Scornfully Hers (6 page)

“You sure? When you were with her last week, did it seem like she wanted to end it?” he asked, frowning.

Last week?
No, she was very sweet, gentle and extra clingy. Emma seemed like she couldn’t get enough of me. “No, I don’t think so.”

He looked at Lindsey again before speaking. “You sure she’s not in love with you? How many times have you been in this position before? I mean—women breaking it off so you could chase after them, but you never do. Maybe this is the same case, but now you really want to go after her?”

This had happened a lot before, but Emma, in love?
Was it possible?
I wasn’t so sure. “I don’t know, man. She seriously caught me off guard today.”

“Don’t just stand here and doubt some more. Go figure this shit out before news breaks out that you guys broke up,” Brody advised me, still not breaking his intensified gaze at my sister.

“It already did. The second I showed up without her, they already assumed that we were through, without me saying anything.”

“Guess you’re that predictable.” Brody frowned as he stared some more at Lindsey and Cooper.

Sighing, I knew I had to say something. “You like Lindsey.”

“Nah, nah.” He nervously glanced at me before staring back at them. “I grew up with her. I’m just protective, I guess.”

“Bullshit, Thompson! You’re turning red.” I learned in third grade that Brody turned red when he was lying. I was the only person who knew that, but he was still hell-bent on denial.

“Fuck off. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I love this dude, but wasn’t he a little too late for this? He messed it up so bad. “Whether you admit it or not, you’re on the outs man. You fucked her best friend. You killed it then.”

“She’s fascinatingly scary,” he said out loud, amazement in his voice. “I’ve always been in love with your sister, but she was too young and too innocent. I didn’t want to disappoint her. We were just too young.”

In love, I guess I knew that, too, deep down, I did. Why was he acting on this love now, though? He was cool with it before. Guess now things were different since one of his friends was all over the woman he couldn’t have. Well, no—Lindsey was the only woman
he chose
not to have. “Guess it’s best to keep it that way. She hates your guts, anyway.” Damn straight she does. Better not even try it with her. She was going to grill him until he was charred to perfection.

Brody was right; Lindsey was damn scary.

“She fucking does, doesn’t she?” he murmured, but his eyes looked like he was determined to get her.

Lindsey always had that star-struck look about her every time Brody was around. I wasn’t blind, but I also trusted my best friend not to do something stupid when she was in middle school or a freshman. I didn’t say anything to him because I knew Brody; he respected me enough not to go after my naïve sister, even if she was throwing herself at him at one point. Brody was a good man, but it seemed that he was starting to really see Lindsey now, moving on, dating other men, and not as that little girl who fed him apples while we played video games, cheering him on that he was the best player in the world. Yeah, little girl adoration, Brody got that in spades.

“Good luck.” I tapped his shoulder before downing my drink and placing it on a table. He sure needed all the luck he could get. Even if there’s a chance that Lindsey might still feel something for him, she sure as hell wouldn’t tell him that. I knew my sister. She’s going to make him suffer… maybe forever.

“You leaving already?”

I nodded, inserting my hands in my pocket before leaving Brody with his problems while I pondered some more about my situation with Emma.

I found myself parking outside her place, sighing before killing the engine. I had keys to let myself inside, knowing that it was just Emma here, but I was scared to check if Lewis was in there with her. So I sat there for another hour, contemplating if I should go in, confront her with or without her ex and talk properly. I finally decided that I should sleep on it and come back tomorrow.

Yeah, tomorrow would the best
, I thought with certainty as I maneuvered out of the parking spot and back on the road, driving towards my house.

Unbelievable

A knock came on the door before it was shoved open by a sleepy looking Brody. Seeing that I was in my bed, staring at the ceiling, he let out a sigh before he leaned against the shut door. “Guess you didn’t see her last night.”

“No, I thought maybe we needed some time—even just for a day—to breathe, you know? Anyway, I’m going to see her soon, maybe in a couple of hours.”

“I don’t think that possible. Your sister left to party in Hollywood with the girls, Emma included.”

“How’d you know?”

“I called Lindsey after—well—”

I raised my brow at him when he didn’t seem to know what to say next, which was mighty odd coming from the man I had known since birth.

“Fuck, bro. I don’t know how to say this, but I can’t say I’m sorry because I’m not.” He paused, folding his arms, eyes not breaking from mine. “I slept with Lindsey last night.”

Hearing that he slept with my baby sister was expected since the look on his face last night told me that he was going after her, but still, it was weird. I didn’t want to hear guys talk about my sister that way. I just didn’t want to tolerate it. “Huh.”

“She fucking left the second I fell asleep. She fucks with my mind. I went to go see her, but Cooper was there, too. What the fuck!” Brody groaned out.

Well, Lindsey wasn’t going to fall back into her Brody-was-my-god like how she did back a decade ago. I knew that. “You knew that was going to happen. Why are you even surprised?”

“Hell, I don’t know.
Because it’s supposed to mean more than that? It did to me. Guess she really wants to be with Coop.”

“Guess so,” I agreed, not caring much.

“Are you fucking serious? You’d rather want her to be with Cooper than with me?” Brody yelled at me, looking like I betrayed him or something.

Whoa, calm down there, bud.
“If she wants to be with you, all the better, but if she chooses Cooper, I’m fine with that, too. I want her happy, she’s been miserable for years because she didn’t see any other guy, other than you.”

“I know. I know. After last night, I don’t think I—” Brody ran a hand over his hair, grunting. “I gotta go. I’m going to get this shit straightened out before I run over every single person on the road,” he muttered before slamming the door shut.

