Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 73174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
“Christ, I’m so sorry,” Emmett said. His eyes scanned my face like he was trying to figure out how to put his thoughts into words. “I can’t even imagine it. Waiting a lifetime to meet your dad, and then…”
“So I punched him,” I said bluntly, sitting up a little straighter. “It was dumb, and I never should have done it. It was one of my first bad headlines in the media, a few years back. Police called as Storm Rosling gets physical outside a sandwich shop, or something stupid like that. Nobody had any idea of the details. What actually happened that day.”
Emmett leaned in to wrap his arms around me, holding me tightly. I heaved out a heavy sigh, feeling like I’d just unburdened myself of years of pain that I’d never shared with anyone before. Not even my mom.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated.
“All of that’s just to say, I don’t think it’s good to pin your happiness on one goal,” I said, leaning back again. “Sure as fuck didn’t work for me. And I feel like my heart got ripped out when you told me the Racks deal was off.”
There was a silence between us for a while, and the sound of the dried leaves blowing along the ground filled the air.
“I’m glad you came and found me here,” Emmett said after a while.
“Really? Because as I was walking up to you I half thought you might try to fight me right then and there.”
He smiled. “I’d be stupid to try to fight you, and we both know it.”
“Nah. You could take me. For a little while.”
He paused for a moment. “I just really needed to talk to someone after the day I had.”
“Tell me about it. Shit, today was not my day,” I said, trying to ease the tension but probably failing.
He looked up at me, his eyes surprisingly clear and bright.
“What do you usually do on a day where you feel like shit?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Club? Party? Go get a tattoo?”
Emmett puffed out a laugh. “Maybe I should go get a tattoo. Bunch of big roses above my ass, or something.”
“Hey, it would be kind of hot,” I admitted. “To be honest, after a shitty day I usually take a bubble bath.”
Emmett’s eyebrows raised. “A bubble bath? For a big, strong, masculine athlete like you?”
“Hey, fuck off, man,” I protested. “Bubble baths are for anyone. Sometimes mine are even pink and rose-scented.”
“I’m kidding,” Emmett said, and the gentle smile on his face lit me up inside. “I love baths, too. God, I haven’t taken one in so long.”
I leaned back, looking up at the sky. It was rapidly greying, like it might rain again tonight.
“I can’t even take one right now. The master bathroom is one of the most fucked up places in my house. Can’t wait until it’s renovated and I get my jacuzzi tub.”
“You know, I have a pretty nice jacuzzi tub,” Emmett said.
I met his gaze.
“Is that right?”
He nodded. “It was one of the most luxurious things I wanted in my house,” he said. “It’s got a lot of jets. It’s comfy as hell. And it’s huge.”
“You trying to make me jealous, Fancy Pants?”
“I’m trying to offer you my tub, fucker,” he said, giving my arm a shove. “It’s the least I can do.”
Something stirred in my chest.
Goddamn, I do not deserve you, Emmett Waycott.
As a friend, or as anything else.
Two thoughts were at war in my mind. I’d told Emmett almost everything now, and he knew about my past. Knew I’d grown up in trailers, knew how people had treated me as a kid.
He knew that even my own father hadn’t wanted me.
But I also knew that Emmett was still right here with me, being himself, even after everything that had happened. Being kind to me. No matter how much my instinct was to believe he just felt sorry for me… I wanted to believe it was something else.
That just maybe, he might actually see me for me.
Not gutter trash. Not a dumb hothead football player. Not worthless.
I cleared my throat, trying to center myself in my body again and act normal and snarky. “Careful what you offer, because I’m starting to get freezing out here, and a cozy bath sounds like heaven on Earth right now.”
Emmett stood up, reaching out his hand to me to pull me up. “Come over, then, already.”
15
EMMETT
By the time we got back to my place, Storm was shivering. As we walked through my front door, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him, wondering how the hell we’d gotten to this point.
I’d been completely numb outside, sitting there on that bench, before Storm had showed up.
The Racks deal falling through felt like so much more than just one bad business misstep. It felt like failure. Failure to do what I’d set out to do. Trying to do everything right, to never miss any detail, and still falling flat on my face. And it felt like a failure to the memory of my father, a man who seemed like Superman, who could make any business deal happen.