Blasphemous (25 page)

“That’s not happening anytime soon. She and I are through.” What was taking Emma forever to get back? Who was she talking to?

“Of course. Anyway, are you going to Taylor’s birthday party tonight? He called me when I landed a few hours ago.”

No. Emma was going to be there. Look at me, I just saw her for about ten minutes and I was already acting like a lovesick puppy. However, Taylor and
Trista would never forgive me if I didn’t go. “Yeah. You coming?”

“I’m thinking, but I don’t know if I should see my wife or not.”

That certainly got my undivided attention. “Excuse me? You’re married?
To who?
” Then the pin dropped. “Lindsey,” I whispered. Who else could it be? Everything made sense now. I had always wondered why Dimitris was acting funny after Trista and Lindsey left. Because he was secretly married to her.

“I eventually have to see her. We need to file for a divorce in Greece. My lawyers are nervous since I didn’t let her sign a pre-
nup. I’m sure she’d be glad to sign away because she couldn’t leave me fast enough. It sucks when you’re the person left behind, but as they say, life goes on and I’m glad this rubbish chapter is about to be done.”

“I’m sorry about that, dude. None of us had any idea. I’m glad you’re doing okay now.” I empathized, but my mind went blank when I saw the doorknob was being turned.

My lungs stopped working when Emma came back without giving me a glance. After months of not seeing each other, it seemed like she wasn’t interested in conversing with me. While I wanted to just consume her on the spot. Didn’t she miss me at all? The rational side thought that it was normal after how we ended our relationship, but the unreasonable side of me wanted her to acknowledge me—something—to make me feel somehow, less undeserving. My emotions were getting the best of me and I was having a hard time harnessing it.

A soft knock on the door was a Godsend. “How are we feeling? You guys are up in ten, yeah?” a woman with a headset and
iPad said as she yapped on the earpiece and to us.

Emma smiled up at her, mesmerizing me, before she stood up and strode over to the mirror and checked her make-up.

“Bass! Your phone’s ringing.” Dimitris threw a peanut at me, breaking me from my idiotic trance.

Nikki.

“Hello?”

“How’s your day going, honey? Did you check the picture I sent you?” Nikki was overtly sweeter than normal.

Why would she be sending me a picture? Hadn’t I made it abundantly clear that we were done before I left Dallas? “I haven’t yet, Nik. Was it important?”

“It is to me, hon. I miss waking up next to you.” She sounded so sad, I almost felt bad for breaking things with her.

But she knew the score. Why was Nikki being so clingy? I wasn’t joking when I said it was over. What’s so hard to grasp about that? “I have to go.”

“Do you not miss me at all? Not even a little bit?”

I don’t know? Honestly, I haven’t thought much about anything or anyone except for the woman who broke my heart. When I glanced at where Emma was standing, I caught her looking at me for a second before breaking the contact.

Fuck. That one look—even if it was directed with hate—made me
want to marry her and keep her with me forever.

“I’ll call you back after I check the message. Bye.” I cutoff the call before Nikki had a chance to whine again.

But wait—did I just think of marriage? Fuck. Marriage after half an hour with her in the room? In-fucking-sane.

I knew I had to get out of here before I decided to do something stupid. Coming out of the room,
Dimitris and Emma surprisingly trailed behind me as I went to go see Max, who was going to interview us in a short while.

“Bass! Awesome to have you back in!” The world-renowned disc jockey greeted me like an old friend as we shook hands before he did a double take behind me. “
Ahhh, you must me the beautiful Emma Anderson.” Max reached out and gave her a hug before offering his hand to Dimitris. “And the hot Greek. Great to meet you, man!  You guys have a massive crowd outside waiting for autographs, but we’ll do the interview first. We’ll go live in two minutes.”

He showed us where to sit. As always, Emma sat in between us. She was so close that when I got a whiff of her smell, I salivated so badly that my hands started shaking.

I released a long, drawn out breath when I saw the countdown to go live was about to hit the zero mark. Let me think of anything… anything other than Emma.

My wish was partially granted when Max directed a lot of his questions towards
me and Dimitris.

That didn’t last long, though.

“Emma, let me tell you, most of the questions are from your male fans. That GQ spread was on fire. They want to know if you’re single or seeing someone? If not, what’s your type?”

She gave a husky laugh, not even blushing at the kind of compliment Max just said to her. “I’m single, going on dates here and there and I’m loving it so far. My type? Hmm… let see. I like athletic men; tall, charming, funny… something along those lines.”

“Why athletes in particular?”

“I love the thighs. It’s my weakness.”

Well, that explained why she kept Carter. I bet she was imagining him when I was with her. I couldn’t explain it, but I was getting angry. The urge to wipe that easy, flirty smile off her face and drag her out of here was suddenly more appealing to me than sitting here, boiling to a combustible point.

One thing I noticed with her, though, Emma definitely had changed. She was really flirty now. The way she laughed, played with her hair, the provocative way she walked, even the way she bit into her bottom lip—which was cute and innocent before—but now it seemed quite suggestive.

Emma wasn’t demure before, but she had that air of naiveté and being sexy at the same time.

Eight months later, this new Emma was pure sin. Gone were the innocent, shy smiles. She radiated with sex appeal. Confident with everything she did like she was in her element.

I was in awe and, at the same time, terrified of her because whether it was the old or the new Emma, she still smelled like home to me.

After eight, long months of staying away, I knew I wanted to go home.

The question was… when?

Chapter 24

“It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.’ I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.”

- Rose Kennedy

Emma

“T and T is the bomb-diggity!” I kissed Trista and gave the birthday boy, Taylor, a big, crushing hug. “Happy Birthday Tay Tay!”

