Her eyes were dark, her breathing labored when she whispered, ”No.” Vulnerability moved across her expression when she asked, “Have you?”
Branch’s mind wandered to a few months back when he was making out with Diana, how she was rubbing on him, and how he stopped her knowing he was going to be seeing Emma and hoping for exactly what they were getting ready to do. “No.” He said just as he reached her bare breast. His hand cupped the bottom as his thumb brushed her hard nipple.
Her breath caught and her hips jerked beneath him. “That feels so good.”
Branch pushed his erection into Emma’s center, feeling the heat of her through her panties, over his shorts, hitting him harder than he thought. “You feel good, Emma.” He kept his gaze on her. “Are you sure?”
She nodded, before she said, “Yes.”
Branch and Emma turned from best friends to lovers that day. Neither of them knowing the severity of their actions and the impact on their relationship, but in time they would.
2004
Branch hadn’t heard from Emma in three days. He leaned back against the beat up old truck, his eyes leaving the party happening in the woods in front of him to gaze at his phone. He opened up My Space and went right to her page. He always did, even though she kept him in the loop, he wanted to see her life play out because one day he was going to be a permanent fixture in it. She had a new post. The first that hit him was the genuine smile that spread across her pretty face, and that had him grinning. Soon it faded, and his heart fell into his beer-soaked stomach as he took more of the picture in and the heading. “I got in! Feeling on top of the world!” The smile that had been once directed at him was pointed to the guy dressed in a football uniform. He was looking down at her with pure and utter affection. Branch knew this because it was the same way he looked at her. Branch studied their connection, arms wrapped around one another. She got accepted into college and she never told him. Anger coursed through his body when he tapped the cell in his hand and brought up her number. He waited… the ringing sounding in his ears was almost deafening.
“Hello.” Her solemn tone in contrast to the smiling face he’d just seen on her post.
“Em,” Branch’s voice was full of excitement hearing his Emma, but when she didn’t say anything else, his tone fell flat. “Why haven’t you called?” Again, she didn’t respond, but he heard the sound of her breath and knew she was still there, he begged. “Em, please, say something?” He started to panic. “Did I do something wrong?”
Her exhale sounded painful. “Branch.” There was no emotion, no animation like he was used to with her. “I’ve been busy.” She started, before he heard her shifting, a few seconds passed before she said, “I’m sorry I haven’t called.”
“Busy, Em,” He struck back. “Busy with your new fucking football boyfriend, huh?” Branch pushed off his truck and began to pace. He knew it. Knew deep down in his bones that one day he’d lose her. She was a million miles away, how could he keep her. But… he just never knew it was going to hurt this bad. “You know what, Emma,” He accentuated her name, one he rarely used. “I love you. From the moment we shared when we were sixteen years old, I’ve loved you. I know I haven’t been able to get back out to see you, but I’m trying to make a career, for me, for us.” Silence came from the other end. Yeah, Branch had lost his Emma. “You know what, you go be busy but just remember, I’m more busy.” With that, he flipped his phone shut, looked at the large oak tree in front of him and slammed his phone into it. Only he heard the sound of cracking, but he wasn’t sure if that was the phone or his heart.
Emma held her phone to her ear, tears rolling down her face. The pain of leaving Branch that day from so long ago was nothing like the pain of losing him. She gripped the phone so tightly, her knuckles turned white. She wanted to throw it across the room, wanted to scream, wanted to get in the car and drive. To him.
“It’s for the best, Emma. You’ll see.” Her aunt discovered that she and Branch had had sex, several times that one perfect day. Emma had never seen her aunt react the way she had. She hadn’t just been angry; she had seemed scared. She’d grounded her, taken away her phone privileges. By the time she’d been allowed to call Branch, it had been weeks. He’d been hurt, and angry. Emma didn’t blame him. Over the years, her aunt kept a watchful eye, manipulated was a better word. Kept the two of them apart when all Emma wanted was Branch.
“You need to leave the past in the past. It’s for your own good. Sex changes things, and you aren’t ready for those changes.” Her aunt said. “You think it’s love, but he’s a link, a reminder of what you lost. You’re clinging to him for all the wrong reasons. And he’s doing the same. You need to start fresh, start over. Leave all of Danville Creek in the past.” Her aunt softened her voice for the final blow. “I don’t want you to become your mom.”
Her words were harsh, like a slap, and still, it brought the fear because that was what Emma feared too. And still she fought because her love for Branch outweighed her fear, “He’s my best friend.” And
