Unbreakable(57)

It’s been so long since I’ve gotten dressed and out of the house, it almost seems weird to be wearing anything but my pajamas. The past week has been really hard on me. I have to admit, it will be good to shake off some of my misery. A night out with the girls might help.

When I come back downstairs, Violet and Peyton both smile.

“There’s our girl,” Peyton says. “Please, remind me to burn those horrible pajamas later.”

“Hey, I love SpongeBob,” I complain.

“So do I, but those pajamas are threadbare, Em. And they reeked of sour milk and coffee.”

“I’ll wear them till they fall apart,” I say, sticking out my tongue at her. “So, where are we going?”

“I thought we could go over to Greektown. Dinner and dessert? Maybe not in that order,” says Violet.

“That works,” I say, nodding.

“Yes!” yells Peyton. “We’re out of here!”

My girls each put an arm around me once we’re outside, and I squeeze them back. I love them both like sisters, and I’m so grateful they can see what I need, especially during the times when I can’t see that myself.





Chapter Twenty-Four





WILL




“This place is kind of empty,” I say, glancing around.

Glyka, a popular dessert shop on Danforth Avenue, is usually jam-packed—even on weeknights. “Did they switch management or something? Where is everyone?”

Dylan shrugs. “Who cares. I just need my ice cream.”

I snort with laughter. Dylan loves his sweets and can’t resist indulging at least once a week.

“Is Axel coming out?” I ask, glancing down at the menu. It’s one of the biggest dessert menus I’ve ever seen.

“Yeah. He should be here soon.”

“Does Sully know you guys are going out with me?”

Dylan slaps his menu down on the table. “No. I’m tired of listening to him bitch about you.”

“Sorry, man.” I lean back in the booth and toss the menu down on the table. “He’s probably not going to stop anytime soon, either.”

The bell on the front door dings, signaling the arrival of more customers.

I glance up just as Violet walks into the shop. She comes to a screeching halt when she sees me.

“Hey, what’s the holdup?” I recognize Peyton’s voice coming from the corridor.

Violet turns around and shoves her back. “Let’s go somewhere else,” she says. “I don’t want ice cream anyway.”

“Hey, you promised me ice cream if I agreed to leave the house. I’m not turning back now.”

I’d know that voice anywhere. Emmy.

She pushes past Violet, and her gaze lands directly on me. Our eyes lock, and she freezes just inside of the doorway.

My breath gets caught in my chest as we stare at each other. Emmy’s cheeks are pink from the cold, and a gray toque is pulled down over her long, straight brown hair. She’s wearing dark, slim-fitting blue jeans with stylish, knee-high black boots and a gray peacoat.

She blinks a few times and looks over at Dylan. “It’s okay. We’ll go somewhere else.”

“No.” I nearly bash my knees on the underside of the table as I hurry to stand. “Come sit with us. It’s fine.”

“No, it’s actually awkward as f*ck, Maverick,” Peyton says, glaring at me. “That doesn’t equal fine in my book.”

Leave it to Peyton to call me out. I’m sure she knows all of the dirty little details about what happened between Emmy and me.

Dylan’s watching the whole scene with interest but hasn’t said a word until now. He glances over at Peyton. “Axel will be here soon. C’mon, sit with us.”

Peyton turns to Emmy. “This is your call. Whatever you decide, we’ll do. I totally get it if you don’t want to sit with him.”

I flinch but keep my mouth shut. Yeah, she definitely knows what’s up.

“It’s okay. We can stay,” says Emmy, sliding into the booth next to Dylan. Violet sits down next to me while Peyton, who’s shooting daggers at me with her eyes, sits on Emmy’s left.

I can’t take my eyes off of Em. My brain tells me that I need to stay away, that I shouldn’t be sitting here with her, but my heart completely ignores that noise. My feelings for her all come rushing back full-force, like a dam that’s finally given way under the pressure.

“Do you guys want to split something with me?” she asks Violet and Peyton.

“Hell, no,” Peyton says, looking at the menu. “I’m starving.”

Violet shakes her head. “I’m totally scarfing down a piece of the chocolate cheesecake. I didn’t get dinner, remember?”

“I’ll split with you, Emmy,” I offer. “What do you want?”

She finally looks up at me, her expression unreadable. “You don’t have to do that.”

“It’s okay,” I say, fighting the urge to reach for her hand. “Get whatever you want. I wasn’t in the mood for a big dessert anyway.”

She hesitates a moment before dropping her gaze from mine. “Okay. Then I’ll get the chocolate strawberry cheesecake with vanilla bean ice cream on the side.”