by Izzy Sweet
Jerking my head up, I blink in surprise to see Casey suddenly standing close to me.
“Oh, nothing…” I mumble and turn my phone over before he can read it.
Casey scowls and the look he gives me has me instinctively bringing the forced smile I seem to be wearing more and more these days to my mouth. “It’s just my dad. I’ll text him back later.”
“Oh,” Casey says as if he’s a little surprised and then a strange expression passes over his face.
An expression that seems to be a mixture of envy and sadness.
I have the sudden, intense urge to hug him again. To wrap my arms around him and hold him until that expression disappears.
What the hell happened to him? How can a boy so young be filled with so much sadness?
“I think they gave me cookies. You want a cookie?” I stumble out and lean over to dig into the plastic bag.
Yeah, I feel like the biggest idiot as I pull out the two cookies that came with everything I ordered and hold one out to him.
But I don’t know what else to do.
I don’t know how to fix him.
Hell, I don’t know how to fix myself.
“Yeah, sure,” Casey says with so little enthusiasm as he accepts the cookie, you’d think I was handing him a head of broccoli or something.
“You’re giving out free cookies?” Emmett asks behind me, and my heart jumps back up from my stomach to land in my throat.
Just hearing his voice ramps up all my senses, instantly putting my body on high alert.
“Free cookies and sandwiches,” Casey grins smugly over my shoulder before taking a big bite out of his cookie, sending crumbs flying everywhere.
“Damn,” Emmett says, “I’m missing out.”
I smell him before I can bring myself to turn around and look at him. Smell that clean, crisp, male scent that tells me he’s also freshly showered.
A big hand comes down on the desk beside me and my world begins to shrink down as I sense him moving into my personal space.
All the little nerves in my body light up as if they’ve suddenly come alive. Afraid I might start to hyperventilate, I focus on keeping my breathing steady even though the beat of my heart is racing so fast I want to gasp for air.
I knew that I’d have to face him today, but I was hoping it would remain from a distance.
Slowly, oh so slowly, I turn and tip my head to look at him.
His face is mere inches away from mine, so close my lips begin to tingle, remembering his kiss.
This close, his face becomes my entire world. My entire existence.
It would take no effort at all to lean in closer and see if he still tastes like I remember him…
The corners of Emmett’s mouth pull up as if he knows exactly what I’m thinking and his lids lower.
Those eyes of his, those damn beautiful, intense eyes of his begin to suck me in, drawing me closer to the point of no return.
Then he asks, “You got any cookies left for me?”
I blink in surprise, the question yanking me out of my trance.
Realizing that I’m leaning into him, I jerk back.
Now it’s Emmett’s turn to look smug, as smug as Casey looked a moment ago.
And he’s not done yet.
Leaning in, he follows me.
I begin to panic, afraid he’s going to kiss me right here, out in the open.
Flustered, I ask, “You want my cookie?” and thrust my hand out to stop him.
Emmett finally breaks eye contact with me, glancing down at my hand before he chuckles. “Yes, I want your cookie.”
Fucking hell, I walked myself into that one.
My entire face burns with mortification as he plucks the cookie out of my hand and carefully lifts it up to his mouth.
Before his teeth sink in, I cut my attention back to Casey, using his presence to plant me firmly back in reality.
“So, you got any plans after this?” I ask, hoping to dissolve the tension in my bones with small talk.
Casey shrugs his shoulders and looks to Emmett.
I resist the urge to glance back and look at him too.
Yeah, I’m not falling for that trap again. I’ve already made a fool of myself enough today, thank you very much.
I can hear Emmett wiping his hands together before he says, “I was thinking we’d get some pizza and catch a movie. You down for it?”
Casey’s face lights up and he’s quick to answer, “Yeah!”
Happy for Casey, I find myself smiling at his enthusiasm.
Then Emmett’s voice brushes against my ear. “How about you, Bree?”
“Me?” I blurt out in surprise.
Emmett chuckles. “Yes, you. Are you up for catching a movie with us?”
My first instinct is to tell him no, sorry, I’m busy. I have to wash my hair tonight and I seriously need to shave my legs.
But Casey turns his full attention on me, eyes pleading with me to accept.
I don’t know why he wants me to come out with them, but the thought of letting him down makes me feel a little sick.
Shit.
“I don’t know…” I murmur and squirm a little on the desk.
I’m supposed to have dinner with my father and Tristan tonight. If I don’t show up, my father is going to be absolutely livid.
And besides, the last thing I want to do is spend an entire evening with Emmett, especially when I need to be doing the exact opposite. I need to avoid his ass.
“Please?” Casey asks and the look he gives me causes my heartstrings to tighten.
Oh my god, how can I say no to that face? Right now, he looks so sweet and innocent, I can’t stand it.
Damn it all.
Emmett did this on purpose.
I guess it comes down to who am I willing to let down more? My father or Casey?
Sighing over all the shit this is going to cause, I answer reluctantly, “Okay. I guess I’m down for a movie.”
“Yes!” Casey exclaims as he bounces up a little and beams at me with pure happiness.
