AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I should probably get going,” he offers casually, shooting me a sympathetic grimace.
“Ha! And look…I come back and you conveniently leave again,” Emmett continues.
“Well, it’s not like we’re friends,” Malcolm reminds him, his smirk growing more arrogant this time.
“But you and Ophelia are?” Emmett questions with daring eyes.
Malcolm’s chest bucks out slightly as his eyes widen. He steps closer, dancing shoulder to shoulder with Emmett briefly. I grow tense, bracing myself against the wall, certain that the two of them are about to fly into a brawl. But thankfully, Malcolm shrugs it off with an amused smirk before walking away.
“Let’s go,” Emmett huffs suddenly, watching Malcolm leave.
“What?” I cry. Not that I want to be here, but his sudden reason for wanting to go is irritating. “We haven’t even been here that long,” I argue.
“We’ve been here long enough,” he fires back, grabbing my arm.
I’m about to fight him on it, when I catch a pair of eyes glaring at me from across the room. Vivian and Lily are watching us intensely, their mouths tightened, not looking pleased that Emmett and I leaving together so suddenly—even though it’s obvious that he’s furious with me. But with them watching, I feel suddenly inclined to let him drag me along. I wouldn’t want to miss this chance for them to see us going home together.
“Not that I was in love with the party or anything,” I protest once we’re climbing back into his car. “But did you have to flip out over Malcolm like that?”
“I saw the way you were looking at him.” Emmett scowls. “I told you I don’t want you around him.”
“I didn’t really know anyone else.” I cross my arms in a pout. “He was the only one talking to me.”
“And why do you think that was?” he jeers suggestively.
“Because he was being nice?” I suggest.
“That word again. ‘Nice.’” He shakes his head in disgust. “I promise you, there is nothing nice about Malcolm Henderson.”
I turn my head to the window, feeling too tired to argue with him. Malcolm would say the same thing about Emmett. But I don’t really know what came over me back at the party. I was being dangerously flirtatious with Malcolm, and really, I deserve for Emmett to be angry with me right now. But the alternative was standing alone or following him around, pretending to be interested in their luxury car jargon.
The car speeds up as Emmett rushes me back to my parents’ house. Once we park, he leans over to give one quick, cold peck to my cheek, then turns straight again over the steering wheel, waiting for me to get out.
“Are you serious?” I glare at him in disbelief. “That’s it? You’re that mad at me.”
He doesn’t budge at first, refusing to look at me. But eventually he caves to my questioning stare. “I’m sorry,” he groans, dropping his arms and shaking his head. “I’m just stressed. You were right…we probably shouldn’t have gone to that party tonight. I feel like I’m just wasting time. Another day is gone, and we’re no closer to finding Bernadette.”
I reach out and rub my hand along the back of his neck, massaging the tension gently. “You can’t just go, go, go all the time, Emmett,” I say softly. ?
??You have to have some time to decompress.”
“Well, I don’t feel any more decompressed,” he says through clenched teeth.
“Why don’t you come inside?” I suggest with a grin, eyeing the dark windows of my house. “It looks like my parents are asleep. I could sneak you upstairs and think of a few ways to help you decompress.”
“Not tonight.” He shakes his head, still not looking at me. “I’m tired. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
The thought of not spending the night with him, or having a chance to make love to him after the night ending this way puts my stomach in knots. But my eyes are heavy, and I don’t have the energy to try and persuade him. I pull him in for a quick kiss, but somehow it melts into something long, deep, and lingering. Next thing I know, we’re making out heavily in his car, not wanting to stop.
He pulls me across the dash, straddling my legs on either side of him. I don’t even care that the steering wheel is pushing into my back as our tongues passionately crash together in deep, sweeping waves. I forget about how tired I am, on fire with intense need for him.
My lips part, just as I am about to plead with him again to sneak back inside with me. But before I can say anything, a loud, blaring horn sounds out, causing me to jump. I must have accidentally leaned back too far, right into his horn. The noise stirs a flickering behind the blinds of my house.
“My parents,” I groan, knowing I ruined our chances.
“It’s okay.” He smiles, breathing out as he presses his forehead to mine before hoisting me off of him. “It’s for the best.”
“I guess so,” I shrug reluctantly, wishing he wouldn’t act so responsible right now. I wish he would speed off for his motel and I could just face the angry wrath of my mom later. But instead, I reach for the door handle.
