The Forbidden Throb Chapter 16

Emma's POV:

After saying goodbye to Sophia at the restaurant, I hurried home.

The taxi pulled up to my mother's suburban home just as dusk was settling.

I paid the driver and stood for a moment on the sidewalk, taking in the modest two-story house with its carefully manicured lawn.

Unlike the Prescott mansion, there was nothing particularly distinctive about it—just another comfortable middle-class home in a sea of similar structures.

*This isn't even home anymore*, I thought, remembering the small coastal cottage where I'd grown up with Grandma Grace.

I squared my shoulders and walked to the door, wondering what "emergency" had prompted Victoria's urgent call.

When I let myself in, I found my mother, Robert, and Leo sitting in the living room.

"Emma, honey!" Victoria jumped up, her smile too bright. "You got here so quickly."

"You said it was an emergency," I replied, setting my purse down. "What's wrong? Is everyone okay?"

"Oh, everyone's fine." She waved dismissively. "I just wanted to see you. It's been so long since you've visited."

A familiar knot formed in my stomach.

Victoria never called me for social visits. Every call, every text had always come with a purpose, usually involving something she wanted.

Victoria gestured for me to sit. "How are things with Nicholas? We haven't heard much about him lately."

My body tensed involuntarily. "Things are... fine."

"Just fine?" she pressed, leaning forward eagerly. "Have you discussed setting an engagement date yet? "

I shifted uncomfortably. "We're both busy with school."

"Emma, darling," Victoria's voice took on that familiar instructional tone that always made me feel like a child. "You can't let these opportunities slip by. A girl in your position shouldn't delay too long."

I felt heat rising to my cheeks, a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. "Mom, please. Can we talk about something else? What's the real reason you called me here? I doubt it was just to discuss my relationship timeline."

Victoria's smile faltered momentarily before she exchanged a meaningful glance with Robert. "Well, we did want to speak with you about something..."

She nodded at Robert, who cleared his throat and straightened in his seat.

"Emma," he began, his voice taking on the authoritative tone he used when speaking to his employees, "we were hoping you might be able to help us with something."

"What kind of something?" I asked doubtfully.

Robert cleared his throat. "My company's going through a bit of a rough patch. Nothing serious," he added hastily, "just a temporary cash flow issue. We were hoping—"

"That you might ask Nicholas for a small loan," Victoria finished. "Or maybe introduce Robert to some of the Prescott family's business contacts."

*So this is why they wanted me here.*

I felt a wave of disappointment, followed by something harder and colder.

"I don't think I can do that," I said carefully.

"Why not?" Victoria's smile faltered. "You're practically family to them now. Nicholas would certainly help if you asked."

I stared at her, a moment of regret washing over me for not telling them about the breakup sooner. But I knew revealing it now would only make things worse—they'd think I was using it as a convenient excuse to avoid helping them.

And the truth was, even if Nicholas and I were still together, I would never have asked him for money.

"I'm not comfortable asking Nicholas for money," I said firmly.

"Emma," Robert's voice took on an edge, "this is a family matter. The Prescotts have more money than they know what to do with. A small loan would mean nothing to them."

"I said no." My voice came out stronger than I expected.

Victoria's expression hardened. "I don't understand why you're being so difficult about this. It's not like we're asking for something unreasonable. They helped us before when we asked Nicholas directly, and—"

"You what?" I interrupted, my blood running cold.

An awkward silence fell over the room.

Even Leo, who had been absorbed in his tablet game, glanced up nervously, as he sensed the sudden tension crackling between us.

Victoria sighed and waved her hand dismissively.

"Oh, don't look so shocked, Emma. It wasn't a big deal. A few months ago, when Robert's business was just getting off the ground, we had a brief conversation with Nicholas about some startup capital."

"You asked him for money without telling me?" My voice had risen despite my efforts to keep it level.

"It was a perfectly reasonable business proposition," Robert interjected, his tone defensive yet authoritative. "Nicholas was quite receptive, actually. "

"That's not the point!" I felt my hands trembling slightly. "You went behind my back to ask my boyfriend for money. Did it ever occur to you how that might make me look?"

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Really, Emma, you're being melodramatic. It was a simple business transaction between adults. Nicholas didn't seem bothered by it at all."

*But he was*, I thought, remembering those strange weeks of distance, the suspicious glances, the cutting remarks about how lucky I was to be with him.

*You must be enjoying all the perks of dating a Prescott,* he'd said once, with a smirk that didn't reach his eyes.

The insinuation had stung, but now I understood where it had come from.

Everything suddenly made terrible sense.

"I'm not asking Nicholas for anything," I said firmly. "And I think it would be best if you didn't approach his family again, either."

I stood up, suddenly desperate to leave.

Outside, I heard a distant rumble of thunder.

"You're not staying for dinner?" Victoria asked, her tone somewhere between hurt and irritated. "I made your favorite pasta."

"I have an early class tomorrow." The lie came easily.

I glanced toward the hallway where my old room was located—the room Victoria had promised would "always be mine" when she remarried.

Through the half-open door, I could see it was now filled with storage boxes and Leo's overflow toys. Not a trace remained of my presence there.

*I don't belong here anymore. Maybe I never did.*

The first fat droplets of rain began to fall as I stepped outside.

By the time I reached the bus stop two blocks away, it had become a deluge. I stood under the meager shelter, water soaking through my thin jacket, watching the headlights of passing cars illuminate curtains of rain.