Emma's POV “Hey Freshie.” A guy with an already receding hairline called out to me. I was still recovering from the seven hours flight I took a day before. The excitement of a new environment was what kept me going through the stress of it. I'd been to multiple offices, and I had a couple of classes. Majoring in Women's and Gender studies meant I had classes four times a week. I didn't consider it such a bad deal, I walked away as fast as I could, I'd heard so many stories about college, and I was on a video call with Lily. She and Gray have been in Berlin for about three weeks, all of which she kept in touch with me. “Just a few hours in and you're already making your mark.” She squeaked over the phone. It was weird enough that I was walking around on a video call, everyone around me was ducking, and I understood they prolly didn't want their faces on camera. “Trust you to notice those kinds of things.” I replied to her “I'm sorry it caught my attention.” She said,
Emma's POV “I literally thought it was gonna be farther than this.” Casey's apartment was about ten minutes from mine. We walked the whole distance in silence. I was too nervous to bring something up, but I doubt that was the same thing for her. “I'm sorry in advance for whatever you're gonna be seeing in there.” She said, and I chuckled a bit. Casey was effortlessly funny. “You can still turn back now, I'm serious.” “No, Casey. I wanna spend the day with you.” I confirmed. I expected her to take out her keys and unlock, but she went straight for the door knob instead. “Here goes…” “Hi Emma.” I heard the last voice I expected to hear, the very last voice. “Why didn't you tell me?” I asked Casey. “I literally just met you. How do y'all know each other?” I asked again. I had so many questions, but I was gonna be taking it one after the other. “I'm sorry, Emma. I've gotta explain, please come in.” She said, “Your house doesn't even have as many colors as you mad
Emma's POV “I literally thought it was gonna be farther than this.” Casey's apartment was about ten minutes from mine. We walked the whole distance in silence. I was too nervous to bring something up, but I doubt that was the same thing for her. “I'm sorry in advance for whatever you're gonna be seeing in there.” She said, and I chuckled a bit. Casey was effortlessly funny. “You can still turn back now, I'm serious.” “No, Casey. I wanna spend the day with you.” I confirmed. I expected her to take out her keys and unlock, but she went straight for the door knob instead. “Here goes…” “Hi Emma.” I heard the last voice I expected to hear, the very last voice. “Why didn't you tell me?” I asked Casey. “I literally just met you. How do y'all know each other?” I asked again. I had so many questions, but I was gonna be taking it one after the other. “I'm sorry, Emma. I've gotta explain, please come in.” She said, “Your house doesn't even have as many colors as you mad
Chase’s POV “How are you today?” Kayla asked me. We were gonna be taking the same classes for a semester. “Good, thank you.” I answered “You're really still gonna be the cold, standoffish bug I met a week ago?” She asked, hands on her hips. Kayla's fashion sense is what I'd consider lazy, but she was a really pretty lady. “Just maybe because you're a nasty person?” I retorted. “Come on, that was over three months ago.” I said. “And you're revolutionized since then?” I asked her, sarcastically. “Yeah, actually. Kevin is no more the miserable cunt he was then, mission accomplished.” She was beginning to irritate the fuck outta me. I was emotionally finished, exhausted. “The fact that we both major in biochemistry doesn't mean you have to talk to me.” I replied. “I dont care about you, seriously, and I cannot be bother to give half a fuck about your brother. I seriously do not hold anything against you two, I just wanna be left the fuck alone.” I said. “Its h
Chase's POV “Doughnuts do not always fix stuff.”Kayla said after sinking her pretty white teeth into a fat chocolate glazed ball. “They help you feel better.” I replied to her. “I got them on my way back yesterday, felt bad I left you out there like that, figured it was the best thing to apologize with.” I rapped. I've ever really been too expressive with my emotions, being with Emma taught me that. Seeing Emma in every girl was holding me back from wanting to be with, or even talk to one. “You've gotta realize that not every girl is that way.” Kayla said, looking into the box of three untouched doughnuts, and about six that she'd bitten into, “There's no point to anything if you think me to be her.” “That's not it.” I denied, I didn't believe it, and I knew she didn't either, “I'm sorry.” I've had to apologize to many fucking times over the past few weeks,, I didn't even know if I could do any right. “You don't have to be.” Kayla said, really looking at me for the f
Emma's POV “That was a really dumb move you pulled yesterday.” I said to Casey, as she dropped into the seat next to me, late as usual. “I admit.” She concurred. “Kevin and I talked about it yesterday, and he said he was half scared you were gonna bring the wrong person.” I laughed at the memory of it. “I was extra careful.” Casey bragged, “plus your friend said she was gonna be bothering you with video calls. All I had to do was look for a new girl, holding her phone up in a certain way, I even got screenshots” She laughed. “Really?!” I asked, shocked. I haven't talked to Lily since then. She said she was gonna call me, but I guess the time difference and her schedule was messing her up. “I really be making the worst choices in picking friends.” I murmured to myself. “That means I'm staying?” She asked, excited. “Just don't pull stupid shit on me like that, ever, again.” I warned. “It's the last of the last.” Casey said solemnly, offering me her pinky. We cross
