Page 21 of Anteros’ Return (Zelus U: Prequel)

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“ W ell done, boys! Another cracking win!” I cheered as the team cheered with me. “You all played incredibly well!”

“Beckett, do you want to award the player of the match trophy?” Dan asked, handing me the weekly trophy.

“Our player of the match is Liam!” The pride might have radiated off me, but all eyes were on Liam—who looked like he might burst from the inside out. His mouth dropped open in shock before stretching into the biggest grin I’d ever seen. His hands flew up into the air in a silent victory cheer before he turned to me, beaming like he'd just won the World Cup.

“Right, we’ll see you lads on Monday, enjoy your weekend!” Dan lit up as he high-fived them all.

As I lifted my gaze, I caught sight of Emily standing amidst the empty spectator stands. Her hair danced and swirled in the chilly wind, framing her perfectly flushed cheeks that had endured over an hour in the cold. The pale pink hue of her skin contrasted beautifully with her auburn hair, making her look like a delicate painting brought to life.

“C’mon, Liam, I’ll walk you over to your mum.” I started off in Emily’s direction with Liam right beside me.

“Beckett?” he asked, shoving his arms into his team coat.

“What’s up, mate?”

“Did you only choose me for player of the match because you know my mum and want to make her happy?” He stopped, waiting for me to do the same and give him my attention, which I did.

As I crouched down to meet him at eye level, a warmth prickled at the back of my neck—the kind of feeling you get when someone’s watching. I didn’t need to look to know Emily’s gaze was on us. The kind of weight only her eyes could carry.

“Listen, Liam, I made my feelings about you being player of the match when you scored those three banging goals today and made that quality assist. It has nothing to do with your mum being my friend but everything to do with the crazy amount of talent you have.” I smiled. “Trust me. You’re incredibly talented and you deserve that trophy today.”

“Thanks.”

Over the past week, I’d only seen Liam at training, and he still had an upset attitude towards me. Deep down I knew it was because he overheard the talk of me leaving. Emily had put his quietness this week to being extremely busy at school but that wasn’t it.

“Mum! I got player of the match!” Liam sprinted to his mum the second he saw her waiting for him with open arms. She gave him that same heart-stopping smile she always had, only this time it was so much bigger.

“I’m so proud of you!” She scooped him into her arms, spinning him around.

“He deserved it,” I interrupted as Emily placed him carefully on the ground.

The tension between Emily and I hung in the air like a thick fog. That woman was my kryptonite, and I hoped damn well that she knew it too.

“What are you two doing this evening?” I asked, wanting to break the silence.

“I’m going to Uncle Harry’s and Mum is going out with Kayla.” Liam shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe she’ll find a boyfriend or take Kayla up on her offer of a double date,” he teased. It was a thought I bloody hated with a burning passion.

I didn’t fucking think so. The only man Emily would ever date would be me.

“I don’t think I’ll be taking up that offer, Liam.” Emily’s cheeks flushed with what seemed to be embarrassment, and it made me chuckle inside. In fact, I smiled so bloody hard it made my cheeks hurt. “Is something amusing, Beckett?”

“No, nothing at all, Em. I was just thinking,” I said, not taking my eyes off of hers.

“Mhm.” Her lips twisted into the softest smile before she pouted them ever so slightly. “Right, are you ready to go? I’ll drop you off at Uncle Harry’s.”

Liam took Emily’s hand tightly, and at that moment, my heart tightened at not being able to do the same.

“Liam, can you wait for your mum in the car? I need to speak to her for a minute.”

“Alright, I guess.” He shrugged, dropping her hand before running off to their parked car.

“What is it, Beck?” I didn’t know if it was a slip of the tongue, or if she meant to call me by my nickname, but I fucking liked it.

I always did when she said it, and all those years made no difference.

“Make sure you go home alone tonight.” I smirked, her lips pursing into a sharp, straight line.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me, Em. I told you years ago and I’ll say it again—no matter how long it takes, you know just as well as I do that we belong with one another.” I stepped a little closer to her. To the passersby, we probably looked deep in conversation, but to us, there was more to it.

So much more.

Ten years ago…

“We belong together, Em.” I announced as she straddled my lap.

“You sound so sure of yourself.” Her voice was playful, and I loved it. I loved every single second with her and nothing would change that.

“I’m so damn sure, I’d bet my life on it.” I pulled her body closer to mine, her eyes widening from the contact of our bodies together. “Because my life wouldn’t be worth living without you, Em.”

Her eyes softened the second the words left my mouth. Her lips brushed against my own as she melted into me.

