Page 15 of Sin of Innocence

“I have school in the morning, but it sounds really tempting,” I smiled.

He leaned down into the crook of my neck where he kissed at my skin. My hands sought his hair as his fingertips grazed down to cup my bottom.

“I want you with me,” he whispered. Emanuel pulled me in closer to his body, while never stopping his manipulations on my neck.

“Are you trying to seduce me?” I giggled.

“Depends… Is it working?”

Just then, the elevator doors pulled apart.

My entire heart dropped once I saw my father sitting on the couch, waiting for Emanuel. I was lucky that he was busting himself on his cellphone. Hurriedly, I pushed Emanuel off of me before stepping out of the elevator.

Emanuel let out a soft puff of air. His annoyance was bouncing off his every step as he strolled right past me. His shoes clanked loudly against the flooring which must’ve caught my father’s attention because he turned to look at him with a smile. His smile quickly turned into a frown when he noticed me.

I glanced over at Emanuel only to be welcomed by the hardened expression on his face. As much as I wished I could apologize, there was no way I could risk my dad finding out about us so soon.

“Christina? What are you doing here?” my dad asked, glancing between me and Emanuel.

It was thoughtless of me to expect any help from Emanuel. He only stood there with his arms folded across his chest,staringat me,beggingme to be honest.

“Uh, you remember how I had to resign from Liam Franco, right? Well, Mr. Mariano was telling me about the benefits ofhisinternship,” I lied.

Emanuel scoffed.

Cowardiceandstupidwere justtwoof the words someone could use to describe me. I couldn’t bear to look at either Emanuel or my dad as I stood there, hoping my father would believe my lie. While, at the same time, praying that he wouldn’t. He deserved to know the truth just as much as Emanuel didn’t deserve being treated like some secret.

“Oh! That is such a great idea. Thank you, Mr. Mariano,” my father1 smiled.

I bit down on my lip before finally bringing my gaze up to the blank blue eyes of Emanuel. He walked around his desk, where the chair squeaked as he sat down.

“What can I do for you?” Emanuel asked my dad.

“Um, I’m going to head home. I’ll see you there, dad,” I said softly. Emanuel’s eyes were burning me and disappointment lingered in my wounds. As much as I wanted to look at him and plead to give us a bit more time, I couldn’t. I tried to rack my brain for a proper excuse as to what was taking me so long to say that I wanted to be with Emanuel, but there was only nothingness. The perfect opportunity to let everything off my chest was holding its arms out for a hug, but I turned away.

As I stepped into the elevator, I had one thought on my mind; I hoped Hazel wasn’t right about one thing. The last thing I wanted was to lose Emanuel in the process of hoping not to lose my father.

When I arrived home, I completely broke down. Emanuel probably hated me, and I completely understood. The last thing I deserved was such a great man like him, who was supportive and kind. He treated me like I was the most important person in the entire world. I never felt more beautiful and mature until I was locked under his gaze.

My tears came to a complete stop at the sound of the doorbell ringing. I quickly wiped them away and sniffled up my sadness as hope splurged through my body. Emanuel would be at the door, and I could really apologize. There was so much I needed to say and to acknowledge. I was ready to drag him back into his car so we could tell my father the truth about everything. I needed him to understand that I knew I shouldn’t have taken so long, but I was ready now. I was ready to be open and truthful.

When I pulled open the door, my heart dropped at the sight of Liam. He was wearing a bright, cheery smile on his face until he noticed my frown.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked.

I insisted on a smile despite how harshly it stung my lips. “Girl troubles.”

“Ah, I see. It’s a bummer without you at the office, but since you are in a sad mood, I won’t make it worse by reminiscing,” he chuckled. “I came by to hopefully lift your spirits with a recommendation letter. You worked really hard until you resigned, and I feel like your next employer should know about your hard work and dedication.”

“Really? That is amazing! Thank you so much!” I grinned cheekily.

Having a recommendation letter from Liam Franco would open so many doors for me. Many employers would beg just to have me work in their office. I tried my best to contain my excitement as he held out an envelope for me to take.

“My pleasure,” he said. “Uh, sorry to ask, but it’s going to be a long trip home. Do you happen to have a restroom I could use?”

I bit down on my lip before contemplating if I should allow him in or not. Emanuel was very adamant about me needing to stay away from Liam, but it was very sweet of Liam to drive all the way out to me just for a letter.

After opening the door wider for him to enter, I pointed towards the restroom. “Sure. It is down the hall, first door on the left.”

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