The Girl in the Music Shop

Chapter 14

Minority- Green Day

If I Ain't Got You- Alicia Keys

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We sat around the semi clean living room as Mom, Baba, Mary, and Amelia finished cooking dinner. Dad, Papa, and Jake and all of us kids sat around, telling embarrassing stories of each other. My face was bright red as Dad and Papa and Jake and my siblings each told an embarrassing story of me. Emmett had me settled in his lap as he heartily laughed at the memories. God, I've never been so... Happy in my life.

Perfect boyfriend, perfect family, perfect friends. I had everything I've ever wanted. And I was loving it.

Mom, Baba, Mary and Amelia came out of my kitchen and announced that the Taco Bar was ready and we can all dig in. After the sixteen of us piled our plates high with Taco like things, we went back to our seats and stuffed our faces. Occasionally, I would hear the shutter of Alana's camera clicking, making it known that she was taking a picture of Emmett and I Eskimo kissing with taco sauce dripping oh so sexily off of our chins. After we finished, we threw all the plates in the trash, since they were paper, and we curled up around the living room before everyone had to leave.

"So, Emmett," Dad said, looking at Emmett and me. "Will told me you were going to apply to the police academy." Dad said nonchalantly. I stiffened against Emmett's side. What? Emmett was going to be a policeman? When was he goung to tell me this? Did he even think about how I'd feel about my Emmett, the whole reason I wake up in the morning and fall asleep happy, could get killed. Emmett tightened his arms around me as he looked at my father and nodded. I got up and excused myself from the room. I ran into the hall and slid down against the wall that was near the staircase. I was having a panic attack. I knew it. My chest tightened and unwanted tears flowed down my cheeks. I wasn't going to lose Emmett like Amelia lost his father. Why did he have to do this to me? Our apartment door opened and closed and his heavy footsteps neared my curled up frame. Emmett sat in front of me and pulled me into his lap as he sung If I Ain't Got You by Alicia Keys.

"Some people live for the fortune

Some people live just for the fame
Some people live for the power, yeah
Some people live just to play the game

Some people think
That the physical things
Define what's within
Yeah and I've been there before
That life's a bore
So full of the superficial

Some people want it all
But I don't want nothing at all
If it ain't you, baby
If I ain't got you, baby..."

I sniffed loudly and burried my face in the crook of his neck. Emmett pressed his lips to my hair softly, comforting me instantly. I wrapped my arms tightly around him as my tears slowed to a stop. Emmett stopped singing and looked down at me with a faint smile. I looked up at him with tear-stained cheeks and his smile evaporated.

"Ella, I'm so sorry. I was going to tell you once everyone left. I wasn't goin to keep this from you," Emmett explained.

"Emmett," I sighed and he took the opportunity to kiss me softly. When he pulled back, I had calmed down much more. "Ella, please, hear me out." Emmett begged. I nodded and he took his cue.

"I promised your father, both of them actually, that I would protect you. I need a job too, sweetheart. I don't have a Masters or a Bachelors or even an Associates degree, but being a cop, I don't need a degree. But it's good that I good that I got my diploma from the Community College anyway." Emmett kissed my forehead and then continued. "I can protect you, sweetheart, and it's legal. I want to be better for you, Eleanor. You make me want to be a better person. I can now, we're in a new city and I can recreate my image."