Chapter 3: Just Wanted to See You

Emma's POV

I'm still sitting on the edge of my bed, clutching the star necklace, when my phone suddenly screams to life. The harsh ringtone cuts through the silence like a knife, making me jolt.

I quickly wipe my face and check the caller ID. Marcus.

For a moment, I just stare at the screen. Marcus Williams is the only person in this whole city who knows who I really am. The only one who gives a damn about whether I'm alive or dead.

I swipe to answer, forcing my voice to sound normal.

"Marcus? It's pretty late."

"Emma, something's wrong. I can hear it in your voice."

Shit. I should have known better. Marcus has been working undercover for fifteen years. He can read people through their breathing patterns.

"Nothing. Just tired."

"Don't bullshit me, kid. I know what crying sounds like."

I bite my lip, fighting back another wave of tears. Marcus is the only family I have left in this place.

"I ran into him today."

The line goes quiet for a few seconds.

"Who? Wait, don't tell me. Jake Morrison?"

"In an interrogation room. He was the detective handling my case."

"Fuck." Marcus exhales heavily. "Emma, I know what this means to you."

Marcus gets it. Three years ago during that bloody night, he didn't just lose colleagues. He lost his wife. Just like me, he chose this undercover path for revenge, for justice. Our files are buried so deep that on the surface, we look like regular street criminals.

"Listen, Emma. There are things in this world more important than personal feelings. Your father's death, my wife's death, all those other innocent people. We have to finish this."

"I know. I pretended not to recognize him and said some really hurtful things."

"I'll protect you like you're my own sister. But right now, we got an opportunity."

I sit up straighter. "What do you mean?"

"Yesterday's robbery cost the organization several people. Vasquez is recruiting new blood. This is the chance we've been waiting for, Emma."

My heart starts racing. "You mean..."

"Your FBI training, your motivation, your background. It's all been leading to this moment. We need someone who can get close to Vasquez's inner circle."

I stare at the star necklace in my palm, trying to draw strength from it.

"Marcus, if I really get into the inner circle, that means I might have to do some..."

"I know what you're worried about. But remember, we're saving more innocent lives."

I think about my father's face, my mother lying unconscious in that hospital bed, Jake's parents who died protecting their community. All the good people who didn't deserve what happened to them.

"Okay. I'm ready."

"But Emma, there's something I gotta warn you. If you're really going deep, your contact with Jake Morrison is gonna become more frequent. This identity thing is gonna make your relationship even messier."

Two weeks later

I'm back in a police station interrogation room, wearing cheap jeans and a worn jacket. I just got arrested after a bank robbery. Didn't participate directly, but I was there for surveillance. Wrong place, wrong time, as usual.

The door opens and Jake walks in. The moment he sees me, his expression goes through about five different emotions.

I look up with a casual smile.

"Well, well. We meet again."

Jake closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, then opens them to stare at me.

"I thought you might stop getting involved in this kind of shit." His voice carries anger, but underneath that, there's pain. So much pain. "Emma, why are you doing this?"

I shrug like we're talking about the weather.

"Gotta make a living."

"Make a living? That's your excuse?" His voice cracks. "Emma, look at yourself! If your mother woke up and saw what you've become..."

I keep that same smile, shaking my head.

"She's not gonna wake up, Jake. We both know that. Instead of living in some fantasy, why don't we face reality?"

The color drains from Jake's face like I just slapped him.

The next few months blur together

I'm in and out of the police station constantly. Sometimes getting bailed out, sometimes bailing out other organization members. Every single time, I see Jake.

At first, he still tries to reach me:

"Emma, why do you always show up in these cases?"

And I always give him the same answer, with that teasing smile: "Just wanted to see you."

Every time I say it, Jake turns and walks away angry. But I can see the pain in his eyes, the way his shoulders tense up, the way he clenches his fists.

Gradually though, Jake becomes numb. He starts avoiding me, choosing different hallways when he sees me coming. He stops asking questions, stops trying to save me.

I notice the change immediately. The way he no longer looks at me directly. The way he handles my paperwork without making eye contact. The way he treats me like just another criminal passing through his life.

One time, I'm sitting in the holding cell when he walks past. I call out, "Hey Jake, miss me?"

He doesn't even slow down.

Another time, I'm being processed at the front desk when he comes to pick up some files. I catch his eye and give him a little wave. He looks right through me like I'm not even there.

Late at night, alone again

I'm sitting on my bed after another round of getting arrested and bailed out. I saw Jake today at the station.

I remember the way Jake looked at me today. Like I was a stranger, just another criminal he doesn't give a damn about anymore. Guess he's really sick of me now.

"This is what I wanted, isn't it?" I say to the empty room. "Make him hate me, make him give up on me, keep him safe."

But why does it feel like the distance between us isn't just a few city blocks, but the entire galaxy?

I walk to the window and stare at the lights of the police station in the distance. I know Jake might still be there working late, but we've never been further apart than we are right now.

I turn off the lights, letting the room sink into darkness, just like the growing abyss between me and Jake.