Текст книги "Love's Secret Torment"

Автор книги: Stacy L. Darnell

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Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

The next thing I remembered was waking up in my bed. I took a shower, got dressed, made a sesame bagel, and drank a hot cup of tea. Resolved to not wallow in my pain, or let it define me, I stomped off to my bedroom, threw my suitcase on my bed, and began shoving clothes and shoes into it. That was it. I had to get the hell out of there. After I finished packing, I left a note for my parents and one for Heather. I couldn’t deal with talking to them face to face yet. I got in my car and headed to Auburn. Alison and Tamron would be able to get my mind off of Alec. And right then, there was nothing I needed more. When I arrived, though, I just sat in my car and stared at the locked door to their old style apartment building.

I felt like my world had shattered into a million pieces. The act of leaving, getting into my car, and driving away from Atlanta, somehow felt so final. While I waited for them to come home, I second-guessed every decision I’d made since seeing Alec with the slut. What had I done? Should I go back? Should I have confronted him, instead of leaving? How could he do that to me? We’d been making plans for our future together, and the next thing I knew, he was ripping my heart to shreds.

Was anything he’d ever said or done genuine? Did he do all of that just to have sex with me? Did he ever love me?

I knew if I didn’t get out of my car, I’d end up driving back to Atlanta, certainly to more pain than I knew I could endure. I couldn’t remember the damn door code to get in to their apartment building, so I just sat on the steps, my back against the column, and waited for my best friends to come home. I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, I heard their voices talking right beside me. I sat there with my eyes closed, still as a stone, as they discussed my unplanned visit.

“I wonder why she’s here. Did she call or text that she was coming?” Tamron asked in a worried voice.

“I don’t know. Maybe we missed a message. Tamron, check your phone. There’re no messages from her on mine. Good Lord, look at her. She’s a mess. Her cheeks are all splotchy red, and she’s got bags under her eyes. It’ll take a week of cucumber treatments to repair that damage,” Alison whispered in a hushed tone.

“So help me, Alison, if Alec is the cause of this, I will castrate him myself!” Tamron’s heated voice retorted. “We warned him not to hurt her.”

I cracked open my eyes and sat up straight. I stretched my arms and looked from Alison to Tamron, then down at my hands clasped together in my lap. Tamron sat down on one of the steps below me and wrapped her arms around my legs in a strange kind of a hug, while Alison sat beside me, rubbing her hands up and down my back. For the first time since I’d known them, they were both silent. I knew they probably had a lot of burning questions, but neither seemed able to find her voice at that moment. They were waiting for my explanation. I was sure they’d be angry with me for not telling them what had happened earlier. It was Tamron who broke the silence first.

“What the ever-loving fuck did Alec do?” she asked.

And that was all it took for the floodgates to open and for me to become a sobbing mess on the front steps to their apartment building.

“Come on, let’s go inside and get Sam settled in with a cup of hot tea. We can talk about this in private,” Alison urged, looking around us.

I’d been there once before, right after they first moved in and remembered their apartment being cozy, and even though I felt horrible, their place felt like home because they were there. For the first time since Alec broke my heart, I felt like I could breathe again.

Tamron made a cup of my favorite chai tea. As I drank it, I told them about Alec’s strange behavior leading up to his breakup. I also shared the texts messages I’d sent that never got a response, as well as Alec’s actions with the slut at Peter’s house party, then my driving to Auburn to be with them.

Again, they were silent. It was unsettling and made me feel edgy. I tore off little pieces of my napkin, waiting for one of them to say something. Alison reached across the table and took my hands in hers. I looked up and saw Tamron standing there, too. Both of their eyes glistened with tears, their cheeks pink with the anger I knew they felt toward Alec.

“Sweetie, let’s call it a night and get some rest. You’ve got to be tired,” Tamron said.

Alison nodded her head.

“I’ll make the sofa up while Tamron helps you get settled in. We can talk in the morning. You can also explain why we’re just now hearing about this instead of months ago when Alec broke up with you.”

I nodded my head and took a drink of my tea.

“I know you’re wondering why we’ve been so quiet, but if we discuss it right now, I’ve a feeling Tamron and I would end up driving to Atlanta and kicking the hell out of that weasel fuck. While I can assure you it would give us both a great amount of satisfaction, we know it would only hurt you more.”

They both hugged me goodnight and went to their bedrooms. Lying there quietly on the sofa bed, I felt lightheaded as the tears flowed freely down my face and into my ears.

