“What do you mean?” I ask, wringing my hands together in my lap.
“You’re fucking gorgeous, Ophelia,” he blurts out. “And a hell of a runner. You’re smart and funny—I’m not just hanging around you out of pity.”
“That’s sweet. Thank you.” I say sincerely, feeling my cheeks grow flushed. But my heart doesn’t swell with his words in the way that I wish it would. I take it the same way you’d take a compliment from anyone. Nothing like how I would feel if Emmett was sitting here, saying those things to me right now.
“I know that from what you’ve seen…my relationship with Emmett must seem like pure masochism,” I explain, clinging to my need to defend him. “And maybe it is. I don’t know.” My hands swipe across my tired face. “But I can’t let him go. Not yet.”
“But you deserve so much better,” he argues, no longer watching the screen. His eyes are glued to me, but I keep staring intently straight ahead. “And where is he right now while you’re upset? He’s with Vivian.”
I feel a knife in my heart. I know he’s right. “She may be playing him…I know that, and you know that. But Emmett’s just feeling lost and trying to do the right thing to protect his family,” I say with as much conviction as I can, but a waver of doubt creeps through my voice. “He does love me,” I add confidently.
“Well, he has a real fucked up way of showing it,” he grumbles, turning his head back towards the TV.
“I just can’t wait for all of this to be over,” I groan, folding over myself in exhaustion, realizing it was probably ridiculous to think I could just sit and watch a movie at a time like this.
Suddenly, I feel his hand on my back. “You know…there are other things I could do to take your mind off things until then,” he says suggestively.
I know what is about to happen. I had hoped Malcolm would let me keep things friendly and platonic, but deep down I knew this was coming. This is the moment of truth. His pale blue eyes look to me expectantly, and I have a decision to make. Will I let myself believe that Emmett and Vivian are fooling around right now and use it to justify something happening between Malcolm and me? I don’t want Malcolm in the way I want Emmett, but if I can’t have Emmett, then being with Malcolm would be something to dull the pain. But I can’t bring myself to let it happen. Maybe if things were officially over with Emmett, it’d be a good consolation prize. But I can’t do anything until I know for sure. If Emmett is still mine, I’m not going to risk jeopardizing that out of spite when I’m not even sure if it’s justified.
I turn in confusion and glare at his hand, smoothing over the back of my sweater. “Malcolm…” I trail off in a warning tone, looking at him with disapproval.
“I could make you feel good, Ophelia,” he replies deeply, not shying away from my glare. “You may even forget about him by the time I’m through.”
I inch several more feet away to the opposite end of the couch. “I can’t do that to Emmett,” I contend. “Let’s just watch the movie.” My arms cross and I glue my eyes back to the TV, hoping he’ll just drop it and let us sit here in awkward silence. My phone rests beside me on the arm of the couch, and I am on high alert for any sound vibrating through it. Just please let Emmett text me soon, I think to myself over and over.
“You honestly don’t realize he’s fucking Vivian right now?” Malcolm says suddenly.
“What?” I start. “Don’t say that. He’s not.” A lump forms in my throat, and I hate him for putting it so bluntly. I know he’s not. He can’t be.
“You’re delusional,” he scoffs. “It’s so obvious that’s what he’s doing.”
“Okay, well, this definitely isn’t helping.” My voice grows shrill as I squirm against the couch cushion.
He moves closer, erasing the gap between our bodies. “Stop fighting for him when he’s not fighting for you,” he says sternly, staring straight through me.
Before I can muster up another defense, his hand is snaking across me to reach for my cheek. His fingers push into the side of my face, trying to turn it towards his.
“Malcolm, stop!” I snap, pushing his arm away. “I can’t tell you what’s going to happen between Emmett and me, but I’m not going to cheat on him. Even if I’m wrong and it turns out that’s what he’s doing…I can’t stoop to that level.”
“I know you feel something for me, too,” he insists, not moving away.
“You’re a great guy,” I offer pityingly, as his hands keep grabbing. “But no…I can’t, Malcolm…Stop it!”
