The Boyfriend Series Box Set (Books 1-6): YA Contemporary Romance Novels

by Christina Benjamin

  “You kinda need to sit this one out,” she whispered nodding toward Colin, who was grinning like a criminal.

  “We’re picking out something for you,” Colin said shyly.

  Emma put her hands on her hips. “Colin, it’s not a surprise if you give it away,” she teased.

  Colin giggled. “Oops!”

  Will laughed and took the pile of jackets from Emma’s arms. “I’ll wait at the café on two. Have fun.”

  “Thanks.” Emma grinned and took Colin’s hand.

  As Will watched them go a knot tightened in his stomach. He needed to find a way to save their Christmas, and quickly.

  Emma

  “I’m telling you, he’ll love it,” Emma said reassuring Colin for the hundredth time that Will would like the tripod they’d picked out.

  “But I don’t even know what it is?” Colin complained.

  “That’s because you’re not a film maker. But Will is and he’s going to love your gift.”

  As soon as Emma had seen the mini flexible tripod she knew it was the perfect gift for Will. He had a few larger ones he used with his professional cameras but this one would fit in his pocket for easy access when he was filming with his iPhone like he had been today.

  Colin sighed, still unconvinced. “Maybe you should give him the Gorillapod and I should give him the tie.”

  Emma laughed. There was no way she was giving up the tie. She found an identical one to replace the one Will had used as a tourniquet on her leg. “The tie is sort of an inside joke for us.”

  “Why?”

  “I kinda ruined one of his ties at a party the other night.”

  “The night you stayed at Will’s house?”

  Emma stopped walking. “How did you know I stayed there?”

  “Will texted Dad to tell him you were sleeping at his house. I heard him and Mom fighting about it.”

  Emma cringed for many reasons. It still felt weird to hear Colin call her father, Dad. But also, she couldn’t believe Will had been thoughtful enough to let her father know she was safe. Or that her father had a reaction at all. Had he been worried about her?

  “Did my dad sound angry?” Emma asked.

  “Oh yeah. But Mom told him to give you some space.”

  That was even more shocking. If anything Tara should’ve been ratting Emma out for her snotty behavior. What was Tara’s angle?

  “Is Will your boyfriend?” Colin asked interrupting Emma’s thoughts.

  Emma flinched at the word. “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “But you like him?”

  She nodded, unbelievably flustered to be admitting that to a seven-year-old when she hadn’t even fully admitted it to herself.

  “And Will likes you,” Colin said like it was plainly obvious.

  “Why do you think he likes me?” Emma asked.

  “He’s nice to you.”

  “Will’s nice to everyone,” she said. Almost to a fault.

  “Yeah, but he asks Dad about you all the time.”

  Emma felt her heart flutter. “He does?”

  Colin grinned. “I think he loves you.”

  “Colin!” Emma hissed. “You can’t go around saying things like that.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because . . .” What could she say? Because she didn’t know how she felt about him? Because if he did, she wasn’t sure she knew what that would mean? Colin looked expectantly at her. “Can you just trust me on this one?”

  Colin chewed his lip as if he was truly mulling it over. He finally sighed. “Okay, but I still don’t think we found Will the perfect gift. He’s the coolest and I want to get him something great.”

  “Tell you what,” Emma said. “We’ll give him the Gorillapod first and if he doesn’t like it, I’ll say it’s from me and you can give him the tie.”

  Colin scrunched up his face. He wasn’t buying.

  “And Christmas is still a few days away, so we’ll keep searching for the perfect gift.”

  “Deal!” Colin said, sticking his hand out.

  Emma shook it. “You drive a hard bargain, little man.”

  Colin looked delighted with himself.

  “I had fun with you today,” Emma admitted.

  “Me too. It was the best day of my life.”

  Emma’s heart melted a little more. She glanced at her phone to avoid looking at Colin’s adoring face for fear she might cry. But when she saw the time she frowned. They’d been gone longer than she planned. “We better get home. Plus, Will’s been waiting.”

  Colin held Emma’s hand on the escalator, cheerfully chatting as they made their way to the Herald Square Café on the second floor. Emma saw Will sitting at one of the high-backed bar chairs with his back to them. Their jackets were piled on the empty chair next to him, but Emma’s eyes went directly to the occupied chair across from Will. Liz sat there, twirling a piece of her long black hair around her finger, grinning like Christmas had come early.

  Emma’s heart plummeted. What the hell was Liz doing here? Emma watched in horror as Liz snapped selfie after selfie of her and Will, leaning in disgustingly close. God, she was like a freaking stalker-azzi! But then Emma reminder herself that for all she knew, Will had called Liz. He could deny that they were a couple all he wanted, but there was definitely something going on between them. Emma knew the Manhattan social circle was small. But casual acquaintances didn’t run into each other that often. And there was nothing casual about the way Liz was running her hands over Will’s shoulders. It looked more like she was staking her claim.

  Emma considered sneaking away, but Colin blew that plan out of the water when he marched through the busy café calling to Will, holding his giftwrapped present in the air.

  Liz sneered when she saw Emma scuttling up behind Colin. “Emmy! What a nice surprise. And who is this?” Liz asked looking at Colin.

