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“You need to gain her trust and get her to tell you everything that the gang is planning. I need the exact location of the ring, and I want any plans that might be associated with it.” My mouth falls open and my face turns to jelly. I remember when he first assigned me to look after Emerson, he told me to find out what she’s hiding. It was such a broad statement, that I had no idea what it meant. What my father is asking from me now is too specific, he is putting too much faith in me to get answers from her.
“You can’t be-”
“We need to know what they are up to,” my dad intercedes, “we need to make sure that no one else gets hurt.”
“I can’t-”
“As the future leader of the CSO, you need to be willing to stand up and do what is necessary for your people. Can you do that?” This is the first time he has ever mentioned me being the future leader of the CSO. We’ve never talked about this before; and yet he just assumes I want to succeed him. There should be no doubt in my mind. I shouldn’t have to think twice about this offer. I should be willing to do whatever is necessary for my people. But I can’t think about saving the world if it means hurting Emerson. Dad checks his watch impatiently, “I have a-”
“What about Annabelle,” I whisper, and I would almost think that no one heard me, except for the stricken look on both of their faces. They know exactly what I’m talking about. But I need to know about what she whispered to me, what the connection is between her and Mum, and why it is so tense between her and Dad.
After a long moment of silence, my dad composes himself and asks cautiously, “What about her?”
“Why did she tell me to look after Mum? Why did she say you two were close?” I aim the last question directly at Mum, hoping to get some answers out of her.
“It’s just a message of endearment. She’s just being nice.” My mother answers graciously, but her tightly bound lips suggest that there is more to what she’s saying. “don’t let her words get in your head, she doesn’t mean anything by it, okay?”
I nod, completely unsatisfied with her response. Looking around the room, I can tell that is my queue to leave, and with a silent goodbye, I head out the door.
After walking out of Mum’s office, my first thought is that there was no possible way that my parents were telling the truth. I’d spent my whole life being in the shadow of my father, watching him hurt so many people. Nothing will be able to wipe away the scars I have from some of the things he’s made me watch. But the more I think about what he has explained, the more I begin to realise he might be right. Ever since Emerson arrived, I’ve known that something big was going on, and I knew that it involved her some way or another.
It seems that the only way to get answers is to find out things for myself. I need to know if I have to convince Emerson to stop what the gang is planning and tell us where the ring is so that we can put an end to this. I need to make sure that she understands that the CSO might not be the people she thought they were. That her mum might not be the person she thought she was either.
I realise I am standing at a crossroads. An undeniable fork in the road where the choice I make in this one moment will shape my future. I have the power to choose. I could choose to trust Emerson. The girl who has made me so vulnerable in such a ridiculous amount of time, as if I could be completely safe with her and nothing could ever touch me because I am with her. And that would be enough.
Or I could trust my dad, someone who has caused so much pain and hurt to so many people. Someone who has never wanted anything to do with me, until recently. If I’m being honest with myself, I am not against the sudden attention that I’m receiving from him. I didn’t realise how starved I was for his approval until I could finally feel it. The opportunity he has given me might be the only chance I get to prove myself to him. Something I never thought I’d care about, but something I’ve come to long for.
I walk around Calveron aimlessly, not exactly sure where I am walking to, but hoping I will be able to walk myself all the way to the right answers.
Chapter 24 - Emerson Clarke
Imanage to escape Mark’s attempt to take me to the food court, but unfortunately, I’ve gotten myself lost in the process. I’ve been walking around aimlessly for what seems like forever, looking for something identifiable so I can figure out where I am. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see Jasper come into view.
“You’re fidgeting with your pencil, what’s wrong?” I ask as I approach him.
“Huh?” he says distractedly. There’s something different about the way he’s acting, even more so than when I saw him this morning. He’s more guarded and he’s standing further away from me as if I’m some disease that he doesn’t want to be infected with.
I try again, looking him in the eye so he can’t ignore me this time, “you’re fidgeting with your pencil. You do that when you’re distracted.”
“I didn’t even notice,” his voice is like icy shards stabbing right into my heart.
“Do you have a minute?” I ask.
“I guess,” his eyes are trained on the pencil like it’s his lifeline.
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” I say.
“For what?”
I’m not really sure why I am apologising honestly, but I know I’ve upset him somehow and it seems like the right thing to do. “For everything that happened yesterday, I guess. You shouldn’t have taken the fall for me. And now you are going to get in trouble because you have no idea what you’re talking about. And I’m sorry about the gang, I heard that you got in a fight with Hayden. I’m sorry that he’s very defensive and I’m sorry that-”
Before I can finish my sentence Jasper pulls me into his tight embrace. I can feel his initial coldness thawing in the space between us. His hands are gently stroking my hair, and I hate myself for thinking it, but I know that I could stay in this very moment for all of eternity, and everything would seem okay. He cups my chin and tilts it up so that I am so close to him, I can feel his soft, steady breathing, “You know you can tell me anything, right?”
I nod slowly and pull away. There is a flicker of doubt within me that wonders about such a drastic shift in moods. But Jasper is back to normal, so I won’t complain. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong now?” I say as I walk alongside him to wherever he is taking me.
“Nothing, not anymore.” He smiles down at me and brushes his hand gently along mine, the contact sending shivers up my spine.
“Then are you going to tell me where you’re taking me?” I say, a small smile playing on my lips.
