It Started With Lake (Book 1)

Chapter 13: Emani

"One day?" I asked Lake. "Lake, you haven't even asked me to be your girlfriend yet."

Lake cocked an eyebrow. "I thought it was obvious I wanted you to be."

Ugh, boys.

I laughed. "So, are we official?"

He nodded. "I really do like you a lot, and I promise to treat you the way you deserve, E."

My eyes connected with his. "And I promise to do the same. I really am happy, Lake, but I do want to continue taking things slow." I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I'm so glad you came up here with me."

He peered down at me; our bodies still pressed together. "I'm having a great time, E. What do you want to do now?"

I didn't want to go in the hot tub because I would have to strip out of my clothes. "Let's go explore the upstairs and maybe watch a movie."

I followed Lake upstairs, and we went into the first bedroom on the right. It had a king-sized bed, nightstand, and a tv mounted on the wall. The bed was covered in rose petals, and I wondered if Sasha was behind this. She was so sneaky.

Lake scratched the back of his head, looking flustered. "I didn't put those there."

"You're welcome," Sasha yelled from downstairs.

I slid out of my sandals and sat down on the bed. "What do you want to watch?"

Lake settled in beside me. "Let's watch the new Paramedic movie on Netflix. I heard it's crazy."

He took off his black cap and put his phone on the small nightstand. I could tell that he was nervous, and I was too. This felt more intimate than watching tv in my room: Damn Sasha and her stupid rose petals.

"What's going through your head?" he asked, pausing the movie.

I shrugged. "I'm so used to us being out or at my place. This feels different, like a baecation."

"Just try to relax. I don't bite," Lake joked, making me grin. He pulled me against his chest, and I listened to his heartbeat. "Sasha's heart was in the right place. That girl really cares about you."

He was right. "Yeah, she's such a good friend. Do you have any friends, Lake?"

He shook his head, and I felt terrible for him. "I've always been an introvert, and it's hard making friends. I'm not nerdy enough for the geeks, and the popular kids laugh at how I dress. Friends are not in the cards for me, and I'm fine with that. As long as I have you, I'm happy."

I envied him for being so independent and being able to function on his own. My whole life, I've always had a sea of people around me, but half of them never understood me.

"It's their loss, Lake."

Lake ran his fingers through my straight hair, and my eyelids got heavy. "You look tired. Why don't you take a nap, and I'll stay up."

"Are you sure?"

Lake nodded. "Night, E."

I don't remember when I fell asleep, but the next thing I knew, Lake was shaking me awake. I could hear his deep voice as I tried to open my eyes.

"E, it's time to head back."

I glanced at the time and sighed. It was midnight, and I had to get home before my mom did. I was still technically grounded and on a curfew. I didn't want to piss her off any more this week.

I turned to face Lake and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for letting me take a nap."

I marveled at how cute he looked when he blushed. He always seemed so carefree when we were together, and I hope it stayed that way. He deserved to be happy after the life he's had.

"I'll go take our stuff to the car," he said sleepily, stretching his long legs.

"Ok."

I sat up and checked my phone. I had five text messages from a number I didn't recognize.

Unknown: Hey niece
Unknown: Why are you ignoring me?
Unknown: I love and miss you.
Unknown: I'm sorry for what I did to you. I realize that I should have waited until you were older.
Unknown: I see you're at a cabin with a boy. You better reply to me, or I will tell Latanya what her little girl is up to.

I couldn't breathe. He had my number and knew where I was. I didn't feel safe anymore and felt as if the walls were closing in on me. My throat felt dry, and I was sweating profusely. I got up and ran to the bathroom, puking my guts out. I heard the bedroom door open, and Lake appeared behind me. He held my hair while I continued to vomit.

I didn't realize I was crying until he said, "E, what's wrong? Please don't cry."

"Lake, this is gross. You shouldn't be in here," I croaked, wiping my mouth.

Lake shook his head, helping me stand. "I don't care about that. What happened? Is it something you ate?"

I wished. "Go read my messages, and you will see."

I watched him pick up my phone, and within seconds he was cursing under his breath. "That bastard. I won't let him hurt you, E. I promise."

"I thought blocking his number was enough, but he won't ever stop," I sobbed.

"We need to report him for harassment Emani."

It was the first time he'd called me by my real name in a while, and I could tell he was serious. I never thought things would get to this point. Why was Travis so obsessed with me? I came here to forget about everything back home, but that plan failed.

"I need to talk to my mom first."

Lake nodded. "Ok."

We were back on the road around Twelve ish, and my thoughts were all over the place. Lake put his head in my lap and fell asleep snoring loudly. Sasha smiled at us from the rearview mirror before focusing on the road. She dropped us off, and we headed inside my house. Lake carried our bags, and we sat at the island in the kitchen.

"My mom is coming home early from work. I told her it was an emergency."

Around one, I saw headlights in the driveway and unlocked the door for my mom. I chose to ignore the nasty look she gave Lake. We had more important things to discuss than my love life.

"What's going on, Emani?" she asked in a worried tone.

"Travis has been texting me all night. I think we should go to the police."

"That asshole! Emani make sure you save those messages, and we will show them to the cops, " she said. "Let's go to the station." She glanced at Lake. "We will handle this. This is a family matter."

Lake wrapped his arm around me. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Jefferson, but I'm not leaving Emani until I know she is okay."

I closed my eyes and braced myself for the argument I knew was coming.

"Fine, let's go."
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Do you think Sasha is finally coming around to the idea of Lake being with Emani? Let me know what you think! Also, Travis just won't give up! Keep reading to see what happens!