by K. C. Lynn
I reach for the handle of her convertible. “Try, I was eagerly escaping my parents.”
“Uh oh, bad morning?”
“That’s an understatement.” I try to say it easily but my pain is apparent.
Cece grasps my hand gently. “I’m sorry, Emily. Are they still giving you a hard time about this?”
Swallowing thickly, I shrug. “When are they not giving me a hard time?” I turn toward her. “Can you believe they told me to stay close to Kyle?”
“Yes, I can,” she says, releasing my hand to drive away.
“Apparently, Kyle told my dad he would watch out for me. The jerk has some nerve.”
“Yeah, but he’s hot.”
I shake my head, not surprised by her comment.
“What? I’m just stating the truth. Don’t get me wrong, the guy is a total douche bag, but he is good-looking.”
“There is nothing attractive about him, Cece.”
“There is, trust me, but forget about all that. This year is going to be epic and we are going to have a blast finishing our last year of high school together.”
“I hope so,” I reply unsure, feeling nervous again for the coming day.
“I know so. Now, do you want to go over our meeting spots again?”
“No, I remember. We ran through it a million times over the course of the summer.”
“All right, well, I’ll be with you most of the time anyway, but you always have your phone if you need me.”
“I know. I’m good.”
I feel her grasp my hand again. “Trust me, Emily, everything is going to work out and we are going to have a great year.”
I smile and pray she’s right, because I do not want to hear I told you so.
CHAPTER TWO
Emily
I lean against the wall, next to the water fountain, with my books in hand and wait for Cece. I listen to lockers slam shut, other kids bustling around in conversation, and feel the heat of their bodies as they pass me. I try really hard to calm my thundering heart, but all of it is so overwhelming, especially when I’m not used to being around crowds.
I catch a few ‘bye Emilys’ that I make sure to smile and reply to, but unfortunately, I can’t tell who all addressed me.
I have to admit that, all in all, today went well, even if it was overwhelming. I feel like I was able to keep up with the teachers, and once I waited for the hallways to clear, I was able to find my way around easily enough. I also made sure to stick with Cece when I could, which meant having to hang out with people I don’t care to, but it was better than being alone.
It’s not that they’re terrible people, well, some of them aren’t anyway. It’s just that I can’t relate to them. They’re so…shallow. Most of them accept me because of who my father is. They accept the governor’s daughter, not the real Emily Michaels. I have no delusions that if I did not carry this last name none of them would be seen with me—the blind girl.
Shaking myself from my thoughts, I suddenly realize it’s gone quiet. I listen carefully and don’t even pick up the sound of distant footsteps. Pulling my phone from my bag, I hit my braille touch screen to hear what time it is and realize Cece is fifteen minutes late.
I move my thumb over the voice app and wait for the beep. “Hey, Cece, I’m waiting by the fountain. Where are you?” Releasing my thumb, I wait for my phone to chime with her reply, but five minutes later, it still doesn’t come.
What the heck?
There’s no way she left without me, even if she had an emergency she would have let me know. After another five minutes pass, I decide to go check the parking lot and make sure her car is still here before I call for anyone else.
Thinking about my direction, I turn to the left and start making my way down the hall. My fingers skim along the lockers as I count each one, knowing I will pass by eighteen before reaching the gym, then another twelve before making it to the school’s front entrance.
Once I push through the double doors, I take a deep breath of fresh air. The warmth of the sun beams down on me, bringing my jumbled nerves a small measure of peace. I hear the sound of birds chirping and vehicles far off in the distance, but everything else is eerily quiet.
Walking a few steps with my hand slightly out in front of me, I come in contact with the warm metal railing. I descend down five cement steps before turning to the right, and making another seven strides until I hit the grass. Turning to the left, I continue straight forward, counting another nine paces, then reach out and feel the car. My fingers curl under the handle, making sure it’s Cece’s. I sigh in relief when I come into contact with the familiar grooves of her handle.
