Emerald was calm, maybe too calm. Isaac looked over at her as he made a left turn. Wondering what she was thinking, though he knew, she was thinking the same thing him and Zac were.
He smiled pleasantly, “Em?”
She looked at him.
“What are you thinking?” Ike asked as he looked back to the road.
“Why?” Emerald answered.
Ike nodded. “If it makes it any better, Tay wants to marry Justice.” He said looking back at her.
“He better.” She threatened as she looked out the window.
“Where are we going?” Emerald asked as she saw the sign for the local park pass by, Ike turned in.
“Here.” He said as he pulled into the first open spot he saw in the parking lot.
“Come on,” Ike said as he opened his door.
Emerald looked at him, then slowly she opened her door, unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out as Ike closed his door.
He smiled at her from across the car. Ike walked over to the nearest bench and sat down. Emerald followed him.
As the two sat for about ten minutes of silence, Ike turned to face her. “There’s nothing we can do about it now. It was done, all we can do is be supportive, if we agree with it or not. It will be harder on Taylor and Justice, mostly Justice if you shun her off. She needs all the support she can get, and she needs ninety percent of it from you.”
Emerald swallowed hard, in her mind and heart she knew he was right.
“You two have been through a lot together, and when times are rough you stuck together. Well, times are rough now.”
“Why did she do it?” She asked as she looked away, “Why did she give in?”
“That’s the question we are all asking. No one can answer that, but her. Maybe she was longing for it; maybe Taylor offered her something that she never had. I don’t know.” Ike shook his head.
“What about Taylor, he did it. He couldn’t restrain himself, he couldn’t keep his hands off of her!” She snapped, “It wasn’t ALL Justice’s fault.”
“I didn’t say it was. Taylor did cause half of it. Like I said I don’t know why. Maybe she gave him something he longed for. I don’t know,” Ike sighed.
“Why didn’t she tell me?” She asked him.
Ike stared back at her and shook his head, “Because she was afraid, I didn’t find out until last night, when Zac told me. She didn’t want you to kill him. She knew how you would react.” He smiled slightly at the thought.
“I just don’t want to lose her, I love her more than anything, Isaac. I’m so scared that Taylor will take her away.” Emerald looked at him with slightly wet eyes.
“Justice would never allow that, and Taylor would never do that. He loves her too much to take her away from you. That would destroy her, which in return destroy him.” Ike said as he got up, fixed his pants leg and then sat back down.
Emerald sighed, “I just guess I’m jealous of her.”
“Why?” He asked looking at her sharply.
“Because she has someone, someone to hold. Someone to kiss, someone to tell her ‘I love you.’ ”
Ike looked at her and thought, ‘Now’s your time Romeo.’ He smiled weakly and placed his hand on hers. “Never worry about. Never. Emerald, if you let me, I will hold you, I will kiss you, and I will honestly tell you I love you.”
“What?” Emerald looked at him in shock.
“Emeraldon, I have been captivated with you since the first day we met. I have wanted to tell you this for about three years now, but never has an opportunity came up to where I could do it. I told Justice a while ago about my feelings toward you, and she was afraid that I would take you away from her. I don’t want to, I have no desire to. She told me that it would be best to wait to the time that I think was fit to tell you. I told Tay and Zac and they gave me almost the same advice.”
“I love you.” Ike smiled at her; “I love you.”
Emerald shook her head; “I don’t believe this.”
“Please do, it’s the truth.” Ike said as he leaned over to her and gently brushed his lips to hers. He pulled back and then this time he did it again, but the kiss was longer and more graceful.
Leaving Emerald with two options, pull back and slap him in the face and walk home, or kiss back and enjoy this for the rest of her life.
Ike opened his eyes as Emerald kissed him back. Smiling, he closed his eyes again and then thanked God.
Justice placed the ice pack on Taylor jaw, he jerked, and she smiled as he stared up at her. The bottom half of the right side of his face was bruised and swollen along with a busted lip, Justice had an ice pack against the spot.
Taylor moaned in pain, and Justice just laughed. His head rested in her lap, and she stroked his hair back.
Slowly, he opened his mouth to speak, but Justice stopped him.
“Shhhh, don’t say anything. Save it for later.” She said smiling.
Taylor stopped and looked at her, then her reached up and took her hand and placed it on the other side of his face, then closed his eyes.
“Awww, poor baby.” Zac said as he walked by the two and into the kitchen area, he opened the fridge and got out a Dr. Pepper.
“Emerald can throw a punch.” Taylor said as he rubbed the side of his face with Justice’s hand. “I kinda scared to see what’s going to happen when she comes back.”
Zac laughed as he walked over in front of the TV, he turned on his game system and sat down in front of it.
Justice smiled at Tay, “She’s fine now, she’s not going to hurt ya.”
“Good,” Tay whimpered.
She took her hand from his hand and placed it on his stomach, she patted it then laughed, “You have a tummy, it’s not very much, but you still got some flab”
He looked up at her like she was crazy, “So do you,” he defended.
“Yeah, but I’m pregnant,” Justice smiled knowing she had him beat.
Taylor sulked, “You still love me, don’t you?”
“I don’t know...” Justice said looking down at his pleading eyes, “Yes, I still love you.”
Taylor grinned and looked over at the TV.
“But that can change my mind any minute,” She teased him.
“Yeah, right. You can’t resist me, you can’t resist, this body...” Taylor started.
“The one that’s flabby.” Zac laughed.
Taylor eyed Zac, and he smiled back at him.
“You can’t resist my eyes, or my hair, or my voice.” He continued.
Justice nodded, it was true she could resist those things.
“But most of all you can’t resist my mind.” Taylor smiled proudly up at Justice.
She laughed at that one.
“What are you talking about? What mind?” Zac looked over at Tay smiling.
Tay stuck out his tongue out at him.
Zac cringed and whimpered, “Put that thing back in your mouth you now how it scares people.”
Justice erupted with laughter while Taylor glared at Zac, Zac smiled.
“I don’t know Zac, I kinda like it.” Justice smiled.
“Like what?” Emerald said as she came through the door.
“Nothing.” Justice answered quickly.
“Yeah,” Emerald nodded in disbelief.
“She said that she liked Taylor’s tongue,” Zac laughed.
Justice glared at Zac and Emerald laughed.
“Too much info, too much info....” Emerald said as she ran out of the room holding her ears.
She was laughing when she got to the bathroom door.
Ike watched her and smiled. “I told Emerald how I felt about her.” He stated as he sat down beside Zac.
“Well, isn’t today just full of surprises,” Taylor sighed as he moved his head closer to Justice’s stomach to feel her heartbeat, he smiled when he did.
“Shut up Tay,” Justice sighed, but he didn’t look up at her. He just stuck his tongue out.
“I’d put that away, that thing got you in trouble last time,” Emerald smirked.
Justice giggled and nodded, “He gets himself in trouble.”
Taylor reached up, and placed his finger over her lips, “Shhh, I can’t hear your heart.”
She placed her hand on the topside of Taylor’s face she took her thumb and stroked his curved eyebrow with it.
Emerald watched Justice and Taylor. She had on a small smile, and she saw the picture of her and Ike in the back of her head. She looked over at him who seemed interested in Zac game.
Walking over to him, she bent down in his ear. “Look at them, they’re so happy.”
Ike nodded. “Yes, they are.”
“Taylor and Justice, Justice and Taylor, Emerald and Ike, Ike and Emerald,”
Ike smiled at her.
