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But why—Emma gasped as the ATV dipped over an embankment she hadn’t known was there, straight into a muddy trench. Cold splatters of mud splashed over her legs.
Her heart was racing, adrenaline surging in her veins. She was okay. A quick glance at her stepbrother with his hand clutched to his chest told her she’d scared him enough for the day.
She offered him the most innocent smile she could muster. “That was fun.”
He shook his head. “Christ, Em, what were you thinking? You could have been hurt.” