Stay With Me

by Alexa Powers

  Realizing she’d still not answered Lara’s question, she quickly filtered through her cluttered mind to remember the question. “I served an internship last semester at the firm my mentor owns, and he’s mentioned that he might have a position for me if I want to stay in Boone. But I’m not really sure what I want to do yet. The job market isn’t good right now and, as much as I love Boone, I’m not sure if I want to live there permanently.” She purposefully remained vague, not quite sure how to answer the question.

  It was easier to ignore the reality of their situation than to acknowledge the fact that they both knew going into the relationship that it was only temporary. They could pretend it was forever until the clock stroke midnight, but instead of Cinderella’s coach turning into a pumpkin, it was turning into a jumbo jet, whisking her away from her prince charming.

  Emma looked to Noah, wanting to gauge his reaction to her answer, and found his brows knitted together and his handsome features twisted into a grimace. He was visibly upset. Knowing how they felt about each other, she wondered why they hadn’t discussed their futures, except in vague platitudes. She knew long distance relationships rarely worked for the long term, but Noah hadn’t even asked her to stay.

  Would she stay if he asked? Was he going to let her board the plane and leave like Evan let Ali? Just the thought left her feeling a bit nauseous. She wouldn’t force herself on any man, but if he loved her as much as he said he did, how could he let her walk away? The barrage of questions racing through her mind left her confused and a bit heartbroken at the thought of Noah letting her leave without even asking her to stay.

  After dinner, which consisted of a delicious leg of lamb and enough side dishes to feed a hungry side of footballers, Emma and Noah took Maddie and Jacob for a walk to the local park. Maddie insisted on holding Emma’s hand while they strolled along the winding lakeside path. Her little fingers clasped Emma’s, holding tightly as she skipped along next to her new best friend. The little girl had attached herself to Emma’s hip from the moment she’d arrived with her parents and her older brother Jacob.

  Noah walked a few paces ahead of them, encouraging Jacob on his new bicycle. Emma couldn’t help but imagine what life would be like with their own children. She’d no doubt that Noah would be a loving and attentive father. He was also patient and kind, taking care of the people and things he cared about, and he gave selflessly of himself and asked for nothing in return. All were excellent qualities for a husband and father to possess, and what she’d hoped and prayed for in a man.

  He also looked damn fine in a pair of faded blue jeans. His long legs ate up the ground as Jacob picked up speed. The worn denim hugged his perfectly rounded bottom and if she wasn’t holding the hand of an impressionable four year old, she would’ve reached out and pinched it. Her mind easily drifted to the soft skin of his naked backside cradled in her hands as he did wonderfully wicked things to her. She felt the flush of heat in her face, and feeling guilty for her naughty thoughts, she forced herself to avert her eyes back to the innocent child prancing next to her.

  When they arrived at the park, Maddie dragged Emma to the swing set, which sat on the edge of the picturesque lake. Crawling onto Emma’s lap as soon as she’d settled on the wooden seat, Maddie made herself comfortable, then pushing off with her feet, they started to gently sway back and forth.

  “Do you like my Uncle Noah?” Maddie asked with complete sincerity, tilting her head to look up at Emma, her precious smile melting her heart.

  “Yes. I do like your Uncle Noah. Very much.” Emma felt the corners of her mouth curl into a smile as she looked into Maddie’s pretty blue eyes, which were identical to her uncle’s.

  “My mummy said that you’re leaving soon.”

  “Yes. I have to go home to my family in America. I’m only here for a little while longer.” Like always, Emma’s chest twisted painfully when she thought about leaving New Zealand, and Noah.

  “But don’t you like it here?” Her questioning look had Emma sitting up straighter on the suddenly too-hard wooden seat beneath her.

  “Yes. Of course I like it here.”

  “But if you like it here and you like my Uncle Noah, then why would you leave?” Out of the mouths of babes, she thought to herself.

  Emma made sure to speak in a soft tone when she answered Maddie’s question. “Well…first of all, I miss my family, and just because I like it here, doesn’t mean I can stay. And second of all…your Uncle Noah hasn’t asked me to stay.” It was probably too much information for such a little girl to process, but Emma couldn’t help the words from spilling out of her mouth, barely disguising her inner turmoil.

  She’d begun to wonder more and more why Noah hadn’t raised the subject of her staying with him. Did he not want her to stay? Was he going to let her go back home and that would be the end of it?

  “Oh.” Maddie scrunched her little mouth into a frown before thoughtfully finishing. “Well, I’d like you to stay. I don’t want you to leave.”

  If Emma hadn’t already fallen in love with the little girl, she’d have fallen right then and there. “You are such a love bug. I could just eat you up.” Emma squeezed her tightly around the waist and placed a kiss on the top of her head, inhaling a deep breath of fresh air and strawberry shampoo.

  Emma knew Maddie was getting tired when the little girl leaned back against her chest and let out a deep sigh. It had been a long day and even Emma was feeling a bit knackered, so she wasn’t surprised at all that she was ready for a nap. Picking Maddie up, Emma turned her around and settled the sleepy child against her chest as her little legs dangled freely behind her. Maddie slid her arms around Emma’s waist and closed her eyes, her soft cheek using her chest as a pillow. The placid glide of the swing was enough to lull Maddie to sleep and, after a few minutes, Emma felt her little arms go slack along her sides.

  When Noah and Jacob were ready to head back, they made their way across the field to the swing set. Noah couldn’t help but smile as he watched Emma rocking his sleeping niece, holding her gently as she swayed to and fro on the swing. He’d watched all day as she patiently tolerated Maddie’s incessant questions and demands for her attention, never once getting frustrated. Jacob had been a bit standoffish with Emma, but he suspected it was more about Emma being a girl than about her personally. Jacob was at the age where boys started to notice the difference between the sexes, especially a beautiful woman like Emma.

  The urge to make babies with Emma had surprised him at first, but the more he thought about her swollen belly, pregnant with his child, the more he wanted it to be reality. He knew asking her to come back to En Zed once she graduated was easy for him, but a massive sacrifice for her. She’d have to leave her family, friends, and everything she was familiar with. He’d gain the world, but give up nothing in exchange. But they’d have a good life together; he’d see to it. He’d take care of her and they’d fill their home with children, along with the happy sounds of love and laughter that she’d grown up with, and was accustomed to.

  And if she said no, well, for the first time in his career, he’d considered an early retirement. He was set financially, so they wouldn’t have to worry about putting food on their table, but they’d have to be cautious with their money and he’d probably have to sell his home. He’d planned to play for a few more years to cushion his bank account some more, but he could start a new career in America. Doing what, he didn’t know, but as long as he had Emma by his side, everything would be fine.

  Approaching Emma, Noah held out his hands to relieve her of her charge. “We’re ready to head back. I can take her if you want.”

  Emma carefully stood to her feet to join them, lifting up easily and adjusting Maddie so her head came to rest on her shoulder. “No, I can take her for now. But if my arms get too tired, you can take over.”

  “She looks good on you.” Noah said, as he watched Emma lovingly stroke Maddie’s hair, brushing it off her face, as she soothed her back to sleep.


  Comfortable. That was the word that best described the scene as they lazily strolled back to his parents’ house with Maddie tucked securely into Emma’s embrace and Jacob racing up and down the path under the watchful eyes of his Uncle Noah and Emma.

  Chapter 22

  Noah strode through the car park towards his car with purpose, quickly eating up the pavement, when he heard his name being called out from behind him. Turning to see Evan Thompson jogging in his direction, he reluctantly paused to wait for him. He’d been wanting to speak to Evan about Ali and Abby, but was uncomfortable butting into the situation without invite, and for a brief moment, he considered broaching the subject before changing his mind once again.

