Free No One in the World by E. Lynn Harris, RM Johnson Page B

that’s when she believed her life would change, when she would give up ownership of her mind, her will, her freedom to do things without clearing it with him first.
    Austen was very familiar with men like Emmet. Her father was a man like Emmet, and as a child, Austen had watched him claim ownership of her mother.
    Since becoming an adult, Austen always looked out for the men whowanted to “take care” of her. She knew exactly what that meant, and she was not interested. No way, no how!
    Over the last month, Austen had distanced herself from Emmet, but she had not anticipated just how hard things were going to get for her. She actually had thought on a couple of occasions that maybe she shouldn’t have pushed Emmet away so quickly. That maybe now she could’ve benefited from a man like him, willing to take her in, pay for everything, while she worked to rebuild her company.
    She even thought of calling him back, maybe apologizing, and hoping he hadn’t found anyone to replace her just yet. But losing her house or not, Austen didn’t know if she was ready to give over control of her life.
    Then to her surprise, this morning her cell phone rang. She saw that it was Emmet calling and quickly picked up.
    Sitting across from him now, Austen watched him pick at his fries. He had something pressing on his mind, Austen could tell, and she was bracing herself for the moment when he finally found the courage to come out with it. She didn’t have to wait long.
    â€œI love you,” Emmet said.
    Austen stopped sipping from her glass of water. “Really.”
    â€œOver the last month, I realized that,” Emmet said. “And I asked you out today to tell you that we should be together. I think things might be kinda hard for you right now, and us getting together might make it easier.”
    He was putting on his cape, trying to be Captain Save-a-Ho. He was asking for permission to rescue her. If she could just put aside her beliefs that every man wanting marriage wanted to control her, she could use this opportunity to save herself from impending doom. But Austen wasn’t sure she could do that. “And when would you want us to get married?”
    â€œAs soon as possible. I can take time off whenever,” Emmet said, starting to get excited. “You know I got my own business, so I make my own rules.”
    â€œI know that, Emmet.”
    â€œWe can take two weeks and go anywhere you want to go.”
    â€œThat’s nice, but I couldn’t be away from work that long.”
    â€œWork? You wouldn’t have to work no more if we got married.”
    â€œYeah, but I would.”
    â€œBut I wouldn’t want you to. I wanna have kids, and like I said, I got my own—”
    â€œI know you got your own business, Emmet. I’ve known it since the first day I met you,” Austen said, aggravated. “Remember, I hired you. But just so I get this straight, you’d want me to have kids.”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œStop working.”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œAnd what would I do for money?”
    â€œI’d give you an allowance. A little something every week so you could buy yourself something nice. I wouldn’t have a problem with that.” Emmet smiled.
    â€œIs that how your parents did things? Daddy gave Mommy five dollars a week?”
    Emmet nodded. “But it was a little more than that.”
    â€œWell, that’s how my father did my mother, too. He treated her like a child. Worse, like his pet dog. He told her what she could do and when, and when she misbehaved, he beat her. Is that how you want things to be between us, Emmet?” Austen said, loud enough to draw the attention of the other diners.
    â€œAusten, look. I just wanna take care of you, because I know times gotta be hard and—”
    Austen laughed. “Oh, you don’t know the half. My car was repossessed, I sold all my furniture for cash, and my house has