“Figured you out…?” I repeat, confused. I stop when I understand what she’s saying. “No way would I ever end our friendship because of your sexuality, Em.”
“Why, then?”
“Because it was easier,” I sigh. It sounds just as weak when I say it out loud. “I needed a fresh start. With everything that was going on with my parents…”
“So it had nothing to do with my brother?” I bite my lip and don’t reply. She chuckles, her laughter ringing down the line. “Dude, I wouldn’t have told him. I was just teasing you. Honestly, I thought it was cute you were crushing on Drew.”
“It was more than a crush, Em. I was hopelessly in love with him.”
“Was? You sure about that?”
“No…”
“I didn’t think so. You need me to come be a buffer between you and Drew?”
“Please.” I’m ashamed of how needy I’m acting, but I do need the buffer. I need the space. I really need a fucking distraction.
“You guys at Max’s?”
“Yes. Are you really coming, Em?”
“On my way. You owe me, Aubriella.”
“I love you, Emmerson.” She giggles and disconnects the line. Thank God for Em.
*****
Twenty minutes later, Emma strolls through the front door carrying a bottle of wine.
“What’s up, Em? Did you need something?” Drew asks, stepping between Emma and me.
“Nope. Here for Aubs. You guys have some learning to do; I need to prep the music and I really need to catch up with Aubriella. It’s been way too long. Move it, brother.”
“You’re here for Aubrey?” he asks in disbelief. He glances in my direction, and I nod my confirmation.
“Yep,” Em nods. “Girl time. Apparently, she’s going through some stuff with a guy and needs a friend. That’s where I come in.” I quietly laugh when she holds the wine and grins a Ditner smile at her brother. Excellent job, Em.
“What do you know about guys?” Drew laughs.
“More than you know about women,” she retorts. The guys laugh as Em pushes past Drew and throws her arms around me. I grin and hug her back.
“I bet it’s that Nate guy again,” Max mutters, obviously stuck on the part where I’m hooked up on a guy. At least he thinks it’s Nate and not Drew. “This whole year has been about her yammering on about that dude. If I never hear his name again, it’ll be the best day of my life.” Drew’s head whips in his direction.
“What?” Max asks, tossing his arms in the air. “The girl’s a heartbreaker, leaving that poor lovesick boy behind to come here and help me. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was going to propose.”
“Me going on about him?” I laugh. “I can’t have a conversation with you without you bringing him up!” I narrow my eyes at my brother. “Maybe he should propose to you.”
I grab Emma’s hand and drag her back to my room, not letting any of the guys ask any more questions about my relationship status. Let Drew stew for a little bit. He deserves it. Let him think I have a boy in the States who wants to be my husband. He doesn’t need to know we’re broken up, and Max can’t tell him since I haven’t told Max. I grin at my friend. Perfect, Emma, fucking perfect.
“Did I do okay?” she asks when I kick the door shut.
“I forgot how amazing you really are. I missed you, Emma.” I throw my arms around her again and kiss her on the cheek. She squirms out of my hold and rolls her eyes.
“Shut up with this shit. We don’t do warm and fuzzy.” She grins at me. “And for the love of God, it’s Em. Or Emmerson. Emma makes me feel like I’m in trouble with my mother.” She holds up the bottle, a cheeky look in her eyes. “Now, crack this wine open so we can get pissed, and you can clue me in on the music for this strip show.”
Nodding, I pull a corkscrew from my suitcase and Emma raises her brow. “What? I never leave home without it. You never know when you’ll need it and won’t have it.”
Shaking her head, she pulls out the cork. We forgo the glasses and drink straight from the bottle. I swish it around in my mouth, savoring the taste before I swallow. She had to have taken this from her mum’s wine cellar; it’s far too expensive just to be something she picked up on her way over. And it’s chilled.
For an hour, we sit and catch up on everything I’ve missed in her life and all the things I didn’t tell her about me. It’s refreshing. As much as I missed Jacey, reconnecting with Emma brings a whole new meaning to friendship. With the exception of the guys in the other room, there won’t ever be two people closer than Emma and me—exact opposites, but we sync so well. It’s a perfect day, no matter how hurt my heart is. One hour alone with Emma has helped me forget about Drew. At least for now.