I rolled over to my side, and pulled Alec’s favorite Falcons t-shirt out of my bag on the floor. I knew it was stupid to hang on to it after all this time. I mean, it wasn’t like it even smelled like him anymore. I washed it like a normal person would. And yet, I continued to cuddle it every night as I slept.

The next morning, I decided it was time for my fresh start. I wasn’t going to focus on Alec anymore. I folded and put his Falcons t-shirt in a bag and locked it away in the trunk of my car. When the girls got up, I had coffee ready and even made them French toast. It smelled like heaven to me, and by the looks on their faces, they thought so, too. I’d always loved cooking and baking. It was therapeutic for me. While we ate, I noticed, every so often, Tamron and Alison looking at each other and winking or a nodding their heads.

“Okay, what the hell is going on with you two?”

“Our boyfriends are having a frat party tonight, and we think you should come,” Tamron blurted out.

“Don’t say no, Sam, just say yes and go. It’ll be fun and a way to start fresh and enjoy life again. Besides, you need to meet Tamron’s Quinn and my Riley. It’s been long overdue anyway,” Alison said, all while not breaking eye contact with me, which meant saying no wasn’t an option.

“Ugh, yes, fine, I’ll go with y’all. I have my favorite jeans and t-shirt with me.” I smiled up at them and noticed their Cheshire grins. “Ohhhh no. Absolutely not. You both have that ‘let’s play dress up with Sam’ look on your faces. It’s a frat party. I’m not dressin’ to impress anyone. As a matter of fact, the absolute last thing I want is to have to deal with some drunk-off-his-ass, smokin’-hot-and-he-knows-it college guy trying to get into my pants. Not interested, so y’all can take your sexy clothes and wear them yourselves. It’s just jeans and a t-shirt for me.”

I knew I’d just dead-blocked their fun. But I really wasn’t looking for someone, not even a one-night-stand rebound fling. I just wanted to cut loose and have a fun night, to forget my problems for a few hours. I wasn’t into casual sex.

I’d only ever been with Alec, and just the thought of it made me have flashbacks of him at Peter’s party with that blonde slut gyrating all over his lap. I still recalled his cold, accusing eyes staring at me with anger before he turned and buried himself back into her neck. Nope. I was not interested in even going there.

“Fine. Wear your boring jeans and t-shirt. But get dressed, because we’re all going to get our belly buttons pierced.” Tamron said.

My mouth hung open as I stared at her. “Are you crazy? That’s insane! I’m not doing that!”

“Oh for Pete’s sake, Sam. It’s not gonna hurt . . . much,” Alison taunted.

“Yeah, easy for you to say. Yours isn’t done.”

“Exactly why I said we’re—all—going,” Tamron huffed.

“Oh my God. Why do I always let y’all talk me into doing things? Fine. Let’s go. A new day, a new life. May as well mark it with a little more pain,” I deadpanned.

We arrived at Riley and Quinn’s house around nine, an hour and a half late, but the girls wanted to keep the guys waiting and watching the door. I guess they always showed up late so no one ever knew when to expect them. I couldn’t stop laughing at their silly ritual. God, how I had missed them.

To say the party wasn’t what I expected would be an understatement. There were no beer cans in the yard, no loud music blaring. These guys were pretty respectful of their neighbors. Well . . . brownie points for them. As we walked into the house it was packed with people, drinking, dancing, laughing, and kissing in heated embraces.

“Sam, this is John.” Tamron motioned to the guy who’d answered the door. “He used to live here, too, but he abandoned us after graduation and moved up to Alaska.”

“Hi John. I’m Sam.”

“Hey, nice to meet ya.” He winked.

Suddenly, the girls took off, and I was left standing by the stairs, alone. I watched as they ran up to who I figured must have been Riley and Quinn. They spread their arms wide and grabbed the girls by their waists. Tamron and Alison squealed in unison, then proceeded to kiss their boyfriends. I sighed, longing for that type of happiness again.

Their kisses held a tenderness that seemed oddly out of place, the type that made you feel like you were imposing on a private moment, only they couldn’t care less about sharing it in front of anyone who happened to be in the room. It was almost as if they were in their own little worlds, and none of the fifty or so people partying around them even existed.

