Unbreakable(23)

Her eyes fill with tears, and she draws in a sharp breath.

Seeing her reaction makes me feel like total shit. It was a dick move to tell her, but she needs to know he’s not a good guy. The thought of her kissing him, touching him, having sex with him? It turns my stomach. He doesn’t cherish her. He doesn’t have a f*cking clue about the girl standing in front of me.

“Don’t do this,” I say quietly. “Don’t give yourself to him. He doesn’t deserve you.”

Emmy doesn’t reply. She simply stands there, looking at me for a few heartbeats. Then she’s gone. Dashing out the front door and down the stairs into the rain.





Chapter Ten





EMMY




Will and I are in such an awful, awkward place. The last thing I want to do is fight with him, because it hurts—badly. He’s always been the calm in every storm I’ve weathered, but the attraction we’re fighting is wearing us both down. It’s like a living, breathing entity surrounding us, and the temptation is just too much.

Hot tears burn my eyes. They’re a drastic contrast to the cool rain that’s pelting my cheeks. I ran out of the cottage so fast I didn’t even grab my umbrella, and I’m going to be soaked through before long.

Despite what I told Will, I’m not going to Jackson’s. Not after what just happened. That’s the very last place I want to be. I knew Jackson was cocky, but I didn’t realize he was that much of a jerk.

My goals for this vacation, which seemed so simple before, are now all twisted up and confused. Everything holds a weight that I didn’t expect, and every single decision I make feels heavy and suffocating.

It’s not supposed to be like this.

Lightning streaks across the slowly darkening sky as the rain bounces off of the pavement. I hurry down the road, still unsure of where the hell I’m going. Not like it matters, as long as it’s not back to the cottage.

When I told Will I was keeping my date with Jackson, he’d been hurt and angry. But the disappointment in his eyes had been the hardest part to bear. I don’t want to see that look on his face ever again.

The wind picks up as I trudge through the storm, and mud from the dirt road up ahead flows freely over my favorite designer sandals. They’re completely ruined, and I can’t even bring myself to care.

“Emmy! Emmy, wait!”

I turn around and see Will jogging toward me. I stop, crossing my arms and hunching my shoulders against the storm as another gust of wind threatens to blow me over.

“Mav? What are you doing out here?”

Will stops directly in front of me, and our eyes lock.

“This.”

He moves as fast as the lightning had, striking before I know what hits me. His hand cups my face as his lips crash against mine. I gasp and stumble backward, but he wraps his arm securely around my waist and stops my fall. My knees go weak as his kiss grows hot and possessive.

Letting out a low groan, he buries his face in my neck and presses his lips against my flushed, damp skin. Then he pulls back and looks at me.

“I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long, Em.” Will’s voice is barely a whisper as he brushes a wet lock of hair away from my face.

“Then don’t stop.” Even I can hear the plea in my voice, but I don’t care. I want this. I want him.

I don’t have to ask twice. Once we start kissing, we can’t bear to stop. His tongue slides gently against my own at first, soft and sweet as I cling to him. But as he claims my mouth over and over again, our kisses spiral out of control until thunder cracks overhead and startles us apart.

I meet his eyes; they’re so full of desire, and I’m one hot second away from melting into a puddle at his feet. The look on his face is dangerous to my heart.

“But… what about everything you said before?” I manage.

“I can’t stand the thought of you with that guy.” He squeezes his eyes shut. “He doesn’t care about you.”

Lightning flashes way too close, and I jump.

“We have to go back, Em. It’s not safe out here.”

Will takes my hand, and we run through the driving rain back to the cottage. We manage to get inside the screened-in porch just as a loud clap of thunder rattles the entire house. He closes the windows so the porch doesn’t flood, then turns around to face me.

I’m still shaking from his hot kisses, and I don’t know what any of this really means.

“Will, what about Sully? And our friendship? What about all of your reasons for not doing this in the first place?” The questions pour out of me, and I’m helpless to stop them. I need answers.

He glances out of the window at the storm before bringing that intense blue gaze back to me. “I guess all of that depends on you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“This? Whatever’s going on between us? It has to end when everyone arrives.”

My heart sinks. That’s only a few days away, and after those incredible kisses, I know that’s not going to be enough time.

“Why? Can’t we just talk to Sully and—”

“No,” he says firmly. “This is what you wanted. A summer hookup, right? We can have that, but it has to have an end date.”

I bite down on my lower lip and consider this.