Chapter 26
I storm back into the house. Emma, Ari, and Rebel have already gone to bed and Sainte is sitting on the couch. Obviously, the asshole is waiting for me to make up his bed. Well, that ain't gonna happen. I stomp upstairs, grab a blanket, pillow, and sheet from the linen closet and make my way back down. I throw the bedding on the couch and say, "Here," then proceed to walk off.
"You don't like me, do you?" he says.
I stop and turn back toward him. "Well, if you really want to know, no, I don't."
"I think you're being unfair. You just met me." He pauses and then says, "Are you always this judgmental of people you’ve just met?"
"Judgmental? You think I'm judgmental?" I step up closer to him and get in his face. "Listen, asshole, I saw the way you acted with Emma. I've got your number, buddy, and I'll be damned if you're going to fuck with her or Ice that way."
"Oooh, you're a little spitfire aren't you?" he says and I know he's making fun of me again.
"You really think that you're something, don't you?"
Before I can finish my thought, he moves in close and backs me against the railing of the stairs, our bodies touching. He says, "Oh baby, I know that I am. And before you know it, you're gonna be dreaming about me in ways that not even you can imagine."
"Fuck you!" I spit, then push him away and proceed up the stairs.
"Goodnight, Feisty Pants," he says and begins laughing.
I call back downstairs, "Don't call me Feisty Pants!"He may be easy on the eyes, but he's still an asshole.
I get to my room and I'm fuming.What a cocky son of a bitch! How dare he assume that I would dream about him? What a dick!
The next morning, I come downstairs and hear laughter coming from the kitchen. When I get to the kitchen, I find Emma and Sainte laughing. They stop when they see me come in. I head straight for the coffee. A few minutes go by and Sainte says, "So you've never been to the Presque Isle?"
"Nope. Can you believe it? I've lived here all my life," Emma replies.
"Well darling, we need to fix that," Sainte says. "How about we go Saturday afternoon? It's supposed to be a nice day."
Emma giggles and says, "Oh, I would love that!"
What the fuck?"I thought you were going to visit Ice on Saturday?" I interrupt. Sainte pisses me off already, but Emma’s reaction to him is making me mad as hell.
She glares at me and says, "I am, but that is Saturday morning. My afternoon is free."
"Wanna join us, Feisty Pants?" Sainte asks.
Fuck!The last thing I want to do is spend an afternoon at Presque Isle with this asshole, but I'm conflicted because I feel that I need to keep an eye on these two. I really don't know what's gotten into Emma. A day ago she was depressed and distraught about Ice. Now she is like a different person, all happy and smiling. How she has allowed this smooth operator to charm her is beyond me. I say reluctantly, "Yeah, I will join you." I pause, then add, "I told you last night, don't fucking call me Feisty Pants!"
Sainte just laughs and Emma says, "Oh Honey, lighten up. Sainte doesn't mean any harm. He just likes getting a rise out of you and you deliver every time."
Fuck you, Emma! Fuck all of you!I storm out of the kitchen and go back upstairs to my room.
As I leave the kitchen, I hear Sainte say, "She's something!" Emma laughs.
A few minutes later, there is a knock at my door. I open the door and it's Emma. "Got a minute?" she asks.
"What?" I say shortly.
"What's going on with you, Honey?"
"What do you mean?" I reply defensively.
"I've never seen you act this way before."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