“Neither would mine, Beckett Ashmore. Neither would mine.”

At that moment, I felt as though I was on top of the damn world.

There wasn’t another woman like Emily Ryton.

She was one of a kind and everybody knew it.

And she was mine.

Present day…

“Beckett, I need to go.” Small puffs of air left her lips as she cast her gaze to the ground.

“You know it, don’t you?” I glanced over Emily’s shoulder to check if Liam was paying attention to us or his trophy. Thankfully, it was the latter. I tipped her chin up with my forefinger and thumb, causing her to finally look at me. “Don’t you, Em?”

“Maybe once.” She took my hand in hers, gently moving it away from her chin, but she didn’t let go right away. Her fingers lingered on mine, and in that split-second of contact, it was like time folded in on itself. That old electricity surged between us. Sharp and sudden, as if no time had passed at all. My skin tingled where hers touched it, and I saw something flicker in her eyes, something unspoken but unmistakably familiar. She cleared her throat, breaking the moment. “I need to get Liam to Harry’s.”

“This conversation isn’t over.” I said, my voice low, a flicker of something unresolved in my eyes as she gnawed on her lower lip.

“Besides, if I don’t go home with anyone tonight, it won’t be because you’ve said so. It’ll be because I don’t want to.” She turned on her heel before glancing over her shoulder for a second. “I guess I’ll just see what the night has in store for me.” And just like that, she strode off to her car.

I watched as she drove off with Liam before pulling out my phone and dialling Ollie’s number.

He answered after two rings. “Alright, mate.”

“Fancy going out tonight?” I asked.

“Too bloody right I do.” He laughed, and from that moment, I knew exactly what the plan was.

Ollie and I entered the prestige club in Manchester. You might have wondered how I knew this was where Emily would be, but Ollie had done some digging through Kayla’s Instagram stories and found out within a split second.

We made our way to the bar as I scanned the crowd. She was nowhere to be seen, but I’d find her.

“What do you want to drink?” Ollie asked, pulling out his wallet.

I waved him off. “Put that shit away. It’s on me.” He shoved his wallet back into his pocket with a smile. “I was the one that asked you to come out, so I’ll pay,”

“And you asked me out with an ulterior motive in mind, didn’t you?” he questioned as he held up his hand to get the bartender’s attention. When he came over, Ollie nodded at him. “Two beers, please.”

“I have no idea what you mean.” I rolled my eyes, knowing exactly what he meant.

“Mhm. I think that checking Kayla’s Instagram says a whole different story.” He took a swig of his beer. “Emily’s the one, right?”

“Yeah, mate, she is. She always has been, from the day I met her, y’know?” I couldn’t hide it from Ollie. He knew me too well. “We have a son together, Ol, and I missed almost eight years of his life. How could I have been so damn stupid?”

“You can’t say shit like that because you didn’t know. Everyone lied to you. Mike and your parents.” He placed his palm on my shoulder, trying to reassure me.

“I should have known Emily wouldn’t have moved on so quickly, though. I should have fought for her and came back.”

“Listen, we can all sit here and say all the things we could have done, and maybe if I was closer to Harry and Emily, I would have known and I could have helped but I wasn’t.” He sighed. “You have another chance at love with her and the possibility of a family, and I think you should fight for it. Fight for her like she wants you to. She doesn’t need to hear words. You need to show her.”

He was right. I knew I needed to show her. She wouldn’t believe words alone.

“I’ll never give up on her again, nor will I let Liam grow up without his father like Mike deprived him of for so long.”

“Listen, Mike was and still is a twat, and he’ll get what’s coming to him.” Ollie smirked as he took another swig of his beer. “I can’t wait to see his face when he comes back from his business trip.” He laughed as did I.

I was about to respond when the tiny hairs on the back of my neck bristled and stood at attention. I didn’t need to look to my left. I could feel her presence without even turning around. It was like an invisible force tugging at me, drawing me towards her with an irresistible pull that I couldn't resist.

One I didn’t want to resist.

I turned, resting against the wooden bar with my beer in hand. My eyes followed her every move as she joined Kayla on the dance floor, her hips swaying to the pulsing beat. Her hands caressed her own body in a seductive grasp, the fabric of her dress clinging to her curves.

All I could think about was ripping that damn dress off and claiming every inch of her like I did so many years ago, leaving nothing but tattered shreds on her bedroom floor. Intense desire coursed through me, my heart racing as memories flooded back in and my body yearned for hers once more.

Ollie smirked. “You going to stand here with me all night or go and get your girl?”