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Chapter 18
Colt
Ifelt like I was floating on a cloud when I arrived at work. I’d spent half the night watching Ember sleep, and the other half dreaming of a future with her.
I was reading through some reports at my desk when Whitney stormed into the office, “I can’t believe you have her staying at your house. Are you fucking crazy?”
“Excuse me?” I leaned back in my chair and searched her to see if she’d grown a second head.
“That woman is going to destroy you, Colt. She’s either going to give you some fucked-up disease or she’s going to use you for your money.”
“You know, Whitney, not everyone is impressed with money.”
She snorted as she shook her head in disgust. “She’s not even that pretty. I don’t get it.”
I stood up. “Here is the beauty of the thing: You don’t have to get it. It’s my relationship, not yours.”
“You are totally screwing up your life,” she sneered.
“And you are totally screwing up our friendship,” I retorted. “How dare you come in here and tell me whom I should or should not get involved with! We’ve known each other, what, six, seven years and you have never stepped over the line like you are doing now.”
“Because you have never gotten yourself involved with someone so below you before.”
I raised my voice, “Get out.”
“You know, she is going to totally screw you over, and when she does, I’m not going to be around to rub your back while you drown your woes in whiskey.”
“I’m not going to say it again,” I ground out.
She glared at me for a long moment, “You deserve so much better than that piece of trash. What’s going to happen when you go on one of your streaks where you’re working long hours or traveling? Is she going to sit at home and wait for you or is she going to run out to the first bar and get a quick lay?”
“That is enough, Whitney, you can leave now.” I sat back down and ignored the stomping of her feet as she retreated and slammed my door.
I rubbed my hands over my face. Nice way to knock the cloud out from under my feet. Josey must have told Walker, who in turn ran straight to Whitney and told her what had happened this weekend. Maybe, I needed some new friends.
I tried not to let the argument in my office affect me that day, but it had removed the cloud from under my feet and put it over my head. The worst part about it was I wondered if Whitney was right. I wanted to punch myself just for considering it.
By the end of the day, I was dragging and couldn’t wait to get home. Before I left, I grabbed a CD off my desk and stuck it in my briefcase. I wanted to share something with Ember, maybe having her be a part of my life a little bit might help me.
I found Ember in her bedroom, her hair wet from a recent shower. I glanced at the top of the dresser and saw the plastic wrap wadded up. “You managed to mummy yourself, I see. Way to take all the fun out of it for me.”
“I did, although it wore me out.” She was wearing a tank top without a bra and short shorts. Her long legs were stretched out on the bedspread, and as I examined every inch of them, I imagined them wrapped around my waist.
I cleared my throat of the lust, “Have you eaten? I was going to order a pizza.”
“Pizza sounds good.”
“Alright, I’ll get it ordered and then I’m going to take a shower. I’ll see you in a little while.” I turned to leave, and Ember called, out stopping me.
When I turned around she had scooted to the edge of the bed, “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. It was a long day.” I left her staring after me and wondered why I was being a dick. Had I really let Whitney get into my head? Jesus, I had.
Fine, I would fix that when we ate dinner. I ordered a pizza and then took a quick shower before checking the mail that I’d dropped on the table upon my arrival. I got plates and drinks ready for when the pizza was delivered, and as soon as it arrived, I grabbed my laptop bag and brought that along with the food to her room.
She helped me get everything situated on the bedspread. “Are you planning on working?” she tipped her chin toward my laptop bag.
“No, I wanted to show you some of my work.” I sat down beside her and flipped open my laptop, waiting for it to wake up.
