Free The Day to Remember by Jessica Wood

what—”
    “—please, Emma,” he interrupted. “Can we just enjoy our night together?”
    “Sure.” I gave him a small smile, but I was crying and I was screaming at him inside. Something was wrong in Brandon’s life and he was shutting me out.

 
Chapter Seven
    Brandon
    After dinner, we took a walk down the pier. The dark , ominous sky stretched across the distant horizon, and a bitter evening breeze blew in from the bay. I put my arm around Emma to keep her warm, but she shrugged it off.
    I saw the hurt in Emma’s eyes, and my stomach twisted with unease. I held her hand, yet it was limp in my grasp. She had been distant at dinner, deep in her thoughts. Guilt consumed me as the air between us became more tense and uncomfortable. I wanted to make things better, but I just couldn’t. I knew she was upset with me, and I hated myself for that.
    I wanted and needed to tell her about Des and the pregnancy, but I wasn’t ready for that. At least not until after this weekend. This weekend, I wasn’t going to be in Sausalito with the family. Instead, I was flying to Los Angeles to help Des move. I promised Des that I would be there for her and our unborn child, and I couldn’t back out of that promise.
    That was the only lie I’ve told Emma. Everything else had been true. Des’s pregnancy would not affect my relationship with Emma—I would not let it. Even though I was going to have a child with Des, Emma was who I wanted to be with. Emma was who I saw in my future.
    “Brandon,” she finally said, her voice shaky. “What is going on between us?”
    I stopped and pulled her towards me. She avoided my gaze and I knew she was in tears. I held her face with my hands and til ted her face up to look at me. My stomach twisted in agony when I saw the pain in her eyes and my thumb brushed away a tear that was rolling down her cheek.
    “Emma, please don’t be sad. There’s nothing wrong between us. Something just came up recently that I need to deal with this weekend. I can’t really talk about it right now, but I promise to tell you all about it next week. Okay?”
    She nodded, and I felt her body relax a little in my arms. There was a mixture of hope and fear in her eyes. “You promise?”
    “Yes . I promise. But again, you have nothing to worry about. Nothing will change the way I feel about you.”
    I lowered my lips onto hers and kissed her tenderly. “You must know how I feel about you, right?”
    “I think so,” she whispered and I heard the doubt in her voice.
    I gazed deeply in her eyes and instantly felt the undeniable connection between us, “Well, in case there is any doubt: I love you, Emma. Nothing has and nothing will change that.”
    ***
    “The Chinese food is here,” I heard Des’s voice from the living room.
    “Great. I’m starving,” I replied as I taped up the last box of clothes in her bedroom. It was 8:15 p.m. on Saturday and I have spent the last two days he lping Des pack up her things into boxes and moving them into the U-Haul truck.
    I had agreed to drive the U-Haul to San Francisco for her. I knew Des was an awful driver and I didn’t trust her behind the wheel of a large U-Haul truck with our child, especially not a six to seven-hour drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
    I walked into the living room and a delicious waft of smells hit my nostrils. Des was moving the contents from paper bags. “General Tso’s chicken, that’s mine. Beef and broccoli, that’s yours. And the chow mein and fried egg rolls to share.”
    I grabbed one of the egg rolls and scoped some of the chow mein and beef and broccoli onto a paper plate. “Well the bedroom is done. Looks like we won’t have too much stuff to do in the morning before we take off.”
    “ That’s awesome. Thanks for being here.” Des smiled at me and handed me a cold bottle of Corona, “Here’s a beer.”
    “I wasn’t planning on drinking.” That’s what got us into this mess to begin with , I thought.
    “God,