by Hart, Rebel
“Why help me look into Bernadette’s phone data, then?” I ask in confusion. “If you knew she was here the whole time!”
“You two are a fucking mess.” He smirks. “It was too much fun playing with you. You made it so easy. You were so convinced Vivian was behind everything and that she was trying to steal Emmett from you. Pointing you in her direction was too entertaining to pass up.”
“The picture!” I gape, turning to Bernadette. “You took the picture!”
“Malcolm helped me doctor it,” she beams proudly, blowing at the file against her nails. “Like I said, we really did think you would figure things out sooner, Emmett. We were getting bored waiting for you to piece it all together. We decided to have a little fun with you in the process.”
“It just made you look that much more desperate to the cops,” Malcolm adds.
He pulls out his phone and begins playing a video of Emmett having his meltdown in the motel room. At the same time, Bernadette pulls out her phone and begins playing a video taken from outside the Jameson manor. It was right after the fake photo of Malcolm and I had been sent out over the Elites’ blacklist app. You can see his silhouette through the window flailing around his room like a madman, breaking everything in reach.
“Sooner or later, we figured we’d gather enough evidence of you cracking,” Bernadette explains. “So, if you did refuse to sign everything over, we could just tell our lawyers you were too mentally unstable to run Jameson Automobiles.”
“And rest assured, we will use that defense if you ever decide to come back after us for the company somehow,” his mother adds indifferently. “And since your father committed suicide…you know it runs in the family.” She suppresses a laugh. “It wouldn’t be that hard for people to believe you would take your own life, too.”
The weight of it crashes over both of us. Bernadette and Malcolm were just playing with us, taking every opportunity they could to make Emmett look like he had gone crazy. If we never barged in here, giving them the chance to use me as leverage, they would have gotten the company anyway. And now there’s nothing Emmett can do, or they will kill him and make it look like he did it to himself.
“Ironic, isn’t it, brother?” Bernadette sneers. “You helped Theo kill our father and passed it off as a suicide. And now that’s the exact same thing that will happen to you if you try to get what you were promised out of that deal.”
“So, this is all punishment for Dad.” He shakes his head in disgust.
“You punished him for your own weaknesses,” she scoffs. “He shouldn’t have had to die just because you weren’t man enough to handle him, to face up to who you had to be to fill his shoes.”
“Mom even admitted it…you didn’t know him the way we did,” Emmett defends. “If he had treated you the same way you…”
“I would have done exactly this,” she snaps. “Whatever it took to uphold our family’s legacy. I’m nothing like you. Never have been. I can do what needs to be done to protect our position and everything our family has worked so hard for.”
“You mean you can treat people like shit to get what you want,” I thunder over to her, which she meets with a dismissive smile and shrug.
We stand there in stunned silence at how cold and calculating they all are. Like it’s just a game of musical chairs with lots of money and power being thrown around, everyone waiting for their turn to sit in the biggest chair. Only lives are carelessly taken along the way, and no one seems to bat an eyelash. No wonder Emmett wasn’t more affected by his father’s death. Not only did he hate the man, but this is apparently an ordinary part of business in his family.
“Let’s go, Emmett.” I tug at his arm. “There’s nothing we can do.”
“Mom?” He hesitates one more time as we’re halfway out the door. He sounds like a scared little boy. My heart breaks for him as she flips through the newly-signed rights to her company and who knows what kind of money. She doesn’t even look up.
I pull Emmett along, wanting to take him as far away from them as we can get.
As soon as we’re outside, I look up and release a huge breath. My eyes shine over at Emmett, and of course, he looks at me like I’m crazy. He doesn’t think there’s anything to be happy about right now. He’s hurt and shocked and has every right to be. But I can see how this is for the best. The Hendersons would have always been waiting to strike, to take everything away from him. His mom and sister, too. Now it’s over and he can walk away.
His biggest problem is that he’ll have to worry about money now, like the rest of us. But with his charm and good looks, I don’t think he’ll have too much trouble figuring it out. If he was capable of running Jameson Automobiles, he can do so many other things just as well. I’m excited to watch him figure it all out.
“They can’t do this.” His voice cracks as I rush him back to the car.
“Here, let me drive.” I yank the keys from his hands. “I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
Emmett doesn’t answer, so I just drive. I know it doesn’t really matter where we go. He’s too upset right now to care. But I drive to the motel he had been staying only because it is far enough outside of town. It may not be far, but we both need to be out of Jameson right now.
The one thing we can be relieved about is that Bernadette wasn’t working with my dad, but I don’t know that the Hendersons are any better. Definitely not for Emmett. Just a little less traumatic for me.
I remember what I learned about the Elites. The town was built around them and everything in it is theirs, and has been for centuries. When one person is struck down, it seems the remaining family members merge with another so that they can rise to take back their rightful place. Nothing is going to change that.
I remember Malcolm telling me he and his father were merely tolerated by the Elites. Being tolerated is better than being blacklisted, but I guess it was still enough to build up this much resentment. He once told me their money couldn’t touch the money of the Elites. I don’t know if that was a lie, or if it’s changed now that everyone is being investigated and their assets are being seized. One thing is for certain, the Hendersons aren’t going down with everyone else, no matter how guilty they are.
When Emmett took over Jameson Automobiles, I worried Liam and Malcolm might do something drastic in a panic. The change in leadership and the fact that Malcolm and Emmett did not like each other put the ties between Jameson Automobiles and their software company at risk—a profitable alliance their company surely could not afford to lose. But I also thought Malcolm was supposed to be better than the rest of the Elites. I was so very wrong, and I never saw this coming.
24
Chapter Twenty-Four
“I can’t believe they would do this to me,” Emmett laments from his new room at the motel. “Just cast me out like this.”
“I’m so sorry, Emmett,” I try to console him. “I feel like it’s all my dad’s fault. If he hadn’t roped you into that deal with him, your dad would have gone to jail with everyone else and your family wouldn’t have turned against you.”
“It doesn’t matter.” He shakes his head with a bitter smirk. “I could have never stood by and let Liam and Malcolm take things over. It would have happened this way regardless.”
“I don’t know what to say,” I whisper. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“I went from having everything and the chance to run things right…to having nothing at all,” he moans.
“You’re not left with nothing.” I perk up, running over to wrap him in my arms “You have me.”
“Ophelia.” He takes my face in his hands. “I can’t believe you’ve stayed by my side through all of this. I’ve tried so hard to change. And I do wish it was easier for you. I would give anything to make that happen. I’d burn this whole town down if I thought that would fix things for you. I can’t take anything back. I can’t go back and make myself be better in the past, because the truth is, Ophelia…I never had a reason to b
e better until I met you. It wasn’t just about my father or Vivian or any of them. It was about you. I found you and that’s when I realized I could be better. I had to be better…to have you. And I know I’m not perfect. I know I’m not there yet. But I will spend the rest of my life trying to become the man you deserve. I’ll do whatever it takes!”
“I can’t believe you gave everything up to save my life.” I sigh.
“I guess they were right. I can’t make the hard choices my father always went on about,” he muses. “I could never lose you just to keep Jameson. I hope you don’t think for one second that I would have. I wasn’t hesitating to think it over, I was just trying to make sense of it all.”
“I know,” I assure him. “It’s going to be okay, Emmett. We’re going to figure everything out.”
“You promised me you didn’t want easy,” he reminds me. “Do you still mean that? Because things just got a lot harder.”
“I don’t know.” I smile lightly. “Did they? You’re free now. You don’t have to play their games anymore, or walk around with the weight of your father’s legacy on your shoulders. You can live your life however you want to now.”
He grins. “I can finally take you to that concert, that band I was telling you about. There’s nothing to worry about anymore but normal stuff like school and college. And us.”
“The concert…sure.” I laugh. “But also Ritzville. The Ferris wheel at Ritzville.”
“What?” He smirks and wrinkles his brow.
“It’s a thing for me.” I shrug. “Just promise me we’ll go.”
“I’ll take you anywhere you want to go,” he says before pulling my lips to his.
“I don’t know about where I want to go…but I know I need to go home.” I look at the time on my phone. “My parents are going to be worried sick…again.”
He nods and looks at me intently. “I think it’s time to tell them everything, Ophelia.”
I have always known that anyone outside of Jameson would never be able to understand the full extent of the Elites and this fucked up little society, and that is what has always kept me quiet. That’s why I’ve never talked to my mom or Brendan about it. But my biggest hesitation was over Emmett. I didn’t want anyone to know that I still fell for him after everything he did to me. Maybe now that he has redeemed himself, I can find a way to tell them a very edited version of the story. It sure would make things easier the next time things go crazy, as they always inevitably do. I can’t help but feel like my parents will be the types to say fuck it, and move us right out of this town.
“I don’t know if they can handle all of that, Emmett,” I reply with dread, trying to imagine their reactions. “But you’re right. I might have to. It might be the only way to convince them you have to come sleep on our couch for a while.”
He pulls me into his arms. “I love you, Ophelia Lopez,” he says softly against my lips.
“I love you, Emmett Jameson.” I smile. “You know I’m not going anywhere, right?” I tease him. “You wanted me and now you’re stuck with me.”
“I wouldn’t put it that way.” He grins and reaches over to twirl his finger in my hair.
Emmett’s wrongness is almost what makes me want him more. The fact that I can’t tell anyone about everything that has happened between us makes me feel like we live in our own little secret world that only we can understand. I embrace his darkness in a way that I think only I can. I hate it and am afraid of it, but he’s still here, so obviously some part of me has accepted it.
“I can’t pull myself away from you no matter how hard I try,” I tell him.
“So, you’ve tried to get away from me?” he asks, sounding both hurt and intrigued.
“I’ve wanted to try,” I confess hopelessly.
As I look into his eyes, I know everything is so much more complicated than I’m willing to say out loud right now. Emmett had talked about flying out to see me if I went to college somewhere else, but now he won’t have that kind of money at his disposal. He’ll have to figure out work, and I doubt his mom has any plans to provide for his college education—the real kind that he actually has to work for. The kind that can’t be bought. Those days are over for him, and while I can’t quite bring myself to feel sorry for him about those things… I know how scary it must be for him.
I shake it all away for now. If we can overcome Emmett’s fucked up childhood, kidnappings, murders, hostage deals, and the surrender of a giant company coupled with millions of dollars… I’d like to think we can figure out things like college and a long-distance relationship.
Epilogue
I walk through the halls of WJ Prep feeling better than ever. Nothing around here has ever felt this consistently normal, and for the first time I almost feel like my old self again, the way I did before I came to Jameson. Only better. Because now I have Emmett.
I’ve spent the past month catching up on my college applications. The essay questions were ridiculous, wanting to know all about what has shaped me in life, what struggles I’ve faced. Obstacles I’ve overcome. I didn’t know what to say. The hell WJ Prep has put me through is indescribable, and not something I can talk about in an essay. But it has made me who I am. Enough that I know I deserve a track scholarship, because I have proven to myself that I can push through any kind of pain. The fact that I’m still here and with Emmett proves that I don’t give up, and that I can work my ass off and persevere. Instead, I wrote about my mom and Brendan, and how they taught me what it means to work hard, and about how I wouldn’t be where I am without their love and support, which is true. But it’s only half the story.
It’s the last day of school before winter break, and there’s a tingling of excitement in the air. All of the students are high on an adrenaline rush of expectation, with two weeks of sleeping in and partying to look forward to. The teachers are being especially lax, and classes are flying by like a breeze.
“Hey, gorgeous.” Emmett’s voice rings out to me from behind my locker. I slam it shut and fly into his arms for a long kiss, relishing in the softness of his lips against mine.
“Hey, handsome,” I hum with smile. “Are you excited?”
“For the concert tonight.” He nods and grins. “You have no idea.”
“I don’t think it can beat the Ferris wheel.” I shrug. “But we’ll see.”
He laughs. “Oh, it’ll beat the Ferris wheel. Just you wait. You’re gonna love these guys.”
We continue down the hall, arm in arm, as envying students watch us pass. The Elites aren’t back in full force yet, but we know they’re coming. Liam and Malcolm will make sure of that. And since they’re coming back at everyone who shut them out before, they’ll do so with a vengeance. One we’re not looking forward to.
But for now, we’re trying to enjoy the quiet, doing all of the normal teenage things we’ve been denied these past few months—things I think Emmett has been denied his entire life. He hasn’t lost his temper once since the night we left his family at the Hendersons. I know his heart is broken, but overall, I think it’s a relief to be free from the pressure of his father’s legacy.
All this time I have wanted things to go back to how they were before I came to WJ Prep, but suddenly I realize I am happier with the way everything turned out. I always thought I was tough, but nothing could have made me stronger than what I have experienced these past few months.
And while some couples may have had a road a lot less bumpy than Emmett and me, I can’t imagine any obstacle we can’t withstand together at this point. We are stronger than I ever thought we could be.
Malcolm, of course, got off on any charges relating to Coach Granger’s son, just like I knew he would. His father’s expensive lawyers stepped in and argued that everything was Lily’s idea and that they couldn’t be blamed for what his son chose to do with the drugs they left for him. Even with Coach Granger’s police contacts, the case was open and shut.
Coach Granger and I had a chance to sit down and talk about
everything that happened. He wasn’t happy that the charges against Malcolm went nowhere, but mostly he was just glad that he tried. It brought him some sense of peace, knowing what happened with his son. I told him I felt relentlessly guilty, thinking none of that would have happened if it hadn’t been for me, but he made me promise to let go of my guilt, swearing that his son’s addiction was one of his family’s biggest weaknesses. The Elites prey on people’s weaknesses, and if it hadn’t been for my situation, they would have struck out in the same way the moment it became convenient for some reason or another.
Lily, however, was not so lucky. Thanks to Malcolm’s lawyers, the same logic was applied to her case and she escaped criminal charges. But the psychological evaluations she underwent didn’t make her parents very confident of her mental health and ability to return to normal life. They put her up in a prestigious facility where she has to stay for “rest.”
Vivian transferred to an expensive private school in New York with her aunt. Judging by her social media, the change has been good for her. She’s thriving in the big city as some kind of trendy fashionista, and doesn’t seem nearly as angry and miserable as she once did in Jameson.
With things back to a sense of normalcy, I’ve been able to refocus on my running career. I’ve applied for all of the top schools, and Coach has been welcoming scouts to our track meets from every one of them. He’s confident I’ll have several scholarship options to choose from, most from some of the best athletic coaches in the field.
Emmett and I race through the cold to the warmth of his car after school. A fresh snow has just fallen, and the campus has been transformed. The blinding, pure white glow all around brings me hope that maybe when we return in January, the Elites won’t come at us with the force we’re expecting. But mostly, I try not to think about any of it at all.