My heart ached for the loss of what I’d had with Alec. Unable to watch any longer, I turned to go upstairs and find a bathroom when I ran smack into a naked chest—a hard, tanned, muscular chest. I stopped and looked up at the body I’d collided with to see the sexiest lips on the cutest smirk, coupled with the most incredible blue eyes I’d ever seen.

His hair was jet black, in stark contrast with his mesmerizing eyes, and so sexy, I didn’t realize I was staring at them, nor was I aware that my hands were still pushed up flat against his chest. He cleared his throat, and I regained my composure. He looked past me to where the girls and their boyfriends were still standing and shook his head with a laugh.

“I’m so sorry,” I blurted out.

“Oh, no, it’s okay darlin.’ They’ve run me out of the room plenty of times.” He chuckled. “Hey, would you like a beer? I was going to grab one and head outside for some fresh air. You’re welcome to join me.”

I smiled up at him. “Sure, a beer sounds good, and the fresh air sounds even better.” Don’t stare, Sam, don’t stare . . . don’t be a creeper.

“Cool, I’ll grab them and meet you outside. The back door is down the hall through the back of the kitchen.”

As I walked through the house, I could feel everyone’s eyes staring at me. I knew it was the ridiculous outfit Tamron and Alison talked me into wearing. Jeans and a t-shirt, I’d declared. Well, I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, all right, but the jeans were cut into barely-there shorts. If they had normal pockets, they would have been longer than the hem of the shorts. I guess the designer had planned it that way, because the front pockets were barely deep enough for my lip-gloss and car keys. Then there was the t-shirt . . . yes, I also got to wear a t-shirt, like I said, but it was about two sizes too small and clung to my chest like a second layer of skin, stopping just above my freshly-pierced belly button.

“Why have the piercing if you’re going to hide it?” Tamron had asked.

“Show it off. It’s adorable and sexy . . .” Alison added.

I was too frustrated to remind them they had coerced me into getting it in the first place, even though I had always loved the idea of getting one. So there I was, walking through the frat house half-full of drunken college guys, to go outside and hide from staring eyes. I could feel people looking at me and hated being so self-conscious.

I heard the French doors close behind me a moment after I walked outside and there he was, Mr. Hot Stuff, walking toward me with two beers. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. He motioned for me to sit down on the lounge chairs as he set our beers on a table between them. He had that cute smirk on his face again and held his hand out toward me.

“So now we can really meet each other. Hi, I’m Emmett. I live here with Riley and Quinn.”

“Hi, I’m Sam,” I smiled softly. “Alison and Tamron have been my best friends for as long as I can remember. I’m in town visiting them for a while. It’s nice to meet you.”

He was staring into my eyes; it felt very intense, like he could see straight through me to my soul. But, at the same time, it was comfortable. It was so weird. I didn’t understand it.

“Tell me about yourself. Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Well, I just had a bad breakup, so I’m not really looking for a relationship. He really hurt me,” I said as I twisted at my bracelet.

“I’m sorry, Sam. Guys can be such dicks sometimes. It sounds like you’re better off without him. Even in a breakup, things can be handled nicely, or at least respectfully.”

“He was a good guy. I don’t really know what happened. But anyway, this is an ex-boyfriend free zone. I don’t want to think about him. Let’s just talk and get to know each other a little. Tamron and Alison dragged me here. I may as well have fun,” I said. “What about you? Do you have a girlfriend?”

I wasn’t sure why I suddenly felt nervous about his answer. I just met him. But I was nervous of what he would say, just the same.

“No, I don’t have a girlfriend. I don’t really do the girlfriend thing.”

I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I used it as another nail in my box of ‘I don’t want another relationship anytime this millennia’ reminder.

“Okay, to each their own.” I laughed. “What are you studying in school? Do you go to Auburn, as well?”

“Yeah, I’m a sophomore. Planning on going to med school after I graduate. I hope eventually to become a trauma surgeon.”

“Oh, that’s cool, I want to be a psychologist.”

“Sweet, we have something in common then. We both care about the wellbeing of others,” he said, smiling over at me.

“Yeah, I’ve always wanted to help people, and I think mental illness is one of the most misunderstood conditions people face. I just want to make a positive difference with my life.”

We sat there for a couple hours, talking about our likes, hopes, and dreams, laughing at random girls being thrown into the pool, cracking up at the guys who got suckered into helping them get out, only to be jerked in with them at the last minute.

I didn’t know how many beers we’d had before he came out with a couple glasses of ice water.

