I. Heart Of Gold (Uneditied) ✔️ ORIGINAL

Thirty-Two - Disasterous Dinner

Maddox's POV:

It felt like hours, but it was only ten minutes. Emmi looked at me as tears rolled down her face. "I'm sorry," she choked.

I pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back in circles, "You have nothing to be sorry about, honey. I should be the one apologizing to you. I keep getting carried away...I can't seem to control my instincts with you..."

"It's not your fault I'm like this..." she mumbled, putting herself back together. "Your instincts and actions are normal...I think...I am just--"

I cut her off. "Don't you dare say broken, cuz you're not. You're perfect." I kissed her gently on the lips and I was about to pull away but she pulled me back in. "Honey, we need to go eat." I said between kisses.

Emmi pulled away, "Alright...but can we continue this at the house? Just the um...less intense kissing...if that's okay." She looked at the floor and picked at her socks.

I nodded and stood up. I helped her up and let her walk out first. I followed and we went to sit at the kitchen table for dinner. "Sorry, I just needed some..." I could tell she was struggling for the right words for her excuse.

"Reflecting time. It's been a rough couple of weeks and I went in to check on her." I finished.

Her grandmother looked at us suspiciously, while Brooks was busy eating his spaghetti and playing on his tablet. "But I saw--" Viviette started, but Caz cut her off.

"Are you okay, sweetheart? Your face is a little red and your eyes look puffy." He asked.

Emmi nodded with a fake smile, "I'm fine. My reflecting time ended with me crying, but it's better than keeping it in." She picked up her fork and started eating.

Caz and I exchanged glances and he winked at me. I raised my brows and realized he knew what was really going on between Emmi and I. Viviette sighed shaking her head, "Emmi, honey, don't seclude yourself off. That's what your brother did and look what happened."

"What happened?" I asked, curious to see what she thought actually happened.

Emmi eyed me, begging me not to. Too late. "He was found in the woods." Viviette said.

I choked on my dinner as my eyes widened. I looked at Emmi and she was looking at her plate. She excused herself and rushed to the bathroom. Caz and I looked at each other and I stood up, following my damaged girlfriend. I knocked on the door softly, "Hey...can I come in?" I tried to turn the handle, but it was locked.

I heard the door unlock and Emmi stood on the other side of it, trying to hold everything back. "They know something different..." she choked.

I stepped in, shutting the door behind me. "Why's that? Is that what the news said?" She nodded. "That's odd."

"No one wanted to hear my statement or my dads. It was terrible. The only one who believed us was mom, grampy...and my girls." She sat on the toilet, trembling. "Chester wasn't depressed. He told me everything. He would have told me if he was. He was so happy and carefree. He wanted to make a difference in the medical world." Emmi looked at me, tears falling down her cheeks.

"How did they find your brother in the woods?" I asked, sitting across from her on the edge of the bath.

"The large men took him there and dropped him. My dad and I didn't know what to do. When we called the police, they asked us what happened." She was trying so hard to keep herself together. I could tell she was tired of crying so much. "We told them, but when they found Chester...they didn't seem to actually believe us when they came to the house and question us. He apparently looked different from what we described."

I wasn't going to ask how he looked. It was traumatizing enough for her, I didn't want or need her to relive even more of it. I knelt down in front of her, wrapping my arms around her comfortingly. "Can we go home?" She asked. She definitely sounded tired.

"If that's what you want to do, then yes." I felt her nod in the crook of my neck and there was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Is she okay?" It was Caz again.

Emmi's head shot up. I let her go and she ran to the door, flinging it open and hugging her grandfather tightly. I watched as she broke down in his arms and it hurt me. It didn't hurt me that she was in his arms, instead of mine. It hurt me that she was hurting so much and I couldn't do anything to help. No one could and that's what killed me on the inside.

I stood up, stepping around them and packed up my things from the living room. Brooks watched me and frowned, "Why are you leaving so early?" He asked.

I turned to look at him and I sighed, "Emmi needs some rest, so I am going to take her home. I'm sorry, bud. Next week, I will stay longer. Kay?"

He nodded and hugged me, "Promise?"

"Promise, B.K." I smiled, ruffling up his hair. He giggled and left to the kitchen. I slung the backpack over one shoulder and said goodbye to Mrs. Echer.

She had containers of spaghetti packed up for Emmi and I on the counter, "It was lovely to meet you. Have a safe trip home. I'm sorry about my granddaughter. She can be very emotional."

I looked at her in shock. What the hell is wrong with her? Did she even give birth to Mrs. Fischer? "It's alright. She has a right to be." I defended.

Mrs. Echer was about to say something when Mr. Echer came up next to me. "She is alright. Just make sure she stays hydrated and gets some rest when you take her home."

I gave a sharp nod and felt arms wrap around my left arm. "You ready to go?" I asked, looking down at Emmi. She nodded with a sniffle, keeping her head down as we went to get our shoes and jackets on.

I was about to walk out behind Emmi when Mr. Echer stopped me. He handed me a plastic bag with leftovers and then something smaller with a soft smile, "Give this to Emmilia tomorrow. I would say tonight, but she needs some sort of break from crying. She'll know what it means when she sees it. Take good care of her, will you?"

"I will, sir. You can count on that from me." I smiled, taking the leftovers and small black velvet box from him. I stuffed it in my pocket and left for my car.

I put the leftovers in the back and got in. Emmi didn't look at me, she stayed staring at the garage door. "What'd my gramps give you?" She asked.

"He told me not to give to you until tomorrow." I said as I pulled out of their driveway.

"I think I know what it is..." she mumbled. "I'm also sorry about my gram..."

"Is she really your mom's mom?"

I saw her shake her head from the corner of my eye. "No, she's my gramps' second wife. My mom's mom was the best. She would have believed my dad and I. I know Viviette means the best...just she can come off a little..."

"Rude and like she knows everything?" I interrupted.

I heard a soft giggle from Emmi and I smiled. "Yeah...that." I felt her hand touch mine on the shifter and my heart skipped a beat. "Thank you, Maddox."

I stopped at a stop light and turned to her, pulling her into a quick kiss, not knowing when the light was going to turn green. "You're welcome, Emmilia." I watched her cheeks turn pink and she didn't get mad at me for using her full name. It was pretty, so I wanted to use it as much as she'd let me.

I started to drive again and Emmi was slowly dozing off, her head resting against the cold window. I smiled and turned the music down a little. "I liked that song."

I chuckled and turned it back up. "Better for your sleep, hon?"

"Yes." She answered and she fell silent.