Chapter 2

"If he doesn't want to eat, then let him go."

Emma was starting to lose patience.

She glanced at the lightning outside and scoffed, but her next words hit me harder than I expected.

"Just don't come running back to me when the thunder starts."

When I was a kid, my stepfather Joel Sutton used to abuse me. Sometimes, he would throw me outside in the middle of a storm and leave me there until I passed out.

I had been terrified of thunderstorms ever since, and Emma always stayed with me whenever one rolled in. She knew better than anyone how badly they affected me.

And yet, just because she was angry, she was still willing to use that fear against me and send me out into the storm.

"Ow!"

Kevin's yelp snapped me out of my thoughts.

Emma immediately rushed over to wipe up the hot water he spilled, her voice softening at once. "You burned yourself? Let me finish. Just sit down."

Watching them together, I suddenly remembered how Emma and I used to be.

I turned, walked out the door, and headed straight into the rain. It didn't take long to flag down a cab.

That night, my fever shot up to nearly 104 degrees.

By then, Kevin had already posted a photo of the elaborate dinner on social media.

[Got my own room in the new place, bigger than the primary bedroom, too. And she actually cooked tonight. I could get used to this.]

But I still remembered Emma once swearing she would never cook because she couldn't stand the smell of food lingering on her clothes.

Kevin had gotten her to break that rule, too.

When I finally snapped out of my thoughts, I scrolled to a number buried at the bottom of my contacts.

[You once told me I'd always have a place with you. Is that still true?]

The answer came almost immediately, firm and enthusiastic.

I took some medicine for my fever and eventually drifted into an uneasy sleep.

The next morning, my phone rang and startled me awake.

"Scott, where are your manners? You said you'd be here for lunch, and now you've got the whole family sitting around waiting for you."

My head felt like it was splitting from the fever. "I'm sick…"

"Stop making excuses and get over here. Don't keep everyone waiting."

I forced myself out of bed and made my way to Emma's parents' house, only to find Kevin sitting right beside her.

Everyone at the table reacted differently, but Emma's mother, Heather Marshall, made no effort to hide her contempt. No matter how many times I told her I wasn't marrying Emma for money, she still treated me like I was trying to live off their family.

"You sleep until noon and still expect us to believe you're not looking for a free ride? Who's going to buy that?"

No one seemed to notice the sweat running down my face or the way my legs shook every time I moved.

Emma didn't defend me the way she used to.

The criticism kept coming from every side until I could barely breathe. Finally, I put down my fork.

"Mrs. Marshall, I'm not going through with the wedding."

Heather's expression stiffened, and Emma immediately tried to smooth things over.

"Mom, he's kidding. The wedding's already set for the day after tomorrow."

Then she pulled me aside.

"You're taking this way too far. You know how much my mom wants grandkids. Did you really have to say something like that to her?"

I was the one being insulted, but somehow I was still the one getting blamed.

Emma kept laying into me without noticing how sick I was.

I was about to lose my temper when Kevin glanced at my wrist, putting on that innocent look of his. "That cross bracelet's pretty cool, Scott. Can I have it?"

My hand curled into a fist, and my throat tightened.

Emma had given it to me after spending days at a church retreat, praying over it and asking God to keep me safe.

After Joel beat my mother to death, she fastened the bracelet around my wrist herself and promised me that no matter what happened, God would watch over me.

I looked at her. "What do you think?"

She didn't say anything, but the hesitation in her eyes told me everything. Apparently, there was someone else she wanted God to protect now.

"Fine."

My answer came so quickly that Emma stared at me in shock.

But I had already slipped off the cross bracelet and placed it in Kevin's hand.

I was letting go of seven years with Emma. A bracelet didn't mean much after that.

After I left her parents' house, the official job offer came through.

I booked a flight out of the city that same day.