  As Evan reached his side, Noah slowly started in the direction of his car once again. He was anxious to get home to Emma after a long day, knowing she’d prepared a special evening for their six-month anniversary. He’d always considered it overkill to celebrate monthly milestones, but it was important to Emma, so it was important to him. He even offered to take her to a flash restaurant in the CBD, but she’d insisted on a quiet dinner, just the two of them at home.

  Waking that morning to the sight of her in the sexiest negligée he’d ever seen, the thin straps holding up a scrap of transparent black satin and lace with a matching thong, he was sure he was dreaming. No living creature could be that perfect, but as she wiggled her hips, he shook off the last vestiges of sleep and worshipped every inch of her. Just the memory of it had his blood heating and his heart beating faster and left him wondering why they weren’t celebrating monthly anniversaries. He was game if she was.

  “Hey, Noah. Do you have a minute?” Turning to look at his teammate, Noah couldn’t miss the uneasiness in his tone and his stiff posture. Evan was normally a pretty laid-back guy, but as Noah observed him closely, the only word that came to mind was…pinched.

  “I’m in a bit of a hurry, but I can spare a few. What’s up?”

  “Well, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about your girlfriend. Give you some friendly advice.”

  “Oh yeah? What about her? I didn’t think you knew each other well enough for you to be giving me advice about Emma.” Noah felt his back straighten and the hair rise on the back of his neck. He slowed his pace and looked Evan in the eyes as he spoke, knowing his clipped tone and aggressive stance revealed his irritation with where the conversation was headed.

  “I don’t know her, other than the few weeks I spent at her family’s home with Ali, when Abby was born. But I do know that you’re wasting your time with her. No matter how much you want her to stay, she won’t. She’ll get on that plane when her time here is up and that will be that.” Noah didn’t miss Evan’s bitter tone as he gave voice to Noah’s worst nightmare, and he felt like he’d been sucker-punched in the gut.

  What the…? Where did that come from? For the first time ever, Noah felt the urge to pummel one of his teammates. He’d always liked Evan, and had even defended him to Emma on more than one occasion, but as he looked at the man standing next to him, he felt his hand curl into a fist and had to hold himself back from letting said fist connect with his jaw. “Oh…that’s rich coming from the man who, for all intents and purposes, has abandoned his only child. You’ve got nerve, I’ll give you that, but you don’t know the first thing about my relationship with Emma. And maybe you should worry more about your daughter and less about me, eh? Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get home.”

  As Noah turned away, he felt the press of Evan’s hand on his arm. “Look, Noah. I’m speaking from experience. She’s not going to stay, mate.” Noah’s hard gaze went from Evan’s hand to his face and Evan received the stern unspoken warning, wisely removing his hand and quickly taking a step back.

  Noah needed to get out of there; he needed the sanctuary of Emma’s warm body. “How would you know? You never even asked Ali to stay, or to come back when she fell pregnant for that matter. Now you’re going to stand here and tell me that, when you never even bothered to ask? Perhaps she was waiting for you to step up and be a man. Did you ever think of that? And ask her to stay with you. But you never gave her the chance to turn you down, did you? So forgive me if I don’t heed your warning.”

  “Call me a coward if you like, and I’ll accept that, but I knew all along that she wouldn’t stay. Her bloody horse meant more to her than I did. A man’s ego can only take so much rejection. So yeah, I may not have asked her the question that I already knew the answer to, but I never deceived myself otherwise. And, as far as Abby is concerned, I’m trying to make amends there. I let my pride and bruised ego bugger everything up, but I’m going to fix that. I’m going to make sure that I’m a part of her life.” Noah saw the softening of Evan’s features and his tone as he spoke of his daughter. The deep regret was evident on Evan’s face. Seeing that eased some of his own anger a bit.

  He knew Evan was projecting his broken relationship with Ali onto his relationship with Emma, but nevertheless, his words stung. Evan was voicing Noah’s greatest fear. He’d known all along that it was a possibility that Emma might not stay, but refused to believe it, he needed to believe that, when the time came, she’d stay. That she’d pick him.

