Read Online Emerge by S.E. Hall - Free Book Online Page A

woman with everything he is.
    “Come here, cutie.” I pull her in for a kiss, rubbing my hands up and down her arms to relax her. “Laney, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, baby.”
    “Oh, no you don’t, mister! I wanna play, and you’re gonna teach me,” she says with her stubborn lil sass. But then she turns sultry and takes my hand with hers down to my aching erection. “Show me what to do, Evan. Show me what you like.”
    Yes, Ma’am.
     
     

Chapter 13
    Distance
    ~Laney~
     
    T he rest of the summer flew by in a blissful yet shadowed haze, Evan and I exploring our relationship even as the looming end to it drew near, eventually leaving me alone to settle into “Operation: Laney’s a Big Girl.”
    I miss him.
    It’s only been two weeks, but the texts and calls every day don’t begin to fill the void. I need to see him, hold him, smell him… I’m miserable without him.
    Our last day together haunts me. In the end, I won the argument, an empty victory; we would not be starting college as a “couple.”
    “It’s nothing but space, Laney,” he says, dropping a kiss on my forehead. “It means nothing. I’m still yours. I’ll always be yours.” Holding me tight, kissing me tenderly, he’s trying not to tear up.
    God, he feels so right against me. Can I just crawl inside and go with him? How do I possibly meet each day without Evan?
    “It’s not goodbye, my love, it’s just see ya later. Remember that, okay?” His hands hold my face, forcing me to look into his beautiful blue eyes; the eyes that twinkle with my smiles and cloud with my frowns. Eyes that have watched over me for so many years.
    When I close my eyes at night, our farewell plays on a reel in my mind that I can’t escape. We kissed goodbye a hundred times. We held each other with desperation, tears streaming down my face, and finally we headed down our own paths. Just like that, as quickly as our love came out in the open, it crawled back in the shadows; the shortest fairytale ever written.
    Also haunting me…the last letter from my “admirer.” It was waiting in my lobby mailbox my first day, postmarked Savannah, GA, mailed three days prior. A congratulations card with a personal message: “Good luck at college, Laney Jo! Be a great as I know you are!” I’m trying to remain positive. It was mailed, which means he’s not here.
    My classes seem good and softball weight training starts next week. The girls on the team I’ve met so far seem nice, and I’m chalking up my lack of enthusiasm to a new team and new girls. Most days I rely solely on my massive Itunes account and earbuds to offer solace.
    My roommate’s name is Bennett, and so far she seems like a very cool girl. She reminds me a lot of Kaitlyn, which helps; so far we get along great. Bennett is a drama major and I’m already quite sure it was the perfect choice for her. Everything is “worth talking about” to her, and almost anything, including the wind, a chair, you name it…can elicit “a feeling.” She’s quickly turning into my saving grace; her flamboyance and whimsical charm often distract me from feeling completely alone.
    “What are your plans this weekend, girl?” She’s sprawled across her bed, which I have nicknamed Crayon Box because it is the size of one and encompasses every color I know, and some I don’t.
    “Nothing great. Evan’s got speed camp, so I won’t be seeing him, yet again. Why, what’s up?” I’ve told her a bit about Evan, as much as I’m willing to tell someone I’ve known for two weeks.
    “Welllll,” the drama major drags out for effect, “I think we should do the Hall Crawl Friday night.”
    “What’s the Hall Crawl?” I’m not expecting to even halfway like the answer.
    “It’s like a meet and greet through the whole dorm. The boys’ rooms are open, and they serve snacks, drinks, play music, whatever. All the girls start to their left of their own room, and when they announce over the intercom, you go to