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“I said you shouldn’t keep your emotions at bay. I feel everything. I’d like to not feel so much on some days. And I want more than anything to turn my brain off most of the time.”
“Yeah, I get that,” he says, his voice a little hoarse but filled with understanding.
We arrive at the pathway that connects the road leading to the Harrington estate and the one leading out of it.
“You can go now. I’ll be fine on my own.”
His gaze narrows suspiciously. “Your house has to be at least twenty minutes away.”
“Yes, and I’m sure I can manage it on my own,” I repeat. “Go home, Sterling Harrington.”
He stares at me for a moment before reaching into his pocket. He pulls out his phone, and I watch quietly as he dials someone’s number. My jaw drops open when he starts speakingto someone I’m guessing is his driver. He tells the person on the other end to bring the car over to where we currently are.
“Yeah we’re standing at the side of the road. Thank you.”
“You’re seriously infuriating. You know that, right?”
He doesn’t reply. A couple minutes later, there’s a black car with tinted windows pulling up in front of us. Sterling opens the door to the back seat, gesturing for me to step inside. I stay put, my arms crossed as I glare at him.
“Hey, Callum,” he says to the middle-aged man at the wheel. “Sorry to bother you this late, but could you take her home?”
“Of course, sir,” the other man says with a curt nod.
“Thanks,” Sterling states before looking at me. “Get in.”
A part of me wants to throw a tantrum and refuse, but poor Callum’s already being dragged out here. There wouldn’t be any point.
“You’re annoying,” I mutter, sliding into the back seat.
He smirks. “Good night, Emilia.”
“I didn’t say you could use my name,” I chide.
“No?’ he asks cockily and I catch a passing glimpse of a small smile right before he shuts the car door.
Well, that was intense.
Sterling’s driver, Callum, drops me right in front of my house and, after wishing me a good night, leaves immediately. The memories of what happened before I left home crash down on me as I stand on my doorstep.
I exhale a soft breath before slowly pushing the door open. As expected, my sister’s in the living room, biting her nails nervously. She looks up as soon as I enter, and it’s hard to miss the worry in her brown eyes.
“Hey,” I say, walking into the living room.
“Emilia,” she breathes. “What happened? You were saying you needed a glass of wine, and I was going to change and then join you in the living room when I heard the glass shattering.By the time I stepped outside my room, you were gone. And you didn’t even take your phone. I thought something had happened to you.”
I take a seat on the couch, tucking my knees beneath my feet and avoiding eye contact with my sister.
“I’m fine, Nika.”
She shakes her head. “No, not good enough. This isn’t the first time you’ve done something like this. You can’t just disappear without telling anyone, Em.”
She’s right. And I don’t mean to, really. But whenever something triggering happens, I kind of just black out. It’s like I’m not really in the moment anymore. I barely remember walking out of the house or all the way to the park. But it happened, and I made my little sister worry unnecessarily.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper softly.
She takes a seat beside me on the couch and sighs. At first, she doesn’t say anything. And then she’s wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug.
“I just want you to be safe, Em,” Anika says quietly into my neck.