  “Well, good luck with that, Evan. I truly mean it. Your daughter needs you. But don’t pretend to know bugger all about what Emma will or won’t do.”

  “Fair enough. But when she boards that plane and leaves you gutted, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Hey, how ‘bout I buy you a drink and we can try to drown our sorrows when it happens? And it will happen, mate.” It was obvious that Evan was trying to lighten the increasingly tense mood, but his words punched a hole through Noah’s gut and left him feeling sick to his stomach at the thought of Emma leaving him.

  Noah tried not to cringe at the certainty of Evan’s words, but failed. “I’ll tell you what…if she gets on that plane, without the intention of returning to me, I might take you up on your offer. After I bloody your nose, that is.” Noah bit back the chuckle at Evan’s loud outburst of laughter. The man may have thoroughly infuriated him, but his heart was in the right place. He’d clearly been hurt by Ali’s leaving and was still bitter about it. Knowing he’d be feeling the same way if Emma left him, and not one to hold onto a grudge, he couldn’t stay mad at his friend and teammate.

  “And I’ll probably let you do it too. Can’t promise I won’t hit you back though. Fair warning, bro.” At that, Evan turned and stalked to his own car, leaving Noah standing alone in the car park, stewing over their conversation.

  Evan had no one to blame but himself for the way things had turned out, but Noah couldn’t help but feel sorry for the man. He’d never get back the time he’d missed with his daughter, that was lost to him forever, but hopefully, he could make amends with Ali and become the father he needed to be.

  Driving home, no matter how hard he’d tried to squelch them, Evan’s words ricocheted around in Noah’s head.

  ‘She’s not going to stay. She’s not going to stay.’

  The taste of bile was bitter in his mouth as he held his emotions in check. He’d always been satisfied with his life and career; it was what he’d worked so hard for. But pulling into the garage, he hated everything about it.

  As he stepped through the kitchen door, the delicious aroma from the dinner Emma was preparing for them filled the room and made his mouth water. He dropped his bag on the kitchen floor at the sight of Emma, dressed in a flirty dress and a pair of high heels that were so sexy they should be illegal, and all the air escaped from his lungs. He quickly crossed the room and swallowed her in a tight embrace. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve her, but the goddess that stood before him was created for him and him alone.

  His heart was insatiable with its need for her, but his mind was telling him to face reality, to protect himself from the inevitability of her leaving. From the moment he’d laid eyes on her, he never wavered in his pursuit, but as he held her in his arms, he found himself letting her go.

  Taking a step
back to gather his thoughts, he took a deep breath and surveyed his surroundings. The table was covered with the cloth his mum had given him, but he’d yet to use, and lit by candlelight. A bottle of wine waited on the kitchen bench next to two wine glasses, and a platter was artfully arranged with an assortment of cheese, crackers, and grapes. It was clear to see that she’d gone the extra mile to make tonight special for them, and he didn’t want to disappoint her.

  Deciding it was best to deal with his insecurities at a later time, when he could sort through his emotions without mucking everything up, he forced the earlier conversation with Evan to the deepest recesses of his mind. He knew Evan’s opinion was clouding his judgment and influencing his emotions, but it was hard to deny the truth of his sentiments.

  He’d accused Evan of being a coward, but in reality, he was just as much of one himself. He knew he needed to have the conversation with Emma, about her staying with him. It was long overdue, but he always found an excuse to keep putting it off. The thought of losing her terrified him, and he knew if she turned him down, everything would be different between them. He would have to begin the process of emotionally detaching himself from her, and that was actually the opposite of what he wanted to do. He wanted to permanently attach himself to her.

  Turning his gaze back to Emma, he couldn’t help but smile. She was so lovely; his heart ached just looking at her.

  She wore a little black dress that hugged every delicious curve of the athletic body he worshipped on a daily basis and her sky-high heels were made for sin. But it was her smile that stole his breath and his heart. One look from her and he was lost. How would he survive without her in his life, in his home, in his heart? Every fiber of his being cried out for her, ached for her.