Emma Grace Tomlinson

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Emma’s POV

 

The clouds began growing darker and a low rumble filled the air, as small specks of water hit the pavement in front of me every few seconds.

I was supposed to ride home with Jared, but that obviously wasn’t happening after this morning’s episode.

Lacey was sick, so she didn’t come to school, and Maggie rode the bus.

So I was walking.

A car pulled up beside me and I closed my eyes, waiting for Jared to yell and demand I get in the car, but his loud voice never came.

“Emma!” Zeke yelled, before getting out of the car and running around. He opened the passenger side door and nodded his head.

“Get in.”

“What?” I asked

“I’ll drive you home.”

“Why?” I asked, knowing there had to be a catch.

“Well.” Zeke shifted on his feet. His blonde hair fell into his eyes and that’s when I noticed it wasn’t styled like it would normally be. Instead, it was dripping wet. I looked up, not noticing that my sweatshirt had soaked through.

I hadn’t even felt the rain.

“First of all, it’s raining, and you’ll catch a cold, second of all, I would much rather me drive you home than Jared.”

I smiled shyly. “I doubt Jared ever speaks to me again after what you did.”

He nodded tightly “Good. He doesn’t deserve you.”

“Why do you care so much?” I asked.

“Get in and I’ll tell you.”

I slid into the seat without thinking, mostly because I was starting to get cold. It was December in London, after all.

Zeke turned the heat up and pulled back onto the road.

“So, explain yourself.” I said, turning to face him. His eyes left the road and met mine, before looking back.

“I was adopted to you know.”

“What?”

“I saw you’re story on the news, I’m not a stalker or anything.” He laughed “But yes. I was adopted. Unlike you though I lived in a foster home, not with my parents. I lived with my twin sister, Isabella. We looked nothing alike, and I’m still not convinced we’re twins.” He laughed. “Before I was adopted I lived with a family for about three months who was trying to adopt me, and they kept telling me I had to earn their love. I had to do certain things, be certain person, act a certain way. And if I messed up, I wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t lovable. Because it was my fault my parents put me up. At first I believed it all. But then the adoption fell through and I got passed on to five more families before coming to the one I’m at now.” He said, his eyes never leaving the road.

“They hadn’t ever met me when they adopted me. I’d never seen them before. They just wanted me. That’s how I knew they were perfect. They’d never met me, and yet loved me like I was their own. They were in their forties, she couldn’t have kids and they had been trying to adopt a baby but they were deemed to old, so they kept moving up the list, looking for someone they thought needed a home the most. I’m lucky they chose me.”

He looked at me and saw my expression, before turning back to the road.

“My point is, I know how it is to feel like you need to earn love, the feeling of having to prove yourself worthy. That isn’t real love, Emma. Real love is unconditional, it doesn’t love you if, it loves you with.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning real love isn’t loving you if you sleep with me, real love is loving you even though you won’t.”

I blushed, looking down. I knew everyone knew, no doubt Jared had told the whole school I was a slut. I was just waiting on Lacey and Maggie to find and deem me unbearable.

“How’d you get so wise?” I asked

“My dad is a philosophy teacher at the University.” He smiled

“This is the house.” I said, pointing to the large brick house.

He pulled into the drive and I could see the boys in the three large living room windows. Zeke got out and ran around before opening the door for me.

“Thanks.” I blushed.

“Want me to pick you up tomorrow for school?”

“You don’t have to, I have a car…” I trailed off.

“Saves gas.” He shrugged. “I’ll be here at seven thirty.”

“Uh, okay.” I said, scrunching my brow has he handed me my bag.

He shut the door and walked back around to his side.

“Oh.” He paused before sliding into his seat. “Don’t wear any make-up.”