Love Admits Deceit

The winter dance II

As the first dance of the night ended, the upbeat music faded into a slow ballad, and the atmosphere in the gym became dreamlike, with soft lighting and couples swaying under the twinkling decorations. Ethan looked over at Emma, her delicate figure framed by the soft glow of the lights. He could sense the weight of her thoughts, the worry that refused to leave her. But tonight, he had a plan. Tonight, he wanted to confess his feelings, to tell her what had been sitting heavy in his chest for months now.

"Emma, I need to tell you something," Ethan began, his heart thudding in his chest. But before he could finish, his phone buzzed in his pocket. His mother was calling. He hesitated, knowing he couldn't ignore it. With a sigh, he looked at Emma, who watched him expectantly. "I have to take this. I'll be right back, okay?"

Emma nodded, but something inside her felt off. As Ethan disappeared into the hall, she glanced around the room, noticing Jake standing near the edge of the dance floor. His eyes found hers immediately, and for a brief moment, she saw something in his gaze—something deeper than the casual friendship they'd shared.

Jake’s heart raced as he approached her, nerves bubbling to the surface. This was it. This was the moment he had been waiting for, the moment he dreaded. He knew he had to tell her, even if it hurt. "Emma, can we talk?" His voice was soft, almost fragile, as he led her to a quieter corner of the gym. His hands trembled, and his breath came out in shallow bursts.

Emma looked at him, sensing his unease. "Jake, what's going on?"

"I..." He faltered, staring at the floor before gathering the courage to meet her eyes. "I’ve been carrying this for so long, and I can’t hold it in anymore." He swallowed hard, his words catching in his throat. "Emma, I love you."

The words hung in the air between them, heavy and heartbreaking. Emma’s eyes widened, and for a moment, time seemed to freeze. Jake waited, his heart pounding, hoping, yet fearing her response.

Emma's lips parted as she searched for the right words. She hadn’t seen this coming, hadn’t realized the depth of Jake’s feelings. "Jake, I... I don’t know what to say."

"You don’t have to say anything," Jake replied quickly, the desperation clear in his voice. "I just needed you to know."

Emma shook her head, her heart aching at the sight of him. "Jake, I care about you. I really do, but... I don’t feel the same way. I’m so sorry." Her voice wavered, full of regret.

The words hit Jake like a punch to the chest, and he felt tears burn at the back of his eyes. He had expected this, yet nothing could have prepared him for the pain of hearing it out loud. His hands trembled as he tried to compose himself, but the tears spilled over anyway. "It’s okay," he whispered, though it was far from okay. "I knew... I knew you didn’t feel the same, but I guess I just needed to hear it." He wiped his eyes quickly, embarrassed by his tears. "Can I... can I at least get a hug? As a friend?"

Emma hesitated, guilt gnawing at her, but she eventually nodded, stepping into his embrace. She could feel his body trembling slightly as he tried to contain his emotions. The hug lasted a beat longer than she was comfortable with, but she didn’t pull away. When they finally separated, she gave him a sad smile, one that didn’t reach her eyes.

From across the room, Mia had been watching. Her chest tightened as she saw Emma and Jake in each other’s arms, her worst fears confirmed. She turned on her heel, storming out of the gym, tears streaming down her face. Why did it have to be Emma? she thought bitterly. Why couldn’t he have looked at me that way?

Meanwhile, Ethan stood outside the gym, phone pressed to his ear, his expression darkening. His mom's voice came through, frantic and tearful. “Ethan, it’s your dad. His condition’s worsened. We need to leave tonight—overseas. I’m so sorry, honey, but we don’t have much time.”

Ethan’s heart dropped. He had been waiting for this night, hoping to confess his feelings to Emma, but now everything was falling apart. "I’ll be there soon, Mom." His voice was quiet, defeated. He pocketed his phone and went back into the gym, scanning the crowd for Emma. But she was nowhere to be seen.

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Emma walked outside into the cold night air, her heart heavy after her conversation with Jake. She looked around for Ethan, wanting to find him, to lean on him in this moment, but he was gone. The joy of the night had drained from her, leaving her feeling empty and more alone than ever. As she made her way home, the chill in the air matched the growing dread in her chest.

When she finally arrived at her house, she noticed the front door slightly ajar, a faint light flickering from inside. A sickening feeling settled in her stomach as she pushed the door open. The scene that greeted her made her blood run cold.

Her mother lay crumpled on the floor, blood pooling around her, her face pale and her breath shallow. Hovering over her was Emma’s father, a broken bottle in his hand, rage twisting his features. "You deceived me!" he shouted, his voice slurred and wild. "You both lied to me!" He raised the bottle, ready to strike her mother again.

Without thinking, Emma lunged forward, throwing herself between them. The bottle came down hard, smashing against her head, sending a wave of pain crashing through her. She collapsed to the floor beside her mother, blood dripping from her forehead.

"You liar!" her father roared, his eyes wild with fury as he stumbled back, pulling out a gun from his coat. His hand trembled, his breath ragged as he pointed it at both of them. "I should’ve known! I should’ve known!"

Emma’s vision blurred as she lay there, her head throbbing and her body weak. She could hear her mother’s faint sobs beside her, but she didn’t have the strength to move, to protect her.

Just as her father’s finger tightened on the trigger, the front door burst open. Jake, followed by police officers, stormed in. “Drop the gun!” one of the officers shouted, their weapons drawn.

Emma’s father hesitated, his face twisted with confusion and anger, but after a tense moment, he let the gun fall to the ground with a clatter. He sank to his knees, defeated.

Emma, barely conscious, could hear Jake’s voice calling her name. She wanted to respond, but her body refused to cooperate. As the world faded to black, all she could think of was how everything had spiraled out of control. How everything she had tried so hard to protect had come crashing down in the worst way possible.

Tears rolled down Jake’s cheeks as he knelt beside her, his heart breaking at the sight of her fragile, broken body. "Emma, I’m so sorry," he whispered, his voice shaking with emotion. He had failed to protect her, and now, he feared he might lose her forever.

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