Thread: His Greatest Treasure (Crusade & darkangel76)

I... Emma began, unsure of how exactly to start. Just how much did she want to divulge? Some things she hadn't even told Jess, though her best friend knew a lot. Most, when the thought on it, but there still were some things she held close and kept secret. Yet, there she was sitting next to Jake, her heart pounding hard and desperately longing to find the right someone to confide in. Was he truly the one? He was still a complete stranger, she'd only been talking with him for a couple of hours. But as she sat there, their bodies close, his heat enveloping her, she felt a sense of comforta safety and security she never felt before. If she was honest with herself, she wanted more. Well, I left home a few years back. Emma looked into Jake's eyes, trying to read him, hoping he didn't judge her for leaving her family and not looking back. But she had good reason. Like she'd been with most of her peers while growing up, she hadn't been the child they'd been expecting or hoped for. She was...a disappointment. A slender finger moved to get itself lost within the blonde curls falling over Emma's shoulders. She twisted her hair about it until the fingertip turned purple, then slowly letting the hair loosen. I don't think they miss me much though, she added, forcing a smile. It's not like they call. She shrugged then and reached for her tea. It was still hot, but the peppermint liquid was good and tasted delicious against her tongue. It was what she needed to soothe her in that moment as she remembered her bitter past. Jess said they expected me to leave and started to turn my room into a storage room. She set her mug back down. Makes sense. They don't have an attic. Emma's voice wavered ever so slightly, her hands beginning to shake. She clasped them together, her fingers laced tightly causing the knuckles to turn white. I wasn't the daughter they wanted, Emma continued. Not like Jess. She reached for a cookie and took a bite. The confection was delicious, her favorite. But right then, it suddenly seemed hard to swallow as her breaths came harder, the memories becoming fresher as she thought about everything. I wasn't the pretty one or the popular one. I didn't make the cheerleading team. Ah Jess...her best friend was everything her parents had wanted in a daughter. But instead, she was the best friend. Lucky for her that Jess saw through their bullshit. She didn't know what she would've done if she'd let her parents buy her off like they'd tried to. Ugh...it had been utterly mortifying! Emma took a deep breath and set down the half eaten cookie. My parents wanted me to be something I'm not. She raised up her hands, empty. And then they found my journal... Her cheeks flushed and she bit down on her lip. I just couldn't stay after that, she went on, her face twisting, trying to hold back the emotions that were trying to break free from her tight grip. They went too far. They didn't know me. They didn't want to. She paused a moment. Only Jess knew me. She looked back into Jake's eyes, her own full of emotion ready to burst. I know that's partly why Jess followed me. She wanted to let me know she hated my parents just as much as I did. She smiled weakly. She's a good friend. Still, I'll never be her. Emma's thoughts drifted. Jake was so close, every part of her was highly aware of him. And, in that moment, never had she ever been more grateful to be exactly who she was...and where she was. She wouldn't give that up for the world. But, Emma then added, looking directly into Jake's eyes. I...I think I'm all right with that.