Waiting For Love (Wild Creek Ranch Book 2)

Chapter Fourteen

Ember quietly sat beside him, not wanting to draw attention upon herself. They had started eating when her gramps started on the banned topic of football. 

"You were such a promising player. I thought you would make it to NFL. Did you take a second opinion about your injury?" Asked her concerned gramps. Rex stilled but one look at Ember's grandfather's face made him realize that it was just plain concern for him that he might have felt. 

"Yeah, I showed three orthopedic surgeons in Helena," said Rex, concentrating on his food. 

"Am I missing something dear? What happened to you?" Asked a worried granny Stacey. 

Gramps explained how Rex had a knee injury and how he couldn't ever play. It was a known story all over Fordsville as he had many ardent admirers who loved his game. Rex placed his hand over Ember's, clasping onto it below the table. Ember held his hand, rubbing it with her thumb, absent-mindedly stroking it. Strangely Rex didn't feel any pain at all listening to the tragedy of his life. His whole mind was too preoccupied with the magic Ember's hand was creating and he felt lost. 

"Yes, I couldn't recover from the mental trauma for years but you know, you have to accept your fate ultimately," said Rex and gramps nodded. Thankfully, Ember didn't release his hand throughout the meal. Her touch was like a balm, a therapy that he needed to calm himself down. He started stroking her hand in return, his big, rough hand engulfing her delicate, baby soft one. 

The dinner was over and Rex took his leave to go back home. "Ember, go see him out, dear, " said granny. Ember nodded and went out with him, acutely aware of him, walking along his side, towards his car.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know about your injury," said Ember. Rex watched her quietly. 

"I never talked about it before this. It used to hurt like hell but tonight when you held my hand, I didn't feel any pain at all, " he admitted, his eyes flashing with some strange emotion which Ember couldn't figure out.

Ember was stunned by his admission. She couldn't think of any response and looked down at her feet, fidgeting with her bracelet. "Hey! Look at me. You have no reason to worry. I'm not expecting you to say anything, " he said softly. Ember looked up but couldn't look away from his blue eyes that held a fierce emotion of desire and longing. Longing to belong to her. Confused, she looked away.

"I'll see you again, Ember. Till then sweet dreams of me," he said softly and jumped over the gates to his truck. Ember watched him, quietly. He was fit, sinfully gorgeous and quite wealthy with all the women of Fordsville willing to go to any length to be his girl. Then why was he still single at twenty-eight? But most importantly, why was he showing interest in her?

She found many good answers to all those questions but couldn't be sure about any of them. Maybe he loved someone whom he couldn't have. Maybe he didn't believe in relationships. Maybe he couldn't move on from the woman he loved. There were so many possibilities. If he loved someone so much, then why was he flirting with her all the time? Did he think that she was available just because she was r*ped once? The whole of Fordsville knew what happened to her. Did he know too? 

Ember was quiet the next day as a hundred thoughts went on in her mind. She couldn't find a reason why he was flirting with her. Adelaide left early and she walked home with her head hanging down, not really wanting to meet Rex without knowing what he wanted from her. Did he desire her and wanted to get into her pants? The thought caused her a lot of pain much more than Jamie's actions ever did. After all she was in love with Rex for the last eight years of her life. It was like a pain, a one sided unrequited love that was etched onto her heart forever. If he ever did what Jamie did to her she wouldn't want to live anymore. It would be enough to end her wretched life forever. 

Granny noticed her downcast eyes and upset face and concluded that the cause of her condition might be Rex's absence. Let her miss him more, then there might be more hope for them to be together when they met.

The next few days, Ember stayed in the background, not interacting much with anyone. Adelaide was too busy planning for her bridal shower and left ten minutes early everyday. Ember hardly got a chance to meet her. Thankfully, she didn't see Rex after that night. Maybe he lost interest in her after all. Although she felt hurt but realized that it was better this way. 

Rex struggled with work and more work the next few days and much as he wanted to go and meet his Ember, he just couldn't take out the time. Finally, it was Saturday afternoon and he was free for the weekend. He wasted no more time and drove as fast as he could to her hospital. He had found out her schedule from Adelaide and knew that her duty should get over anytime now. 

He waited for ten minutes, yet there was no sign of Ember. Had she left? He was about to go to her house to check when he saw her, walking dejectedly out with her shoulders slumped and head hanging down. He felt a tug at his heartstrings. Did she miss him as much as he missed her? He couldn't hope. She hadn't seen him, lost in her thoughts. 

"Ember?" He called her softly. Her head shot up hearing his voice and she looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Rex was stunned by her reaction to him. "Can I give you a lift home?" He asked her slowly. She shook her head.

"I prefer walking down, thanks," she mumbled and started walking, almost running away from him. Rex sat stunned by her reaction to him. He couldn't comprehend what suddenly happened to change her behavior completely towards him. He drove alongside her, persistent as ever. He had to know why she was behaving this way all of a sudden. 

"Let me drop you, please, " he begged her. She didn't look at him at all and rushed towards her house. She knew that her granny had gone to aunt Charlotte's boutique and her gramps was at a friend's house. Her granny had called her to inform her of their plans just a few minutes ago. 

"Go away, Rex. You might have something important to do," she said, opening her gates and going in. Rex knew he had to get to her before she banged the door on his face. He pulled the same stunt as before and reached her door on record time before she could shut it on his face. Pushing it open, he entered and closed the door after him. He had noticed that she opened the door with her keys which meant that no one was around hopefully. 

Before she could walk away, he caught her arm and turned her to face him. "Why are you treating me like junk? Huh?" He asked, getting frustrated by her behavior. 

"I'm not interested in anything to do with you, Rex. Go to someone who can give you what you want?" She said in a tired voice. She hadn't slept well for days and her heart broke everytime she thought about what Rex might want from her. Just a one night stand and then he'd lose interest like he did with all women. 

He pulled her roughly to his chest. "And what exactly do you think I want from you?" He slowly asked, his eyes glued  onto hers as he held her gaze without batting and eyelid, dating her to look away. Ember struggled against his hard chest but couldn't escape. His eyes bored a hole in hers and she just couldn't look away from his eyes that looked hurtby her words.

"A one night stand just like Lauren, maybe?" She prompted. Rex looked taken aback by her reply and he immediately released her, as if stung by her words. Ember knew that she was being rude to him but she had to save herself. It was better to finish it off now than be thrown away later like shit. 

"Don't compare yourself to Lauren, " gritted out Rex, looking away. "I'm hurt by your low opinion of me, Ember,"  he said, looking deep into her eyes and then looking away. 

"Then why would someone like you want to flirt with someone like me?" She whispered. 

"What do you mean? Someone like me," He asked, staring  at her with interest. 

"You're famous, you're handsome, you're loaded. You have women willing to do anything for you. Then why are you still single and interested in me?" She asked slowly after taking in a deep breath.

"Maybe I was waiting for you, Ember," he said and turned and just walked out of the door, leaving her stunned and tongue-tied.