Good for you, bro,
I encouragingly thought. For years, I knew he liked my sister, but he kept his distance. Brody never voiced it out loud. It’s surprising to think that it took him this long to come to his senses.

Back to my problem, now that I learned Emma was partying it up in Hollywood, I guess I had to change course. I could wait for her to come back from LA, or if I could reach her, I’d drive and check-in somewhere and we could talk from there. At this point, I was willing to do whatever it took to make her happy and stay with me. If she wanted more commitment, I’d do it, or at least, I’d like to try.

Coming out of the shower, I strode over to my closet to get ready and head out to LA when my phone shrilled on my side table. Groaning, I shook the wetness out of my hair as I strolled towards my ringing device.

Russo.
Argh, no parties tonight, man,
I thought with annoyance. “What up?” I answered before walking back towards my walk-in closet.

“Fuck man! Go on Facebook. Cece just posted a video of Emma dancing with that Hollywood vampire guy. He’s all up in your girl, man.” Russo was pissed. He sounded like Emma betrayed him or something.

With a calm voice, I spoke, “I’ll go ahead and do that. Thanks, bro. I’ll see you around.” Ending the call, I sprinted towards my laptop and logged on the social media site.

My heart was hammering so hard before I clicked on the said video. Halfway through, I shut the lid before throwing it against the wall. It hit the floor, cracked and broke. Just like me. “FUUUUUUUCKKK!” I screamed on top of my lungs. My body was shaking uncontrollably as I slid against the foot of the bed, the images of what I had just seen flashing before me.

After two minutes, I lifted myself off the floor and grabbed my phone to call Emma. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Yep, nine missed calls and no answer.

Shaking with all thumbs, I decided to text her.

Me:
Where the fuck are you?

After twenty minutes of agony, still no reply came. So I sent another message.

Me:
Cece just posted a video on Facebook of you and some celebrity guy dancing. What the fuck were you thinking?

And then another for good measure.

Me:
Pick. The. Fuck. Up!!!!!

When all of my messages went unanswered, I called Lindsey. No answer. Then, I was about to hang up on Amber when she picked up after the fifth ring.

“You only call when you need something, Carter. Wonder what this call might be about?” Amber acted all innocent, but I knew better.

These girls covered each other’s
asses and I wasn’t about to play their game. I was going through hell right now and I wasn’t in the right mind to be fucked with. “Where the fuck is she? I’ve been calling her, but she’s not picking up. Give the phone to her. I need to speak to Emma, Amber.”

My request was met with silence and after a good minute of waiting, I thought the line must be dead. “Amber, you there?”

“I am, sweetie. Emma’s not with us because Bass went to get her for you… and she left with him.” Amber’s voice was sorry; knowing that for me to even make this call was huge.

Hearing her apologetic voice made it even more real to me. Without a word, I cut the call, not wanting to expose myself, but more importantly, I had no voice to speak of.
Emma left with Bass Cole
. Hollywood’s heartthrob, a playboy who went through women quicker than a tornado, wreaking havoc in the Midwest. A guy that a lot of women went crazy about. Was Emma one of them? If he wanted to take her to bed, would she let him?

My thoughts were making me sick, but I wasn’t about to give up yet. No, not yet. Emma and I weren’t done. At two in the morning, I left the house and jumped inside my vehicle. I went to Emma’s apartment and waited until she came back. I didn’t care if I was acting like a complete ass and a crazy one at that. I had to know what the hell was going on.

Drive Me Crazy

Right after lunch, I was about to fall asleep on the couch when I heard the clicking sound of heels that stopped immediately outside the door. Getting up, I charged towards it and yanked it open. One look at Emma, was all it took to bring me an eternity of pain. She looked like she’d been up all night, but she had a glow on her face that only meant she enjoyed herself with the actor dude.

Emma was sure as hell shocked to see me, but she quickly recovered after a half a minute. “Uh… hello,” she said lamely as she started walking towards her bedroom.

I barred her passage, almost jumping on her. “Is that all you have to say? A fucking hello?!” I screeched, in turmoil that I was up all night and yet she walked in here as if she was bored. What bothered me more was that she looked
okay
, when I, on the other hand, was out of my mind, chasing images of her with another man.

Emma gave me a tired look, annoyed as she folded her chest in exasperation. “What do you want, Carter?”

Her careless expression goaded me more to act like a nutty, delirious man. Without thinking, I pulled her inside her bedroom and shut the door loudly before I shoved her up against the wall and placed my strong hands on each side of her head, caging her in.

“What I
want
is for you to explain what the hell you’re doing? The entire school knows about your little getaway and your little stint with that actor dude,” I hissed out, almost blurting how much hurt she was causing me, but I didn’t, because Emma looked like she was over me.

“That’s none of your business, Carter, and certainly not the entire campus’s either. I couldn’t care less about what they think. Now, will you please move? I need to rest. I’m exhausted.” She sounded completely nonchalant.

I was ready to take her right here, right now and demand she tell me that she wanted me back, but the image of Emma in someone’s bed last night made me see white in maddening rage.

“You’re exhausted?
From what
,
Em
?” My voice had gone low and deadly because, true enough, I was just a tiny push away from it.

Emma nervously swallowed hard, eyes on me, possibly thinking shit to come up with. “I said. That’s. None. Of.
Your. Business. Got it?” She spat the words back at me, almost just as riled up as I was.

It was my business, though. Emma made me happy. I felt like she completely left without giving me a second thought, without any regrets about us. “Don’t do this to me, Em… this is driving me insane!” I blurted out, knowing that this was the closest I’d come to begging her not to leave me.