Emancipation

eighteen

"Your parents are having a barbecue party to celebrate their twentieth anniversary?" Chloe asks over dinner table, her eyebrow cocking in that condescending manner.

James clears his throat to get her attention and when I look at him, he's actually glaring at his sister who looks as shocked with that fact as me. Chloe has been out of my hair since the lingerie haul, and I've been super grateful for that. Most nights she's out with her friends and Carrack also barely joins us for dinner. So it's mostly James and I at dinner table and in his father's absence, we easily discuss business, with whatever knowledge that I have.

Is it just me or the fact that James glaring at Chloe made him a little bit more attractive than he really is? I don't think the word handsome does justice to his perfectly shaped features. His emerald eyes and those long lashes, his defined cheekbones and the sharp jaw hidden behind his growing stubble, he's just extremely beautiful.

Yes, I am very very much attracted to James, there's absolutely no denying that. Not after he almost caught me staring at his face in his office the other day. I had to quickly pretend to focus on work but I was really glad when he didn't comment on it but I saw his amusement with that little annoying smirk which plays on his lips.

I think it's weird to see this much expression on his face because I'm so used to the James who would stare or glare at you with a serious look.

"I think it's great, actually. We all need to loosen up a little." Carrack comments and I give him a grateful smile.

My parent's anniversary is today but since it's a Friday, they decided to hold a little get together tomorrow in the backyard of the house. They have invited the entire Clark family and some of their close friends, and Jeremy suggested we should also invite Hale since he's my husband's best friend. But I think his admiration for the man comes from the incidents that took place.

I was told to invite my college friends too, especially Ashley but since they have no idea I'm married, I had to make a stupid excuse.

After cleaning my dinner dishes, I make my way upstairs to the room and I know that James is behind me as I walk up the stairs. I've started being more mindful of my surroundings after last week. The thought about that night brings me anxiety any time it crosses me so I have tried to practice distracting myself but the nightmares haven't been very nice to me.

"Night." I tell James as I turn to go to my bedroom but he calls out my name so I look at him, "Yeah?"

"You said you've never seen the left wing. Do you want to?" He asks.

"Right now?" He nods which makes me immediately agree. "Yes, yes."

He starts walking past his bedroom door and I silently follow him. There's another guest room opposite his bedroom but I never explored past that. He turns left to a hallway before opening a door on the right.

He steps aside to let me enter and when I do, a gasp leaves me, "Is this the theatre room?" I ask and he nods.

There's a screen almost as big as the wall in the front with recliner chairs at the back of the room and couches on the side. The floor is gray carpeted with two beanbag chairs on the left side. There's a shelf on the right wall with what looks like an enormous collection of DVDs. I can also see xbox set up along with a mini fridge.

Oh wow, this looks like a perfect bachelor pad altogether.

"I had no idea it was here." I tell him, still surprised with the entire setup.

He shrugs, his hands in the pocket, "Got it done a couple of years ago. Now it only gets used when Hale comes over."

I nod, processing as I take it all in and when I can feel a stare on me, I look at James looking at me with that intensity behind his eyes I've never been able to interpret.