“I love you, and I’m not scared to do anything, if it’s with you. Come on. I’ve waited eighteen and a half years for this,” she said and pulled him toward his room.
“Are you sure?” Jasper asked.
“Yeah. Now, shut up before I change my mind,” Emma teased.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Jasper said and pulled her down to the bed.
It was different, embarrassing, messy, and even a little uncoordinated at first, but it would turn out to be the best experience of their lives. Jasper and Emma made love that night, and for Emma, that sealed the deal. If she loved Jasper enough to end up in bed with him, then she should love him enough to stick with him.
When all passion had faded and Jasper was fast asleep, Emma was still awake, however. She couldn’t stop thinking. The night had been incredible on so many levels, and it was with her best friend. She smiled at that thought. They always say that your first time isn’t what you expect, and that was certainly true in Emma’s case, but her second was just like she pictured. In truth, she would always think of Jasper as her first. It wasn’t just sex with him. It was more. When they were together, she felt a certain kind of love that she didn’t know was possible. That was great, but there were some other thoughts going through her mind, too. What if this was a mistake? There was no guarantee that Jasper was going to stay with her in Hawaii. Then there was the fact that she didn’t plan any of this. Emma didn’t want to end up in the bed with him. It just kind of happened that way. She didn’t know whether to feel happy, guilty, or afraid. This is much more complicated than I thought it would be, Emma thought before Jasper rolled over and wrapped his arms around her. With that, all worry faded. Maybe this was simple. Jasper wanted to be close to her, and she had to admit that it was incredible to have his arms firmly wrapped around her. For a moment, she let herself enjoy it. She drifted away in his arms as all worries went to the back of her mind. For once, everything felt perfect.
* * * * *
When Emma woke up the next morning, she was filled with a lot of emotions. The main one was shame, however. It had seemed so much simpler the night before, but now that she was waking up naked next to her childhood friend, it was starting to really sink in that this was going to be awkward. When Jasper woke up, it only made things worse. Emma immediately got up, taking the top blanket with her to cover herself.
“What are you doing?” Jasper asked in confusion.
“I’m going to my room. I just can’t do this right now.”
“Wait a second. What is that supposed to mean? I thought we had a great time last night.”
“We did. Just let me get dressed.”
“Emma, I saw you naked last night. You’re not going to be showing me anything that I haven’t already seen,” Jasper said as he stood without covering himself at all.
“Oh, my God! Cover up,” Emma said as she walked out of the room.
Jasper had no idea what was going on. They had spent a great night together. Why were things so different when the morning rolled around?
While he was thinking about that, Emma was getting dressed. She didn’t know where she was going, but she had to get out of that house. Things were just too weird right now. Without hesitating, she walked outside and toward her car. Before she got there, a neighbor stopped her.
“Is something wrong, Emma?” a woman asked.
She lived next door, and she was a friend of the family. Her parents had known Faith since Emma was four. If she could trust anyone, it would be her. Then again, how did she know Faith wouldn’t go back to her parents with everything she said?
“Yeah, but I don’t know if I should talk about it with you. It’s not exactly something I want to get back to my mom and dad,” Emma said.
“I’ve known you since you were little. You can trust me when I say this will stay just between you and me. When my husband passed away, you were so sweet. You’re part of the reason why I was able to keep moving. I’ll be there for you now that you need someone.”
“Okay, but it might take a while to explain everything. Can I come in?”
“Of course.”
Emma explained everything to her. She told her how she had loved Jasper since she was fourteen, but things were complicated. Then she told her about the night before.
“What’s the problem here?” Faith asked.
“He’s my best friend, and I don’t want to mess that up. Plus, it’s just weird. I’ve known him all my life. Do you have any idea how awkward it is to wake up one morning and say, oh, there’s my best friend’s . . . umm, thing! I completely freaked out on him a few minutes ago. I stormed out of the house not knowing where I was going. I just had to get away from him for a while.”
“Let me ask you a few questions. Do you truly love him?”
“There’s no doubt about that.”
“Is that love romantic?”
“It is, but it’s also a lot more.”
“Are you attracted to him, and how were things between you last night, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I’m very attracted to him, and last night was nerve racking, but it was also everything I always dreamed it would be. The more I think about it, the more I think I might have made a mistake this morning. I bet he’s so insulted. I ran out of there like I had made the biggest mistake of my life by being with him.”
“I think you know what to do. My husband was my best friend. I miss Zane more every day. I can understand how it might be awkward to be with your childhood best friend, but that will pass. If you love Jasper, then go home and tell him. I personally think you’re both too young to be having sex, but I’m not going to give you a lecture on that or tell your parents. I was doing a lot worse by the time I was eighteen. Go cherish your best friend. Your life is just beginning. Enjoy it with the person who means the most to you.”
“Thanks. I don’t know where I would be if you hadn’t stopped me.”
“I do. You’re a smart girl. You would’ve made a few circles around the block and came home to tell that boy you loved him. Let me know how it goes sometime, and Emma, good luck,” Faith said as Emma walked to the door.
