Emancipation

forty five

"Are you sure he didn't cheat on you?" Jeremy asks me as I make coffee for everyone in the morning.

My family had seen the news, so no one was really surprised when I showed up. But I didn't come out of my room for the rest of the day, or even at night to eat. I don't remember the last time I cried so much, but my eyes were pretty much swollen this morning.

It felt weird staying here after more than three months of my marriage. I haven't come back once to stay, which has been the longest in my entire life. Even when I was staying at the dorms, I managed to come back home at least once.

"For the fifth and last time, he didn't cheat." I snap at my brother, and he gives me a look, making me sigh. "Sorry."

He nods in understanding before coming to give me a side hug as I pour him a cup. "I just want to be there, you know?"

"I know, Jer." I mess up his hair, smiling a little because I've missed spending time with him. "When are you supposed to leave for New York?"

He grins at my question but doesn't answer, taking the coffee while I carry rest of the two cups to the kitchen island where my father's reading the newspaper and my mother's staring at the two of us. I pass them the cup and her eyes shift to me as she stares at me with worry.

"What happened, Lil?" She asks and I sigh, looking at my father to rescue me from this but he just gives my mom a look. "What? I'm just concerned for my daughter."

"You've got to be kidding me." My father curses under his breath, his eyes on the paper and I take it from his hand and spread it on the island to look at it.

Fuck. There's a photo of James and I standing by my car as I offer him the key. It's outside Caleb and Austin's apartment and I actually look pretty pissed in the photograph. I had absolutely no idea when it was taken, because obviously the person who took this didn't want to make us aware.

There's another where we're in the car and I'm facing the window and the same photos that were on broadcast yesterday of Amy and him. The headline is pretty much what I expected it to be, "Did Clark Enterprise's CEO cheat on his wife?"

"He didn't cheat." I repeat it like a mantra, rubbing my temples. "Since when are they so damn interested in his personal life?"

"You know the media would do anything to keep the audience entertained." Dad tells me as he gives my shoulder a light squeeze. "I know you're saying he didn't cheat, Lil. But if you don't want to go back, you don't have to."

"Ever?" I gape at him and he sighs, nodding.

"Yes, ever." His eyes flicker to Jeremy who's frowning at us because he has never known the deal between Carrack and our father. "Jer..."

I shake my head, "Dad, don't. I can't handle this on top of everything, please."

He would flip out, real bad. There's no way in hell Jeremy would ever take it lightly because he's super protective of me. So Dad nods, making me feel relieved but my brother scowls at us.

"What's going on? Is there something I should know about?"

"No, nothing. Promise." I smile at him and he doesn't believe me for a second but lets it slip. "So, New York?"

"A couple of weeks, at most." He grins. "I've already got an apartment."

"That's amazing!" I smile at him, "Are you excited?"

He nods, telling me about how Joan got into NYU, so they're basically planning to move in together. My parents seem cool with it, I mean, they've never really objected us for anything to begin with. It was my decision to not move states because I wanted to stay here, they always told me to broaden my area of interest.