T H I R T Y - O N E


    EVA.


    "Do you want me to take you?" Emerson asks as he emerges from his room and I shake my head in


    refusal to his offer. "No, I don''t. Do you have a death wish? I''m heading home, Ford. "


    "So?" He raises his brows in questioning and I give him a dumb look. "So I''m going to meet my father,


    who hates the very sight of you. "


    "I know that, Carson. I''m not stupid; I was going to drop you a few blocks away. " He suggests and I


    narrow my eyes at him, "And why would you do that?"


    "Because I want to?" He says in more of a question than an answer. We stand still after Emerson''s


    words, just staring into each other''s eyes before I break the gaze and look away from him as I say, "No,


    Ford. I don''t need your help. "


    Emerson doesn''t say a word as I twist my body in the other direction and begin to make my way out of


    the room.


    "I was generous enough to ask for your opinion. " I hear Emerson whisper behind me before there''s the


    sound of his footsteps trailing after me. When I make it through the door, Emerson is right behind me


    and I halt my steps to turn to him.


    "What?" I snap in annoyance when I turn back to him.


    "I''m taking you home, Carson. " It isn''t a question. It''s a deration– one that Emerson Ford doesn''t


    get to use on me, but I''m running out of time and I know the more I stay here, trying to get Emerson off


    my back; the more he''ll continue to persist till I eventually give into his demand.


    "Fine. " I grumble and a smile of satisfaction creeps into his face. "That''s what I thought. "


    "Don''t overdo it, or I''ll take back my word. " I warn him but Emerson ignores me as he strides towards


    his car. I watch as he walks around the car to get to the driver''s seat and I stare at the passenger''s


    door.


    "Aren''t you supposed to open the door for me, Ford? " I call out to him and Emerson raises his head


    from his other side to say, "Funny of you to think I''d do something like that for you, Carson. Get in. " He


    motions to the door and I shake my head, the corners of my lips curving in a tiny smile as I open the


    door and climb inside the car.


    I fish my phone from my pocket as Emerson starts the engine and drives out of his spot.


    ALIYA: Hey, are you on your way? Do you want me toe with you?


    My fingers hover over the keypad as Emerson moves over my body, and I stare down at him as he


    fastens my seatbelt before moving back to his seat.


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    When I look to his seat, he meets my eyes and says, "You''re wee. "


    "I never thanked you for anything, Ford. " I mutter as I bring my attention back to my best friend''s text to


    type out a reply.


    ME: On my way, and no, you don''t have toe with me. I don''t want you to mess up your sses.


    Aliya''s new textes instantly.


    ALIYA: The sses aren''t that important, Evie. It''ll do no damage, I promise.


    ME: No, Lia. I''ll be fine. You don''t have to worry about me.


    I stare at the series of messages and let out a sigh as I drop the phone.


    "Hey, Carson. " Emerson calls next to me and I angle my head to his view. "She''ll be fine. " He says


    and I nod before letting my head fall against the window as he drives farther away from our apartment


    and closer to my home.


    ~


    "Stop here. " I tell Emerson when he''s only a few houses away from mine. He parks to the side and I


    unfasten the belt across my chest before turning to grab my backpack from the backseat.


    When I settle back in my seat, Emerson''s eyes are on me with fingers drumming against the steering


    wheel.


    "You do know you won''t get a thank you from me, right?" I arch my brows and he cackles. "You''re the


    rudest woman I''ve ever met, Carson. "


    "I could say the same about you, Ford. " I throw back and there''s a silence after that. He stares into my


    eyes for too long till I''m afraid he''s peeling eachyer of my form and I clear my throat, taking my gaze


    from his.


    "I should leave. " I tell him and Emerson hums. After a few seconds of lingering in my seat and gnawing


    at my lips at the awkward goodbye, I make my way out of the car. Before I can step away, Emerson


    calls my name and I bend over the window to meet his eyes.


    "When will you being back?" He asks and a smirk pulls to my lips as I say, "Are you missing me


    already, Ford?"


    Emerson''s response catches me off guard when he says, "Maybe. "


    My lips part in surprise until he adds. "There''s no one else to hate, Carson. "


    I shake my head as I take a step back. "No one else to fuck either. How will you hold up, Ford?" I tease


    him.


    "You don''t have to be back at the apartment for me to fuck you. " He answers and I furrow my brows,


    "What''s that supposed to mean? "


    Emerson doesn''t give a response and I wonder what he means by those words before I say, "I don''t


    know. "


    "Don''t know?" Emerson repeats and I give a bob of my head. "Depends on how big the damage is.


    Might be days or weeks. "


    "I''ll see you around then, Carson. " Something is convincing about those words as Emerson starts the


    engine and drives off, and I stand still as I watch his car move out of sight.


    "I''ll see you around, Ford. " The words that fall from my mouth float in the air as I walk down to my


    house.


    I barge through the door to see Dad walking down the stairs towards the exit with a man by his side.


    His eyes light up when his gaze settles on me and I give him a small smile as I walk toward him,


    throwing myself in his embrace.


    "Hey, Princess. " He whispers near my ear as he caresses my hair before pulling back to say, "You


    were worried, weren''t you?"


    "How''s she? "I ask him as I take a peek behind him and he gestures in the direction of the rooms. "Go


    ahead and wait for me. I need to see Mr Holmes out. " At the mention of the family''s doctor, I turn to


    one of the kindest men I''ve grown to know, and bow my head slightly.