She went straight home and walked in. Jasper was dressed and in his room by that time, and Emma walked up to him and kissed him passionately.
“I love you, and last night was amazing. I need you to know that. I don’t regret it, and I’m not ashamed for you to see any part of me. I just freaked out a little this morning. If you’re going to be with me, then you’ll learn I do that sometimes. You’ll just have to be patient with me,” Emma said as she pulled back.
“I was freaked out, too, you know.”
“Really? You didn’t show it.”
“I know, but I woke up next to this really beautiful girl, and last night seemed like it was too good to be more than an amazing dream. I couldn’t believe it was real. Before I could freak out, you did it all for me. The truth is I’m a little scared every time we do something new together. It’s a good thing, though. It reminds me that I have something to lose. You mean everything to me, and I’m always scared I’ll mess something up. I need to get over that, though, and I will. Until you get over your stage fright in the mornings, I’ll look away.”
“Who said there was going to be more mornings like this one?” Emma teased.
“I just assumed you would be back. I mean, I was clearly amazing,” he joked.
“Now I’m starting to regret telling you things went well. This is all going to your head, isn’t it?”
“Probably, but I could use the confidence boost. What do you say I carry you to the bedroom and we do the morning after the right way?” Jasper asked with one eyebrow raised.
“I think . . .” Emma managed to say before the doorbell ringing interrupted them.
It was her parents. Thankfully, Faith hadn’t called them with any information. It just turned out that they were checking in on their daughter. Emma and Jasper were clearly happy, and that made her parents feel good abo
ut the situation. Her dad, Nathan, was still a little suspicious of a boy living there, even if he had known this boy since he was a baby. Nathan went to the bathroom and just happened to look around the house along the way. He found that Emma’s bed was made, and Jasper’s wasn’t. That wasn’t the worst part, though. A shirt that belonged to his daughter was lying in Jasper’s room. Nathan shook his head. He knew that Emma loved Jasper. She had since they were teenagers, so on some level, he understood what was going on. He had once been eighteen, and back then, he had done a lot of things that he regretted. Nathan was involved with many women before he met his wife at twenty-five. He regretted not waiting on the person who was perfect for him, and he didn’t want to see Emma go down that road. Then again, Jasper seemed like the perfect boy for her. Nathan had seen his daughter date all types. Most of the guys were losers, though. Jasper was the best boy she had ever been close to. As a father, he wanted to rip Jasper apart for what he had probably done with his little girl, but as someone who loved Emma, he didn’t want to mess up what he thought would be a relationship that could last a lifetime for her. He knew what he had to do. When Nathan walked back into the living room, he said something that Jasper feared.
“I think Jasper and I should get reacquainted with each other. Is it all right if I borrow him for the day?” Nathan asked.
“I guess so. Are you okay with that, Jasper?” Emma asked awkwardly.
It was obvious that her dad knew something, and he didn’t want to go with him. This could get really dicey. The last thing he needed was an overprotective father breathing down his neck, or worse, tearing his head off. Still, this was Emma’s dad. If he was going to be with her, then her parents had to be okay with it. This conversation would have to happen sooner or later. Jasper figured he might as well get it over with then.
“It’s been a while. I wouldn’t mind spending the day with Mr. Grey. What did you have in mind for us to do?” Jasper asked.
Jasper and Nathan were about to have a serious talk that would leave them both with a lot to contemplate. It was going to be weird, but it was healthy, and it was the first step in gaining her father’s respect.
Chapter 11
Belonging
Jasper and Nathan went out on his boat. Jasper was a little nervous. Emma’s dad wouldn’t throw him overboard for dating his daughter, would he? What if he was going to go crazy on him? They hadn’t expected visitors that morning. Everything was just as they left it the night before. Nathan could have noticed something. If he knew that he was sleeping with his daughter, Jasper was sure he was dead. Mr. Grey had always been overprotective.
“What’s wrong?” Nathan asked after noticing the expression on his face.
“It’s nothing. I just don’t know what we’re really doing here. This doesn’t seem like a getting to know you thing.”
“It’s not. I’ve got a question for you. Are you dating Emma?”
This was it. Jasper had to say something, but he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to lie, but if he told the truth, would he be swimming home?
“No. What would give you that idea?” Jasper asked in a not too convincing way.
“Then things are worse than I thought. Are you sure you don’t want to change your answer?”
“I don’t know. Honestly, I’m a little freaked out right now. You took me out on this boat, and I don’t know what you have planned. This kind of feels like an interrogation.”
“That’s because it is in a way, but it doesn’t have to be bad. Just tell me the truth.”
“I love Emma. I have since I was a kid. I’m dating her, and I hope that what we’re doing means something to her because it’s the most important part of my life. I want what we have to be long term.”
