𝙒𝙃𝙀𝙉 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙆𝙔 𝙄𝙎 𝙉𝙊 𝙈𝙊𝙍𝙀 - 𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙣 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙮

Emma the Cowardly Lion

She could see the hurt and confusion in Owen's eyes. She could've sworn there was a bit of tear built up but they quickly disappeared behind the anger. She was so frantic that she had completely let her fear grab ahold of her. It wasn't letting go.

She was still determined to leave the island for her own good. For everyone's own good. "So that's it?" Owen's temper was getting the best of him. "You come here, get yourself into trouble, have people die for you, and then you leave?" Her eyes grew wide as she listened to his harsh words, it was like having daggers thrown into her chest. A fiery blaze rested within her as his words sunk it.

"I didn't ask you guys to do that." The words slipped out like poison, her expression was frustrated, her eyes sunken in from the lack of sleep. Leaving was the only rational idea she had. Owen shook his head as he let out a dry laugh out of sheer anger and shock. Emma ignored his humorless laugh and continued packing. "There's something you're not telling me." Owen blurted out, drawing her attention to him once again.

His index finger was jabbing out to her in accusation. "What?" Emma rolled her eyes as she growled. "There's no one else, Owen." This only made her more irritated. The fact that he would imply there was someone else out there for her was asinine.

"That's not what I meant." Owen protested, crossing his arms across his chest. "I'd honestly be impressed and a bit insulted if you could find a man who puts up with you like I have. No, I want to know what happened on that damn island." He sauntered across the room to sit on the bed next to where Emma was packing. She didn't even bother to meet his brooding gaze.

She sighed. "You're an ass, you know that?"

"I'm an ass? I'm not the one packing up and leaving without even telling anyone goodbye. Do you even know where you're going?"

Emma gnawed on her lip for a moment, closing her eyes. She didn't even have the slightest idea of where she was going either. If she went back home James would find her, if she went to the CIA James would find her, if she stayed here James would find her.

She could feel the warmth of tears overflow from her shut eyes, roll down her cheeks. Her breathing became erratic and labored as she tried to calm herself down. A warm hand enveloped hers in a comforting manner. She didn't have to open her eyes to know it was Owen but she did.

She stared into his pleading green eyes as he squeezed on to her hand tighter. "There are people here who love you without fathom. People who would risk everything for you to make sure you're safe. Not just me. Kate, Felix, Claire. They all love you. And I do too. You can't keep secrets from us, we know it's eating you up, and it's killing us. Please." Owen pleaded with her. "Please tell me at least what happened on the island."

She sighed as her tears came to a stop. She pushed the suitcase away and sat next to Owen, leaning her head on his shoulder. He reached his hand out and brushed his fingers through her hair.

As soon as she composed herself to think about telling she pulled her head off of his shoulder and looked into his eyes. She reached her hand out to where Roscoe, who had joined them on the bed when they were done arguing, and stroked his copper-colored fur to ease her nerves. "There was a man." Emma whimpered out.

Flashes of James and his henchman raked her mind. He was snakelike, sitting across from Colton, studying him and studying her. It was like every nerve in her body was a live wire and each word she was about to speak was about to set them off. Speaking about James was dangerous to her.

"A man?" Owen curiously asked, his eyes studying her face as he watched her nervously bite down on her lip again, restraining herself from crying. "Who's the man?"