Emmalee (25 page)
With a crooked smile I pulled myself together and sat up straight.
“I hope you have a wonderful time in Phoenix. You’ll
be missed.”
More than you know.
Chase guardedly scanned my features. He knew what I was doing.
“Thanks.”
That was it. Our conversation was over. We both knew it.
What more could either of us say? One needed to leave and the
other needed them to stay—but neither could really compromise.
We were doomed. I quickly blotted out the vision of me with
knitting needles and cats and shrugged my way out of his jacket.
“Do you want me to take you home?” he asked as I handed
it to him.
“No.” I smiled a quick smile and then looked down at my
hands.
“Do you know how to drive a stick?”
What?
“Yeah.”
“Here.” He set me down in front of the wheel and
swung my legs down in front of me. “Drive this.
It’s already warm. You can park it at your house and I’ll
pick it up in the morning. I’ll drive yours. Did
you bring Hannah with you?”
Hannah?
“Hannah!”
I had
forgotten all about her!
“Yes. Yes I did.”
“Don’t worry.” Chase stilled my hands from
reaching for the door. “It’s no big deal.
I’ll take her home in your car.”
Why does he have to be so great?
“Okay,
thanks.” I looked down at the hands he was holding and
then back up at him.
It was time to go. Chase knew it and I knew it—but still
he stayed where he was. My heart pounded in my throat when I
caught the familiar gleam sparkle to life in his eye. Slowly he
raised one hand and brushed an errant curl off my face.
That was all it took.
I don’t know who moved first—or what exactly happened—all
I know was I was wrapped up in his arms and he was kissing me again.
Really kissing me! It was wonderful! It was horrible!
Our last farewell, bon voyage kiss. It was the worst, most
miserable thing to do to a girl—yet the most delicious and
precious and needed moment in all history.
He broke away first. It had to have been him. There was
no way I would’ve.
With a deep shaky gasp of air Chase
shook his head and stared at me while muttering, “How could
anything so wrong for me, feel that good?” Just before he
opened the door and slammed himself out he asked the roof, “I’m
being punished, aren’t I?”
No, I
am.
Chapter 24
So what do I have to do to get a hug
out of you?
I was in trouble. I knew it. The second I woke up.
Mom is gonna kill me.
The old me would’ve rolled
onto my other side and put this off as long as possible, pretending
like I was still asleep.
But this was the new me. It
took eighteen years to get to this point, it’s time I faced my
actions.
With a sigh I rolled out of bed.
I was out of the shower and dressed in record time. I didn’t
bother with makeup. –So no makeup was hard, but I really didn’t
want to hide behind anything anymore. It wasn’t worth
it. I was who I was and Chase was right. It was time I
faced myself. All of me. The real me. Emmalee
Glumm. No more hiding behind a fancy last name, my stepdad’s
money, or my killer smile.
If I’m lucky by the time
this day is over, I may still have a few friends left—but then
again, maybe not.
One thing was for certain, whoever chose
to stay by me I would never take them for granted again.
I could hear Mom in the kitchen as I tripped lightly down the
stairs. Another deep breath by the doorway gave me the courage
to face what was within.
“Hey, Mom.”
She looked up, glancing over my very normal looking clothes and face
before dumping a whole slew of fruit into the blender. She
didn’t say a word as she turned it on, the loud chopping noise
filling the room. I sat down at one of the bar stools, not sure
what to do. After a couple of more seconds Mom turned off the
blender and poured herself a tall glass of smoothie. When she
turned and saw me still in the kitchen she poured me one as well and
brought it over.
Her peace offering before the riot act, made me feel even guiltier
than I already did. “Thanks,” I mumbled as I took a
sip.
She watched me suspiciously as she
took a long drink of hers. When she set her glass back on the
counter Mom finally spoke.
“Well, dear, what do you have to say for yourself?”
Nothing. Everything
. “I’m sorry,
Mom. I’m really sorry.”
“Are you?” She didn’t look convinced.
All at once I felt unbelievably small. I nodded my head and
looked down at my smoothie.
“Dang it, Emmalee!” Mom was used to me arguing with
her. She was ready for a fight. “Do you have any
idea what type of mess you left me with last night? How
humiliating that was for me and
our
guests? Could you
have behaved any worse?” What started out as a frustrated
voice quickly escalated into an all out yell. “Honestly,
I want to know! Could you have?”
My stepdad ran up from the basement to see what was wrong. One
look at me in the kitchen and he quickly stepped forward and wrapped
his arm around his wife’s waist to show his support.
Yep. That’s me. I’m the monster who’s
so evil people have to come in pairs to attack.
My finger
roamed around the top of the glass and I shook my head. “I’m
sorry Mom and Dad.” I looked up at both of them. “I
know I was awful last night, I know it. It’s haunted me
for hours now.”
Adrian spoke in a gentler voice.
“Honey, this isn’t something you can blow off.
People were genuinely offended. It was really bad.”
He looked down at my mom and patted her shoulder. “Actually
it was so bad, we’re thinking of cancelling the balls
altogether.”
“What? No! You can’t do that. Mom loves
them.”
“Emmalee, I don’t think anyone will come next year, even
if I did throw one.”
Was it really that bad
?
Mom leaned forward and warily rubbed her face. “You know,
when you tell the future in-laws of the Anderson’s to shut-up,
that’s basically social suicide. Emma, it’s over.
You are going to have to grow up. I didn’t think it could
get much worse when you practically forced Chase to kiss you in the
middle of that dance—”
I winced.
“—but, I was wrong. I have never seen tears like
those of young Claire Hart. Never. The few people who
didn’t hear your unfortunate outburst quickly heard an
exaggerated version in no time. Thank goodness only a select
few—from what we can tell,” she glanced up at Adrian for
conformation, “had actually witnessed your—uh—kisses
with Chase.”
