He smiled slightly and reached over to rest his hand on top of hers. “Emily….in that message was something that I confessed to you. I don’t really know how to come out and say it to you right now because it was a lot easier talking to a machine than to a person.”
She looked down at his hand resting upon hers and she couldn’t help but feel a small spark where his skin was touching hers. There was something about him that was electrifying and it was slowly starting to drive her to become addicted to the feelings that he created in her. “Is it something bad?”
“No….at least I don’t think its something bad….but it depends on how you take it,” he said as he looked over at the wall to his left, taking a deep breath as he mentally prepared himself for what he was about to confess. This was not the first time that he had been in love, but this was a different feeling. It was stronger than anything that he had ever felt and while it excited him, it also scared him to the point of not being able to speak. “Emily….”
“Yes, JC,” she said, giving him her full attention and looking at him with encouragement in her green eyes.
“Don’t get mad at me when I say this,” he told her as he let a small smirk take place on his lips. “I need you to be quiet until I get this out or we’ll be sitting here all night.”
She nodded her head, silently wondering what he could possibly have to say that could be so serious. She knew that it had to be serious because he was hesitating in telling her his thoughts. Through the time that she had been around him, JC normally was an outspoken person, not holding back whenever he felt that there was something that needed to be said.
He gave her a soft smile as his brain thought of the right words to say to her. A simple “I love you” was not going to be enough. He wanted to express more of his feelings and emotions, and taking the simple way out was just not going to do it. He started to become even more nervous as an uneasy silence fell over the room. His blue eyes would look to her then nervously glance down at the floor, a pattern that continued for several minutes until he finally figured out what he wanted to say. He took a deep breath and cleared his through. “Emily…I know that I haven’t known you all that long and that the time that I’ve been with you has been chaotic and confusing, but you’re personality has taken hold of me. When I lay down at night, all I can seem to think about is your encouraging words, your bright smile, beautiful eyes, and the way that you seem to believe in everything that you say. I’m addicted to the way you laugh, the way that you brush your hair behind your ear whenever your nervous, but most of all I simply can’t get enough of you in general.”
He paused to reach over and brush a strand of hair behind her ear, letting his finger linger against her cheek. “Emily…you’ve taken control of me… every emotion that I feel is because of you… and to be honest, I don’t think that I can live without that. I guess I’ve rambled on long enough and should get to the point…”
He cupped her chin in his hand and gently titled her face so that her green eyes were even with his bright blue ones. “Emily, I’m in love with you.”
Emily closed her eyes as his words embedded themselves in her head. Here was a terrific man confessing that he loved her, and all she wanted to do was cry. His words were so sincere and his eyes showed that every word that he had spoken was true. She didn’t know what to say to him. She knew that deep down in her heart, she was falling in love with him as well, but she didn’t want to rush and say it. “JC…wow…I don’t know what to say…”
He placed his finger against her lip and smiled at her. “You don’t have to say anything, Emily…I just want you to know how I feel. I want you to know that no matter what I’m going to be here for you. Anything you need, all you have to do is ask.”
She leaned forward and rested her forehead against his. “You don’t have any idea how much that means to me, JC… I wish I could express to you just how that makes me feel.”
“I trust you, Em,” he said, before pulling his head back and giving her a playful wink. “I don’t want to sound mean or anything, but I’m a little hungry and there are some friends of yours that need to know that you’re back and alive.”
She watched as he stood up, running his fingers through his hair as he looked down at her. She stood up beside him and slid her arms around him, bringing him in for the tightest hug she could give. She wanted to hold onto him for as long as she could because he provided a type of support that she didn’t believe she could function without. “Thank you for all that you’ve done for me…I don’t think I can make you aware of how grateful I am for your support and encouragement.”
“Believe me, Emily…you’ve given me so much, I don’t think I could possibly have given you as much as you’ve given me.”
“Give me a few minutes and I’ll be ready,” she said, reluctantly pulling away from him, knowing that her friends needed to know that she was alright. She hated causing commotion in people’s lives, and she was ready to end the mess that had been started.
He smirked and picked up her controller, tossing it back in her lap. “You’ve got one more game to go…if I win, that little bet that we made will be going my way.”
“I don’t know anything about a bet,” she told him, trying her best to act oblivious to what he was talking about, but she couldn’t keep a smile from forming on her lips. “Trust me, Justin…either way, I don’t care who wins this bet.”
“Yeah, I don’t really care either, but its still so much fun to be the one who wins,” he said as he looked over at her and licked his lips. “Now concentrate baby, because you’re going to need it to beat the master of this game.”
She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at how cocky he was being. Even though it seemed somewhat arrogant, she knew that he was the complete opposite. She hadn’t been around him all that long, but she had picked up on the insecurity in his blue eyes. He tried hard to hide it, but there are some things that no one can hide. “Justin…can’t I just give up and let you win? I know you’re going to beat me, and I would really like to save myself the embarrassment of having to watch how horribly I lose….”
He leaned over and kissed her softly, smiling as he watched her relax completely to him. “Whitney…baby…just play the game so I can say I won fair and square…”
She groaned and picked up the controller, waiting on him to start the game. She just happened to glance out the window and she blinked when she saw JC’s car pull into the driveway. “JC’s back….and…he’s got someone with him….Justin…ohmigosh that’s Emily,” she exclaimed before throwing the controller down and sprinting out the door, almost tackling her best friend as soon as she threw her arms around her. “You’re alright.” Emily couldn’t hold back the tears in her eyes as she squeezed Whitney, thanking God that he had let her return to everyone that cared for her. “Yes, I’m alright…I’ve missed you so much.”
“Where is that sorry excuse for a human being?” Whitney asked as she reluctantly pulled away from Emily, anger starting to flash in her brown eyes.
“He’s getting help…everything has worked out…but lets not talk about that. I want to hear how everything is going,” she said as a smile worked its way on her face. “Is there a ring on your finger yet?”
Whitney laughed and pulled her friend toward the door. “No there isn’t…and there isn’t going to bed…I eventually have to go back home…but we’ll discuss that later. You need to call Stephanie and let her know that you’re ok…she’s worried just as much as I have.”
When they walked back into the large living room of Justin’s house, Lynn was waiting there, a welcoming smile on her face. “You must be Emily…Its nice to finally meet you and I’m glad that you’re alright.”
Emily blushed slightly as she made her way to stand by JC, who in return slid a protective arm around her waist. “I can only imagine what you’ve heard.”
“Trust me, its been all good stuff,” she said, letting out a little chuckle as she turned to Justin. “How about you come help me get dinner ready? You need to learn how to cook…”
Justin rolled his eyes as he placed the controller on the table and stood up to follow his mother to the kitchen. “I can cook! You’re just jealous you can’t cook as good as I can.” Emily smiled as she watched everyone around her. This was how life was supposed to be. You were supposed to be surrounded by people that loved you, who respected you as a human being. She could not believe how much her luck had changed over the course of a month. She was falling hard for the most wonderful man that she imagined could live on Earth, she had the most loyal friends that anyone could ask for, and she had met new amazing people that cared more about her than Riley had ever , and they barely knew her. She closed her eyes and sent a silent thank you to God.