“Where’s the beer?” I giggled.

He shook his head. “No more beer tonight,” he said. “If I am lucky enough to spend the night with you, I want to remember it tomorrow. And I sure as hell want you to remember it, too.”

It was a ‘come fuck me line’ if I’d ever heard one, and I’ll admit, it’s the best one I’d heard yet. I wasn’t looking for a rebound fling, but even I could see he was sex on legs, so I decided, what the hell, in for a penny, in for a pound.

Maybe the beer was doing all my thinking, but I hoped this would help ease the hurt. At the very least, it would be a temporary Band-Aid on my heart. As Emmett sat down, I took a deep breath and stood up, smiling at the shocked but excited expression on his face as I pulled him back up to his feet. I led us to the French doors and walked inside.

I didn’t even notice the girls as we walked through the house. Whatever. They were having fun, and I was happy for them. Emmett paused in the kitchen and traded our water for some sweet tea. Then we headed up the stairs to his bedroom. I wondered where my panicky feelings were. I’d only ever been with Alec. My heart was broken. Yet here I was, following a guy I’d just met upstairs into his bedroom.

Yup. Had to be the beer.

But I was comfortable. I wasn’t scared, nervous or worried if I was making a mistake. It felt as if we’d known each other forever, as if it was natural to have this strong, sexual attraction.

He opened the door to his room and stood back so I could walk in first, closing and locking the door behind him. I spun around at the sound of the lock clicking into place.

“Just to be sure no one stumbles in here looking for the bathroom. The last thing I want is some drunken fool interrupting us. Make yourself comfortable. I’m gonna change,” he said

I sat on the edge of his bed, not sure what to do with myself. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of shorts and tossed them on his bed. When I turned around, his back was to me as he pulled his jeans down. He had the finest ass I’d ever seen, hotter than Channing Tatum’s, and that’s really saying something.

But Emmett’s ass, mother of God, I was practically drooling, and even checked to make sure. Thank God I wasn’t, but holy hell, I wanted to get my hands on this guy. In less than a minute, the jeans were off and his shorts were on, and sadly, that beautiful, naked ass was out of sight.

Damn.

He reached into his top drawer and shuffled around, looking for something. As he closed the drawer I saw a foil packet in his hand. I was on the pill, but we couldn’t be too careful.

Emmett had the naughtiest expression on his face as he walked around to the edge of his bed where I was sitting.

For a moment, I worried about getting hurt again, the way Alec had hurt me. But I pushed those thoughts away and decided to face that possibility another day. Emmett said he didn’t really do the girlfriend thing, so maybe it was okay to get lost in him once. Or twice . . .

He stood over me, and I swallowed hard as my gaze traveled from the waist of his shorts, up his naked chest, to his intense blue eyes.

“Are you nervous?” he asked as he took my hand in his.

“No . . . yes.” I choked out a laugh. “I guess it comes and goes. One minute I think this is crazy, and the next I feel like it’s normal.”

He pulled me up to him, lowered his mouth to mine, and kissed me softly. “It’s normal to think that.” His teeth tugged at my ear. “But let’s not think tonight . . . let’s just feel.” He ran his hands through my hair, capturing my mouth with his and kissing me breathless.

I kissed him back just as frantically, losing myself in the feel of him. I stiffened as his hands settled on the small of my back.

“Don’t worry.” He laid kisses on my neck and inhaled deeply. “You can trust me.”

I sighed with relief as his mouth closed over mine again and he tugged at the bottom of my shirt. Lifting it over my head, he stepped back and looked at my black lacey bra. He smiled as he brushed his hand lightly over my skin, leaving a tingling trail across my flesh. Emmett was a force of nature. His presence commanded my attention, and my body answered of its own accord.

Emboldened by his touch, I ran my hands up his chest and over his shoulders, pulling him back to me, kissing him. He reached down and unbuttoned my shorts, never breaking eye contact with me. My body shook slightly as he lowered my zipper and pushed my shorts down to my ankles. I held onto his arms as I stepped out of them, and reached for the waistband of his shorts, tugging them off. As he lowered me to his bed, I had a flash of Alec and the blond. I locked that memory away and let Emmett make a new one in its place.

The next morning, I woke up with Emmett’s arm around me and my head resting against his chest. I could feel his eyes on me. It was so quiet in the house, a stark contrast to the previous night. As I lay there, still as stone, and wondered what would happen next.