Adrian cleared his throat and I knew what was coming next
wouldn’t be pretty. “We’ve talked it over,
Emma, and your mother and I have come to the conclusion that you
should be treated the same way that you treated Claire last night.”
What in the—?
“What does that mean?”
My mom jumped in. “It means dear that if you think Claire is
too young and immature to have access to certain places and
information, then so are you.”
This doesn’t sound good.
“Okay?”
“As of today you lose the following privileges: No phone,
no internet—unless for schoolwork, no car, no
dates/parties/sleepovers—”
“Oh my gosh! Are you kidding me?” I nearly
spilled my smoothie. “Come on, isn’t that being a
bit overdramatic? I never told her she couldn’t do all
those things, I only told her to keep her mouth shut!”
“She’s arguing,” observed my stepdad. “You
said she would argue, but I didn’t believe you.” He
patted my mom on the shoulder. “Okay then, I won’t
stop you; you can take her final privilege away.”
What does he mean?
By the look on my mom’s face,
I knew it was bad. All of the sudden I got a sinking feeling in
the pit of my stomach. “Mom, what is he talking about?”
She sighed and wrapped her arms around herself—
never a good
sign
. “Emma, we did think of one more thing, in case
you didn’t see the seriousness of the situation. One more
privilege that we have granted you, that we feel you may not be
mature enough to handle right now. I was so angry last night I
was going to take it away from you right then—along with the
rest—but Adrian convinced me to wait and see how you reacted
first. To see if you were remorseful enough.”
What is it?
“I am remorseful! I promise
you, I am! I’ve changed so much from last night you
wouldn’t even recognize me.”
Sadly my mom shook her head and
remained firm. Whatever people had said the night before
must’ve been just awful; I could see the steel light in her eye
from across the counter. But honestly, I’d never thought
she’d be that cruel, until she actually said,
“Bring Clementine down. She’s going back to
theAndersons today.”
What?
“Emma, you’ve lost the privilege of owning a puppy.”
“NO!”
“Yes.”
“Mom, no. Please, you can’t. Please, mom!”
It’s all I have of Chase.
“Emmalee Elaine, go
now.
If you bring the dog
down immediately, I will let you take her over there yourself.
But, if she isn’t down here in five minutes, I’ll do it
for you.”
I ran. What else was I supposed to do? I was the new
Emmalee. The Emmalee Glumm that didn’t get special
privileges or rights. The realization of what I had done hit me
then, really hit me. In one stupid, weak moment I had lost
everything. Literally, everything I have ever loved or
cherished beyond my family.
Once I got to my room and saw little Clem sleeping in her bed, I
burst into tears. The last thing I wanted to do was take her
over to the Andersons myself, but I would always regret it if I
didn’t say a proper goodbye. Carefully I collected as
many of her things as I could find and sat them in the bed next to
her. I threw my jacket on and hefted up the doggy bed. I
carried her down the stairs and out the back door, that my mom held
open for me.
Gingerly I made my way up through my
backyard, to the Andersons, and then up their porch to the back
door. The knock sounded as hollow as my heart. I waited.
A couple of minutes later Mrs. Anderson opened the door.
“Come in, Emma. Your mom called to say you were coming.”
She gave me a knowing look.
Dang, there are days I really
wish she wasn’t my mom’s best friend.
I just
smiled a sort of half smile in response.
“Well, Georgia’s going
to be real happy.” I could tell she was trying to lighten
the mood.
I had to give her points for
trying. “I’m glad. I’m sure going to
miss her.” At the sound of my voice Clementine woke up
and bounded into my chest.
Ahh!
“Here, let me take the bed
from you. You keep the puppy and I’ll follow you up
toGeorgia’s room.”
“Thanks.” I chuckled when Clem eagerly kissed me.
I couldn’t see Chase anywhere. I was afraid to ask if he
was around.
No use bringing up anymore reminders of last
night. Unless—?
As I started up one side of
the large double cascading staircase, I decided to put my new Emmalee
Glumm to the test.
“I’m really sorry about
last night, Mrs. Anderson.” I kept walking, not looking
back to see her reaction. I wasn’t that brave.
Instead, I quickly filled in before she could say anything. “I
don’t know what you saw or heard, but I am terribly sorry if
you were offended by any of my actions. And I hope you never
blame my parents for my—uh, stupidity.”
“That was very well said, Emma.” Chase’s mom
seemed surprised. So surprised she generously added, “I
hope this will all pass over quickly, for your sake.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled again. Not sure what else to
say.
Georgia was in her room when we got
there. “Emma! Emma!” she squealed as she ran
over to me. “You did bring her!”
Her enthusiasm totally made up for a lot of remorse I was
having. I mean, if Clementine’s gotta go somewhere it
might as well be to someone who loves her.
“Can I hold her? Please, please, please?”
“Sure.” I smiled and bent down to hand the wiggling puppy
over. Clem went happily into Georgia’s
arms—enthusiastically wagging her little tail. “Now,
you’re going to take real good care of her, right?” I
grinned and scratched Clementine’s ears.
“Yep! We’s gonna be best friends!”
“Can I come and see her sometime?”
Er…
when I’m not under house arrest?
“Yeah! We can even have puppy tea parties.”
I blinked back a couple of rising tears. “That sounds
awesome. I can’t wait.”
It was right about then that I decided to hightail it out of there.
All at once I wanted to be a million miles away from everything.
With a quick goodbye to Mrs. Anderson and Georgia, and an almost
tearful goodbye to Clementine, I left.