“We slept together.”
“About time,” she replies calmly. “Was he that bad?”
“No.” I wave her off. “That wasn’t why. He’s amazing, attentive, and skilled.”
Emerson grins. “So?”
“He told me I was a project.”
“A what?” she questions, placing her hands on her hips.
I shuffle my feet. “He was telling me about his brother and how his positive energy made him a better person. He told me he could see himself in me and wanted to help me break out of my shell. Then he said I was like a project to him.”
“Okay, then what?” she asks, waiting for more.
“I got pissed.”
“Wait, he said he wanted to help you and you got mad?”
“I felt like he was trying to change me. Like it was all a game to him to see if he could mold me.”
“Do you really believe that?” she asks.
“What do you mean?”
“Do you think that’s the kind of man he is? Do you think his eyes lit up when you walked in a room because he wanted to change you?”
“I… don’t know.”
“Oh Liz.” Her eyes grow soft, like she feels sorry for me.
“But, you weren’t there. You didn’t hear it in context. There’s more to it.”
“Okay. Tell me.”
I stare at her for a moment and decide I don’t want to discuss it anymore. “I’ve already said too much. Just forget it.” I bite my nail and wander away from her. She wasn’t there. She doesn’t understand how it felt to hear that come out of his mouth.
“I’m sorry,” she says, touching my arm. “You’re right. I wasn’t there. The thing is, I love you both and I want a happily ever after. I got mine and I want you to have yours.”
“I don’t think I’m meant to be happy. I must have been a serious bitch in a past life to be so fucked up in this one.”
“What do you mean in a past life?” Kel says with a mouthful of something as he approaches. “You’re kind of a bitch now.”
“Thanks. That’s just what I needed to hear.”
Emerson grabs the chocolate bar out of his hand. “See, I told you. Sugar makes you a dick. No more candy!” She marches to the garbage can and throws it away.
“Plenty more where that came from.” He reaches into his pants pocket and pulls out another. Emerson lunges for it and he moves it out of her reach.
“I have two more in my pants. If you want to stick your hand down there and feel around for them, that would be fine with me.”
“We’re about to begin. Can someone get the doors?” Finn says from inside the room.
It’s too late for me to change my mind now. The three of us scoot in as the double doors are being closed. His back is facing us. There aren’t many chairs left so we have to split up. I take the chair near the back. There are a lot of rows in front of me. Hopefully he won’t even know I’m here.
“Good afternoon. My name is Finnigan Walsh and I’ll be your captor for the next hour or so.”
Captor… I chuckle to myself. He’s always been the captor and I, his prisoner, both of his carpool and of his game.