I feel loads better after clearing the air with Em, and it’s given me the confidence boost I needed to go out there and do what needs to be done for Max. Smiling into the mirror, I run my fingers through my long hair. I take a deep breath and stalk out of my bedroom toward the loud and undisguisable voice of Drew. His eyes glint when he spots me walking toward them, that little smirk on his lips deepening. I return the look with just a little bit more attitude.
Oh, you’re laughing now, but you won’t be when you see the choreography I’ve got planned for you. If he thinks I’m going to let him fluster me, he’s in for a shock.
Only one of us is going to be falling over ourselves, and it’s not going to be me.
Chapter Eleven
Drew
I swear she’s trying to mess with me.
It’s been three days since her impromptu lap dance, and though she says she’s over it, I know she isn’t. Why else would she be acting like this? Scowling, I stand there, watching her grind against Nash, disguising her soft porn moves as choreography for our show.
Every rehearsal has been like this, and I’m hitting my limit on her shit. Anger pulsates through me as my eyes momentarily meet hers before she looks away, the tiny glimpse of a smile on her lips the last straw.
I push up off my seat and storm into the kitchen, trying to ignore the sound of her laughter as it rings in my ears, probably because of something stupid Nash has said. That guy always says stupid shit, and for some reason, the chicks love it.
Standing over the sink, I stare out the window, trying to calm myself. My reaction is just what she wanted, which only fuels my anger even more. God, she gets under my skin. Why the fuck is she acting like a child? Because that’s what she is. Well, almost, anyway. She’s barely fucking legal, yet it takes all my control not to throw her against the wall and slam my tongue down her throat. This should be proving to me how right I was to stop things before they progressed any further, but that isn’t making me feel any better.
“You okay, man?”
My hands clench around the edge of the counter at the sound of Max’s voice.
“You’re the one who looks like shit,” I reply, my mood softening. He laughs and eases himself onto a chair, coughing loudly into his closed hand. “That shit in there getting to you, too?”
“You mean Aubs?” He shakes his head, a rueful smile on his cracked, pale lips. “She’s just doing it to get a rise.”
“Great choice of words,” I say, smiling in spite of myself. “That kind of behaviour is going to get her in trouble someday.”
“You think I don’t tell her that?” he laughs. “You know my sister. Can’t tell her to do anything. I used to think it was cute how independent she is. Now it’s just a damn nuisance.”
“You’re not worried about him?” I jerk my finger in the direction of the living room, a scowl on my face.
“Who, Nash?” He laughs. “I trust you guys with my life. I know none of you would do that to me. Not even you.”
Shit, way to make me feel even worse. I know he’s joking, but it’s like he knows something has gone down. Or maybe that’s just my conscience. For a brief second, I consider telling him we kissed. Bad idea. He has enough on his plate without worrying about me coming on to his sister.
“I gotta get out of here for a while,” I mutter. I leave the kitchen, ignoring Max’s puzzled look, and stalk back through the living room to the front door. I don’t even glance in her direction.
“Hey, you’re supposed to be learning this, too,” Aubrey calls out.
“The only thing I’m learning is how far you’re willing to go to piss me off,” I growl. The other guys look up with interest as she struts over to stop me leaving.
“What are you talking about?” she says, dropping her voice. She plays innocent so well; I almost believe her. “I was just showing him what to do, isn’t that what you wanted?” Her dark eyes lock onto mine, and I couldn’t look away if I wanted to. “You made it clear we weren’t going to happen, so you don’t get to act like this, okay? If you’re going to question every little thing I do, then maybe you should just stay away from me for a while.”
“I’m sorry,” I mumble. I’m such an idiot; she’s right. What she does is none of my business. I’m making a big deal out of nothing. The only thing I’ve managed to achieve here is letting the guys think there is something going on. I glance back in their direction and scowl at Sam, who is slowly shaking his head in amusement.
