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“Your mom gave us food for at least a week or so.”
I gasp happily and make a run for the fridge, making Emilia laugh. “Shit, Minx. How could I have forgotten? Mom’s food, yes!”
She giggles and hops onto the counter while I warm up the food. I push her legs apart and stand between them. She smiles at me and closes her legs around my hips, pulling me in closer. She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me in for a kiss. I kiss her gently, taking my time with her. I kiss her until we’re both breathless and rest my forehead against hers.
“I love this. I love you. It feels like it’s been forever since we’ve been alone together. Since we’ve had a moment of true peace.”
Emilia sighs and buries her face in my neck. “I know. I’m sorry,” she whispers.
I pull back to look at her, my brows furrowed. “It’s not your fault, Minx. None of this is your fault. This is a shit situation to be in, but life isn’t perfect. We’re in this together, remember?”
She nods, but she stares into the distance as though she’s tortured by a memory I don’t know about. I bet Kate said some shit to her that’s still hurting. Emilia tries her best to smile at me and hops off the counter. She walks away and starts to set the table. I sigh and open one of my cupboards, only to pause and stare at it in amusement. All of my jars still have googly eyes on them. I chuckle to myself and turn to look at Emilia, a huge smile on my face. I love her to bits, and I know she loves me just as much. Things won’t be easy for a while, but there’s nothing she and I can’t get through. I know her heart is broken, but I’ll mend it.
Chapter 42
Emilia
Carter grabs my hand and pulls me closer with a huge smile on his face. I grin up at him and rise to my tiptoes to kiss him. Shouts and hoots erupt around us and I pull away shyly, reminded that we’re standing in the kitchen at someone’s house party.
Carter has been so over the top with our relationship — he’s always introducing me as his girlfriend to every single person we come across, and he’s always touching me one way or another. If he isn’t holding my hand, then he’s got his arm wrapped around my waist. He’s doing it even more since the new term started, and I secretly love it. I’ve waited years to call him mine publicly, and I’m glad he’s as excited about it as I am.
The last couple of weeks have been amazing. It’s just been us and a mostly empty campus. I’ve taken the time to explore LA properly while Carter was at football training, and we’ve had dinner together every single night, though he always brought home his own food on strict orders from his coach. It’s almost felt like a much-needed holiday. Some days it’s hard to believe that this is our life now. I thought for sure that we’d struggle to adjust to living together, but that hasn’t been the case at all. It’s been amazing seeing each other at night after a long day, especially now that classes have started again. If anything, both of us are a little disappointed Asher is back now, and the apartment isn’t just ours anymore.
“Can’t believe it took you two this long to admit that you’re dating officially. We all totally knew.”
I turn around to find Mason walking toward us with Lisa in tow, huge grins on both of their faces. Mason walks up to me and pulls me away from Carter. “Man, can’t believe I lost my chance,” he says jokingly. Carter looks at him through narrowed eyes and Lisa slaps his arm.
I chuckle and move back toward Carter. He pulls me flush against him, my back against his chest and his arms wrapped around me. “You never stood a chance,” Carter says, and I nod in agreement.
Lisa shakes her head and smiles at me. “I can’t believe he’s that cheesy and clingy,” she tells me. I blush and look away. I’m relieved to find that she genuinely looks happy to see us together. Part of me still had some doubts that I struggled to put to rest.
“You should see them at home. They’re so irritatingly cute together,” Asher says. “More often than not they just forget I’m there, and they do this weird thing where they communicate without talking, or something, it’s just half sentences. I can’t figure out how they understand each other at all. So weird. It’s a good thing Emilia is so nice to me, or I’d have so many more complaints. Feels like I have this weird mixture of a mother and sister now.”
Mason laughs and claps Asher on the back sympathetically. Asher glances at us and shakes his head, but I know he’s really happy for us.
Carter tenses behind me and I turn to look at him, only to come eye to eye with Kate. We haven’t run into each other since classes started and neither Carter nor I have tried to get in touch with her for a while. We both thought it’d be best if we gave her some time, but it’s been weeks now. She glances at us, huffs, and then turns to leave. I straighten and move to follow her, but Carter grabs my hand and shakes his head.
“Let me just talk to her,” I say. “It’s been a couple of weeks, maybe she’s calmed down a little.” I can tell from Carter’s expression that he doesn’t believe she has at all.
“Baby, I don’t want you to get hurt any further,” he murmurs, his voice soft. I rise to my tiptoes and press a kiss to his cheek before rushing after Kate.
“Kate!”
She stops and turns to look at me as I try to squeeze through the crowd. She looks away as though she doesn’t even know me and continues walking.
“Kate,” I shout, grabbing her hand as soon as I’m within reach. She shakes me off with force and looks at her hand in disgust, as though I’m some vile insect.
“Please, can we talk?”
She sighs and looks at me emotionlessly. Her eyes are red and I can’t help but wonder if maybe she’s as heartbroken as I am.
“What the hell do you want? I told you I want nothing to do with you, which part of that did you not get?”
I inhale deeply and look down at my feet before facing her again. “Kate, please. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for hurting you. Please, won’t you give me a chance to make it up to you? You’ve always been like a sister to me. I love you, Kate. You’re my family.”
She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest. “You should’ve thought of that before you seduced my brother.”
I sigh and run a hand through my hair. “I don’t get it. You were seeing Asher for such a long time. He’s Carter’s best friend, just like I’m yours. Surely you understand how it feels? I never set out to hurt you or break my promise. I was in love with Carter long before you ever even asked me to stay away from him, and I tried my best nonetheless. It was killing me inside, Kate. I’ve loved Carter for years. I don’t expect you to like it, and I don’t even expect you to forgive me so soon, but please… can’t you try to be happy for me? Please, won’t you give me a chance to earn your forgiveness? Please, Kate, don’t shut me out.”