    "Good morning, Mrs Holmes. " The average height man with a friendly smile nods his head at me.


    "Eva. It feels like it''s been a while since Ist saw you. You''ve grown so beautiful. "


    "Thank you. " I give him one of my smiles as a response to thepliment before looking back at Mike


    who squeezes my shoulder as he steps to the side to walk the man out of the house.


    As I watch their frames disappear through the door, I twist my body in the direction of my father''s room


    and walk down the path. Standing in front of the door, I turn the knob and walk inside, stopping at the


    sight of my mother''s body on the bed.


    My heart tugs at the sight and I shrug my backpack from my body, tossing it to one side of the room


    before strolling to her side. I sit on the edge of the bed and grab her hand, stirring her awake in the


    process.


    "Eva–" she calls my name weakly and attempts to sit up on the bed but I press a hand to her shoulder


    to keep her in her lying form as I say, "Please, don''t try to. Just stay still. "


    Mom nods and settles back as I adjust the pillow before she snaps her head to my side, a worried


    expression on her face. "Why did youe home, Eva?"


    "How couldn''t I? You have no idea how worried I was when dad called me. " I tell her and she sighs. "I


    told him not to trouble you. I''m fine, it was just a small incident. "


    "A small incident?" I''m unable to hide the worry in my voice and I''m unable to keep it down at how


    rxed she is about this. "You copsed, mom. You fucking copsed. What if dad wasn''t there? What


    if you were all alone? You would have–" the rest of my words are silenced when mom ces a hand


    over the one that is holding hers and softens her gaze.


    "I know what you''re thinking, and it''s nothing like that. " She assures in a small voice and I swallow


    down my throat before I open my mouth to speak again. "I know it isn''t, but I was scared. I can''t bear


    the thought of something bad happening to you, mom. It''ll kill me. "


    "I know, " a weak smile makes its way to her face as she shifts closer to my side. "And nothing is ever


    going to happen to me. Not with your father here. "


    "And that you can be sure of. " We both turn our heads to the sound of dad''s voice and he''s leaning


    against the wall next to the door.


    "What did Mr Holmes say?" The question leaves my mouth as dad strides toward us with his hands in


    his pockets.


    He takes a nce at his wife and climbs on the bed before he looks back at me to say, "She''s stressed.


    He said her body is weak and she needs rest. Nothing more. "


    "Have you been doing some extra worktely, mom?" I avert my gaze to mom, who seems to blush at


    the mention of my words.


    "I haven''t..." She says and looks to her side where her husband is clinging to her. "But your father has


    been extra activetely. "


    When I realize the meaning behind those words, I scrunch my nose and look at dad who''s staring at his


    wife with surprise masking his face. "Could you keep it in your pants for a while, Mike Carson? "


    Dad turns his gaze to me and his next words give a change to the atmosphere in the room. "I''m just


    trying to get you a sister, Princess. "


    Silence stretches between the three of us as I stare down at the sheets and I hear mom whisper some


    words to dad.


    "Will you be heading back to school now that you''re assured I''m fine and your father just overreacted?"


    Mom questions in a yful tone, her attempt to lighten the tension that''s suddenly taken over, working


    quite well.


    "No, " I shake my head as I move off the bed. "I''ll be staying until I''m sure you''re a hundred percent


    fine. "


    "But your studies–" mom tries to argue, but I''m quick to silence the rest of her words. "I''ll be fine. I''ll


    take notes from my friends once I go back, it''s nothing to be worried about. "


    My parents turn to look at each other and their worried expression slowly dissolves to be reced by


    their bright smiles as mother turns to me and says, "You''re more than wee to stay, Eva. I''ve


    missed waking up to having you around. "


    I let out a chuckle. "I know. You tell me that on phone every time. "


    "Nothing feels like home?" She raises her brows and I have no fucking idea why the image of Emerson


    cuddling me on the couch crosses my mind at that moment. I shake it off before I can dwell too much


    on it and turn my attention back to my mother to repeat her words. "Nothing feels like home. "


    "Your room is just as you left it. " Mike informs me and I nod with a smile, strutting towards mom to


    press my lips to her forehead before I turn back, and grab my backpack to walk out of the room.


    I take the path to my room with only a few steps, and true to dad''s words; it''s just like I left it. The only


    thing that''s missing in a room I''ve had for years is my shelf of books. I was in a hurry to get down here,


    I didn''t even bring my favourite stuff with me.


    "My days here will surely be long ones. "


    I mumble under my breath as I throw myself on the familiar soft mattress.


    ~


    I carefully close the door to my mother''s room and stare at the frame for a while before finding my way


    down the hallway that leads to mine.


    It''s been three days since I''ve been home and they said she''s getting better with each day that passes–


    something I hope is nothing but the truth.


    My phone buzzes in my pant pockets just as I step in front of my door, and I fish it out; the name across


    the screen is one I didn''t think I would see in a very long time.


    ANNOYING FORD: Mine is too hot and the living room is too cold.


    I furrow my brows in confusion at the text and I begin to type out a reply as I open my door and walk


    inside my room.


    ME: What are you on, Ford?


    As I click on the send button, I raise my head and my lips part in shock at the sight before me.


    "I''ll be sleeping here tonight, Carson. My room is too hot. " Emerson Ford. Emerson fucking Ford is on


    my bed.