  “This is Colin Emerson,” Will said making the introductions. “Colin, this is Liz Vanderveer.”

  “Hi Liz. You’re pretty.”

  Liz practically purred. “Oh aren’t you precious? You’re Tara’s son, aren’t you?”

  “Yep. And Emma’s brother,” Colin replied proudly.

  “Is that so?” Liz asked smugly.

  “Hey look!” Colin exclaimed pointing to the ceiling. “Mistletoe.”

  He held his little hand up to Liz for a high-five, but she didn’t see it, considering she was busy crushing her painted red lips against Will’s.

  Emma pounced, tackling Liz from her chair and beating the conniving wench with her velvet Gucci stilettos. At least that’s what she did in her head. In reality, Emma only lunged for Colin’s hand. She gave him a swift high-five and gathered their jackets before dragging him abruptly from the café.

  “Wait? Why are we leaving?” Colin protested. “What about Will?”

  “Will’s busy.”

  “But—”

  “No buts, Colin. We need to go!”

  Colin pouted but he didn’t protest as Emma tugged him to the elevators, even as they heard Will shouting after them.

  27

  Emma

  Emma held it together until she got Colin buckled into the cab she hailed outside of Macy’s. But as they pulled away, the silence gave her too much time to think. All the images of Will and Liz over the years began to overwhelm Emma. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t compete with Liz Vanderveer. She’d never be like her and she didn’t want to be. But the thing that made her heart ache the most was the thought that if Liz was the kind of girl that Will liked then there was no hope for Emma.

  She looked out the window, biting her lip to keep her tears at bay. How was she still so stupid? She had let a few good moments with Will give her hope. The searing pain that clenched her heart alerted Emma to the fact that she hadn’t realized her foolish heart had been knitting itself back together over the past few days. But it was evident now as she felt it tear apart all over again. Had she learned
nothing from her parents’ divorce? Letting people in only allowed them to hurt you.

  “I’m sorry you’re sad,” Colin said.

  Emma swallowed back the tightness in her throat. She didn’t trust her voice so she only nodded.

  “Why did Will kiss that girl?”

  Emma shook her head. “That’s a good question.” And one Emma might never have an answer for.

  Will

  Will tapped his foot in frustration as his driver maneuvered the limo back toward his building through rush hour traffic. He’d tried Emma’s phone a dozen times with no answer. His chest coiled tighter as he flashed back to the image of Emma climbing into a cab and speeding away from him. She’d glanced back only once and the hurt he saw in her eyes stopped Will in his tracks. He couldn’t get that image out of his mind and it gutted him to think he had caused Emma that kind of pain.

  They’d been having such a perfect day, but of course Liz found a way to screw things up as usual. She’d texted Will saying she had a message from his parents, and when he mentioned he was at Macy’s Liz appeared out of thin air, claiming she’d been getting a manicure next door.

  And not only did Liz show up to hijack his date with Emma, she also dropped the bombshell that Will would be on his own for Christmas. Apparently they’d called Tom to tell him and Hazel they were extending their trip and asked them to get a message to Will. They hadn’t even had the decency to call him. He was crushed. And of course Liz took the opportunity to console him. Will shouldn’t have let her, but his mind was reeling. He had barely heard the soothing words or comforting touches Liz offered through the sickening disappointment that coursed through him. But Colin’s voice had jerked Will out of his spiral of despair, just long enough for Liz to take advantage of the mistletoe strung above their heads. Will was really starting to hate the meddling plant.

  The kiss meant nothing to Will. But it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. He’d seen the hurt flair in Emma’s stunned eyes. And by the time Will got Liz to retract her claws, Emma was already gone.

  It seemed to take forever to get back to his building. And as Will took the elevator to his floor, he scowled at the mischievous plant swaying above his head. He reached up and ripped it down, but it didn’t make him feel any better. Will couldn’t blame all of his troubles on a plant. If he wanted things to change it was time he went after what he wanted—starting with Emma.

  Will steeled himself as he knocked on Emma’s door. It was time he ended this game and told her how he felt. She answered looking puffy-eyed which only knotted Will’s stomach more. She’d changed into pajama pants and an oversized sweater. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a messy bun. He’d seen Emma this way a million times before—all casual and warm, but he’d never wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her so badly before. His heart ached with longing.

  “Can we talk?” Will asked.

  Emma didn’t reply. She simply stepped into the hall, pulling the door shut quietly behind her.

  Will could tell from her body language that she wasn’t in the mood for small talk. Her arms were crossed tightly across her chest and she chewed her bottom lip—something she only did when she was trying to hold back saying things she shouldn’t.

  “You can say it,” he offered softly.

  “Say what?”

  “That I’m an idiot.”

  She huffed. “Well at least you know it.”

  “I’m sorry about today.”

  “What part?” she asked. “That Liz showed up, or that you got caught?”

  “Em, no! It’s not like that.” But her scowl cut him off. Will raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. “I don’t know how else to tell you there’s nothing going on between me and Liz.”

  “You can say it all you want, but Snapchat says otherwise.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Emma groaned, rolling her eyes. “Why do you have to be the only person in Manhattan not on social media?”