Chase's POV “What did you do that for?” I asked Kayla as she retreated from me. I hated that my dick was responding to her against its own better judgment. “Really, Chase, what's the worst that could happen?” She asked again. “I don't know, maybe that?” I asked sarcastically. “Yes, and it has happened already. So please stop letting everything seem weird for the both of us.” Kayla left me to face my erring dick and went on her way. I hoped she wasn't gonna tell the sleazy monkeys with her why I stayed back. The girl was a dare-devil, one who clearly didn't understand the concept of boundaries. “Booze helps.” Kayla heavily lashed eye reconnected with mine as I took a seat at their table. “Why's he cold?” A girl to her right asked her. I wondered if she wanted me to hear or she just didnt know how to go lower. Kayla looked away and snubbed her. She looked at me a couple more times and I saw that I had almost begun to make her feel uneasy and uncomfortable, cause
Emma's POV “I'm sorry I'm behind on time.” Kevin said as he let himself in. I totally forgot to bolt my door, hopefully I don't get a lesson in that someday. “It's fine.” I replied to him. He didn't look as stressed as he sounded over the phone. “How was your day?” I asked, and stood up to get him a glass of water. *Who'd have thought?” He said as I got the water. “Thought what?” I asked him, surprised. “That we would be here, just under a year.” He completed, flashing his pretty white teeth at me. “Kevin, you don't have to be nice about what he did to you.” I finally broached the topic. “ “I'm not being nice.” He explained, “it's just unnecessary.” “No it isn't.” I objected. “I've gotta know what happened. I mean, I don't really want to, but it happened because of me.” I stuttered. “The world doesn't revolve around you, Emma.” He smiled and put a hand on mine on the counter top. “And even if it does, let it. Don't meddle.” “Kevin, things could've gone
Emma's POV. “You were gonna go in.” He said, looking away. “I was.” I replied, unshifting. He no longer had the courage to stare me down, and I no longer had the will to leave, “MIT looks good on you.” He said. “Thank you.” I smiled, “I could say the same for you.” “I see you've made new friends, well old ones,but you know…” He said. I chuckled within myself. Who'd have known that I could make the bad boy Chase unsure about me? “Yeah, I had no choice.” I murmured. “Uhm, how are you?” I asked, just out of courtesy, I told myself. I thought being brave and bold was gonna make me indestructible by him, but I was beginning to come off as antagonistic, and I didn't like it. Deep down, in the corners of my heart I hoped Kevin would never see, Chase occupied it. I wanted for him to close the distance between us like he'd once done. To treat me like his own. I was getting a little teary, so I dug my freshly manicured nail into my palm, I wasn't gonna cry, I could not.
Emma's POV “Come on, Patty can wait.” Kevin held me closer. I thought I heard someone enter, but Kevi didn't give me headroom, and I didn't want to distract him. “Anything else?” I asked jokingly, even though I really was so keen on getting back to Party. “Yeah, let's hang out a while.” He said. “Kev, today is the D-day, it's what we're here for. I kinda have to be there.” I protested. “Fine then.” He said, taking his arms away from around my waist. “Come on, Kev.” I pulled him back, “you are not and, are you?” I asked. “It just seems like things are a lot different than I felt they would be.” He replied, looking away. “What does that even mean?” I asked It was our first argument, and I didn't like it that it was happening at Mark's house. “Em, you're obviously with your family. I'm second place. I should've expected that. Maybe I'd have rethought traveling all the way here.” Kev smiled. “You don't mean that. Kev, we've literally been together, I only l
Emma's POV Two days, with Kev and Chase the house wasn't what I thought it would be. Chase was barely available, and when he was, he made sure he was extremely busy. Kevin, too, worked in the room Patty had arranged for him, so they had no reasons to cross paths except dinner time. I had an extensive talk with my mom about Kevin. She still really wasn't feeling him, but she was glad I'd moved on from Chase, it was mixed emotions for her. “This is so good, Mr Norman.” He smiled at the wine Chase's dad asked Patty to get. “This old man knows good things when he sees one.” He looked glaringly at my mom, but she avoided his eyes. The air between them was still a little weird, but they had to put up a show, for the rest of us at least, who had bigger things going on. I'd spent two days feeling like shit for not forcing Casey to come along with me instead of Kevin. In my defense, he said he wanted to meet my mom and properly apologize for all that'd happened in Starry. It seemed l
