“Hey, Em?—”
Jake steps out of the kitchen, and we quickly tuck our hands back.
I lean my forearms on the table and look at him. He narrows his eyes on me and then Emma before clearing his throat.
“We should get going. Kami’s waiting for us at Roxy’s.”
Emma nods but doesn’t look at him. “Okay.”
Jake looks at me one more time with a set jaw. “I’ll be waiting in the car.”
Fuck. I still can’t tell if he’s a concerned friend or if he likes her.
Without waiting for her response, he walks out of the dining hall.
I glance at Em, who’s already standing and putting her notebook into her bag.
“Emma—”
“Please don’t,” she says, avoiding all eye contact. She throws her bag over her shoulder. “Just please, don’t,” she whispers.
Holding in a sigh, I repeat my words from earlier. “Thanks for coming.”
“I’ll see you next week,” she says quickly and practically sprints toward the exit.
As I hear the doors closing, I run both of my hands down my face.
Why did I have to do that? Why do I always fuck things up right when we’re getting into friendly and comfortable territory?
“Be careful, Grayson.” Marina’s voice startles me. Turning, I find her face lined with concern. “Make sure you know what you’re doing before you do it. She’s a sweet girl with a good head on her shoulders. Don’t be impulsive like you were with Chloe.”
My body sags at the mention of my ex-wife. “That was different, Marina. We were so young and so dumb.”
“Not much older than Emma,” she points out.
I let out a sigh, recalling how impulsive I was at twenty-two.
“We weren’t right for each other. I learned my lesson, Marina.”
“You’re going to make many more mistakes, Grayson. You’re still young.”
“I know.”
“Don’t let her be one of them.”
Chapter Nineteen
EMMA
“It’s a fish!” Levi yells at Kamila. She shakes her head and redraws something on the board that Levi brought from his apartment. “Lips!” Kami nods and moves her hands. “Okay, it’s a movie, five words.Horroris in the title. There’re lips involved.” He jumps up from the couch. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show!”
“Yes!” Kami yells, and they high-five.
Jake rolls his eyes. “And that is seven to three.” We exchange glances.
“We really suck at this game.” I pout.
“Do you guys forfeit?” Kami waggles her brows.
