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Emerson pulls my bottom lip down with her thumb. “Did I really taste that good?”?
“It's the only thing I’ve thought about since.”?
She clenches her legs together at my confession, and I decide to make another one.?
“You know it doesn’t have to be fake, right?”?
Her eyes snap up to mine again, and I feel her body go rigid.?
“What are you saying, Lennox?”?
“Exactly what you think I’m saying… I want you. I want more.” I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “I want all of you.”?
“No…” She shakes her head adamantly. “No, you don’t. You think you do, but you don’t.” Rubbing her hands over her face, she moves to sit beside me on the log.?“Lennox… you are one of the most important people in my life. I can’t do anything to fuck that up.” The stress so obvious on her face makes my chest ache. “And I just don’t know what I want in this life… other than to get out of this shitty living situation.” She stands but doesn’t move far from me. “I’ve never even witnessed one decent adult relationship. I’m fucked up, Champ.” When she lets out a deep breath, I know I’m not going to like what she says next. “Please don’t ask something of me I can’t give.”?
The emotion I’ve never seen in my tough girl’s eyes has me putting my own shit to the side. “Okay, babe. I’ll take pretending for a few minutes over nothing.” I force out a small smile, trying to reassure her, even though I feel sick over her confession.?
I see the relief fall over her shoulders just as our friends make their way over toward us.?
“I have the best DD in the world… Who wants some?” a tipsy Lottie asks, holding her bottle of vodka in the air.?
“I volunteer as tribute,” Emerson calls out, grabbing the bottle.?
I watch her, replaying her words and hating more than anything that she feels so fucked up inside.?
Her brother comes up, throwing his arm around her, and I realize he’s more drunk than I’ve ever seen him. “Save some for me, sis.”?
“Oh, hell no. Do not give him that bottle!” an annoyed Frankie says.?
“Emmy. I’m going to take your drunk-ass brother back to my place, so he doesn’t piss off the Robbins.”?
A look I’m not sure of passes over Emerson’s face before she recovers. “Okay. Thanks, Frankie.”???
Frankie drags a protesting Lucian toward his car. “Be safe,” Emerson calls out before she looks at me and takes another gulp of liquor.?
She tries to pass it to Colton, who refuses. “No thanks… looks like I’ll be driving you home tonight.” He glances back over to where Ben stands with a few girls I don’t know. In this instance, I know he’s choosing Emerson. I can tell a big difference in his decisions lately, and it feels like he is finally maturing.?
“Where’s Ford?” I ask, trying to distract myself from all the thoughts racing through my head.?
G nods across the field. “Getting fucked up with some girls from Mountain Ridge.” He pulls a key out of his pocket and tosses it to me. “He already handed it over to me.”?
Good… a night ride on the bike is exactly what I need.?
* * *
I walkthrough my front door a couple of hours later. Relieved to see the light still on in Colton’s room, I need him to confirm she got home okay since she hasn’t answered my text. When I push his cracked bedroom door open, I see him lying on top of the covers, fucking around on his phone. A knocked-out Emerson lies beside him under one of my mom’s throws.?
Colt immediately sits up when he sees me. “She refused to go home.” He looks down at her, concern pinching his expression. “I think she hates that place, man.”?
I know she does.?
“She was also way more drunk than I realized by the time we got home.” For some reason, I feel like our conversation earlier made her spiral into this.?
I walk around to her side of the bed, scooping her in my arms. “You get some rest. I’ll stay up and make sure she’s good.” Emerson doesn’t say a word, just buries her head into my chest.?
Colton doesn’t try to stop me, but his question does. “Does she know?”?
I turn around in the entrance of his door. “Know what?”?