Okay, so her car is still here which means she is too, but then where the heck is she? I’m just about to try her on my phone again when I catch the sudden sound of footsteps a second too late.
“What are you doing?”
With a startled yelp, I jump back and drop everything in my arms, including my phone. Quickly, I register whom the voice belongs to and rest my hand over my pounding heart. “Jesus, Kyle, you scared the shit out of me. What are you thinking, sneaking up on me like that?”
“Sorry,” he replies, without so much as a hint of remorse. “Just wondering what you’re doing out here all by yourself?”
As much as I don’t want to answer him, I decide to keep my pride in check, knowing I need to find Cece. “I’m looking for Cece, have you seen her?”
“Nope, but I’d be happy to give you a ride home.”
Yeah, I’ll just bet you would…
“No, I’ll wait for her. I’m sure she’s just running late.”
I feel him step closer to me, too close. “You know, Emily, I promised your father that I would look out for you, and you are making that very difficult when you keep avoiding me.”
My back kisses the car as I put as much distance between us as possible. “I don’t need you to look out for me. I told you to stay away from me and I meant it.”
“Come on, Emily, there’s no need to be like that.” His hand grazes the inside of my bare thigh. I slap it away, my body recoiling at his touch.
“Don’t touch me! I mean it, Kyle. Stay away from me!”
His hard body slams into mine, pushing the air from my lungs. I shove against his chest, panic thrumming through my veins when I feel his erection against my stomach. “Stop it!”
In the midst of my struggle, he grabs a fistful of my hair and yanks my head back. I bite back a cry of pain, feeling his hot breath against my face.
“Why do you always have to be such a bitch? Do you know how many girls would love to be touched by me?”
“Stop it!” I demand shakily, still struggling against him.
“You need to start getting used to this, Emily, our fathers have big plans for us.”
“Never,” I seethe through clenched teeth. “I will never have anything to do with you. No matter what my father says.”
He groans. “Keep fighting it, because I fucking love it!”
Bile rises in my throat, my panic escalating to a whole new level. “Kyle, I mean it. Get off of me!” I scream so loud that my voice becomes hoarse. Pushing with everything I have, I suddenly hit nothing but air. I lose my footing and fall forward, landing on my hands and knees with a hard thud.
There’s the sound of a small scuffle off to my left then nothing but fast, heaving breaths.
“You need to mind your own business, Jameson. This has nothing to do with you,” Kyle seethes, but I also catch a hint of something else in his tone, something that sounds a lot like fear.
“I’m making it my business,” another male voice cuts in, this one sounding deep, smooth, and threatening. “Now, get the hell out of here before I kick your fucking teeth in.”
Kyle chuckles arrogantly, but there’s a shaky undertone to it. “We both know that’s not going to happen. Not after you’ve just been graciously granted that full scholarship from the board of directors.”
Silence consumes the air a
round us. Fear skitters down my spine, worried that this Jameson guy left, but he ends up breaking the silence a moment later. “Try me, motherfucker, I dare you. After I’m done kicking your fucking teeth through the back of your skull, I will gladly tell the cops how you tried to force your dick in the governor’s daughter.”
I flinch from the vulgarity of his words, even though they’re the truth.
“Yeah? And who do you think they’re going to believe? Someone like me or white trash like you.”
“They’ll believe me,” I cut in shakily, “and don’t think I won’t do it, Kyle.”
“You’re making a mistake, Emily, and you know it.”
He may be right, I know my father would have a conniption, but I don’t care, he went too far this time.
“You’re the one making the mistake, Prescott, and if you don’t leave in the next three fucking seconds you’ll live to regret it.” Jameson’s threat rings with finality and truth.
I remain still and silent, listening to the sound of distant footsteps and pray they’re Kyle’s.
It’s confirmed a moment later when Jameson speaks. “He’s gone.”
