Dear Emmett

Chapter Nineteen - [Emmett's House.]

I was unable to stop the erratic beating of my heart as I pulled the door open.

Emmett was standing on the porch, an easy smile on his handsome face. He was leaning against the rail, his arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing jeans and a blue t-shirt, both dirty from a long day’s work. I offered him a smile of my own.

“Hello.”

I tugged at the bag on my shoulder, aware of his gaze on me. It traveled first to my face, then down to my swollen belly. For a moment, he looked at it. I couldn’t read the expression on his face. What was he thinking? I felt as if I was so easy to read to him, but when I tried to read him I came up empty.

“Hey, darlin. Let me take that.”

Emmett reached forward and pulled the bag gently from my shoulder with out giving me a chance to protest. His fingers skimmed a small piece of bare skin on my shoulder, and I felt it tingle where he had touched. He turned around and I followed him down the steps and towards his truck. He led me to the passenger side, opening the door for me so I could climb in. He set the bag in the back seat and got into his own seat.

He put the truck into gear, and I found myself watching him. He looked tired, but in a good mood. He must have had an early morning. His arms were tanned and very well toned, signs of of his hard work. He acted much older than his age. 

What did he think of me? Did he think I was immature? Too young for him? I swallowed hard, unsure what to think of the situation. We needed to sort it out. I didn’t want my baby to be born into confusion. It would be better if we had things figured out.

What if he didn’t want me?

Sure, he told me that he was going to support me and I believed him one hundred percent. He had given me every reason to trust him, but that didn’t mean that he wanted to be with me. He didn’t owe him a relationship, and I didn’t owe him one.

Emmett was making conversation, but I found myself distracted by my thoughts. I hoped that he didn’t notice. What would the week with him be like?

I wasn’t sure why I found myself so riddled with self doubt. I was nervous because of the baby growing in my stomach. His baby. Maybe it was because I was becoming more sure of my feelings, but knew nothing of his. 

Shaking my head of the negative thought, I refused to think that way anymore. I needed to be strong and confident, and I intended to do so. I was going to approach Emmett about what we were going to do, and if he said yes then great. If not…Well, I would deal with that when it came.

That was the worst that could happen. He’d say no. I knew he would still help me with the baby, no matter what happened between us. Even without a relationship, I was lucky.

My thoughts went to the night Emmett had ran into whoever Thomas Parker was to him. It was easy to see that he really hated Thomas.

But why? Why had he acted like that? They obviously had some sort of history, whatever that history might be.

“I have a question.”

I found the question falling from my mouth before I had a chance to stop it. Curiosity got the best of me.

“What’s up, Charlotte?” He asked, looking over at me for a moment as he drove. I approached the question tentatively, not wanting to anger him. I had no idea how far back him and Thomas’s history went.

“Why do you and Thomas not like each other?”

Anger flashed through his eyes, but I could tell that it was not directed at me. His hands gripped the steering wheel a little bit tighter, and I saw the muscles in his jaw tighten. When he spoke, his tone was polite but firm.