his eyes.

“Unfortunately.” I walk over to Emily and pull her against me. “You all right, baby?”

“Yes,” she responds quietly.

Her mother harrumphs. “This is a family matter, both you and Rosa need to leave.”

“No, they don’t,” Emily cuts in angrily. “Rosa is a part of this family, and…”

“It’s all right, Miss Emily. I should be going anyway. I just wanted to stop in and make sure you were all right. Call me later, sweetheart.” She walks over and gives her a quick kiss then glances at Emily’s father cautiously on her way to the door. “I will see you on Thursday for the dinner party, sir.”

He nods while Emily’s mother glares at her until she’s out the door. “It’s ridiculous how that woman babies you.”

“She does not, and you had no right to kick her out of my house.”

“This isn’t your house,” her father cuts in. “It belongs to a business associate of mine and I pay for it.”

“Only because you enforced it. I didn’t want your money then and I still don’t. I can live somewhere else off my own income.”

“Stop being ungrateful!” her mother snaps. “We weren’t about to let you go slumming, but it looks like you did anyway.” She sneers and flickers a disapproving glance my way, making her intention loud and clear.

I smirk, letting her know I don’t give a shit what she thinks, but her words piss Emily off. “Don’t talk about him like that. If all you did was come here to fight then you can leave.”

“We came here because you are coming back home with us,” her father says again.

“No, I’m not.”

He points his finger at her. “I warned you yesterday, and you didn’t listen. The decision was made the moment you sent Kyle alone to that dinner last night.”

“And I told you I will have nothing to do with him. I am twenty-four-years-old, you can’t force me to live with you and you can’t force me to see Kyle.”

“I can and I will!”

I’m just about to intervene and tell the asshole to back off when Emily lets out a frustrated huff and moves toward the door. I see him reach for her but I intercept him just before he can grab her arm. I push him hard enough that he stumbles back into the wall. Her mother gasps but I don’t take my eyes off him.

“Don’t you put your fucking hands on her.”

He straightens from the wall, shock and rage contorting his expression. “If I were you, Mr. Jameson, I’d remember who you are dealing with. What I said six years ago hasn’t changed.”

“Wrong, old man, a lot has changed. For one, I’m not a helpless kid anymore.”

He smirks. “Yes, Emily said something about you having money now, and being successful. I’m glad to know my check helped get you there.”

I start toward him, my temper spiking hot and fast. “You’re a fucking liar and she knows it.”

Emily jumps in front of me and puts a shaking hand on my chest. “Ryder, please. He’s only trying to bait you.” She turns back to her father. “Leave, now! Ryder is a part of my life again, whether you like it or not, and I meant what I said yesterday – if you can’t respect that then don’t contact me again.”

He stares back at her furiously. “We aren’t done here, Emily.”

“Yes, you are, now get the fuck out before I throw you out!”

I start thinking I’m going to have to do exactly that, but thankfully the prick comes to his senses. “Let’s go, Caroline.”

Emily’s mother follows him out the door but then turns around for one final blow. “You have always been nothing but an embarrassment, but this, Emily, is…” Before the bitch can finish I slam the door in her face.

Turning around, I see Emily staring at me, her hands on either side of her pale face. “Oh my god, I can’t believe you just put your hands on my father like that.”

I’m trying to tell if she’s mad or just shocked. “So do you think I blew my chance of getting invited over for supper?”

She stares at me incredulously then bursts out laughing, but it quickly trails off into a sob and she covers her face. “This is such a mess.”

Walking over, I pull her against me. “I know, baby, but I’m not sorry. I saw him reach for you and there was no way in hell I was going to let him touch you.”

She looks up at me, her pretty, ice blue eyes sad and scared. “That’s how mad he got at me yesterday. I’ve dealt with his anger before, but…” She trails off and shakes her head.

I think about the way her father went after her. “I need to ask you something, Em, and I want you to tell me the truth, no matter what.”

“All right,” she responds hesitantly, clearly nervous for what I’m about to ask.

“Has he ever hurt you before? I mean physically, in anyway.” I’m praying she says no, but something flickers in her eyes, something that tells me I’m not going to like what I’m about to hear.

“Just once – the day I waited for you at the well.”

A dangerous violence rushes through me, but I try really fucking hard to rein it in. “What did he do?”

She visibly swallows, and it takes her a moment to answer. “When he showed up and told me you took the money, I told him he was lying. It turned into a horrible fight. I refused to leave with him, because I said you would come, that you wouldn’t leave me.” A stark pain washes over her expression, the sight hitting me like a physical blow to the chest. “He grabbed my arm and tried dragging me into his car, but I refused to go. I was screaming for you, thinking you were going to come and he slapped me across the face, hard enough that it knocked me back. I didn’t even sense the blow coming and I never expected it because he had never hit me before.”

Guilt consumes me and I grind my teeth so hard from the pain in my chest that my jaw fucking aches. I frame her tear-streaked face between my hands and drop my forehead to hers. “I swear he’s going to fucking pay for this, Emily.”

Her breath catches as she struggles to speak. “The pain I felt from his hand was nothing compared to the agony in my chest at knowing you left and you were never coming back.”

Those words are almost enough to bring me to my knees. A sob escapes her as she pulls away from me and runs to her room. I let her go, frozen to my spot. For the first time since coming back, I fear that I’m not going to be able to fix this and I won’t get back the only girl who’s ever mattered to me.

Chapter 15

Emily

Later that evening I wake up with a minor headache from the cry fest I had earlier. I literally cried until exhaustion gripped ahold of me and didn’t let go. I slept most of the day away. Looking around, I see Summer isn’t with me, and a blanket is draped over my body that wasn’t there before. I quickly realize Ryder must have come in to check on me. Guilt instantly plagues me as I think about what I said to him earlier. I don’t want to keep bringing up the past. I really do believe he only left because he felt like he had no other choice, but I still have so many scars from all of it. I’m terrified to trust him and give him my heart again. Although, I fear he already has it. I think he always has.