I blow out a shaky breath, my hand trembling just as badly as I run it through my hair. “Thank you,” I choke out quietly. Hot tears spill down my cheeks while I feel around for all of the stuff I dropped.
Footsteps move closer in my direction then I sense him kneel next to me. I gasp, startled, when he grasps my wrist in a gentle grip.
“Here,” his voice is soft as I feel him place my phone in my hand.
“Thank you.” After he releases me, I wipe my cheeks with the back of my hand and am thankful my sunglasses are still in place.
“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
I shake my head. “I’m fine. He just scared me is all. I can’t believe what a jerk he is.”
He grunts. “Well believe it. I’ve gone to school with the arrogant prick my whole life, he’s always been like that.”
I nod, knowing it’s true; luckily, I haven’t had to deal with him on a daily basis.
An awkward silence settles over us now.
“Um, well, thank you, uh, Jameson, for stepping in. I really appreciate it,” I stammer out nervously, sounding like a complete fool.
“My last name is Jameson. My first name is Ryder,” he replies with a hint of amusement.
I feel my face flame with humiliation, and silently pray for the ground to swallow me whole. “Oh, sorry.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
Clearing my throat, I extend my hand to him. “I’m Emily Michaels.”
His big, warm hand engulfs my small one, sending a ripple of awareness through me. “I know who you are.”
The feeling vanishes, the words like a bucket of cold water. I quickly release his hand. “Of course, I’m sure everyone knows of the blind girl.”
“Actually, we have trigonometry together, which is where I learned you are the governor’s daughter.”
A ping of guilt strikes my chest and I chide myself for being so quick to jump to the defensive. “Hmm. Well, is it bad I would rather be known as the blind girl than the governor’s daughter?” I try to sound amused, but there is no denying the truth of my words.
I sense him watching me and wish I knew what he is thinking. When I begin feeling around for my books, they are placed in my hands. “Thank you.”
Bracing my hand on the door of Cece’s convertible, I pull myself up. He grasps my arm to help me, sending that flutter of awareness through me again.
Once I’m steady on my feet, I hear the sound of fast clicking heels. “Hey! What the hell are you doing? Get away from her!” Cece’s panicked voice fills the air along with two loud thumps.
“Ow, what the fuck?” Ryder bellows.
Oh my god, did she just hit him?
“I mean it, get away from her or my pepper spray is next!”
“Cece, stop, it’s okay. He was helping me.”
“Yeah, right!” she sneers doubtfully.
“Really, he was. I just had a run-in with Kyle and he stepped in to help me.”
“With Kyle?”
“Yes.”
Tension fills the air, the silence deafening.
“Oh,” she mutters. Rather than sound embarrassed, she sounds fearful, if the tremble in her voice is anything to go by.
Ryder grunts. “Whatever.”
Hearing his heavy boot falls as he starts away, I call out to him. “Ryder, wait!”
When silence meets my ears, I assume he’s looking at me. “Thank you, again.”
He’s silent and I think he isn’t going to reply, but he finally does a moment later. “I’ll see you around, Emily.” His words hold promise, and I’m not going to lie about the sudden excitement that ignites inside of me. I listen to him leave again then hear the sound of a loud motor start up before the squeal of tires.
“Oh shit. I’m so dead. I can’t believe I just hit him with my purse,” Cece breathes out, panicked.
“You hit him with your purse?” I repeat, feeling horrible. “Poor guy.”
“‘Poor guy?’” she screeches. “How about poor me, because I know that ‘poor guy’ is going to come murder me in my sleep! Oh god, oh shit! What have I done?”
I frown at her ridiculous words. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“Emily, do you have any idea who that just was?”
“Yeah. He told me his name is Ryder.”
“Exactly!”
Not understanding, I wait patiently for her to explain further.
“Emily, that is Ryder Jameson. The Ryder Jameson. The one guy no one fucks with, and the one every girl wants to fuck. He is seriously bad news.”