“So are you going to run away like a spoilt five-year-old who didn’t get his lollypop, or are you going to learn this routine and help save your best mate’s life?” she asks, hand on hip, determination in her eyes.
“Learn the fucking routine,” I mutter. Way to make me feel like a selfish wanker. “Can you just lay off the grinding?”
“Fine,” she says, grabbing my hand, yanking me back toward the guys.
“What are you doing?” I whisper.
“If you don’t want me to use them, then I guess I have to use you.”
Fuck. That’s even worse. How the fuck am I gonna mask the raging boner I know I’m gonna get if she goes anywhere near me with that arse? Even more so, how am I going to keep my hands off her?
“Okay,” Aubrey nods, her brow creased in concentration. “You’re getting it. Sam, you just need to bend that knee more so you’re lower to the ground. And Nash, it’s left, right, left, up, not the other way around.”
We’ve been at this for hours, and the only thing keeping me going right now is knowing this is all for Max. He’s been laid back on the couch for the last hour, watching us, looking like he’s about to pass out—or die. Every few minutes, I catch Aubs looking over at him as he coughs up his lungs. When he starts spitting up blood, I know she’s worried about him, and to be honest, I am, too. The guy needs a doctor or something, whether he likes it or not. If we’re not quitting, he can’t, either.
“Okay, I think we’re done for the day. Aubs, can you grab Max his jacket? And maybe a blanket?” She pads out of the room, returning a few seconds later with both.
“Where are you taking him?” she asks.
“To the hospital. No arguments,” I add when Max arks up. I heave him to his feet, throwing his arm around my neck. Sam jumps on the other side, and together we lead him out to my car.
“Here,” Aubrey says, jumping in front of us so she can open the car door. We load him in the back, wrapping the blanket tightly around his shivering body. “I’m going to sit back here with him,” Aubrey says, climbing in next to her brother.
“I’ll come, too,” Sam offers.
“I’ll keep you guys up to date,” I tell Cam and Nash before sliding into the driver’s seat. I glance back at Max. He looks even worse, if that is possible, and I wince as he lets out another dry, hacking cough.
“It’s okay, man. I’ll have you at emergency soon,” I promise him. He mutters something under his breath. I raise my eyebrows. “What’s that?” I ask, eyeing him in the rear vision mirror.
“He said he liked it better when you were too focused on other shit to worry about him,” Aubrey pipes up. Max glowers at her, and I laugh.
“Right now, you’re my number one priority.”
We pull into the emergency department of Royal Melbourne Hospital. Sam and Aubs jump out with Max. Aubs disappears for a minute, returning with a wheelchair. Smart girl. She helps Max into the seat, and she and Sam push him into the ER department while I spend the next five hours fighting for a carpark.
Really, it only takes me twenty minutes to find a park, and by the time I’m back in the waiting room, Max is already being seen by a doctor. I sit down next to Sam, who gives me a slap on the back.
“He’ll be okay.”
“But what if he isn’t? What if all this is too late?” I ask. I’m not ready to lose my friend. As selfish as it is, I need him around. Who is going to listen to me whinge about shit? There’s plenty of stuff I tell Max that I couldn’t tell Sam or the other guys. Like when my parents first told me they were splitting, or when I had a crush on Melanie Preacher in ninth grade.
“Don’t think like that,” Sam replies.
Easier said than done.
Two hours later, we are still waiting for news. We’ve heard nothing, other than a five-minute visit from Aubs to tell us they’re running some tests. I watch as she disappears back into the patient area, unaware Sam is eyeing me off.
“You wanna tell me what’s going on there?” he asks.
“What?” I can’t keep the defensiveness out of my tone. “No idea what you mean.” I shrug and slouch forward in my seat, studying my hands intently.
“Come on, man; I’m not an idiot. It’s obvious every time you look at her that something is going on. And then there’s your little tantrum earlier.” He studies my face, a grin forming on his mouth. “You’re fucking Max’s kid sister, aren’t you?”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” I retort. “We’re not fucking, okay? We kissed. That’s it.” There’s no point telling him the rest because it doesn’t matter. I’m not interested in fucking Max over any more than I already have.
