One Night With Mr Braxton

Returning back to New York posed a hassle. Emma didn’t feel like leaving the mini-haven she created but she’s learned that even good things came to an end. Their flight back was spent in light conversations, intertwined hands and wine glasses.

” When do you think they’ll be leaving?” She asked, shying away from his intense eyes,

” Are you suggesting I throw my sister’s family out of the house?”

Emma turned aghast, ” Of course not! I love Bianca, Rooney and Jason! Don’t say that.” She defended.

” Then Rebecca? Is this about Rebecca?” Asher stated more than asked. He could tell where the conversation headed from the beginning but loved to watch his wife squirm in discomfort.

There wasn’t any method of escape, she might as well be plain about it, ” I honestly don’t feel comfortable having her around. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t nurse any sort of toxic emotions towards her and I respect that she’s been a major part of your life growing up,” she tried to gauge his reaction but his countenance remained sealed tight, ” I just prefer having her at arms length and not having to wine and dine with her every single day.”

Asher watched his wife struggle, he couldn’t help but wonder just how often Rebecca interacted with her outside his presence. The thought of her doing, or saying something that bothered his wife left a sour taste in his mouth.

” Are you jealous?” He raised his eyebrow, accompanied with a questioning look.

” Pfft.. Of course not!” Her quick aversion invoked a roll of laughter in him, ” You know what, just forget I said that, you are such a joke!” Emma untangled herself from him and moved to sit opposite him, her face burned with mortification and anger.

Asher walked towards the hinder parts of the Jet and quickly fired a string of messages, ordering for the readiness of the detached house at their arrival.

The couple arrived the city and throughout the ride, Emma perceived something off.

” Are you angry at me?” She couldn’t help but notice they hadn’t been the same since her request to have his ‘childhood best-friend’ out of her hair. Was she wrong to bring that up?

” Why would I be?” He retorted, his eyes never left the road.

” Answering a question with another, huh?” She muttered, chalking his moody phase to his reaction to live without his ex-girlfriend. Asher perceived her churning thoughts but he didn’t speak.

They drove past the city in silence, on getting to the gates of the house, he turned to see a scowling Emma,

” It isn’t-”

” I don’t want to hear it. Just Ignore me like you’ve been doing.” She interrupted, her anger bleeding from her words.

” You don’t get it. It isn’t about you, I just needed to-”

It didn’t take a soothsayer to notice she wasn’t listening. He swallowed his words, opting to show her instead.

Emma stepped out of the car as soon as it came to a stop, Mrs Adams and some maidens were present to receive them.

” Welcome, Mrs Braxton. I believe you had a pleasant weekend.” Mrs Adams words were prompt and caring.

” Yes, the absolute best.” It was no use denying she had a swell time this weekend; if not for her husband’s little episode, it would have been in-fact perfect.

” Welcome, Mr. Braxton.” Emma felt his presence before Mrs. Adams spoke, ” Everything is in place.” She added, answering his silent question.

” Lead us.” He commanded, taking hold of Emma’s hand despite her protests. She soon realized it wasn’t negotiable and relaxed. Not without releasing a dramatic huff.

Guarded by Ms. Adams, Emma soon realized they were headed towards the forbidden area. It didn’t help that the only other people that lived in the house, somehow decided they had other plans despite the knowledge of their return.

” Why are we here?” The question finally made an appearance, he knew it was only a matter of time before she spoke.

” It’s our home.” Asher answered, hoping his intentions were clear enough he didn’t have to go into details.

” I don’t understand.” He let out a sigh, requesting privacy with his eyes.

” I’ll be on my way. Have a great day.” Ms. Adams bowed out of the journey, leaving them in front of the house they were once chased from. A fitting smile found its way to her face when she realized she wasn’t wrong after all.

Emma belonged here.

” Spill it.” She demanded, but her eyes softened when she noticed him struggle. Why did he bring her here?

” This was a place, designed by my mother.” He began, speaking slowly.

” Your mother was an architect? Wow, I really should hasten up with meeting her.” She opined, impressed at the ability of the current Matriarch of the family.

” She’s dead. For decades.” He supplied, unable to see her reaction, ” Don’t pity me, I didn’t really know her and whom I grew to know and have a relationship with is the woman you know as my mother.”

Emma felt stupefied. How did she miss something that big? How did the world miss something that big?!

” Wow..”

” Yeah. That’s that. You didn’t like staying in the same building with my family so I figured you’d be more comfortable here.” He rushed out, feeling better when her face morphed into one of mortification, then realization and ultimately, joy.

She spoke with a shy smile, ” First, I love your family! Twist my words one more time and you would have yourself to blame!” Emma looked around, taking in mounds of breaths and analyzing the beautiful structure that would soon be her home, ” Are you sure about this?” She asked in worry, ” I know what this means to you and if you aren’t ready to open this beauty just yet, I could totally handle living in our home.”

Asher gave her a meaningful look, here she was, giving him an out, what more could he want?

” It’s fine. I should have done this earlier, it’s our new home for as long as you’d want it.”

Before he finished his sentence, Emma attacked him in a hug, while he stood, amused at her antics. For the first time ever, he felt content, she belonged to him, she belonged here and best believe nothing could stop them.

******

Emma settled inside the house while Asher left for an important meeting. Taking advantage of her time alone, she decided to draw a few sketches outside their new space. No one was allowed back there and it just felt like a perfect time to let herself loose.

” I’d expected this call sooner but apparently, you didn’t miss me as much as I did you.” Emma reprimanded Chara over the phone, ” I bet you didn’t even know I left the country.”

” Emma! Is that really you?!” She called out in a sob, Emma’s eyes narrowed in concern.

” Are you okay, Chara? What’s wrong? Where are you?”

” I’m on my way to the station. Soul-Shoes is being sued. My father was taken away this morning. I tried calling you but you weren’t available.” She cried, sounding hopeless.

Emma couldn’t believe her ears, ” Calm down, talk properly, what is going on? How did that happen?”

” I’ll send you the details by text, I just got to the station, I have to go.” For the first time ever, Chara dropped the call on Emma.

Impatient to know the matters, Emma made to call someone, only to see the inflow of messages from Chara, narrating the situation. Accessing the damage, she packed up her things, mentally preparing for the battles ahead.

Just when she got ready to leave, Asher stepped in, looking like a fish out of water. He received pictures from an unknown destination, showcasing her sleeping form. Immediately, he rushed out of his meeting, wanting to ascertain her safety.

” Where are you off to?” He breathed, ” Are you okay?”

” Chara called me, there’s something up with the comp- you knew.” Emma deduced his blatant knowledge of the events. ” Since when? Why didn’t you tell me?” accusation piqued from her tone.

” You shouldn’t go out.” He managed to speak, as opposed to the line-‘you can’t leave’- that ringed inside his head.

” Why not? This is my business for goodness sake! You don’t call the shots here.”

Asher tried to reason, ” If you head out now, you would be exposing yourself to danger. Don’t do things in a rush, believe me, decisions made in a haste aren’t always the best.” He implored, ” Take that from someone with experience.”

Seeing the thoughtfulness in his eyes, Emma felt torn, ” What do you propose I do? This is my business for crying out loud! My future and that of my employees are at stake! I can’t fold my hands while someone tears it all apart.” Her frustrations were evident.

‘Her future’ her words replayed in a never ending loop in his head. Did she see a future without him?

” Listen,” he held her face in his palms, ” I’ll handle it. Trust me, I’m already working on it. Just calm down and I’ll resolve it all.”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

She kept struggling, ” Do you trust me, Emma?”

She stilled.

” Then sit still.” He kissed her forehead, ” I’ll be back.”