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Bernadette’s face reddens, and the room goes silent.
“No,” she whimpers. “I have to give these to Stella. It’s not what I promised her, but it’s better than nothing. I need to put them on the design software. I was shopping for a new laptop.”
“And you bought one?” I ask her.
“Yeah. I got a good deal. I’m picking it up Monday.”
“How long will it take you to recreate these on the software?” I ask.
“Not long, I bought a scanner, too.”
My heart pounds.
She doesn’t need her designs back from Michael.
She doesn’t need me to get his case dismissed.
She doesn’t need...me.
I realize I don’t have the same burning need to bury Pratt anymore. I got back the man I love. Now I’m losing the woman I love.
Not fucking happening.
“Oh, this is the software guy who is formatting the new laptop.” She takes out her phone. “I paid a rush fee to get it uploaded with everything I need. Hello?”
With her on the phone, I pull Ash and Emery into a huddle out in the hall.
“This is bad. She’s going to leave us,” I murmur, unable to hide how panicked I feel.
“We made it clear, we want her with us, for good,” Ash stresses.
Our eyes lift to Emery.
“What?” he says.
“We’renot the commitment-phobes.”
“Fuck you, Ash. That’s uncalled for,” Emery hisses under his breath.
I can’t help feeling anger toward him if he’s the reason she makes this an all-of-us or none-of-us choice.
“We put our cards on the table.” I lean in closer. “Ihave.I want her. We want her. It’s you, who’s waffled.”
I won’t be a dick and remind him that she wasassaulted while working for him.
“I see how she looks at you, Emery.” Ash turns into my good cop. “She cares about you, too. Don’t break her heart. Get the fuck out of your own way.”
I hear her end the call and we step back inside her bedroom.
“Oh yeah, watch me.” With a look of steely determination, Emery struts up to her. Without any words, he kisses her.
Hard and rough with passion I can feel across the room.
She kisses him back with the same intensity.
“Sweetheart, I missed you so much these past few days,” Emery says. “Pack up.”
“For what?” Her eyes stray to me and Ash, still holding hands.
