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Emily
Thunder rolls in the distance,low and suggestive.
“News says it’ll be bad.”
I lean up against the kitchen counter, frowning and sipping a seltzer. “How bad?” I ask.
Aiden shrugs. “Can’t say. But pretty bad.”
“Shit,” Henry says. “Bad thing about waterfront properties is, they flood.”
“It’s not gonna flood,” Carter says. “Can’t get that bad.”
“It could,” Aiden says softly, shrugging. “We’ll deal with it if it does.”
I have to admit, I feel a little afraid, but I glance at James and he smiles at me. I can read the unspoken comment in his eyes: stop pulling away, Emily. Give yourself to us.
And I want to do it. He has no clue how badly I want that. I’ve been obsessing about what the Russian girl said to me the night of the luau while trying to rectify my behavior with my burgeoning relationship with Henry.
He offered to help me. I mean, I don’t think I’ll take him up on it, but he offered to do something very nice for me. I don’t care if that never happens, but I do care about living up to him. The way I see it, if he’s going to be a better brother, I have to be a better sister, and that means no more lying.
But James showed me something. I can lie to Henry and pretend like I’m not involved with his five friends, or I can lie to myself and pretend like I don’t want to be.
But I do want to be, so badly it almost hurts. I can still feel James’s hands on my skin, practically pleading with me to come back to them with every stroke of his brush.
And then there’s the drawing he did. I don’t think I’ve ever looked so beautiful, so vulnerable. I can’t believe he sees me that way, but I think it’s true. I think they all see me like that. Beautiful, idealized, perfect, fragile, worthwhile. I don’t think I’ve ever seen myself that way. I’ve always assumed that I was a little plain, a little simple, but the drawing makes me think otherwise.
I have it rolled up tight, safe under my bed. I keep taking it out and looking at it, although he only drew it a couple days ago.
More thunder in the distance. “We should hunker down for the night,” Daniel says.
“I’ll call to cancel,” Henry grumbles. We have a party planned for a few hours.
“Could be an end of the world party,” Ryan says, grinning.
Henry sighs. “I don’t want everyone staying over.” He wanders off to his room to call the caterers, the DJ, the guests, and whoever else he calls.
I watch the guys as they gather around the TV, watching the weatherman talk about the storm front rolling in. James sidles up next to me and I look up with surprise when he speaks.
“What do you think?” he asks softly. “Still afraid?”
“No,” I say. “Storms don’t bother me.”
He grins. “That’s not what I meant.”
I go to answer but he’s already joining the rest of the guys. I stand in the kitchen, staring at the group of them, biting my lip, trying to decide.
I could just go hide in my room. But the way they laugh and joke, how comfortable they all are with each other… That’s what I’m missing. I need that feeling.
I walk over to them a little tentatively. Aiden spots me standing at the edge of the group. “Come here, Emily,” he says. “What do you think about this?”
I wander over and the guys all accept me into their midst like it’s nothing. Aiden draws me into a conversation with Carter and Ryan about the coming storm, trying to get me to weigh in.
Mostly, I sit back and smile, watching them talk and laugh with each other. It feels good, being part of this little group. Every guy keeps looking at me, flirting with me casually, making me feel so special. It’s an addictive feeling. I know that the longer I stay here, in the middle of them all, the harder it’ll be to pull away.
Henry comes back not long later. “That’s done,” he says. “Now, who wants to play some pool?”
Daniel shrugs. “I’ll play. Anyone else?”