“Gee,
Em. It’s only seven-thirty in the evening and you’re almost drunk.” Taylor kissed my cheek before turning towards Carter, doing that whole handshake, chest-to-chest thing. “Keep an eye on her, man.”

I only had a glass or two to calm my nerves is all. What was the big deal? Seeing Bass again today did a good number on my sanity. Not only had he looked so good, but he made me want to die and float at the same time. Not to mention, that call he had with his girlfriend earlier almost made me lose my shit on the spot.

Nik
.

He called her
Nik. My anger skyrocketed then. It took all the will in me not to yank that phone away from his ear and kill him with it. Yeah, my thoughts were becoming deadly. Bass made me crazy, literally; physically and mentally deranged.

Hence Carter’s presence tonight as my plus one.
I needed someone close to tell me to breathe and get it together before I embarrassed myself.

“I will, I don’t plan on doing anything else.” Carter pulled me close to him just as
Trista started talking about how Lindsey was acting weird. Knowing our girl talk was not going to end any second, Carter excused himself to get us drinks and Trista pulled me towards the bedrooms, opening a door to let us in.

“See! I think she’s losing it.”
Trista pointed at Lindsey, who was all dressed to the nines, sitting crossed-legged on the bay window, smoking what looked like weed.

“Lindsey!” I screeched, walking towards her. “I need some of that! You need to learn how to share.”

Lindsey barely glanced at me before handing the rolled-up joint over. Since I was an amateur with these things, I ended up coughing it out since the burn behind the back of my throat made me choke.

“What the hell is going on?
Why?
” Trista went to sit on the bed, clearly upset. “We’ve all been living together for months now, I don’t get why the sudden slippery slope?”

Lindsey ignored
Trista as she explained to me how to do it properly. Per her instructions, the second hit was much better. Then I went on my third just to make sure I got it properly.
Much, much better
, I thought; pleased at myself. 

“See, it’s easy, doll.” Lindsey smiled at me, but her eyes were sad.

“You two have lost your minds! Amber is going to be here soon. She can’t be around drugs. What the hell, guys!
Why aren’t any of you listening to me?
”

“Relax will you,
Tris?” Lindsey looked at me, then at Trista, then back at me again. “Is
he
out there?” she whispered.

Trista
was folding her arms across her chest, incredulous. “
Who?
Brody? Or Dimitris? Yes and yes, both are out there.”

That explained things. Lindsey was nervous to see
Dimitris after months of not seeing him. Not to mention, Brody was in the same vicinity, the man she’s been yo-yoing for the past year.

“Damn you guys! Why did you have to invite them here? Why did you have to throw a hissy fit if I didn’t come here tonight,
Trista? I don’t think I can handle this.” Lindsey shot her a hateful glare.

“Oh, come the fuck on, Lindsey! You ended things with
Dimitris like forever ago. Big deal! That was last year. He’s not going to throw a damn tantrum just ‘cause you have another man after you. Brody, Carter, Cooper and a few other people are here because we grew up with them and, not to mention, Taylor is friends with them by association.” Trista huffed, getting up, frustrated at the both of us. “This is the first party I’ve ever thrown and it’s Taylor’s birthday for crying out loud. He’s done so much for me and I’m absolutely crazy about him. So, please, please, don’t screw this up. I need you guys’ support and help out there. I won’t ever forget it if you guys fuck this up.”

Trista’s
guilt speech made me feel,
yep
, like a selfish brat. She was right; she needed us to help out even if there were caterers, waiters and waitresses out there to get things moving.

“His mother and his brother will be here soon from Paris. This will be the first time I’m meeting them and I’m scared that they might not like me. Do you guys think Taylor will leave me if they don’t?”

“Trista, there’s nothing to worry about.” Lindsey smiled at her, handing her whatever’s left of the joint. “Here, it helps. Trust me. Just for tonight, we need it.”

“Fine, one puff, then we’re all out of here, kids!”
Trista obliged with one puff like a pro, pulled it out then dabbed the entire thing on the side window before throwing it in the trash bin. “Now, scoot and put those pretty smiles on and cleavages out. Make sure you guys are the most charming hostesses,
comprende
?”

The pool was adorned with rose petals and water lilies scattered atop it along with a clear, thick glass above it, making it a dance floor. The lighting was subtle, romantic, and it perfectly went with the setting that
Trista was going for.

“Emma Anderson! I’m a huge fan of the GQ photos. I’m Jacob and I go with Taylor to school. I was hoping for a picture?” A nice looking man with a charming smile intruded my thoughts. 

“I’ll take the picture.” Amber came out of nowhere and offered with a mile-wide grin.

Jacob cleared his throat. “Is it possible if you could kiss my cheek? It’s my birthday next week so that could be your present for me.”

“Emma, sex kitten, go wrap those arms around him and give him a kiss he’ll never forget,” Amber goaded.

Will I ever get used to this life, someone asking for a picture or an autograph randomly? I saucily posed as Amber demanded and gave Jacob a hot kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you, Emma! I can’t wait to see you in Blasphemous.” He blushed before walking away.

Carter and Brody came over, joining us with amused expressions on their faces. “You’re becoming a staple in the locker rooms, Emma,” Brody announced like he couldn’t believe why that was happening. 

Carter stiffened, looking at Brody like he was out of his mind. “
Who’s locker?
”

“Like I’d tell you, hot head. Where’s Lindsey? I haven’t seen her around,” Brody asked his usual question each time we were around.

He needed to man-up and demand Lindsey to take him seriously. They were having sex for crying out loud, yet she kept him at a distance.