Emily, Come Home

Ten

Gerard's POV

I paced back and forth, trying to plan my next move. I knew we couldn't stay here forever. Ray would eventually want us to leave anyway, but now with the cops buzzing around, I had to move fast. There was our house in Jersey, but surely that would be one of the first places they looked.

This was never my intention. I never planned to hold her hostage. I just wanted her to see that I was better. To her, it must seem like I've actually gotten worse. All I wanted was a chance to prove that I could make her happy again, like in the beginning.

Then, it clicked. My uncle's cabin. It was far away enough from everyone, but it was also inconspicuous. My aunt and uncle hadn't been up there in years, but they refused to sell the land. It would at the very least give me enough time to make a better plan. It would give me more time with her.

I walked down the hallway and tapped on her door. No answer. As I opened it, I saw her sit up quickly and back up towards the headboard.

"Em," I started as I walked over to the bed. I sat next to her and grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry about earlier. I was very stressed, and I lashed out at you. That was unfair of me to do, and I needed to apologize for it."

"Okay," she mumbled. I squeezed her hand gently.

"I'm going to make dinner soon, okay? Do you have any requests?"

"No..." She curled her legs towards her chest. I sighed and rose from the bed.

"I'll let you know when it's ready." I closed the door and headed back to the kitchen. I quickly put something on to cook before I started to pack our few belongings. Fortunately, there wasn't much. I had a few personal belongings, some clothes, and some basic essentials. She had less than I did, but I made a mental note to grab her things after dinner.

After dinner was made, I fixed our plates and poured the drinks. I pulled a small bottle from my pocket and put a few drops in her drink. It wasn't ideal, but I needed to get her there without any issues.

* * * * *

I turned down the wooded path towards the cabin. As I pulled up to the walkway, I put the car in back and shut it off. There was a faint mumble from her lips, but she was fast asleep. I smiled to myself as I got out of the car.

Drugging her was bound to cause some initial trust issues, but now, we'd have the time to work through them. None of it would matter. It was just the two of us now, and she'd be able to see that I did it for us. We could be able to reconnect without having to worry about anyone else.

I went to unlock the front door and carry our bags inside before returning for her. I opened her door and gently pulled her into my arms, trying not to wake her. I nudged the car door shut with my hip and headed towards the house. As I carried her through the front door, I frowned. This is how it should've been the first time. Instead, I let my jealousy get the best of me, and it put a damper on our first night as a married couple.

I shook off the thoughts and carried her to the bedroom. I laid her on the bed and took off her shoes before pulling the blanket over her. I went to make sure that the doors and windows were secured before making my way back to the bedroom. As I stared at her sleeping form, a smile crept across my lips. She was always so beautiful, even with her tangled, messy hair.

I kicked my shoes off at the door and crawled into bed next to her. She made a quiet moaning sound as she rolled towards me and rested her head on my chest. She wrapped her arm around me, squeezing slightly, and I chuckled to myself. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer.

As we lay in the dark, there was almost no sound. All I could hear was her gentle breathing, accompanied by an occasional snore. I couldn't help but smile. She was absolutely perfect. My thoughts drifted as I began to cycle through the worst case scenarios.

I knew that she was going to be upset that I had drugged her. She would most likely be upset when she found out that I had driven her over thirty six hours away from her home. Surely, it would do nothing to alleviate her feeling that I had kidnapped her. I was certain that she was going to have a hard time trusting me.

I just needed more time. I couldn't have it if they were looking for her. I needed to prove to her that I really had changed. I needed her to know that I wasn't ready to give up on us. I needed to show her that we could be happy again.