Unbreakable(22)

“Maybe his new girlfriend can help you out. If she wants to be your friend, what better way to start? Fill her in on all of this, then ask her to be there when you present your case. Get her to back you up.”

Emmy’s mouth drops open. “Holy shit. That’s brilliant. He won’t want to look like a total ass in front of her, so he’d probably listen.”

“Does his girlfriend seem like a decent person? She won’t run and tell him this behind your back?”

Emmy slips from the inner tube as she floats over toward me. I grip the side of the dock and tread water.

“She’s seems pretty decent. Nice enough and eager to be friends, so I don’t think she’d tell him if I asked her not to say anything.” Emmy slaps the water and gives an excited little shriek. “Oh my God. Will, this could actually work. Especially if you and Sully are there to back me up. I want to come home. God, I miss you guys so much.”

She throws her arms around me, her big green eyes shining with happiness. I reach out and brush the back of my hand along her cheek. She’s so flushed with excitement that she’s practically glowing. But the moment I touch her, the entire dynamic between us changes. She’s so close that the bows of her bikini tickle my thigh with every ripple of the water.

My heartbeat thunders in my ears and my brain is screaming for me to move. To do something to lighten the mood. But I can’t look away from her face, and I’ve lost the power of speech. Those jade eyes leave me hypnotized.

“Will?” Her voice is barely a whisper.

I’m so close to just saying f*ck it all and kissing her. The way she’s looking at me right now—all sweet and dreamy—is like a siren song to my libido. I squeeze my eyes shut and mentally count to three, trying to gain some control back.

Emmy releases me and quickly scrambles up the dock ladder. She grabs her bag and flees.

Shit.

“Em, wait!”

But she’s gone, running along the dock toward the cottage.

I haul myself up onto the dock and jog after her, swearing under my breath.

Once inside, I follow the wet footprints upstairs, but her bathroom door is shut and the shower’s already running. Sagging back against the wall, I run my hands through my hair.

I just had to reach out and stroke her face. Nope, couldn’t keep my hands to myself, not even for one second.

Fuck. The only thing I can do is wait for her to come out so we can talk. Though I have no idea what the hell’s left to say.

I trudge to my room and change into dry clothes before going back downstairs to wait. Forty-five agonizing minutes later, she comes into the living room, looking as fresh and sweet as a daisy.

Her hair is loose around her shoulders, and she’s wearing a denim skirt and light yellow top that reveals one smooth, tanned shoulder. The scent of honeysuckle and violets fills the room, and my heart begins thudding in my chest.

“Em, listen,” I say, standing up slowly. “I just—”

She holds up a hand. “Look, let’s forget about it, okay?”

I shove my hands into the pockets of my jeans. “I’m sorry.”

Emmy crosses her arms. “What exactly are you sorry for, Will?”

“I’m sorry that I keep… that I can’t…” I hang my head and give it a shake. “Fuck. I’m sorry that I keep giving you mixed signals. I’m not doing it on purpose.”

A pained look crosses her face. “Mav. You’re—”

Her voice breaks, and she tries to smile, but instead it comes out as a grimace. “You’re my very best friend, okay? And this attraction between us, it’s not something we’re used to. It’s new, and hard for us to wrap our heads around our feelings. But we’ll deal with it together. Even if that means we need a time out every once in a while.”

She pauses. “And I’m sorry that I’ve been pushing you to try and make this into something more than friendship. I understand your reasons for why we can’t do this, okay?”

It begins to sprinkle outside, and the tic-tic of the water pinging against the windows is the only sound in the room apart from our breathing.

“Em, I really think we need to discuss this a little more.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t right now. I’m heading over to Jackson’s for the night, remember?”

“You’re still going over there?” I can’t mask the outrage in my voice. I’m beyond that now. I’m beyond it all.

“Why wouldn’t I?” she asks. “Nothing’s changed. I told you, I want to have fun this summer, and I meant what I said. You should be having fun too, Will. Brooke was really into you. There’s no reason you shouldn’t indulge a little. Let loose.”

“I’m not interested in f*cking Brooke,” I snap. “Jesus, Emmy!”

She grabs her keys and purse. “I didn’t say you had to f*ck her. But we have to shake off whatever this is between us, right?” Her voice rises, laced with desperation. “We have to!”

“Just tell me this. What do you see in that guy?”

She pauses at the front door before turning around to look at me. “I don’t see anything.”

“You’re right. You don’t. And you didn’t see the hand-job gestures he was making behind your back at the party, but I did. He doesn’t give a single f*ck about you, Em.”