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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Emerson

I wrap the towel around me and step out of the shower. Using a second towel to dry my hair pausing to look at my reflection in the mirror.

Kelton didn’t come out after his game. I know why, we all did, though no one said a word.

When Jerry, his agent and the subject of our harassment of Kelton from the night before, showed up to take us home I knew it was serious.

He wanted to feed Liz and me to the bears for talking about how dirty the man looks yet he put us in a car with him.

I sat in the back, witnessing Alizabeth flirting and all I could think of was Kelton.

I will never understand his father. How he can be so harsh when his son has gone so far.

He’s made it, his dreams came true, and the pride should be rolling off Mr. James in waves.

But instead he is constantly telling him what he did wrong.

He is the same way with Liz, which is why she rarely tells him anything.

It’s sad.

I’m an only child, both my parents older than most, because I was their surprise baby. My mother found out she was pregnant at forty-four years old, my dad was fifty-one. They never intended to have kids, but tell everyone whenever the subject came up, I was a blessing.

They are old-fashioned, and are now traveling around the US in a big motor home, seeing the country. We talk often and recently they’ve discovered video chats so those are always fun.

But never once have they ever made me feel unappreciated. The exact opposite actually; they get a little sappy at times expressing how proud they are.

Slipping into my sleep shorts and shirt I exit the bathroom and find Liz in the kitchen. She is literally watching the door, like she is willing it to open.

“Have you heard from him?” I join her, refilling her wine glass and grabbing me one too.

“Nothing.” She worries her lip. “I have half a mind to call my dad and lay into him.” She twists her glass in her hands, watching the liquid swirl.

“But I know it will change nothing, only give him more reason to offer his displeasure in my actions too. Kelton is a good man.” I don’t argue.

“Any father would be proud to say that’s my boy, why can’t my father.

Why is it so hard for him to admit that he is proud of the man his son became? ”

We sit in silence. I know she doesn’t really need me to say anything, she needs me to be there.

When a little over an hour passes and she’s finished off a bottle of wine, she decides to go to bed and I stay where I am. My mind races with all the possibilities of where he is. Or who he’s with.

The worst possible scenarios play out in my mind.

A little after midnight I stand and take my glass to the sink, rinsing it out when I hear the lock on the door. Spinning around just as it opens, Kelton steps inside.

He doesn’t see me at first and I stay where I am watching him. He sets his bag down, pulling off one shoe and then the other dropping them to the floor. He lifts his hands, combing his fingers through his hair and then down over his face. He looks exhausted and wrecked emotionally.

I wish in that moment that I’d decided to go to bed five minutes sooner.

He lowers his hand then starts for the kitchen and that’s when he sees me. Our eyes lock, neither saying a word.

My chest grows tight, my pulse quickens.

“Tell me, how should I refer to you?” His question surprises me.

“When people ask, what should I say? Because I kiss you and you run like your ass is on fire. I try to talk about it and you clam up. I wait and you avoid me.” His hands go to his hips.

I can see the frustration in his stance and I am frozen.

I don’t know what I should say, or if I should say anything at all.

It feels like no matter which way I choose this is heading right for disaster.

“Tell me, Emerson, because I honestly have no fucking idea.”

I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out. To be honest this is the last thing I thought I’d be doing tonight. It’s the last thing I thought he’d be thinking about.

“Because whatever you need, I’ll give it to you.”

“I don’t know,” I say in a rush and all he does is stare at me. It feels like time crawls by, minutes, hours, but I know it’s only seconds.

“Yeah.” He laughs but nothing about it is happy. “That helps.” Kelton runs his fingers through his hair again, tugging at the ends. “That helps a lot.” He shakes his head, then he walks away.

I hear his door shut, and my body jumps in reaction to the harshness that echoes down the hall. When Liz peeks her head out from the spare bedroom and looks at me, the tears begin to fall.

How did tonight go so wrong? How did I end up here?