  “Because none of that shit matters. It’s not even real life. It’s a bunch of desperate people showing you what they want you to believe so you’ll like them more. It’s mob mentality and it’s everything that’s wrong with our society.”

  “I’m not debating the importance of social media with you right now, Will.”

  “Fine. But if we’re getting into it, why don’t you tell me what happened the night of the winter formal? Or why you left without saying goodbye? I thought we were friends, Emma. I thought we were more than that, but you just cut me out of your life like I was nothing. Do you have any idea how much that hurt?”

  “Good. I’m glad it hurt. I hope it hurt as much as you making a fool out of me.”

  He blanched. “How did I make a fool out of you? You’re the one who stood me up in front of the whole school!”

  “You looked just fine to me,” Emma sneered.

  “Wait. Were you there?”

  “I didn’t have to be there, Will. I saw the pictures online.”

  “What pictures?”

  “Really? Are you going to deny dancing with Liz all night?”

  “No but—”

  Emma snorted. “You really did look perfect together. How am I supposed to compete with that?”

  “Emma, I’m trying to tell you that you don’t have to compete. I wanted you there by my side. I’ve always wanted you.”

  “Yeah,” she scoffed. “You looked really broken up about me not showing. I mean especially in the after party pics from Cranston’s.”

  Will looked down shamefully. “I’m not gonna deny that I got drunk, Emma. But . . .”

  “But what? It was my fault?”

  “No! But you made me feel like shit. Like no one cared about me at all. My parents have never really cared and I can deal with that. I expect that. But you . . . I thought you’d always be there for me. But you turned into a ghost for no reason.”

  “Oh, there was a reason.”

  “Then tell me what the hell it is so I can fix it!” he shouted.

  “Why don’t you ask Liz?”

  “I did! She doesn’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Emma scoffed. “Of course she’d say that.”

  Will wanted to scream. “This conversation is going nowhere.”

  “Then why are we having it?”

  “Because we should’ve had it a year ago!” he bellowed throwing his hands up. “Because I still care about you. I never stopped. And I need . . . I need you to know that I miss you.” He moved closer, tugging Emma’s hand free so he could hold it. “Being with you these past few days has been amazing.” He moved closer, daring to let his fingers sweep away a stray lock of her hair. “I don’t want to lose you again,” he whispered pulling her into his arms.

  Emma pulled away. “Will, I can’t do this.”

  “Em, please just let me say this, because I’ve meant to for a long time. I care about you. And I know you care about me too. I can feel it when we’re together. I want this,” he said picking up her hand again. “I want us.”

  Hurt swam in her eyes. “There is no us, Will.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t even live here anymore.”

  “You could move back. I mean you’re coming back for college, right?”

  “No. I thought maybe, but . . .” Emma shook her head sadly. “You should just leave me alone, Will. It’s better off that way.”

  “No it’s not,” he argued, unable to keep the anguish from his voice. “You know it’s not, Emma. New York will always be your home. This is where you belong. . . with me.”

  Emma closed her brilliant green eyes and released a tight breath trying to compose herself.

  Will ran his hands up her arms holding her in place. “Emma, I want you. I’ve always wanted you. Just tell me you feel the same and I’ll do whatever you want,” he begged.

  When she opened her eyes he barely recognized her. “What I want, is for you to leave me alone. I’m going back to Boston in a few days, and I want to p
retend this holiday never happened.”

  “How can you say that?” Will demanded, but he could see Emma was shutting down, putting up the wall she never let anyone behind—anyone but him.

  Emma already had one hand on the door to her father’s apartment. “I leave the day after Christmas,” she said calmly. “I need to spend time with my family.”

  “And what am I supposed to do?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “The same.”

  “That’s kinda hard when my family isn’t coming home.”

  Emma’s eyes flickered up to his with concern. A chink in her armor. “They called?” she asked.

  “No,” he laughed gruffly. “They sent Liz. That’s what she was doing at Macy’s today. Telling me my parents don’t care enough to come home for Christmas, in case you wanted to know the real reason we were talking instead of getting your gossip from Snapchat.”

  But there it was again, the simmering anger at the mere mention of Liz’s name. Emma’s hand twisted the doorknob and Will swallowed his pain. He was done. Done pouring his heart out only to get it stomped on. His parents didn’t care. Emma didn’t care. What the hell was the point of holding onto hope for those who only trafficked in disappointment?

  Will didn’t want to feel like this anymore. Maybe Emma had the right idea—build up your defense and ward off the pain before it could find a way in.

  Deflated, Will sighed. “Have a good Christmas, Emma.” Then he turned back toward his apartment and walked away.

  Emma

  Emma made it to the bathroom before she burst into tears. She turned on the shower to drown out her sobs as she slid to the floor and dissolved into a full-blown ugly cry. What the hell was wrong with her? Will had just told her he wanted her. He’d said everything she could’ve hoped for. So why wasn’t it enough? Why did she still feel so heartbroken?

  Because there’s no going back, the little voice in her head told her. Because he betrayed you and broke your heart the day he went into that closet with Liz and nothing will ever make it go away.