I try to smile back but now I feel sick at the thought of not only being in a dark theater with Emmett but also pissing off my father.
“Great,” Emmett says as if he expected that answer. “I’ll pick you up at your house at six?”
I shake my head, immediately shutting that down. “I’ll meet you at the theater.”
There’s no way I’m getting in a car with him.
“Yeah…” Emmett drawls out, and I brace myself for what’s going to come out of his mouth next. “That’s not going to work. We’re going to get pizza first, and it will be easier to pick you up than give you directions.”
Some of Casey’s happiness begins to fade away, replaced by a touch of concern as he looks between us.
Ugh. I no longer have the urge to kiss Emmett.
No, I want to strangle him as I clench my teeth together and try to hold a smile.
I can’t keep arguing with him though because it’s obviously upsetting Casey, and upsetting Casey completely defeats the purpose of agreeing to go in the first place.
So I have no choice but to accept his terms. “Fine. Pick me up at six.”
“Alright, it’s a date,” Emmett says, and I jerk my head in his direction just in time to see the smug, self-satisfied grin on his face. “Come on, Casey, it’s time to go. We’ll see you later, Bree.”
Oh, that dirty, rotten, no-good, cocky bastard.
“It’s not a date,” I correct, but he only chuckles at me.
“Bye Bree,” Casey smiles and waves.
I manage to wave back without giving Emmett the middle finger. I even manage to not to call him a jerk out load.
But I stew over his underhanded move for so long, I almost miss a crucial detail before he and Casey walk out the door.
I turn and call out, “Hey,” just as Emmett grabs the handle. “Don’t you need my address to pick me up?”
“Nope,” Emmett answers and lifts up hi
s phone. Waving the phone at me, his grin grows wider. “I’ve got it right here.”
Confused, I don’t get what he means at first, and before I can get some clarification, he walks out the door.
What the hell? How does he have my address in his—
He didn’t.
Remembering he had my phone yesterday, I quickly unlock the screen and check my contacts.
After scrolling around a bit, I find him. The cocky bastard is right there in my list.
And, as if that’s not bad enough, he had the gall to add himself as: My Future Husband.
Chapter Eleven
Bree
Sometimes in life there are decisions that you know right away are bad decisions. Decisions that will fuck your life up and have long lasting consequences.
Going out with Emmett tonight definitely feels like one of those fuck-my-life-up bad decisions.
Staring at the mess of clothes on my bedroom floor, I wonder what the hell I’m doing.
Am I a sucker for punishment?
With all the other shit going on, why am I doing this to myself?
Casey’s pleading face flashes in front of my eyes as a reminder.
Oh yeah, for Casey…
But is it really only for him? Or deep down, do I want this to be more?
Do I want this to be the start of… something?
Turning to the face the mirror hanging on the back of my door, I tug at the skirt of the little blue sundress I have on.
Ugh, it’s too cute, and makes it look like I’m treating this like a date. And it’s totally not a date…
Ripping the dress off and tossing it to the side, I stomp over to my closet and push my hangers around. I have a wardrobe that could put most girls my age to shame. Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Burberry… From my tops to my bottoms, it’s designer everything. But it’s all stuff bought with my father’s money, and the thought of wearing any of it out tonight doesn’t feel right.
It doesn’t feel like me.
With the time I have left before Emmett gets here ticking in my ears, I push myself through the mass of clothes to get to the back of my closet.
The only good thing about Emmett being able to track me through the find my friends app on my phone is that I can also track him. When I checked two minutes ago, he was ten minutes away.
Which means he’s eight minutes away now, and I still need to brush my teeth…
Shit.
Desperate to find something, I start to dig through a box full of clothes I haven’t worn since high school. As I pick through the pieces, memories threaten to distract me, memories of happier days, but I shove them away.
After sorting through a bunch of worn-out stuff that I bought at Target, back when that was all I could afford, I finally stumble across a black band shirt and tug it on. It’s a little tight in the boobs, but it still seems to fit. Knowing my ass won’t squeeze into any of my old jeans, I settle on wearing a pair of red running shorts I’d normally wear to the gym and push my way back of out of the closet.
Standing in front of the mirror again, I take myself in. I look casual, like I really don’t care, which is exactly the look I’m going for.
Yanking out my hair tie, I run my fingers through my hair until it falls down my shoulders.
Makeup or no makeup?
Peering at myself, at the dark bags appearing under my eyes, I decide no makeup. I don’t want to give even a hint that I’m trying.
I stare one more time at my reflection then put my running shorts to good use and make a dash for the bathroom. After quickly brushing my teeth and pulling a brush through my hair, I’m ready to go.
I check my phone and the app shows me that Emmett is two minutes away.
Perfect timing. Just enough time, in fact, to get my butt down the stairs and out the front door before Logan or my mom wonder what’s up.
Grabbing my purse, I throw it over my shoulder and make it all the way to the front door before my mom calls out from the kitchen. “Aubrey? Is that you?”
“Yes, Mom,” I call back as I pull open the right side of the double doors. “I’m heading out for a bit. I’ll be back later tonight.”
