Stealing Emma

Chapter 3 - Bad Feeling

"Ready to make dinner, Emma?"

She looked up at Roy from the couch, tossing her course packet to the side. A quick glance at her watch revealed that it was already 7:30 pm. How was it already that late? She had felt like shit ever since she got home that afternoon and hadn't been able to concentrate much on the case studies she had to read for the next day.

Her thoughts had kept racing back to Max and the look on his face when he found out she had a boyfriend. She didn't think she had necessarily led him on up until that point. Sure, they had gotten into heated arguments that were borderline flirtatious, but she didn't think she had done or said anything that would make him think she was available or on the market. All she really wanted was to put herself out there and make new friends on her own. Surely it was way too early for him to have any feelings towards her. Right?

Dismissing her thoughts, she got up and looked towards Roy. "What were you thinking of having?"

"Something simple like a chicken and avocado salad. Actually, would you mind preparing it tonight? I really want to hit the gym."

"I thought we had agreed this would be our set time to spend together," she pointed out. She knew moving to another country and attending grad school together would be difficult for a couple, and as such had laid out some ground rules for them. Their schedules would be so jammed packed, she wanted to make sure they still made time for each other.

"I know. I just could really use the gym right now. I'll be quick and be back for dinner. We'll talk then?" he said, kissing her head and quickly walking out the door.

He didn't even give her a chance to answer. She should have known what he was up to, but hadn't noticed his workout clothes until he left. Ugh, sometimes she thought he was married to the damn gym.

"Sure, honey," she belatedly said under her breath, suddenly feeling like some Stepford wife who was supposed to acquiesce and cater to her rich husband's needs. Deciding it was best to not put up a fight, she headed over to the kitchen and prepared dinner by herself. She did enjoy cooking after all. She just hoped it wouldn't become an everyday occurrence.

Ever since she made the decision, she wasn't fully convinced it was the best choice to move to Spain. At the time, she hadn't considered ever going to grad school. But then Roy had applied and had been accepted and next thing she knew she had also gotten in. He convinced her to go together after realizing she probably wouldn't get another opportunity like this again, so she just decided to go for it.

Her dad had been very much opposed to the idea. He didn't understand why she wouldn't want to just study in the United States, which had much better schools according to him. Most likely true, but it wasn't always the case. On top of that, she was moving with her boyfriend, who he hadn't even met yet and sure as hell didn't know they had been living together for the past year. She had never had a good relationship with her father. Ever since her mother had died, she felt like all she ever did was disappoint him.

In the end, she had gone against her father's wishes and her better judgement. Now she was simply THAT girl. The one who followed a boy somewhere else in the hopes that it would all work out. She just really hoped it did.

There was a soft knock on the door and she was surprised Roy had actually kept his word and made it a quick workout session. But when she answered it, she found Professor Bernabe standing there instead.

She had bumped into him at the supermarket earlier after Roy had bailed on her with some lame excuse, only to realize he was a law professor at the school and just so happened to live in the apartment right next door. It wasn't entirely coincidental as they actually lived at a school residential building, so they were bound to run into other students and faculty at some point.