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CHAPTERFIVE
AUGUST
He’s been cold and distant ever since we climbed onto the back of the snowmobiles. He wouldn’t even look at me. And now we're in the hospital being checked out, and Emery is suddenly acting like a dick to everyone.
“Is he okay?” my mom asks, grasping onto my hand. Her eyes are red-rimmed from crying and I hate how harried she seems from all of this.
She glances nervously over at Emery, who is being mouthy and impatient with his poor nurse. He’s rolling his eyes at her, and trying to push her hands away from him, arguing that they need to leave him alone.
“Yeah, he’s fine. Probably just agitated. They’ve been poking him for a while and I think he’s just over it,” I say, but all of that is horseshit. I don’t know what’s wrong with him. I don’t know because he won’t fucking look at me. Does he regret it? Does he regret me?
“You’re right. I’m just…I was so worried about you two,” my mom says and tugs on her blonde ponytail, her anxious eyes meeting mine. She runs her hand along the scratches on my face but doesn’t ask how I got them. She has to already know.“I’m so glad he was out there with you, August. You saved his life, you know.”
“Yeah,” I say, running a hand through my hair. I glance over at Thomas, who is watching his son with wide eyes. The two of them look so alike. The same hair and the same brown eyes. The only difference is in the slope of their cheeks and the tattoos covering Emery’s body.
Thomas shifts in his seat and runs a hand down his jaw, eyeing his son. I never noticed it before, but he just seems equal parts enamored and confused when it comes to Emery.
Yeah, bud, I feel ya. Just when I thought I’d figured him out, he goes and acts like this.
“I need a fucking minute,” Emery spits, and then he hops off the hospital bed and strides past me. He doesn’t even glance at me, just strolls on by, his gown fluttering around his legs as he disappears into the bathroom. The door slams shut, and everyone just stares at it.
Thomas rubs at his temples, and my mom’s eyebrows lower.
“Maybe just give him some space,” I say. “I can…let me just stay in here for a minute and see how he feels. I think he’s overwhelmed. It’s been a rough few days.”
The nurse, my mom, and Thomas all nod, but before they can move from the small space, I reach out and touch Thomas’ arm.
“Grab him some candy. Lollipops, anything fruity like that.”
Thomas nods quickly, and then we’re blessedly alone. I open the bathroom door and see Emery leaning against the wall, his head in his hands.
“Em,” I whisper. “Hey.”
His head shoots up, his dark eyes meeting mine.
“What are you doing in here?” he snaps.
“I wanted to check on you,” I begin, but Emery waves his hand at me.
“Go away, August. I need some time. More time than this.”
“Time for what?” I ask and see him shift from foot to foot, his fingers clutching the fabric of his gown.
“Time to collect myself. It’s hard to not…to not kiss you or touch you when I’m near you.”
My chest constricts at his confession. “Is that why you won’t look at me?”
“Of course it is. I look at you and instantly get hard,” he hisses. “These gowns hide nothing. Now please go away. I need a few minutes to get back into the right headspace before going back out there. That witch of a nurse is all in my space.”
I glance down at his crotch, and he groans.
“Not helping, asshole.”
I run a hand across the back of my neck and feel my stomach clench. “Hey, you’ve been mean to me all afternoon. Could you just, not?”
“Look, it hasn’t beenall afternoon. I’ve been a dick since they found us. I’m trying to convince our parents that we still hate each other. That’s what you want, isn’t it? I can be very convincing. Lex says I could go into acting.”
“Em,” I sigh. “Just stop being a dick to me, okay? I don’t like it.”
