Don't Save My Life

Chapter 17

Emmett

I wanted to say something, but anything I could have thought to say was silenced by the voices in my mind. It was a memory of a voice; Bennett’s voice. I walked blindly towards the Crescent unsure if Willa was even following me. It didn’t matter, not right now. Her words had stirred a memory that I strained to visualize and grasp perfectly. It was hard with the emotions running through my heart and the thoughts in my mind.

Still, I tried to silence all I wanted to say to Willa in regards to everything I’d heard. I walked; letting the rhythm of my strides lull me back into the memory of Bennett’s voice.

I remembered the navy blue walls spaciously on either side of me as I lied on my bed looking up at the ceiling. What I’d been thinking about was beyond me but whatever it was had me holed up in my bedroom for hours.

There was a slight nock on the door. I didn’t answer, knowing who it was by the two raps up top and the lighter ones in the center of the door. I muttered something and he came in silently, body slamming himself down on the bed next to me.

“Will you stop it?” I hissed, rolling over to sit on the edge of the bed. He pulled me back easily with his arm hooked around my neck. He noogied my neck for a moment before releasing me.

“Oh lighten up bubba, today is a great day!”

“Really? How so? “ I said uninterestedly , going towards my cabinet for a much needed pick me up treat.

“You have to guess.” He said, snatching a jar of peanut butter from my hands.

“You’re moving to Timbuktu and I’ll be an only child?” I snatched the jar back.

“Nope, even better.  I finally proposed to Daisy.”

I’d been twisting the lid when his words hit me with the intensity of a lightening shock. I dropped it and it landed with a cushioned thud on my unmade bed.

“What!”

“Quiet!” he looked towards the door before looking back at me. He hopped up now and locked my door before coming back over to me.” I told you I was gonna do it months ago. I even showed you the ring.”

“What you said was; you might do it. Best case scenario it would be a promise ring.”

“Well.” He looked down at his clean white socks before sitting down next to me. “Things change.”

In another burst of energy he explained rather quickly,” And anyways, it’s no secret we love each other. Mom and Dad don’t give a shit about me, and Daisy’s parents are going to kill her when-“ he stopped, “Never mind. Please understand. I need you in my court here.”

He knew I would never side against him. He tried to look pleading but nothing could wipe that spark of pure happiness from his eyes.  As insane as the whole idea was, I knew Benet would be a good husband to Daisy. They were young and Benet had a lot of maturing to do, but the simple fact that he was mature enough to even consider it made me want to see him succeed.

“You know I’m on your side Bintwin.” His face lit up again and I couldn’t help but smile too. Half the time we couldn’t even get Benet to smile in pictures. Now it was all we could do to catch him not showing his teeth.

We talked longer, and I remembered everything we’d discussed. His future plans, the proposal, the ring he’d  bought with the money he’d made delivering for mom every time he got in trouble. After a while he said.

“So what’s been bugging you? “He said finally, and I could see he was trying to regain his manly composure. “You’ve been moping around all week.”