I was out of my element. Way—the hell—out. As I lay there in bed, everything felt normal. But I was the farthest from normal as I’d ever been. My own breathing was distracting me. How could it not when every single breath I exhaled caused silky brown hair to float up in my face?

Sam.

Last night, we met at the frat party. We drank, talked, and fucked. That was normal for me. Yeah, I was a player. I knew it, and was totally cool with it. The abnormal part was waking up the next morning with the girl’s head on my chest and my arm wrapped around her as she slept.

Her breathing was an even rhythm, combined with the faint flowery scent in her hair, and it was almost enough to lull me back to sleep. Almost—if I didn’t have to pee. I slowly withdrew my arm and gently positioned her head on my pillow. I was fascinated by the way her hair draped along her bare back and shoulders.

I walked around to the end of my bed, grabbed my shorts off the floor, and pulled them on. I didn’t want another traumatizing event if I ran into Tamron or Alison in the hallway on my way to the bathroom.

My damn door creaked as I opened it, and I glanced back at the girl asleep in my bed. She stirred a little, but only enough to roll over onto her other side, exposing a hint of her perfect breast. Flashes of how kissable it was flooded my mind, and I forced myself to walk out of my room before I acted on my urges.

After relieving myself, I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my reflection.

What the fuck am I doing? I never let them spend the night. And to make things even more complicated, she’s the girls’ best friend. I raked my hands down my face. They’re gonna fuckin skin me alive. No—they’ll just chop my dick off—even better.

I’d intended to walk past my room and keep going downstairs, but when I got to my bedroom door, I couldn’t stop myself from peeking in at Sam. She was beautiful. Funny. Smart. Sexy as hell. But she’d been hurt, and hurt bad by the little glimpse I had of the pain in her eyes when she briefly mentioned her ex last night.

What a rat bastard.

And now, she had me to deal with. I didn’t even know what I was doing. I just hoped I didn’t mix up her life anymore than it already was. I quietly closed my door and headed downstairs. Just before I made it down, I heard a low whistle from the floor above me. I looked up to see Quinn standing at the top of the stairs, motioning me to come back up.

“What’s up, man?” I asked when I reached him.

“Apparently you, as usual.” He laughed.

I leaned back against the wall. “Yeah. You know how it is.” I tried to act normal.

“So, who was she? Did she get all clingy when you told her she couldn’t spend the night?”

“Uhh, well . . .” I groaned as I ran my hands through my hair.

Quinn’s eyes opened wide. “Wait. No fucking way—you let last night’s romp sleep over?”

I nodded. “It seems that way. I mean, we . . . well, you know, but then I woke up with her head on my chest and my arm around her.”

“Holy shit, Emmett. What the hell are you gonna do now? She’s bound to wanna come back for more. They always do.”

I leaned over and put my hands on my knees. “Well, there’s another complication.”

He rested his hand on my shoulder. “Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it.”

“Yeah, but she’s not just some girl from the party. She’s Sam—as in Tamron and Alison’s best friend—Sam.”

“Oh, fuck, man.” He looked up to the ceiling as he leaned back against the wall.

“Yeah. I know.” I groaned. “They’re gonna have my ass, aren’t they?”

“Dude, you gotta get out of here. I’ll just say you had to work early or something. At least until Riley and I can get them to calm down after they find out.”

“No. I’m not running off. I . . . like her. I think that’s why I let her stay over. There’s just something about her, like she pulls me to her.”

“For fuck’s sake, now you just sound like a girl.”

“Shut up, man. I don’t want her to wake up with me gone and feel like she was just some piece of ass.”

He stared at me, his eyes wide, then shook his head. With one last bewildered glance in my direction, he turned around and walked back to his room muttering, “And that folks, is how life, as we know it, changed forever.”

I briefly considered mainlining the cup of coffee I’d just brewed when I heard soft footsteps on the kitchen tile. I turned around and saw her standing there, wearing a pair of my boxers and my AU t-shirt, which swam on her small frame. I was suddenly thankful I was wearing loose fitting shorts and not my damn jeans, although the jeans would have solved the damn tenting issue I was about to have.

“Morning.” I smiled, holding the coffee I had just poured for myself out to her.

Her eyes lit up when they settled on the steaming cup in my hand. “Good morning,” she smiled as she took the cup from me.

“We, uh, have milk and sugar, if you want some. There isn’t any of that foo-foo creamer here though.”