Patty's POV Emma and Kevin, as she called him, arrived without much fanfare. It'd been a minute since I saw her so happy. She wasn't my favorite person in the house, but I had grown to have a soft spot for her. “How are you, Patty?” She squealed and even threw her arms open. “I'm good.” I smiled. “Meet Kev.” She smiled, “Kev, here's Party. Mark's longest serving home manager.” “Nice to meet you Ma'am. You're in really good shape too.” The boy flashed his million dollar smile at me. He looked so good, the most pretty eye candy I'd seen in a while. “You're welcome, Kevin.” I said. “Everyone's inside.” Mark and Linda have been attending to the event planners that Chase had coming to the house. With his arm still in a sling, there was very little he could do without Linda's help. The air around them was a bit icy, but they made it work. I hoped for both of their sakes that they fix what was between them. At least he wasn't cheating on Linda with her friends like he d
Chase's POV I'd still seriously been considering excuses for not showing up at the anniversary. It was six days to go. I woke up every morning to thoughts of it. Ding! Ding! My phone chimed. My phone was always on DND and only rang or chimed when it was someone on my favorites list messaging me. I still hadn't been able to bring myself to take Emma off the list. ‘Welcome everyone!’, A text on a new group chat read. I rubbed the sleep away from my eyes, and looked at it again. It was just my Dad, Emma, and I. “What is going on?” I asked him. I felt fear, annoyance and excitement. “Why the group?” I asked again. “Is that how you now greet your old man?” He asked. “Come on dad, I'm not having a good morning.” I said. “I need all hands on deck to give Linda the perfect first year anniversary, and you both are gonna help out, whether you like it or not!” He yelled at me. “What if something came up? A laboratory session I can't miss? Or a presentation?” I asked
Emma's POV “What do you mean next week?!” I squealed as my mom broke the news to me. She and Mark were gonna be having their first anniversary in a week. “Yeah.” She breathed really deep. . “You don't sound too enthusiastic.” I observed. “Stuff has been going on, Em. Didn't want to bother you.” She replied to me. “Now I'm so bothered.” I replied to her. It's been over a week since Kev and I officially got out of the friendship zone. Kev was explicit with the fact that he wanted more than just to be friends, and I think we'd gone beyond that too. “I shot him.” She said, I felt like a bomb had just exploded in my head. This was the man who rescued us from the allegations in Starry. “What the fuck, mom?” I yelled over the phone. I was home, and currently the only one in my apartment, so I could tell as loudly and freely as I wanted to. Kevin had begun to spend more time over, although for the bulk of it, he was on his work laptop. “Don't use the f word with m
Chase's POV “Don't ever think of that.” My dads voice boomed over the phone. “I'm young and still strong.” He boasted . I'd chipped in the possibility of him taking a break from his numerous businesses and just resting. “Why are you so anti-rest?” I asked. Me and the old man were only beginning to really get along. We were still fixing all the cracks in our relationship, carefully skipping over the lost pieces. “It's just not the time.” He groaned. We were on a video call. I saw his face squeezed every single time he had to lift his shot hand. “I've got a lot of stuff to make up to a lot of people.” He said. “You can't do that if you're dead.” I reminded him. “You sound just like your mother.” He smiled, and looked lost for a while, snapping back only when the glass mug I mistakenly knocked off made a loud crashing noise. “Linda's great too.” I said. “She's a good woman.” I chipped. “She is.” He agreed. Every morning I wake up, I bless my creator for giving he
Kevin's POV It'd been a month since Em and I redecorated my place. I appreciated her help around the house. It was beginning to look more of a house than an office space. I'd convinced her multiple times, to stay over, let us enjoy what we'd created, but one thing or the other always up, and fucked the plan up. Plus I had to travel to multiple places, and I was mostly away for the month I just got back from Melbourne, and I think I had the most romantic gift for her. I'd curated a photo album, a cute little pink one containing all the pictures I ever took when we were working on the house together I also had a box of preserved roses. The old lady tried to force it down my throat, and I felt it was a bit too unnecessary till I discovered what it symbolizes. I had it all arranged in the new Nissan Versa car I'd parked in the garage of the apartment. I told her I was gonna come a day after I actually planned, and I tipped Casey off massively, to reveal that Emma had a little we
Chase's POV “You say this is a smart thing to do?” I asked Kayla. “What do you think?” The poor girl was probably too tired of being in my drama. “Never mind.” I said. “I'll just do it later, I don't want the pressure.” “That means me.” She put a hand on her chest and nodded in understanding. “I get it.” “Don't take it that way.” I said, holding her close, “It'd just be too much for you, and I don't want that.” I said. “I get it.” She said, “I'll see you later then.” Kayla stayed in the dorms, so she wasn't gonna be going out with me. We've kinda restricted ourselves to just school, and sometime, I visited her dorm. She never came to my apartment. Said it was still too raw on her. “Take care.” I said, and let her go. We were done for the day, and it was already almost evening. I decided to stroll back to my place, since there was nothing to rush home to. “What's up?” A bold girl said, looking at me and batting her eyelashes. That was literally the last atten