Chapter 262: Who’s Watching

In the past, Emily had dated before. Though it had been more short flings than anything else. To her, it had counted as something that could be called a relationship, because that was all that she was certain that she would ever have.

But now that Emily was in a relationship with Derek. One built on trust, without any lies or active secret keeping going on, Emily was realizing something. She had never really been in a relationship with a man.

During those few relationships that she had been in. The two emotions that had been at the forefront of her mind when she had seen her ex-partners, had not been love and happiness. In fact, those had been the farthest things from her mind each and every single time that she had been in their presence.

Whenever Emily had been with those other men. The best way to describe the feelings that were always rolling around within her was fear and paranoia. Back then, there had been no time to just relax, and get to know a guy. To bask in the wonderfulness of having somebody to call her boyfriend.

She had not even been able to take compliments. Always worried that there was some kind of hidden message beneath the sweet words. When given a simple compliment such as you look nice.

Emily’s mind would immediately go into overdrive, and within a few minutes of sitting down next to her date. She would excuse herself to go to the ladies room. Only to spend several long minutes staring at her reflection in the mirror. Checking, and double checking to make sure that the dark circles under her eyes, were not too noticeable. Worried that the nice words were nothing more than a subtle dig. It was not just the compliments either. Even words of worry that showed that the man had cared enough to notice when something was off with her, had often sent Emily into a panic.

"You look tired," She remembered one boyfriend saying.

Emily had broken up with him then and there. Worried that his eyes were too sharp for her. That he would notice that her looking tired was not just something that happened occasionally. It was just the way things were with her. Come to think of it, while Emily had never really thought much about those guys after the breakups. She was pretty certain that if some of her exes were to meet up and talk about her. She would go down in history as crazy Emily, the one who was always panicked, always flighty. Who ended relationships at the drop of a hat. But luckily for her, she no longer had to worry about those men, let alone their opinions.

Not only had she not seen most of them in years, she now had an actual boyfriend. She and Derek had something special. When he showered her with compliments, all that Emily could do was smile and preen. Feeling her cheeks heat up with each word, that dropped out of his mouth, as smooth as honey. And when the two of them were alone.

Derek often let those words drop like he would not survive another minute if he did not say them.

"You look exquisite in that dress," He’d said one time when Emily had shown up in a simple summer dress looking her up and down with a hungry look in his eyes.

Emily had not been able to help but blush all the way down to her toes. There was even a time during sex when he had turned all of the lights off. Making the room pitch black and had proceeded to spend several long minutes just running his hands over every inch of her body. When she had asked, he’d simply said,

"My eyes see, and remember every bit of you. Now I want my hands to feel and memorize every nook and crevice of your lovely self. I want to be able to remember just by looking how every single part of you feels beneath my hands,"

Emily had never received a compliment like that before, and she had thought that she was going to combust from the heat it had ignited in her. There were many more compliments from him, but it was not just compliments. It was also in the way in which Derek approached dating.

When Emily had told him that she was not yet ready for people to know about them, in a way, she had thought that that meant no going out. That the two of them would still be doing the same things that they were always doing. Meeting up four nights out of the week to sleep with each other.

The only difference now being that there would be kissing, and sex involved. She had not been wrong on that front. Ever since they had become an official couple. There was a lot of kissing, and there was also a whole lot of fantastic sex.

But where Emily had seen them remaining a secret as something that would mean no dates. Derek had taken it as a challenge, and each date that they’d had so far was something that Emily had never experienced before. One day he had even taken her out on a date in the middle of the night.

With Emily thinking that everywhere in the city was packed full. That he would be using his influence to get them in. But Derek had not taken her to any of the places in the city. Nor had he taken her to any establishments outside of it.

Instead, when he had driven her out of the city limits. He had parked his car next to the road, and switched off the lights. In doing so, he had revealed the stars to Emily. The two of them had spent most of the night stargazing. Cuddled up close as Derek told her the names of the stars, and the myths behind them. When they had returned to the penthouse.

Their lovemaking had been slow and gentle. And when Emily had come, she had seen stars of her own behind her eyes.

On another date, Emily had been the one to plan things. They had gone blueberry picking. That date had been fun. And they had used the blueberries in ways

that still made Emily grin when she remembered all that she had done with the berries. There were many more dates and with each one, Emily fell a little more in love. The threads on her embroidered heart growing. She was getting more and more comfortable with their status as a couple.

So comfortable in fact that she was thinking of telling her mother Derek’s name, using it as a sort of test run, a way to practice

telling the rest of the world. She was not sure when she would go through with it. But she knew that it would be soon.

As she made her way home on Monday morning, Emily’s thoughts were focused on that. But halfway to the bus stop, she stopped, feeling eyes on her.

Emily turned in a slow circle. All around her, people were busy with their own lives, moving around, chatting, and laughing. There was even a muscular man just fixing his shoe laces, normal everyday stuff. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Deciding that she was being paranoid. She resumed walking, not realizing that she had been right. The man who had ducked down to tie his shoelaces, staring at her behind his sunglasses as she disappeared from view.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read