“Milk and sugar is good. Thanks.”

“So, you like coffee,” I said as I poured myself a new cup.

She chuckled. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“We don’t really have much normal food in the house this morning. I might be able to scrounge up an English muffin or two.”

“Those are good.” Her voice was a little shaky.

“Look, Sam, this doesn’t have to be weird. I mean, we’re both consenting adults. This is just new territory for me. I’ve never had this kinda interaction with a girl the morning after.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Well, just what kinda interaction do you usually have then?”

“None.”

She gasped. “None? Like ever?”

“Nope, I’ve never let a girl stay overnight before.”

“What? You just use ’em and toss ’em out the front door?”

I held up my hands. “No, that’s not it. The girls I’m usually with just go back to the party or whatever when we’re done, then go home when everyone else does. There’ve been a few who wanted to sleep over, but I was up front with them from the beginning. It’s just not my thing . . . or, well it wasn’t. Until you.”

“Oh . . .” she began, but shouting from the living room suddenly interrupted us.

“What the fucking hell, Quinn? How did you let this happen?” Tamron yelled as she rushed into the kitchen.

As soon as I saw the angry look on Tamron’s face, I leaned back against the counter and stared up at the ceiling.

“Babe, just wait a minute . . .” Quinn urged as he caught up with her.

“No. I will not wait a damn minute, Quinn.” She swung her head in my direction. “And you!” she seethed. “What the hell do you think you’re doing with her?”

Sam cleared her voice. “Tamron, stop. There’s no need to be upset or yell. We spent the night together. Quite frankly, it’s none of your business.”

Tamron shook her head. “Sam, Emmett doesn’t spend the night with girls. He fucks them and moves on,” she said in an exasperated tone.

“Well, he spent the night with me,” Sam replied as she motioned to herself and the clothes she was wearing. “And I enjoyed it—every minute.”

Tamron’s face blanched, but then she turned and walked right up to me, stopping only inches away. “You should have known better. She’s too good for you. She’s not one of your whores, Emmett. And it’s not just me you have to worry about either . . .”

“What’s going on in here?” Alison yawned as she shuffled into the kitchen with Riley on her heels.

“Speak of the devil,” I muttered.

“Oh, nothing really. Apparently, Emmett fucked Sam last night and I’m in the process of chewing him a new asshole. He’ll be lucky if I don’t punch him in the junk.”

Alison’s mouth and bloodshot eyes opened wide as she glared daggers at me.

“For the love of God, will everyone just stop and relax a damn minute?” Sam said with her hands on her hips. She glanced from Tamron to Alison and back again. “I guess you two haven’t noticed, but I am an adult. I can and will make my own freaking decisions. Most especially regarding who I’m going to sleep with.”

“We know, Sam, it’s just . . .”

“No!” she yelled. “This conversation is so not happening with everyone standing here! I’m mortified! I know you two don’t have any filters, but this is beyond bullshit and way, way, way past the line of being okay,” she huffed. “Now, if you have something to say, we can take this upstairs—away from the guys. Geez.” She walked past me, set her cup down, and squeezed my hand. “Emmett, I’m so sorry about all of this.”

“It’s okay, darlin.’ I figured it was gonna be bad when they found out.”

Sam smiled up at me, lifted on to her tiptoes, and gave me a chaste kiss on the cheek before walking out of the kitchen.

The girls looked at me, Tamron finally silent in her anger.

“You shouldn’t have done that, Emmett. You knew she was our friend,” Alison scolded as they followed Sam into the living room.

I breathed a sigh of relief at their exit and turned toward Riley and Quinn, both of whom were failing miserably at holding in their laughter.

“Shut up, assholes. It’s not funny.”

Riley held up his hands. “Sorry . . . sorry.”

I walked out and climbed the stairs. I needed to get ready for my shift at the lumberyard. I stopped when I heard voices from Riley’s room.

“Sam, with what you just went through, we just don’t want to see you get hurt again. That’s all. And as I’m sure you’ve gathered, Emmett’s not exactly the stick-around kind-of-guy,” Alison finished in a frustrated sigh.

“I know he’s not. He told me last night when we were hanging out at the party, he doesn’t do the girlfriend thing. But did it ever occur to either of you . . . that that was exactly what I needed? To be able to feel something good without worrying about getting hurt again?”

That should’ve relieved me, but for some reason, it bothered me even more.