“That’s good, I think.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just going to do it the best way I know how. I know almost everything that goes on in Emma’s life. I don’t mean to pry, but I’m a father, and I worry. She talked to some friends about what happened with her last boyfriend. Lee and Trish’s daughter told me what happened. I went to that kid’s dorm room to kill him. When I got there, he was packing up, though. That still didn’t stop me from laying him out. He knew who I was and why I was there. Before I could do any more, he explained that he was leaving town because of you. I threatened his life then. I would like to think I scared him bad enough that he’ll never show his face around here again. I wanted to kill him, but I knew Emma would still need a dad, so I didn’t. I appreciate that you took care of things. I noticed that a story about him using steroids leaked just after he went back home. I assume you had something to do with that.”
“I searched his phone when I went to his dorm. I found some pretty hard evidence on it, and I made sure it got into the right hands. He deserved for his life to be ruined after what he did.”
“Agreed. Thanks for taking care of that. I probably would’ve made Emma go straight to the police in your shoes. I was still going to go to the police after I went to his dorm, but my wife convinced me not to. She was as furious as I was, but Emma’s an adult. She can choose how she wants to handle this.”
“If you knew all this time, then why didn’t you say something to her?”
“I’ve been through a lot of things in life, and some people need time to process everything. Emma needs time to figure out who she wants to know about it. I’m her dad, and if she needs me to be there with a shoulder to cry on, then that’s what I’m going to do, but if she needs me to pretend that nothing ever happened for the rest of my life, then I’ll do that, too. The important thing is that she’s okay. I noticed a shirt of hers in your room. That’s why I really brought you out here. I appreciate what you did for her and how you were Emma’s friend after everything she went through, but I didn’t tell her you could move in so you two could hop into bed with each other.”
“I don’t know what to say. I could lie, but you would see straight through that. It’s exactly what it looks like. I know as her dad you must hate that, but it’s actually not a bad thing. She trusts me, and with what happened to her, that’s a really amazing thing. Most girls wouldn’t be strong enough to trust a guy after such a short amount of time. Plus, I plan to marry Emma one day. I didn’t come all the way to Hawaii to have a fling or even a four-year relationship. I came here with intentions of never leaving, so it wasn’t a mistake. It was the beginning of something. I would say I’m sorry, but I’m not. What happened last night with Emma was the beginning of everything I’ve ever wanted with her. I love her. I am sorry you had to find out that way, though.”
“You know I’ve always liked you, right?”
“Yeah, but I never knew why.”
“Because I fell in love with a woman many years ago who ended up being my wife. From the first time I laid eyes on her, I knew she was going to be the most special person in my life. I always got the feeling you felt that way about my daughter, and that’s the kind of love I want for her, so here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to call things even. You took care of the worst person she ever met, and then you did something that I really disapprove of. You do love her, though. I know that’s really true. Make her happy, and don’t ever leave. If you do that, you’re right. None of this was a mistake. If you end up hurting Emma, though, you’re probably going to have a very angry father to deal with who might just dump you in the ocean,” Nathan joked.
“I thought that was what you were going to do when we started out here.”
“I thought about it, but you’re a good kid. Don’t let me find anything like that again, and be careful. Emma’s heart is the most important thing in the world to me. Don’t break it.”
“You never have to worry about that.”
“Good. Now, what do you say we get back to shore? I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of the ocean to last a lifetime.”
“I just got here a few months ago, so I still love it, but I wouldn’t mind
getting back on dry land. There’s no risk of you drowning me there,” Jasper joked.
“I couldn’t do that anyway. I’ve known your mom since before you were born, and she’s a little scary. If I drowned you, I’m pretty sure she would do worse to me,” Nathan said as he turned the boat around.
They went back to Emma and Jasper’s place, and Nathan came in for a minute. He hugged his daughter and kissed her on the forehead.
“What’s up, Daddy?” Emma asked.
She was used to him showing affection, but this seemed different. He had just been out with her boyfriend alone, and she didn’t expect him to come home happy.
“Nothing. I just love you. You’re my little girl. No matter what changes, you always will be,” Nathan said before hugging her and walking out.
“What was that about?” Emma asked Jasper.
“What?”
“You know what. He was acting kind of weird. What did you two talk about?”
“You.”
“You’re going to have to be more specific than that.”
“You won’t be happy about it.”
“Just tell me.”
“Okay. Your dad found a shirt in my room. Guess who it belonged to.”
“Oh, God! How are you still alive?”
“We talked about it. I told him I loved you, and he knew some other stuff, too. You told more than just me and Sadie about what happened with Chip, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. Don’t tell me he knows.”
“He’s known since before Chip left. He also knows that I took care of things. When I told him I loved you, he was forgiving about the fact that we had sex. He didn’t like it at all, but I think he knows I could be the person you ultimately end up with.”
“There are so many things I don’t understand right now. I never thought it would matter to him if a boy I ended up in bed with loved me. I thought he would almost kill me, take this house back, and keep me under lock and key for the foreseeable future.”
“He might have done that when you were a kid, but you’re an adult now. Your dad knows that, and even if it’s tough, he wants what’s best for you.”
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