“A kiss can lead to a lot of things,” Sam muses, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully.
“Yeah, that’s how you end up shacking up with a chick you’re not really into?”
“I haven’t given Laura an answer yet, and who says I’m not really into her?” Sam protests. “We’ve been together for over two years. I wouldn’t still be with her if I wasn’t.”
“Dude,” I laugh, “you’re with her because she’s never pushed for more out of the relationship. Regular sex, the occasional date night and you get to keep your man pad. But now she wants more, and you think maybe she’s not what you want.”
Sam opens his mouth to protest but then closes it. “When did you get so smart?”
I shrug. “It’s just easier to analyze other people’s relationships than your own sometimes.”
“Your own?” Sam laughs. “You’ve never had a relationship, dude. You go from chick to chick without a care in the world. You’re the last person in the world I could ever imagine settling down with anyone.” He smirks. “And the first person who comes to mind when it comes to your friends’ sisters.”
“Geez, cut me some slack,” I mutter.
“I will when you admit you have a thing for Aubrey,” Sam retorts.
“It doesn’t matter if I do, does it?” I say with a humorless laugh. “I promised Max I wouldn’t go there. The guy is dying. He doesn’t need me making things more complicated.”
“Do you like her? Like, really like her? Or is she just a new and shiny distraction for you?” Sam asks.
“I like her, okay?” I growl, whipping my neck around to glare at him. Fuck, admitting I really like this chick is hard. I don’t do relationships for a reason. They always fuck up. I’ve been hurt before, and it’s not something I want to feel again if I can help it.
“Then what’s the problem? For fuck’s sake, man up and do something about it. Max doesn’t want his sister getting hurt—and I don’t blame him—but if you really like her, then do something.”
But what if I do end up hurting her? As much as I like her, I’m terrified I’ll do something stupid to fuck everything up. I
t’s not worth the risk. Not if it means hurting her. Sam sighs and tries again.
“Max is dying, and Aubrey is going to need all the support she can get.” Sam shifts in his seat and turns to stare at me. “If this doesn’t work, she’s going to need us. She’s going to need you.”
“Just leave it, man,” I mutter. “We’re friends and that’s it. Nothing more.”
At least I can’t fuck that up.
Another hour later, Aubrey comes back to the waiting room with a dejected look on her face and mascara stains on her cheeks. It doesn’t take me more than a second to rush to her and sweep her into my arms. Sam’s quick on my heels and is the first to speak.
“What is it, Aubs? Is he okay? You can’t just be all quiet.”
“The chest x-rays just came back. Pneumonia. They’re admitting him,” she says, her words muffled by my arm partially covering her mouth.
“Okay. They can treat it, though, right?” Sam asks, and I can’t bring myself to question anything. My world is falling away from underneath me and the only thing keeping me grounded is Aubrey.
“They’ve got him hooked up to a bunch of stuff. Some medicine, something to help him rest without hurting himself with the coughing, and oxygen. He just looks so … sick. I know he’s really, really sick, and he’s been looking worse for the last few weeks, but right now, he’s just not my Max.” She looks up at me, her eyes puffy from crying. “I don’t know what to do.”
“You stick with us. We’ve got you,” I finally get out, squeezing her one last time before letting her go.
“He’s right, Aubs. We’re family. You’re never alone,” Sam reiterates, making sure Aubrey knows she has people here, even though for the last decade she’s been in America. She’s still ours, and we’re still hers.
“Alone sounds pretty good right about now,” she mumbles. “I need a bath and bed. Can you drive me back to Max’s place?”
“You sure you don’t want some company? It’s been a while since you’ve been back. What if you need something? How about you come to my place. Laura isn’t coming over tonight.” I side-eye Sam, angry that he knows how I’m feeling about Aubrey, but also happy he’s taking the option for me to be alone with her right now. Double-edged sword and all that.
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