“I won’t. I know the two of you are starting to grow close. I want that to happen organically for you. I’d never get in the way of that.” She walks over to me, wrapping me in a hug. When I smell her, I’m pulled back into her kitchen. The smell of powdered sugar and lemon engulfs me. It’s impossible to smell lemon and not think of her. She uses it in so many recipes. She has a million lemon trees in her garden. “I’ve missed you so much.” Tears fill my eyes. “I’ll see you tonight?” I nod.

I miss the words she used to always say when she hugged me, but that was years ago. That I was the daughter she never had. I wait until I hear the door close before I go in search of my shoes.

“I have to get out of here, Chase.”

“Breathe, baby girl.” Chase cups my cheek.

“Oh, it’s not little girl anymore? Remember? You said I was just a little girl.” I see irritation flash across his face, but he masks it quickly.

“You’re far from a little girl, Emily.”

“I have to get home. Today is a big day, not just for my dad but Grace too. I think she feels she has something to prove, and I want to be there to help her any way I can.” Plus, I need to get the heck away from him so that I can think clearly.

“You want her to feel like she belongs.”

“I do.” I nod.

“Does that hit close to home for you, Emily?”

“Don’t!” I snap. “You lost that connection with me to have those kinds of conversations.”

“Who do you have them with?”

“Take me home,” I demand. I’m not ready to give him any more than I already have.

“All right, you win this round.”

“What does that mean?” He steps closer, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear. “Only that you win this round. Hopefully soon you’ll see we both can win.”

7

Chase

Emily has always stood out in a crowd. She is tall with thick blond hair and bright blue eyes and a body a lot of women would kill for. She has never been shy about what she wears. At school it’s a typical uniform or that fucking cheerleading one. But more often than not, when she is out and about, she’s always in jeans and an oversized sweater or shirt of some kind.