A black Jeep Wrangler pulls up in front of the house just as I pull the door closed behind me.
Emmett hops out of the driver’s seat and comes around to open the passenger door for me.
And damn, if the way he’s dressed in his muscle-hugging black t-shirt and tight blue jeans doesn’t have me almost stumbling down the front steps to land on my face.
With his hair slicked back and his clothes ironed and wrinkle-free, he looks like he’s doing exactly what I don’t want to be doing—going on a date.
I’d pause for a moment and take in the sight of him, but I’m afraid I might freeze in place, never wanting to do anything else again.
Emmett lets out a low whistle between his teeth as he takes in the mansion behind me. “Nice place you have here.”
I’m not sure he intended to do it, but that remark has my defenses immediately shooting up.
“Yeah, it’s not mine,” I say and flash my teeth at him before I slide into my seat.
That left eyebrow of his quirks up and he looks a little surprised as he shuts my door for me.
Watching him walk around the front of the Jeep, I almost forget we’re not alone, when Casey says behind me, “Hey Bree.”
Twisting around, I offer him a smile he doesn’t see as I say, “Hey Casey.”
Nose pressed almost against the glass, Casey gawks out the window at the house like he can’t believe what he’s seeing. Twisting back around, I look out my own window, trying to see the place with his eyes.
When did such luxury and opulence become normal to me?
“Whose house is it?” Emmett asks as he slides into the driver’s seat and shuts the door.
The way he asks it has me cutting him a sideways glance. Did I detect a touch of jealousy there?
He just stares out the front windshield as he puts the car into drive and pulls us out of the driveway.
“It’s Logan’s and my mother’s,” I answer and smother a grin.
I don’t know why the possibility of him being jealous makes me happy, but it does.
“Who’s Logan?” Casey asks from the backseat.
I glance into the mirror to look at him as I answer. “He’s my stepfather. Chase’s dad.”
Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Emmett’s shoulders visibly relaxing.
“Oh….” Casey drags out as if he’s just figured it all out. “So that’s why Chase was calling you his sister.”
“Yep,” I say and lean back in my seat. “His dad and my mom got married last spring.”
“Cool,” Casey responds, sounding both distracted and bored at the same time.
“Yeah, cool,” Emmett mimics and looks over at me, smirking.
Our gazes meet, and I experience that little jolt that’s beyond unnerving, especially as it settles deep in my belly. This time, though, instead of smiling nervously at him, I simply shake my head and roll my eyes at him.
“What movie are we going to see?” I ask and turn to my window.
Peering through the glass, I pretend to watch the scenery while I’m truly just trying to disengage myself from Emmett and all the confusing feelings he’s stirring inside me.
Emmett begins to tap his fingers against the steering wheel. “There are three choices. The new Avengers movie, the new Spider-Man movie, and the new X-Men movie.”
Three superhero movies, great… I was super-heroed out like a year ago, but I guess those are the only movies that would interest Casey.
Emmett stops tapping his fingers and I feel the weight of his eyes on me. “Which one do you want to watch?”
Shrugging my shoulders, I find his reflection in the glass. “I’m good with whatever has Chris Hemsworth in it.”
I watch all the humor fade from his face and have to bite my lip to keep from laughing as he growls, “The new Lion King it is.”
Emmett’s expression grows darker as I smile at him, then Casey chimes in from the backseat. “But we didn’t get—”
“I know, it’s just a joke, Casey,” Emmett says quickly, cutting him off and shooting him a pointed look.
That pointed look has my spider-sense tingling.
Looking between the two of them, I can’t help but feel like there’s something they know that I don’t.
Casey shrugs his shoulders and plops back against his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. “Just sayin’.”
It’s my turn to arch a brow at Emmett. Is he planning to do something sneaky? After the whole Future Husband thing in my phone, I wouldn’t put it past him.
Avoiding my eyes, Emmett reaches for the dial on the radio. “So, you like classic rock?”
“I guess,” I answer with a frown, not happy that he’s changing the subject.
Emmett finally glances over at me as he comes to a stop at a light, but he only looks at my face for a moment.
His eyes drop down, scanning across my chest. “You guess? You’re not really a Def Leppard fan? I didn’t take you for a poser.”
I look down, following his line of sight, and then feel my face warm. “Oh… yeah… this…” I mumble and then clear my throat. “I went to see them like four years ago with my mom.”
I wasn’t aware of my breasts a minute ago. Seriously, I completely forgot they existed. But after one little innocent look from Emmett, they feel warm and heavy. Tingling with every little breath I take.
“Ah, so your mom is the fan,” he says, the corners of his lips tipping up as he cuts his eyes back to the road.
“Yeah,” I answer as I give into the urge to cross my arms.
“What kind of music do you like?” Emmett asks, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel again. “No… let me guess—”
“Taylor Swift!” Casey cackles, cutting Emmett off.
I could honestly care less about Taylor Swift, but I’m curious to know why Casey would think liking her music is funny. Is it because she’s a girl?
“What’s wrong with Taylor?” I ask defensively.
“I knew it!” Casey exclaims and cackles some more like it’s the funniest thing.