Before It Ends • Hessa • Emery Scott

𝙵𝚒𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗

EMERY.

"There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense." Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, reads. Fuck, if that doesn't hit close to home then I don't know what does.

My entire world has been spiraling out of control lately. I hate how I feel at school, like I have to limit myself and my actions, and I hate how I feel at parties, where I practically have to give myself unwillingly to a college senior drop-out. The only feeling I seem to be comfortable with now is when I'm with Cole. He gives me a warm feeling, when everything else around me is cold.

Just how he spoke with Audie warmed my heart. It's a feeling I don't have much experience in, but I can't stop wanting to feel it again. It takes everything in me not to catch his attention through his window, but even if I tried to, he isn't in his room. I don't know where he is actually.

I hear a knock on my door and I quickly sniffle. I didn't realize I was crying until the knock brought me to my senses. I wipe the one tear that escaped and head for the door, checking my face for bloodshot eyes in the mirror. I look like a fucking train wreck.

I open the door to see dad looking down at his feet, he looks up quickly, and I realize he has a duffel bag in his hands. "Vance brought you some books." He explains, dropping the duffel bag beside my bed.

My face brightens as I search through it. I'm always up to reading new romance novels. I don't get much of them, because why pay for them when I can get free ones once a year when grandpa Vance brings them? And it's always at least five new novels, so it sometimes lasts me until next year.

"Fuck, dad. Thank you!" I hug him and he squeezes me back.

"Vance is in town and we are going to dinner with them. Wear something nice, okay?" He asks, and I nod, too infatuated with all the different books to really pay attention. "And once we get home your mum and I have something else for you."

I look up at him expectantly, "What? More books?"

He smiles softly, rubbing his palms on his jeans. "Maybe. You'll find out." I look back down and sift through them, pulling out a somewhat large novel reading, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë. Dad taps his finger onto the book cover, "Charolette Brontë. Emily Brontë, who wrote Wuthering Heights, is her sister. I've never read this one, but since it's written by a Brontë I thought you would like it."

I stare at the cover for a moment before looking over at him with an appreciative smile. "Thank you." I whisper, and he nods.

He pats his legs with his hands before standing, "you should thank Vance. Now, get dressed!" He demands, closing the door behind him on his way out.