I. Heart Of Gold (Uneditied) ✔️ ORIGINAL

Nine - Someone Actually Cares

Maddox's POV:

The car ride was quiet, until I needed to be told when to turn. I looked in my rearview mirror to keep an eye on the late night cars behind me and realized Brooks was sound asleep. I smiled softly and glanced to Emmi, who sat beside me. She was writing something and from what I could tell by the glimpse of it before turning my attention back to the street in front of me, they were song lyrics. "You write songs?" I asked.

She looked at me, "I do. Most are crap though. They're usually just my feelings. Nothing to rave about."

"I'm sure they're great. You have any recordings of them?"

"No...too embarrassed to show anyone, plus...Zach always said I sounded terrible and that the lyrics were horrid..." I heard sadness in her voice.

I grabbed her hand gently, since I didn't need to switch gears, and I felt sparks. It felt like a small firework show happening between our palms. "Don't listen to him anymore. Okay? I know that's going to be hard, but it will be worth your self-confidence. And your happiness will thank you." I stopped at a stop sign and turned to her, "If you want my help, I will be glad to do so. But if you don't, I won't be hurt. You need to do what you want. Not live by Zachariah's words. He doesn't rule you anymore. No one does. You control your life, Emmi. No one else. You."

She didn't say anything, but I could tell the gears were turning in her head as she stared at the glove box in front of her. I felt her hand tighten around mine and I wasn't sure what it meant. All I knew was that deep down, I didn't want our hands to separate. I wanted these sparks to last forever.

The moment was disrupted abruptly by a car horn behind us. I quickly let go of her hand and put my car in the gear I needed to be in as we moved again. Her head instantly turned to me when our hands split. I couldn't tell if she was beginning to have feelings for me or if it was just something she needed at the time, but I wasn't sure what my own feelings were either. So how I could I figure out hers, if I didn't even know my own?

She gently rested her hand on mine that was on the gear and a smile rested on my lips. She whispered to turn left on Sycamore Ave and that her home was the fourth house in.

Once I found it, I pulled into the driveway and saw what looked to be her mothers car in the driveway as well after I parked. I looked in the back to see Brooks still asleep and then I looked to Emmi who had more tears threatening to fall. "It will get better. I promise." I whispered.

I put my hands on her cheeks and brushed her tears away with my thumbs. My heart couldn't take much more of this teasing of feelings. It kept telling me to dive in the delicious pool that were Emmi's lips. I tried to ignore it for so long, but I couldn't anymore. I needed to taste her.

I pulled her into a gentle kiss, not wanting to go any farther, but my tongue wanted more. Once it got a taste, it wasn't going to stop until it got what it wanted. I wanted it. God I wanted it so bad, but I didn't want to scare her. And then, I felt her lips part a little as her fingers slithered through my mess of hair and I took that as my que to move forward within the kiss.

Our tongues danced beautifully for a few minutes before she pulled away, both of us breathing a little heavier. I tasted the strawberry lip gloss she had on all day and I chuckled. She pushed her dirty blonde hair behind an ear and blushed, "I'm um...not sure what came over me..."

"It's okay." I smiled. God, I have wanted to do that for a long time...since I met you, Emmi. My feelings were a giant ball of confusion, but that kiss...that was something I was missing. "Um...you need help getting Brooks inside?"

"Please. I'm sure my mom is asleep by now."

I nodded and we both got out of the car. She grabbed both backpacks, while I picked up Brooks. She unlocked the front door and walked inside. "His room is in the back of the house, off the den." She explained and walked me toward it.