SHARING EMMA [18+]

19. Best of Me

|CARLOS]

I realized rather quickly that my outburst at Emma was unfair and unjustified. She had every right to choose her own path, and I had no right to dictate her actions. Our relationship had always been casual, and we had agreed that we were free to see other people. I shouldn't have been so angry with her for following her heart.

As I paced back and forth in my room, a deep sense of regret washed over me. I knew I had driven Emma away, and it pained me more than I had anticipated. I couldn't understand why I had reacted so strongly to the idea of her and Ryker being together. What was causing this burning sensation in my chest? Was it jealousy? The very thought of being jealous of my own son seemed preposterous. Emma was an incredible woman—strong, independent, and beautiful—with her whole life ahead of her. I couldn't expect her to put aside her happiness to fulfill my needs, especially if she was more drawn to Ryker than me.

As much as I tried to convince myself that I was okay with Emma and Ryker being together, I couldn't shake off the feeling of annoyance that was slowly creeping up on me. I couldn't help but doubt Ryker's sincerity towards Emma. After all, he had despised me for most of his life, and now he seemed to be fine with a woman who had been involved with me for months. It just didn't add up, and it made me question his motives. Was he using Emma to get back at me?

Ryker had a history of trying to provoke me, so I couldn't let Emma get caught in the crossfire of our ongoing feud. I needed to find out the truth about his intentions towards her.

As soon as I heard the sound of high heels clicking outside my room, I knew it was Emma leaving to go to Ryker's place. I hurriedly made my way out and walked towards the lobby that led to the entrance door. Just as Emma was about to reach the door, I called out to her to stop.

"Emma, wait," I said, walking towards her. She turned around, her expression guarded. "What do you want, Carlos?"

"Stay," I said, slipping her free hand into mine. "You can go tomorrow. I won't say a word. Just not tonight."

"You told me to leave if I couldn't handle it. What's changed, Carlos?"

I took a deep breath and looked her in the eye. "I want you to stay, Emma. I know I've been difficult, and I'm sorry. It's just...I care about you, and I don't want to lose you."

She sighed and pulled her hand away from mine. "Carlos, I don't know what to think anymore. One minute you're pushing me away, the next you're asking me to stay. What do you want from me?"

"I want to make things right," I said, taking a step closer to her. "I want to fix things with Ryker, and I want your help in that. But I need your help to do that. I need you to trust me, Emma. Can you do that?"

"I've always trusted you, Carl. Even when Ryker told me about how you've been neglectful and dismissive towards him all these years, I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I wanted to hear your side of the story before passing any judgments. But the way you reacted today has made me question whether Ryker was right all along. Maybe you do have a tendency to push people away when things don't go according to your plan, and I'm not sure if I'm okay with that."

I could feel my heart sinking as Emma spoke. Her words stung, but I couldn't blame her for feeling the way she did. I had let my emotions get the best of me, and I had pushed her away. I knew I had to make things right.

"I apologize, Emma," I whispered, regret evident in my voice. "You're right, my reaction was unwarranted. I was upset, but that doesn't justify how I spoke to you. I promise to make it up to you."

Emma gazed at me with a doubtful expression. "How?"

"I'll be honest with you," I replied. "I'll tell you everything about Ryker, why we're here, and what I plan to do. Then you can decide whether you want to stay or leave."