Chapter 1
1051 Words
"James, you're so good to me. If Emma finds out, she'll definitely be so angry."
The soft female voice slipped through the half-cracked door of my master bedroom.
I was standing right on the doorstep.
Peering through the gap, I spotted James Wilson sitting on the edge of the bed.
He held a towel in his hand, dabbing sweat off Grace Cooper, who lay on the bed.
"Don't be scared, Grace. I'm here, no one can hurt you."
James's voice was gentle as silk.
That hand of his... it still bore the thick, ugly scar from when a knife ran straight through it, saving my life.
And right now, that same hand was cupping another woman's cheek.
I pushed the door open.
Click.
The soft latch echo cut through the quiet room.
James's whole body went rigid.
He spun around, and when our eyes locked, his pupils shrank sharply.
The towel slipped from his limp fingers and fluttered to the floor.
"...Emma?"
He scrambled up from the bed so fast his bad leg buckled under him, and he stumbled.
Dragging his crippled right leg behind him, he lurched toward me.
His hand clamped tight to the hem of my shirt.
"Emma, you listen to me, let me explain!"
James's eyes were red-rimmed, his voice shaking so hard it cracked.
"It's not what you see!"
I lowered my gaze, staring at the fingers digging so hard into my fabric they were white at the knuckles.
"Let go."
"I won't let go! Emma, don't get the wrong idea, please!"
Tears welled over and rolled down James's cheeks.
"Grace was just diagnosed with severe depression! This afternoon she almost overdosed on pills to kill herself!"
He shook as he pointed at Grace on the bed, his voice dripping with desperation.
"I got a call from the hospital and rushed over.
"She was so worked up she wouldn't let go of me. I was just trying to calm her down...
"I swear I didn't do anything!"
I tugged at the corner of my mouth and asked in dead calm.
"Comforting her?
"Comforting her all the way into my master bedroom, onto my bed?"
James's face drained of every last drop of color, his lips quivered, unable to form words.
"Emma, I…"
Before he could get the words out, Grace finally moved onto the bed.
She threw back the covers, draped in my silk pajamas, and stepped onto the floor barefoot, walking straight toward us.
She dropped hard to her knees right in front of me.
Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she didn't make a fuss.
"Emma, it's all my fault, every single bit of it."
Grace tilted her face up to me, crying as she spoke.
"James only has you in his heart. I was just in so much pain that I couldn't help leaning on him."
She reached out to grab the hem of my pants, but I stepped out of her reach.
She didn't get angry, but her sobs grew even louder.
"Don't be mad at him, it's all my fault. I shouldn't be alive dragging you two down…
"I'll just leave. I'll go kill myself right now!"
With that, she shot to her feet and made a lunge for the door, as if she really meant to rush out.
"Grace!"
James let go of my shirt hem and snatched her into his arms in one quick move.
"Are you crazy?!
"The doctor said that you can't handle any stress right now!"
Grace thrashed against his chest, screaming through her tears.
"Let me go!
"Just let me die!
"I can't ruin your relationship with Emma!"
"I won't let you talk like that!
"What am I supposed to do if you die?!"
The words burst out of James before he could stop them.
He turned his stiff neck to look at me.
"Emma… I, I just can't let anything happen to her. It's a human life, after all."
My stomach churned as I stared at the two of them. Bile rose in my throat. I'd never felt so disgusted.
"James."
"I'm here, Emma. Go on, say what you need."
He stared back at me, straining to stretch his mouth into a groveling, pleading smile.
I pulled a velvet box out of my bag.
I flipped the latch open.
Inside, a Porsche key lay gleaming against the soft lining.
I set it down on top of the dresser.
"Last month you complained that your bad leg ached every time you pressed the clutch in that old manual car of yours."
I locked my gaze on his face, my voice steady as a rock.
"I picked this up today specifically for our tenth anniversary. It was supposed to be your gift.
"Looks like your leg is doing a lot better than you let on, doesn't it?"
James gaped at the car key, his face draining of every last drop of color until it looked like ash. He knew exactly how many sleepless nights I'd pulled to land that big contract that paid for that. He knew I'd skimped on everything for months just to pull this surprise off for him.
"Emma..."
He reached a trembling hand out toward me, desperate to pull me into a hug.
I stepped back fast, putting clear space between us before he could touch me.
"Your leg is obviously good enough to drive a new car. Good enough to f**k around in my bed with another woman. And apparently good enough to play the hero saving your damsel in distress too."
I stared right into his eyes, each word biting sharp and clear.
"Emma! No! That's not what this is! Just let me explain!"
Panic clawed at James. He shoved Grace away and lunged straight for me.
"Don't you dare touch me."
I wrinkled my nose in disgust.
"I might as well have given this car to a damn dog."
With that, I didn't spare either of them another glance. I turned on my heel and walked straight out of the master bedroom.
Behind me, James's desperate pleas and Grace's wailing echoed down the hall.
I walked straight to the guest room and twisted the lock shut behind me.
James hammered on the door the entire half of the night.
"Emma, please open up! I really can't live without you!"
- Writer
