AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Is it because of…Emily?
I quickly brush off the thought and mutter, “Just get the yacht going. We have a schedule to keep.”
I hang up and, for a moment, stare at the black screen of my phone.
Emily's presence seems to be changing me, and I'm not sure how I feel about it.
Chapter nineteen
Emily
This can’t be happening. I think to myself as I hurry along the bustling pier.How could I let myself make the same mistake again?
My steps are quick, and my thoughts are racing. The encounter with Alex has left me flustered and conflicted.
Our tumble had been an accident, the way our bodies became entangled during the fall. I mean, of course, neither of usplannedto have sex on his yacht…it just…happened. We’d tripped and found ourselves wrapped in each other's arms…the passion of the moment too extreme to pull away.
I walk past the other yachts in the marina, shaking my head at the damage they are doing to our ecosystem. I’m thankful when I step foot on the dirt path leading back to the main road, but my stride doesn't slow one bit.
I criticize myself for giving in to desire and allowing my emotions to get the best of me. It's not the first time I've made this mistake with the same man, and I can't help but feel like I've let myself down once more.
I know I need to sort through my feelings first…and figure out what this means for me, for Alex, and for the unexpected connection that has sparked between us—arealconnection this time, fully aware of who he is.
I'm horrified to realize that the man I'm falling for, the father of my growing child, is the same mogul who seems to care more about his lavish lifestyle than the well-being of the turtles and the environment. It's disheartening, to say the least, how the passionate man from that party who loves classic literature like me and the indifferent businessman he's revealed himself to be is…the same guy.
I’m not sure where to go from here. The connection we share is undeniable…but it seems impossible to continue whatever may be developing between us.
He asked me out. He wants to date me.
The idea sounds so absurd, just as it had when the words left his mouth moments ago.
I wanted to say yes, but then, doubts flooded in.
I can't just ignore the arrogant side of him that I had seen, his dismissive attitude toward the environment, clashing with my own values.
There's also the fact that he's a close friend of my brother,andhe’s sixteen years older than me.We have nothing in common except our love for literature. And most importantly, I’m carrying this baby he isn’t even aware of.
Dating someone like Alex…
It’s impossible.
I arrive home in frustration, gripping me tightly. As I step through the door, I slam it shut behind me, the resounding thud echoing my inner turmoil.
I'm upset. That much is clear.
I pace back and forth in my living room, wrestling with the question of how to proceed. My heart urges me to explore thisconnection further, to take a chance on something that feels undeniably real. But my head warns of the heartache that could follow. I need to somehow tell him he’s going to be a father, at least. But the mere thought of bringing it up with him makes me sick.
That’s when I hear Lily’s bedroom door slide open. After knocking on my door twice, she cautiously opens it. Her purple hair is tied into a messy bun, and her rumpled pajamas show that she'd been napping. She yawns before shooting me a curious expression.
“Geez, Em, what’s with all this stomping around?” she asks lazily.
My face flushes red.
“Sorry,” I say apologetically, “I didn’t realize I was being so loud.”
Lily flops onto the couch, her legs and arms sprawled out. “Yeah, I mean, what’s a gal got to do to get some peaceful shuteye around here?”
I furrow my eyebrows. “Lil,” I say, “you take a nap practically every day.”
