Forest Lake

Chapter 28

Mason POV

“Can I ask you a few questions, Emmy?” I spoke after a while.

My heart was still breaking inside my chest, but I could finally speak. My nose was buried in her hair, and I was rubbing her back soothingly. We both stopped crying a while ago, but I just couldn’t let go of her.

“Okay.” she mumbled quietly.

“Were there any other situations where you were in danger because she left you?” I asked, my voice breaking.

“No.” she said. “At least not that severe like when I had the flu.”

“Can you tell me about them?” I asked, holding her even tighter.

“There was a snow storm once.” Emma mumbled. “I called her to pick me up from school, but she never answered. I managed to walk home before it got bad outside, but it was no fun. I got sick after that. A year before that, I was alone at home when the heater broke. It was January, and it was really cold. I was freezing until they came back and called the repair guy.”

I didn’t think I could get angrier. I really didn’t. Somehow, it felt impossible to be even angrier than I was. But I kept surprising myself because the anger kept growing.

“Did you tell anybody, Emmy?” I asked, pressing her even closer to me. “Did you tell your friends about what was going on?”

Emma tensed up. I continued to rock her back and forth.

“What’s wrong?” I asked quietly.

“I didn’t really have friends.” she said so quietly that I almost didn’t hear her. “I pushed everyone away because I was afraid that they would find out about mom. I didn’t want them to pity me. I didn’t want anybody to find out.”

My heart broke.

I had dad. I had my friends. I had Chris and Jax. I even had Cassie...

Holy fucking shit. I got myself a new fucking sister while she was completely alone.

I wanted to rip my heart out.

I am a fucking idiot!

FUCK!

I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t. I wanted to destroy the fucking room, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t let her go.

“I am so fucking sorry.” I managed to whisper as another sob broke through me. “It should have been me.”

“No.” Emma said immediately.

She sat up and looked at me. Her eyes were puffy and her cheeks were red. But the look on her face was stern and determined.

“It shouldn’t have been you, Mason.” she said, wiping the tears from my cheeks. “Seeing you with Chris and Jax and Cassie made me so happy. I am so glad that you weren’t alone. I am so relieved that you were happy. I don’t know what I would do if you were the one who got hurt.”

I sobbed, and this time she pulled me into her arms. I placed my head on her shoulder as she rubbed my back.

She didn’t deserve what happened. She deserved to be happy and safe. She deserved to be warm and taken care of. She deserved to have so many people around her who loved and cherished her.

“What about food?” I asked her quietly, holding on to her as tightly as I could.

“Well, I eventually got a job at the local coffee shop.” she said. “I was only 13, so the owner couldn’t really hire me. I was only helping out with small stuff in the beginning. I took out the trash and helped clean the kitchen. I would get a small amount of cash at the end of each week. I would use that money to buy food when mom left and forgot. The owner hired me when I was 15 and I’ve worked there until I came to this school.”

She stopped talking so she could place a kiss on the top of my head.

“I taught myself how to cook, so it got better after that.” she continued. “I did get food poisoning once, though. But now I am a great cook. I can even bake. I could make you a cake for our birthday. Would you like that?”

I couldn’t respond, because there was a fucking rock filled with sadness and anger stuck in my throat. I could only sob and let the tears fall down my cheeks.

She was completely fucking alone. She had to work at thirteen to buy herself food. She had to learn how to cook for herself. She almost fucking died.

I couldn’t take the pain. I just couldn’t. I will do whatever I have to do so she will never be in pain again. She will never be hurt, alone, hungry, or cold. I will make sure of it.

“Please don’t cry.” Emma said softly. “I am not going to poison you with the cake. I only did it once and it was chicken, not cake.”

She chuckled, and I looked up at her.

“I love you.” I said quietly.

“I know.” she smiled at me. “I love you too.”

She wiped the tears away from my face and kissed my cheek.

“You are never going to be alone again.” I said, looking her in the eyes. “You are never going to be hungry or cold again. Those days are over, Emma.”

“I know, Massy.” she smiled. “You are not getting rid of me that easily.”

“Oh, I think it’s the other way around.” I said, managing to give her a small smile. “I can be very clingy, and you haven’t seen anything yet.”

“Is this going to be like that time when you were sick and I had to rub your feet and sing to you?” Emma asked, smirking. “Because that was very clingy. I couldn’t even go to the bathroom without you calling for me.”

“Do not tell that story to Chris and Jax.” I said seriously, pointing a finger at her.

“I am a very good sister, so I won’t be doing that.” she smiled. “But try not to anger me. I have a lot more of those. And some of them are even worse. Like that time you wore that scary devil mask on Halloween and screamed when you saw your own reflection.”

Emma laughed, and a warm feeling spread through my chest, easing away some of the pain I felt.

“They would be so happy to know that story.” I chuckled. “But I will be the best brother ever, and you will never have to tell them.”

“Deal.” Emma grinned, and I pulled her to me, kissing the top of her head.

She hugged me tightly before letting go and standing up. I grabbed her hand, pulling her back down.

“Where are you going?” I asked, frowning.

“We should go back to your room.” Emma said, rubbing my back soothingly. “You promised Cassie that we would play Monopoly, remember? I want to shower first, though.”

“Right...” I mumbled.

I completely forgot about that. I couldn’t care less about Cassie and Monopoly right now. But Emma cared, and that only showed how unselfish and caring she was. How the hell did she become like that after everything that happened to her?! I was so fucking proud of her and I loved her even more for that.

“I will be back soon.” she said as she kissed my cheek.

She walked to her closet and took out a pair of sweats and a hoodie. She smiled at me before closing the bathroom door.

I ran my hand through my hair and took a deep breath. I stood up and started pacing the room. I wanted to punch something. Or rather someone. I wanted to beat the shit out of my parents. They separated us. That bitch neglected Emma to the point of death. She took her fucking inheritance money.

I just couldn’t believe it. It felt surreal.

I am going to find my fucking mother and get Emma’s money back. I can’t believe that the bitch never gave her that money. She is probably spending it in Europe right now. But she will be giving each and every penny back to Emma.

I already had a plan. I had enough money to rent us an apartment after we finished school. I would take care of her. I am not going back to my father and she is definitely not going back to that bitch.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.

I answered it and saw Chris standing outside.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him, furrowing my eyebrows.

“Where is Emma?” he asked, looking over my shoulders.

“Bathroom.” I said. “Why?”

“I need to talk to you, Mason.” Chris said as he pushed past me. “I thought that you might be here when you didn’t come back to your room.”

He needed to talk to me? Good. I needed to talk to him too.

I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for him to start talking.