“Come on, just let go…Give in…” he persists, trying to grab everything that he can in order to coax me closer to him.
“No, Malcolm!” I yell louder. “Stop it! I mean it!”
His whole body moves forward, positioning himself over me as I try to turn away. I quickly go into panic mode, realizing he’s not going to back down with my refusal. He continues trying to grab at me, moving his face closer to mine as he tries to force me into a kiss. I keep telling him no, but nothing stops him. I struggle, trying to put all of my weight and strength into breaking free. I’m a fighter, and will keep fighting until my last breath before I let Malcolm have his way with me. I roll my body over, putting him directly on top of me, and instantly jut my foot out with force, nailing right between his legs.
His dull eyes widen just as my foot comes up and rams in between his legs, sending him recoiling and crashing off of me in hissing pain. He falls backwards, wincing as he grabs at his balls. “You fucking bitch!” he shrieks.
He recovers quickly, and I barely have enough time to jump up and grab my things before he lunges towards me. I race for the door, but he catches up behind me and tries to pin me against the glass pane. I ram my elbow back into his ribcage, buying myself just enough time to get the door open and run off into the darkness.
My feet pound along the cobbled sidewalk alongside the main house. My breathing sharp and frantic, I try not to run into anything as I look back over my shoulder, making sure he isn’t following me. Now safe from Malcolm’s attack, I want to run straight into Emmett’s arms. I want it to be that simple. To know that he will take me in and hold me as the man who loves me should. But what I am fleeing from puts a shadow over the protection I need from him. I shouldn’t have gone with Malcolm. And what has happened with Vivian since I’ve been gone? Did she get what she wanted? Was she able to seduce him while they consoled each other?
I don’t stop running until I am at least a mile from Malcolm’s house. Hot tears burn down my cheek as I heave, feeling so stupid for coming out with him. I should have just gone home. As awful as it seemed at the time, it would have been better than this.
I zip my hoodie up tighter so that it covers as much of my face as it can. I barely want to see. I want to hide in here, in the warmth, and use it as a barrier between me and this fucked up town. My tears sting in the cold night air, but I can’t stop them. It hurts too much. They flow out seamlessly.
I don’t even have a plan for what I’m doing, I just know I need to go, get as far away from him as I can. I know Emmett said he didn’t trust Malcolm, but I never expected this. He seemed so kind and gentle. I have to fight against the tug in my heart that tells me this means I can’t trust anyone. Even the good guys end up turning bad in the end.
All at once, I know I need to run back to Emmett. That’s where I belong right now and I probably should have never left. Fuck Vivian. She can cry and play damsel in distress all she wants. I can’t let it come between us. I probably played into her trap perfectly by leaving them alone like that while Emmett was mad at me. I gave her the perfect opening.
As I run with a fury back to Emmett’s, I tell myself she won’t be there by the time I get back. She told Emmett what she needed to and then he made her leave. That has to be what happened. For my own sanity, I need that to be true.
Emmett will be pissed that I was even with Malcolm in the first place, but I am prepared to admit how wrong I was. I should have listened to him, and now I’ve paid the price. I keep looking back to see if Malcolm is chasing after me, but the neighborhood streets are quiet and empty. I cringe at every black car that passes, worried it might be him.
I make it to the manor, but my stomach flips as I get past the gate and see that Vivian’s car is still parked right out front. I almost hesitate at the front door, but I push through. I need to be in Emmett’s arms right now and feel safe again.
One of the staff members lets me in, and thankfully Emmett and Vivian are still right in the sitting room where I left them. Emmett is standing near a corner, facing the wall while she sits on the couch. I’m happy to see the distance between them as I rush in.
“Emmett! I have to talk to you!” I shout through my labored breaths. “Now.”
But I can instantly tell I’ve walked into the middle of something. Vivian’s lips snarl at me in a satisfied grin, and Emmett doesn’t budge. He just stands there with his back turned towards me, looking off into the corner.