You Are Mine: You Are My Everything

Chapter 8: Safeword

~Emery's POV~

I smile at Reese when he pulls open my door when we are parked outside Co- no- what will soon be our house. I like the thought of that. Our home, our house, our family. Everything sounds better when 'our' is in front of it. Especially when our means me and Colin. Me and Colin against the world, suddenly I don't feel so alone. I don't feel like I have to fight my battles alone. I have someone I can lean on, a big, strong, protective man who will always come to my aid and I love it.

"Thanks, Reese," I say with a warm smile before I take Colin's hand and let him lead me into the house. I'll be honest, tonight revealed a lot of information I wasn't sure what to do with. Colin killed his father and went to jail because of it. Yes, his father had been a monster, a terrible, terrible monster and he deserved death. But Colin was the man behind the knife... well the boy behind the knife.

I can't imagine the thoughts and pain that must have been going through the fifteen-year-old Colin to make him kill his own father. Pain, indescribable pain. The only good thing, his father is gone, really gone. He cannot ever hurt him again. There is no scenario where he might get let out of prison early or come out of hiding. No, he is just gone and the only way he can hurt Colin is through his trauma. But with time and love maybe, just maybe he can stop hurting Colin completely.

I step into the house when Colin holds the door open for me. He glances at me as we pass London our jackets. "Did you want something to drink?"

"Sure, a sprite, please, London."

London nods and glances at Colin "a scotch, sir?"

Colin nods and touches his hand to my back as he guides me towards the living room. He glances at Reese "set Emery's suitcase in the room down here."

Reese nods, "yes, sir."

As we step into the living room, I glance over on the couch to find Joyce sitting there, crossed-legged and beautiful in a cherry red turtleneck and skinny jeans.

"Colin," Joyce says formally. A far more formal and cooler greeting than what they usually share.

Colin frowns a little gazing at her. He glances at London as she walks over with our drinks "why was I not informed that she was here?"

"She ordered me not to, sir," London says with a small frown.

"Since when does her orders take president?" Colin mutters coolly, glancing at Joyce. "Inflicting your will on my staff too? Wish I could say I was surprised."

I glance at Colin with a small, surprised frown. What happened between them?

"Miss Palmer," Joyce says looking at me in surprise as she gets to her feet. "You have come back."

I nod slowly blushing a little.

Colin glances at me then back at Joyce, his arm moving to wrap around me, fastening me against his side. "You need to leave Joyce and stop dropping by."

I frown glancing at Colin "what happened between you two?"

Colin glances at me, with a look that almost reads 'you know what'. "She is the reason you left me, or one of the reasons. I've been trying to get her to realize that we are not friends anymore, but she is incredibly stubborn."

I frown a little glancing at Joyce, I can see behind her usual smile that the argument between her and Colin is wearing on her. She cares about him, and I can almost feel how sad it makes her that he is hurting and seems to want nothing to do with her.

"Colin she is not the reason I left, sure she talked to me but she is not the reason," I say glancing at Colin giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "She is your friend Colin."