Chase's POV
I literally was the happiest man on earth.
I had just bagged Emma, and one of the most important things to me.
"How do I look?" Emma asked, straightening out invisible creases.
"Perfect, my love." I replied, "Besides, they are family." I said, laughing.
"I know, I know." She sighed.
"But you're nervous?" I asked, looking at her.
"Very." She added.
Emma took a deep breath and went to meet her mom.
I wasn't so enthusiastic about meeting them.
For all I cared, I had a done deal.
"Hey mom." Emma's voice sounded strained.
Her mom pulled her in and it seemed like a bear hug. I could understand.
They had been gone for two months. Two freaking months that might be the genesis of my emergence.
My dad didn't even spare me a second look.
I laughed deep within me, knowing that he knew I had become a player in his game.
Emma's mom took her left hand and admired the ring, during which Emma turned completely red.
I busied myself enjoying the spectacle cause there wasn't much for me inside anymore.
I just needed to have one last discussion with the man who called himself my dad.
"I must say he has a good eye for this." Emma's mom said. She wasn't helping Emma's embarrassment.
Having seen enough, I stepped in to put an end to Emma's misery.
"Thank you too, Linda." I said.
She half hugged me, and Emma's eyes flew wide in surprise.
"Is that why you came today?" I asked her.
"No." Her mom protested. "How could you think so?" I struggled to maintain my heart rate because it was already going faster.
I proposed so soon because they were coming, and not the other way around.
"The coincidence is rather baffling." Emma said and broke away from her mom's grip.
She took herself out of her mom's grip and went into the house.
Her ring kept sending light in different directions, making me all the more proud.
"I'm proud of you." Her mom said, when Emma was out of earshot.
"Thank you for everything." I said. "Grays not conceding though." I added
"That's not what we discussed." Emma's mom said, looking slightly disturbed.
"I think we have to really talk about this." I said.
"Aren't we doing that now?" She asked.
"Your husband has ears everywhere. And he's looking through that window." I said, looking in the direction of where I just saw a curtain shift.
"Let's go for a spin then, shall we, Son?" Linda said, loud enough.
"Where do you fancy, Mrs Linda?" I asked, playing along.
"Let's see how the estate has changed?" She suggested.
I went back to the garage and backed the car out.
She caught up with me, and we drove out of his compound again.
"You can park at that bend." She said.
I pulled the car to a stop as soon as I got there.
"What do you want to know?" She asked me.
"I wanna know why you don't want investigations to go on, even when you believe they'd find nothing implicating you and Emma." I replied.
"I don't want anything to come between your father and I. My baby has had it rough since she was eight. It's been one man after another. I just need her to have a stable life, and home." She said.
She looked pretty genuine.
"You're sure?" I asked her.
"Yes." She replied.
"Alright then." It made sense to not want to dig up old smoke.
"Are you gonna make him stop?" She asked, looking at me pleadingly.
"No." I said smiling. "But you and Emma will be safe. That, I assure you of."
She didn't look too confident in my promise.
"I swear." I added, hoping it makes what I said more valid.
"You have no God, Chase. There's nothing you swear to. It does not make me any more at ease." But she was laughing.
"Can I ask why?" She asked.
"It's better you do not know. Merry, and have fun with your husband." I said, smiling exaggeratedly.
We were done with our business. I drove back to the house.
When we entered the garage, I noticed one car had left. It could only mean my dad, or one of his stooges had gone in search of us.
Linda looked worried, but I was entertained.
"It's nothing I can't handle." I said, putting her at ease. "I've had the movers come in today." I broke the news to her. I hadn't told Emma yet.
"Have you told Emma?" She asked. Sometimes, I got jealous of the love Linda had for Emma. If only Emma could see it. If only I could have it…
"Not yet." I replied. "But she would know by now." I dreaded having to go up to face her. It wasn't gonna end well.
I was shitty for not telling her, that I knew. But I wanted her to take it all in one after the other. It was gonna be too much sensory overload if I lumped the whole thing on her, which is why I just let her discover stuff on the way.
"That doesn't sound good." Mrs Linda commented.
"I don't think it is." I agreed.
"Do you think you wanna see her?" She asked, looking a bit skeptical herself.
"The question is, does she wanna see me?" I asked.
Her mom laughed dryly, I did too. We both knew the answer.
"I think it's best if you go to your house and make a home out of it. I'll talk to Emma." I was only too grateful for that. "if things go well, she might visit you, if they don't, y'all will meet at school." I hoped for the former.
"Fingers crossed." I said.
I watched her get out of the car and go inside.
All the cars were registered in my dads name, but that wasn't gonna stop me from taking one to my own lot.
"You thinking of my cars now, like you do my women?" He said, walking into the garage.
I didn't know if that was supposed to be a joke, but it was a very dry and distasteful one.
"Is that a joke?" I asked.
"Yeah." He said.
"But I'm taking it for real." I replied. "How was your getaway?" I asked in the most bored tone.
"Our vacation," He said, putting emphasis on the 'vacation' part, "was splendid." I got a thing or two for you. Patty will show you when you go in." He said, proudly.
"I'm not going in. I don't go around looking in people's homes." I replied
He smiled and looked at me for a full minute.
"You've got your mom's defiance." He said.
"Please don't drag her into matters concerning people far below her." I shot back at him.
"I love your honesty, son." He replied.
"Please don't call me that." I was getting irritated fast. I thought I could hold out long enough to have him see that I was no longer the little boy he could order around.
"That's what you are." He said, rubbing it in. "My son. Who wants my cars, and my women." He said again. I thought him stupid.
"Want Mrs Linda?" I asked, laughing.
"I want to be annoyed. But I'm hurt, for her. That you think she's one of those sleazy hoes who dance between father and son for money." I was raising my voice and he was getting embarrassed . "I just put a ring on Emma's finger, and that's what we were discussing. Please don't tell any of them I told you. The information is only for the family. I do not like to break a confidence." I laughed hard at how I had broken his mighty ego.
He walked back into his house, his head held high and proud, like nothing just happened.
He was gonna be a very tough nut to crack, but I knew I was up to the task. I could do it. Even if it meant everything.
I got back in the car I drove Mrs Linda in and backed out of his yard for good, well not entirely. I still had Emma there. Hopefully, she forgives me.
My house was about thirty minutes away, far from school, but it was a location I picked out.
It was a big house, somewhere in the middle of nowhere. My closest neighbor was about five minutes away, and it had a big yard for parties like I requested.
I made sure I never let the address slip to Mrs Linda, she just helped in the procurement of the house.
I didn't want any visitors, at least not yet.
My garage was far smaller than my dad's, but I would take being away from him over anything.