"Don't leave," Emma said, wrapping her arm around Jayden's body, trying to hold on to him for a little longer.
"I have to," he replied, his voice gentle but firm. "Your parents will be home soon, and I don't want to be here when they arrive."
Emma's face fell, and she looked up at him with sad eyes. "I'll miss you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jayden's expression softened, and he planted a kiss on her forehead. "I'll miss you too," he said, his voice filled with affection. He gave her a final hug, his hands lingering on the hood of his sweater before he pulled away. "Bye," he said, his eyes locked on hers.
"Goodbye," Emma replied, her voice sad and resigned.
As Jayden left, Emma felt a pang of loneliness wash over her. She wished she could turn back time to when he had just arrived, but she knew it was impossible. She closed the door behind him and trudged back up to the living room, feeling a sense of emptiness.
She collapsed onto the couch, scrolling mindlessly through IG as she tried to shake off the feeling of sadness. But as the minutes ticked by, she began to feel a creeping sense of fatigue. Her body felt sore, and her eyelids grew heavy. She wondered why she was so tired, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
As she dropped her phone onto the couch cushion, Emma realized that she needed to sleep. She settled into the softness of the couch, letting her eyes drift closed as she let out a deep sigh. The earlier activities with Jayden had taken a toll on her, but she didn't realize that was the reason. For now, she just let herself rest, letting the exhaustion wash over her.
Emma's eyes slowly opened as she felt a hand tap her shoulder. "You're sleeping on my couch, girl," her dad said with a chuckle.
Emma groaned and rolled over onto her back, trying to shake off the sleep. "Can you leave me alone?" she asked, her voice still husky from sleep.
She heard her dad's footsteps as he walked away, but her relief was short-lived. A while later, she felt a sudden splash of water on her face, and she gasped as she tried to catch her breath. "Mummm!" she screamed
Her mom rushed into the room, slapping her dad's arm and dragging the cup out of his hand. "Silas, what are you doing?" she scolded. Her dad tried to stifle a laugh, but Emma was not amused.
"You have a bed to yourself, get off my couch or take the floor," her dad repeated, still trying to suppress a grin. Emma glared at him, her eyes blazing with annoyance.
"It's not funny," she complained, getting up from the couch.
Her dad told her to get her mom's hair dryer and dry the couch, but Emma was having none of it.
"Do that yourself," she said, her voice firm as she walked off towards the staircase, leaving her dad to deal with the mess he had made.
Emma walked into her room and noticed that she had three missed calls from Jayden. A soft smile spread across her face as she wondered how deeply she had slept, considering she hadn't heard her phone ring. She picked up her phone and called him back. "Hey," she said, her voice gentle.
Jayden answered, and Emma could hear the amusement in his voice. "That sleep felt great, didn't it?" he asked.
Emma was taken aback. "How did you know I slept?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
"That's just the Jayden effect," he replied, his tone playful. "Have a piece of me, and you'll find peace," he said, his words sending a flutter through Emma's chest.
Emma let out a soft "hmmm" as she bit her lip, her mind wandering to the time they had spent together. "I miss your touch already," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Jayden's response was immediate. "I could come right over if it wasn't so late," he said, his voice filled with longing. Emma chuckled, knowing that it was already late.
"Would I see you tomorrow?" she asked, hoping to catch a glimpse of him soon.
"Yes," Jayden replied. "I'll be at the pitch.
"Come over before you have to go to the pitch."
"But you have school tomorrow"
"I'd stay home then" She told him
"I don't want you missing school because of me again" Jayden told Emma told him
"You'll see me on your way back home," he said, his voice reassuring.
Emma felt a pang of sadness at the thought of waiting that long to see him. "Okay," she said, trying to sound cheerful.
Jayden asked if she had eaten anything yet, and Emma realized that she hadn't had the chance to eat anything.