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Sam stares at Carter, his brows furrowed. “Come to think of it, you probably started this research around the same time that Emilia’s father received his diagnosis.”
I look at Carter with wide eyes. “You did this for dad?”
Carter bites down on his lip and shakes his head. “Not quite. Him falling ill is what gave me the idea. I just figured that there must be a way to help people like him, so I funded the team that was closest to reaching a break-through.”
So, yes. He did do this for Dad. I inhale deeply, my heart twisting painfully. I try my best to blink back my tears. I’ve done my very best to remain strong since I got here. I’ve tried my hardest not to cry, even when I’ve had to see that lost and hopeless expression on Dad’s face when he’s forced to his machine every day, but this… this guts me.
Carter looks at me as though he knows exactly what I’m feeling, and he smiles tightly. I bite down on my lip as hard as I can, trying my best to keep my tears at bay, and the expression on Carter’s face mirrors how I feel. He looks heartbroken.
Thankfully, Sam requests to speak to one of Carter’s researchers, and I lean back against the wall, needing a moment.
“You okay?” Carter murmurs, his voice soft. I nod at him and try my best to smile. Carter runs a hand through his hair and inhales deeply.
I look up at him in surprise and try my best to smile. I was intent on keeping him at a distance after what he said to me last night, and the way he touched me. A shiver runs down my spine at the mere memory of him pressed against me, my legs wrapped around him.
I told myself I should be mad at him for his behavior, but how can I stay mad at a guy that tells me he loves me, and then shows it by doing everything in his power to save my father’s life — to the extent of funding groundbreaking research.
“You were out of line last night,” I murmur.
Carter sighs and pulls a hand through his hair, his eyes on mine. “I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not. I meant every word,” he says. Carter looks away and bites down on his lip. “I won’t let it happen again, though. Sam seems like a great guy, and I won’t mess with your happiness. I guess I just need a distraction or some shit.”
I freeze and look up at him. “Don’t,” I say without thinking. “Don’t find a distraction.”
Carter looks surprised, a smile tugging at his lips. “Tell me you’ll be mine, and I won’t ever stray,” he says, his eyes blazing.
I bite down on my lip and look away. “I can’t,” I whisper. “You know I can’t.”
If Carter wants to call Layla tonight then there isn’t a thing I can do about it, because I just have no rights to him. I stare down at my feet as devastation devours me. If he truly feels the way he told me he did, then there’s no way he’ll last. Not with Sam here. He won’t just sit there and watch me be with Sam. He’ll go looking for a distraction. It might not be Layla, but there’ll be someone. And that someone won’t be me.
Chapter 30
Carter
Emilia is quiet as she walks into the kitchen and I frown at her. The way she’s looking at me puts me on edge. There’s fear and accusation in her eyes, and I wonder if she’s still thinking about what I said to her — that I needed to find myself a distraction.
She avoids my eyes as she walks towards the coffee machine, and I grab her arm. “Sit down. I’ll make you a cup,” I murmur.
She looks up at me briefly, and the bags underneath her eyes match mine. I sigh as I make her a cup of coffee, hating the tension between us now. I never should’ve said a thing to her. I never should’ve told her how I feel. I hesitate as I make her coffee, and I think back to the day she moved into her student dorm. I smile to myself and put a tablespoon of salt in her coffee, just like I did back then, just for old time’s sake.
I hand it to Emilia with a serene expression, and I watch her as she takes a sip. Her eyes widen and she looks up at me as she forces the sip she took down. Her lips transform into a beautiful smile, and she bursts out laughing.
“Wow, that’s a nostalgic little prank,” she murmurs.
“Hey, you can’t go wrong with the classics,” I tell her, laughing, and her eyes flash with amusement. I breathe a sigh of relief. I was so worried that I’d ruined everything between us.
“Classics, huh?”
I look at her, alarmed, and hold my hands up. “Not the cockroaches,” I whisper, pleading with her, and Emilia giggles.
“I’m going to get you back for this, you know that, right? I let you get away with the Crazy Frog song, but you only get one freebie.”
I grin at her. I love seeing her eyes flash like this. Lately she’s been looking so stressed out and worried, and I’m glad something as simple as this still makes her smile. I love seeing her laugh.
“I’m looking forward to it,” I murmur, a twinge of excitement running through me. Emilia is capable of some utter mayhem, and I really shouldn’t encourage her, but if it gets her to take her mind off her dad, I’ll do it quite happily.
Sam walks into the kitchen, and I stiffen. I can’t get my mind of the two of them spending the night together. My fucked-up mind keeps imagining his hands on her body, and I only barely manage to keep my anger in check.
Emilia has her back to him and glances at her coffee cup, shaking her head. She smiles up at me, her eyes lighting up. “Seriously,” she says. “I’m outraged in Spanish.”
