The Road to Quinn Lake (book 1)

Chapter 4

     "Ready to come home?" Emma's mom asked. " I guess." Emma was scared about going back to school and having to face everyone again. " Cindy, give her time." Emma's dad said in a soft tone hoping Emma could'nt hear. Emma did hear and was more nervous than she was before, and when she thought about going home she started shaking from fear of what was waiting for her. " Luke walked in and almost immendently saw Emma's expression. "What's wrong?" Luke asked over and over again, until Emma answered. " I don't want to go back to school." Emma whispered trying to hold back her tears as long as possible. 

     Soon, the tears came didn't stop tell it was time to leave the hospital. Emma slowly walked to the car and turned to find Luke staring into space. " What are you thinking about?" Emma asked slowly. " You, I always think about you. I worry about you 24/7. I thought you were dead, Emma. That scared me more than anyone will ever know. Now, you're here and you're okay, but I still worry." He paused and turned his head revealing a huge scar on the side of his face. " What's that?" Emma asked sadly. 

     "It's been there for a long time. My dad came home angry at my mom and decided it was my fault she left, so he started to hit me and didn't stop. So, I said I had homework and stiched the gash up myself and it never faded." "I'm so sorry.. for Everything." Emma apoligized as she got in. Soon, they were almost back home the whole car was silent when the passed the lake. Tears esacaped her eyes and she quickly turned around toward the window so no one could see. As soon as she did she felt an arm around her and Luke wiped the tears off her face. They both wore the same blank expression on their face.She saw her house in the distance. It looked so much different than it used to, so did everything around it. 

     No one could be prepared for the moment that a girl that has been gone for almost a year is seeing her home again. No one thought she ever would. Emma's hand touched the door handle and she twisted it slowly not knowing what to expect. Everyone watched as she looked around the house. It looked untouched since the last time she saw it. Emma slowly walked up the stairs clutching the railing tightly her hands red and shakey. She walked past her parent's and her older brother's rooms and then came to hers. Taking a deep breath she open the door with tears instantly coming to her eyes. 

     She sat on her bed and saw her diary placed on her nightstand. I dropped it in the woods, did anyone read it? Emma thought, then ran down the stairs. " Did you guys read my diary?" Emma asked out of breath. "Emma, we had to. We thought maybe it would have some kind of sign of where you went." Her mom answered seeing the pain in her daughter's eyes. Did they know about Adam? More imporantly does Luke know? "How far along did you read?" Emma asked while walking down the last two stairs she stopped at.

     " We read all of it up to the night you went missing." Her mom started to sob and puut her head on her dad's shoulder. "Who is we?" but before anyone could answer Luke came back into the house. "Read what?" He asked looking from Emma to her parents. "Her diary, Luke" Her parents answered and Luke's face turned bright red. "Can we just not talk about what we read please!" Everyone could tell Luke was upset and the tension was high in the room. "Besides Emma could of told me about Adam if she really wanted to. For goodness sake Emma, really of all people Adam!" The room was quiet and Emma felt defeated. What did she ever see in Adam? "Luke, I thought he was different at the time. He was not who I thought he was." Emma pleaded for Luke to listen.

      "Okay, I believe you." Luke said as he gave her one of those big bear hugs that just make you want to melt. They stood there for a while with him hugging her tightly and her head  nuzzled in the nape of his neck. Her parents had left to go talk. It was just them and Emma wished she had never even thought of Adam.