Crushing Emeralds

Chapter Nineteen

I wake up before our alarm and quietly check my phone for messages. There’s a reply from Blake, just three simple words. Whatever you want. Except as I think about those words I’m not sure what exactly I want. Answer, of course. Anything else? Hopefully not.

I see Kordie with her mouth wide open and hear a faint snore escape her mouth. I stay and bed lost in thought until the alarm finally goes off startling the both of us.

Kordie bolts up in bed. “I’m up!” Her hair is a tangled mess and her eyes can barely stay open. I watch her wipe drool off her chin and slowly make her way out of bed.

A giggle escapes my mouth.

“What?”

“Your hair.” I tell her.

She quickly tries to flatten her tangled locks as I get dressed. It doesn’t take long for me to throw on a pair of jeans and t-shirt. “Hey, I’m gonna pick up some coffee on my way to class. I got to get all the way across campus. I’ll see you later.” I leave her to finish getting ready.

Three classes go by in a blur until the one that I’ve been looking forward too for months. Campus Talk. A walk on role in the campus’s evening show. The room is several times larger than the little studio I worked in back home.

A handful of students are running back and forth from their computers to the printer and back again. I didn't even know where to start and just stand in place accessing the scene.

“Hello, you must be Emerald Wells, I am Wyatt Forbes. ” the boy stuck out his hand and I shake it eagerly in return. “Welcome to the show.”

“How did you know?” I ask.

“You’re the only girl this semester. Plus, we heard a lot about you from our producer. He was an avid watcher of yours.” Wyatt walks me to a desk that was front and center. “Here’s your desk and some stories we’re going to be airing. Do some background research on them so you know what you are talking about. We are going to go live with the show in about a month or two.”

“Will do.”

“We expect a lot around here. Are you prepared?”

“Of course.”

“Not everyone gets offered a scholarship solely based on their work in one small production. Glad to have you on board.” He gives me a small smirk before walking away leaving alone in my corner.

My mind races. Was I nervous for nothing. Things are already a little easier than I thought they were going to be...well, at least so far. I stay for hours organizing the stack of topics that’s at least a foot high. I lean back in the comfortable chair to give my eyes a break.

“I’ll see you Friday Emerald.” Wyatt hollers from his desk just kiddy corner from me.

“Yup. Sure. I’ll be here.” I want to slap my forehead as words keep spewing from my mouth.

After Wyatt leaves my eyes roll over the clock. Oh crap, 6:30. I’m supposed to meet Blake in the library at five. I rush to pack my things up and run to the door. The few people that remain in the room look at me with annoyed glares for ruining the calm silence within the room.

I’m completely out of breath as I rush through the Library doors, no doubt looking disheveled. I pace every square inch of the library searching for Blake. I can’t be too surprised that he’s already gone. I’m more than an hour and a half late.

In the panic I didn’t think about looking at my phone and now on my way back to my room I see the one text from Blake from twenty minutes ago. ‘Guess you got too busy’

I slowly walk back to my room hoping to see him lurking around a corner or waiting outside the door. Hell, even inside waiting with Kordie. I fix my hair and enter with an apologetic look on my face, but I just find Kordie at her desk doing some homework.

“Where have you been?” she blurts out the instant the door closes.

“Did anyone come by looking for me?” I have to ask.

“Besides Evan, no.” she replies.

“Guess who already has a speaking role on Campus Talk?” I chant.

Kordie rushes out of her seat and throws herself on me, “Hell yeah! We should celebrate this weekend.”

“Sure.” I agree, because there’s no disagreeing with her.

She goes back to her books while I plop down on my bed and surround myself with the bazillion topics of discussion from the studio. Hours go by and without wanting to, I fall asleep in the mist of paper.

I shuffle in bed unable to get in a comfortable position. I swing my legs out and as I whip the blanket off me I hear the papers fall to the floor. I ignore the mess and make my way to the door dragging my feet. As my hand is firmly on the knob, I hesitate but only for a second.

That second doesn’t leave any sort of mark or bring me to my senses. I open the door slowly as if it would creak and shut it just as gently behind me.

Little night lights line the halls and I pass closed door after closed door. I have no idea where I’m going, but I down hall after hall and staircase after staircase. I mindlessly follow a feeling that leads me, a pull that brings me to where I need to go. And that’s when it clicks.

My subconscious breaks through the haze and starts screaming viscously, trapped inside my head as my body is unresponsive. Finally, the trail ends in an unfamiliar classroom that’s being renovated. Plastic tarps lay over the desks and a drop cloth lines the floor.

Blake still in jeans and t-shirt stands with his back to me. I quickly look down at myself and let out a breath of relief as I realize I’m still wearing my clothes from earlier and not my pjs.

“I should’ve known that this had something to do with you.” I snap causing him to swing around and face me. “I thought I made myself clear not to do that and while I was sleeping. I couldn’t control myself until it was too late. Where the hell am I?” I make a half circle trying to see more of the room.

When I swing back around to face him I feel my ponytail whip across his chest. He’s much closer now, too close, staring at me. His large hand goes behind my head, grabs a hold of the elastic band holding my hair up and slowly pulls it out. Without thinking, I shake my head to allow the slightly wavy strands of hair to fall around my face. My eyes stay fixated on his full lips, I lean forward dizzily with my lips parting.

Centimeters apart I jerk back. What the hell is wrong with me?

“You still don’t trust me. I expect that, but..” Blake says taking a step closing the small gap between us. His hand glides down my spine and stays in the lower dip of my back, he pushes me firmly against him as his lips find mine.

Blood rushes to my head and oxygen barely enters my lungs as his fingers from his free hand get twisted in my hair. I lose myself in an instant.

I wrap my arms around him digging my nails in his back while my leg slowly slides up his calf reaching his thigh where my foot curves around to the inside. His hand releases the back of my head and grabs my leg that I’m standing on. Before I know it I’m firmly lifted to fully encircle his waist. Seconds later I’m slammed against a wall, pinned.

Blake breaks the kiss moving his lips down my neck and then back up to rest over my ear. His heavy breath sends shivers down my spine as he whispers, “I don’t bite.”

And just as quickly as I was sucked into this, I snap out of it. I pull fiercely away where I land awkwardly on my feet, but thankfully remain standing. “Easy for you to say, but very difficult for me to believe. If you don’t remember every encounter I have had with you it involved me running for my life.” I speed walk to the door anxious to get the hell out of here.

Of course he reaches the door before me blocking my exit.

“Emerald please.” His voice soft.

“No. Not please Emerald. This,” my hands waves between the two of us, “isn’t going to happen. You have no hold over me.” I shove him in attempt to get him away from door, but he doesn’t budge.

“I’ll make it up to you. I’m sorry.”

“What the hell-”

“Sleep.” His voice is dreamlike. I don’t hear it with my ear, but I hear it in my mind.

Then it goes black.