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Pain in my chest makes me cringe, and tears form in my eyes. I push them away as best I can and remind myself she's only saying this because she's hurt. "I'll let your unkind words go this time. If you need me, I'll be in the kitchen."
Charlotte lies on her bed with her back to me. She doesn't move, and she says nothing.
I leave her room, and when I walk back to the kitchen, I find Bella and Alisha staring at me with a compassionate expression in their eyes. Unable to hold in my emotions any longer, I let them out.
"Ah, you heard her." I focus my attention on Alisha. "Now you understand why I didn't want to take part in that stupid auction of yours. Now Charlotte has attached herself to Nick, and he's not even interested in me!"
"That is bullshit, Emma. Nick likes you. He gave you his card with his phone number."
"He gave me his card, so he didn't have to answer Charlotte's question about going out with me!"
"A man who's not interested wouldn't give you his phone number!" Alisha says.
"Charlotte confessed in the car ride back home that she begged him multiple times to bid on me." I shake my head and lower my voice. "I'm nothing but a charity case to him."
"Come on, Emma, your line of thought is ridiculous," Alisha says, raising her hands in the air.
"Drop it, Alisha, I'm not going out with Nick. Period.” I walk past them and fill a glass with water, keeping my back towards them.
"You won't call him?" Alisha mutters.
"No! I've ripped up his card. It's in the trash."
"Emma!"
I turn around, and I stare her dead in the eye. "For the second time—drop it, Alisha."
She crosses her arms over her chest. "No, I won't drop it," she retorts. "You're attracted to Nick. And he feels the same. I've seen the chemistry between both of you; it's off the charts. But hey, I'm guessing that's the problem. The sensations you experienced have freaked you out. So, to protect yourself, you're using Charlotte's begging as a shield. It's nothing but an excuse.”
Alisha's words hit me hard, and emotions burn through my veins—desperate to find a way out. "Leave!" I call in a loud, sharp voice.
Bella brushes her hand over my arm. "Emma, come on, don't push us away."
"Please, just... leave," I repeat, flinching away from Bella's touch.
"I have to work." I distract myself by grabbing my agenda off the kitchen table and looking at the upcoming orders this week. All this time, their eyes are watching me.
"Fine, let's go, Bella. Let's leave Miss Ostrich alone." Alisha walks to the door before she continues. "When you've removed your head from the sand, and you're ready to talk, you know where to find us."
Both of them leave, and a few moments later, when the front door closes, my tears fall. They get absorbed into the pages of my schedule. I put my hands in front of my face to stop them, but they continue like a waterfall—soaking everything.
To control my overwhelming emotions, I gather everything I need to bake an irresistible cake, tears still obscuring my vision.