“Well he didn’t seem bad to me. He was actually really sweet, and—”
She belts out a shaky laugh. “Ryder Jameson is a lot of things. Sexy? Yes. Dangerous? Double yes. Sweet? Hell no. And when I say dangerous, Emily, I mean dangerous, and I just hit him with my fucking purse!”
“Well, I think it was awfully sweet of him to help me. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if he hadn’t shown up.” I swallow thickly, remembering the way Kyle’s body pressed against mine so forcefully.
Cece grabs my hand. “I’m so sorry, Emily. What happened?”
Instead of answering her, I ask a question of my own. “Where were you?”
She growls. “Mrs. Thomas kept me after the bell to have a long, drawn-out talk with me about my attire. She said my skirt was too fucking short. I told the bitch that I had to go because you were waiting for me, but she made me stay and said if I interrupted her one more time she was going to keep me every day after school. She wouldn’t even let me voice message you. I’m sorry, Emily, but it won’t happen again, because I’m going to sic my father on her ass.”
“It’s all right. Next time I’ll wait by the fountain until I hear from you.”
“Good idea,” she agrees, opening the car door for me. “Now, let’s get home and you can help me figure out a way to stay alive after hitting Ryder with my purse.”
Chuckling, I shake my head and listen while she climbs in on her side. “You’re being ridiculous. He isn’t going to murder you for heaven’s sake, and why don’t you just apologize?”
She scoffs. “You don’t know him. I’ve gone to school with that guy most of my life. Believe me, he’s capable of it.”
I find that hard to believe after what he just did for me. “What does he look like?” I ask, curious.
“He’s tall, taller than most of the guys in our grade. He’s ripped but lean, not bulky. Brown, messy hair, and green eyes, olive complexion… Girl, there are no words for a specimen like him. His sexiness cannot be described.”
I try to picture what she just said, but can’t. I was so young when I lost my vision that most of the time I’m not even sure if what I remember is real.
“But,” Cece continues, breaking into my thoughts, “he’s intimidating as hell. I’m serious, Emily, h
e doesn’t live the same lifestyle as us. I would make sure to stay as far away from him as you can.”
“What do you mean?”
“He lives on the other side of the railway tracks,” she explains, talking about the lower income part of the city. “His parents are real trash. I remember when we were kids he used to come to school with bruises and black eyes. Rumor has it they were from his dad, which doesn’t surprise me. Like I said, they’re trash. He definitely doesn’t fit into our world.”
This is one of those times where I don’t even relate with Cece. I love her, I really do, but even her beliefs are skewed from our upbringing—labeling two worlds and thinking you can’t intermingle. I would give up this world I live in if it meant having loving parents that weren’t ashamed of me. But not Cece, I don’t think she could ever live without the status and money.
My heart breaks to think of someone hurting Ryder, especially when he was a little boy. My parents are very cruel, but they have never laid a hand on me. Heck, most of the time they ignore me.
“I guess we have trigonometry together, but I’m sure after you thumped the crap out of him with your purse he probably won’t come anywhere near me anyway.”
“Well, at least one good thing came out of it then.”
I don’t respond, because the very idea of not getting to talk to Ryder again bothers me for some reason.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Rob, your support never ceases to amaze me. No one on this earth loves me more than you. I put so much time and energy into a story and you are always left dealing with everything, including my overwhelming up and down emotions. Instead of being frustrated, you love me even harder. Thank you for being the best husband and father our kids could ask for.
My family, especially my mom and mother-in-law, thank you for your support. My journey wouldn’t be what it is without you guys.
Megan, you have been with me since the very beginning. I feel like this is not just my journey but our journey. I’ve learned so much from you and have grown because of you. I don’t thank you enough for everything you do for me. You never get upset when I constantly change my mind and give you back work that you’ve already done. Your patience and overwhelming support means more to me than you will ever know and the same goes with your friendship. Thank you for not only being a great editor but an amazing friend.
