“We are here for you, Emily. You have us, and we are your family,” Draco said as a goodbye, then walked past us to give his wife a kiss from the SUV window.
“We are your family. Everything will work out.” Phillip helped me into the passenger seat, with a smile. I wanted to return a smile of my own, but I felt nothing.
As we drove off, I felt a hand on my shoulder.
“I can help if you’d like. My powers are mine again. If you want to feel a little different,” Rose offered, and I knew I shouldn’t. Feeling your feelings was the best way to work through them. The only way. But my feelings were too much right now. I wasn’t a drinker or drug user. I really didn’t want to cut myself again, so magical manipulation it was. Rose had the power to make me feel anything, and I was going to take her up on the offer.
“I wanna enjoy the night, so do what you gotta do.”
Chapter Nineteen
Vincent
For the first time in days, I smiled. My pillow smelled like the vanilla and jasmine candle from Emily’s house, and I dug my face into the soft material. I’d tried so hard not to think during my waking hours, when my subconscious pushed me to face her. But in the dream world, I never married Chasity. I found Emily first, and I woke up to her sweet scented-candle room every morning, with her pink hair brushing against my chest as she peacefully slept in my arms. She’d wake up with bright smiles, and I spent those precious moments before breakfast showing her how grateful I was to be with her. I used my fingers, my tongue, and my cock. Every moan, every call of my name, made every second living in this life worth it.
“Mmm,” she moaned, and I ran my fingers down the curve of her hips, then dipped below the hem of her sleep shorts to palm her muscled ass. I pulled her close, and she moaned against the feeling of my morning wood pressed against her.
“Mmm. Vinc—mmm… Holy hell!” Her body jerked out of my hands, and I jolted awake. Yeah… not my room and not a dream.
Emily sat on the floor beside what must be her bed, the sheets tangled between her legs. Her wide eyes and deep breaths worried me, but instead of comforting her, I looked around. I was still clothed, sans shoes. I closed my eyes to search for the memories of how I got here, but nothing came up. Phillip tried to talk to me a few times at the hero apartment, but I’d jumped time before he got a word out. In the few moments of alone time I got, I drank myself into that peaceful nothingness of thought.
I was assuming this was like the time at the park. Stupid powers.
“V.” Emily’s voice broke, and my gaze snapped to her. She scrambled out of the sheets and onto the bed to squeeze the fuck out of me. “I was so worried. Where have you been? You’ve never gone this long without writing, and I just… I’m glad you’re here. You’re a grown man—you can do what you want—but a little communication is nice, and I…” My brain obviously didn’t remember the situation at hand, or it didn’t care. Without letting her finish her ramble, my lips crashed into hers.
She stilled, as did I. As if the kiss were an anxiety pill, she melted and relaxed into me. Her lips parted, and I eased back. I couldn’t. Not like this.
“We have to talk.” I created as much space between us as her queen-size bed gave. It wasn’t enough for what I had to say, but my powers had enough of me adding more.
“Ok. We’re safe. I’m here to listen.” She nodded and sat calmly in sleep shorts and a pink tank top. In the chaos of the morning, I hadn’t noticed how beautiful she looked in her comfy clothes. My eyes glanced down to her forearms, and she instantly crossed her arms over her chest to hide them from me.
“We are safe. I will never judge you.” We needed to talk about her sister, but this came first. I needed Emily to know.
Moving closer, I reached over. I watched her eyes, waiting for the ok as I peeled her arms out of her guarded hold.
“You are beautiful. Every freckle.” Her arm shook as I lightly straightened it between us. Her breaths stilled as I leaned down and pressed my lips to the first set of straight scars on her inner arm. Crosshatching patterns switched angles up her arms and stopped at her elbow.
“Every strand of hair.” Another kiss on another set, and her breath released.
“Every smile, frown, and resting bitch face.” I smiled as I kissed my way up her arm.
“You are beautiful on your happy days.” I switched to the other.
“You are beautiful on your sad days.” I quickly pecked two sets and paused against the raised scars near her wrist.
“Every scar shows a moment where you did not let the sad days steal you from this earth. I am in awe of you and your strength.” I finished off with pecks to each finger and gently set her arms in her lap.
“Most people would say my scars showed my weakness. I should have been stronger,” she whispered, her head downcast.
“People don’t realize how many take their lives every day. Every hour. You didn’t join those statistics. You continue to work through the tough times in healthier ways and give yourself grace. You deal with your problems head-on. You are brave and strong. You make me want more than I ever allowed myself to try for.” Like her. Like actually doing something for myself in the timeline. I wasn’t sure if being here had changed things already, but I started not caring.
“Why did you run away?”
“I’m a coward.”
“I don’t believe that.” She shook her head, and I wished again for that bravery of hers. Instead of facing my problems, I’d found every distraction I could. I wasn’t taught how to cope or any of that shit, and I never tried to. If I’d learned better, then I’d want differently. Different scared me, plain and simple.
“You’re going to hate me.” I glanced to the small window of her bedroom, tempted to jump out of this timeline. If I did, she’d really hate me, and that’s what kept my ass on her bed.
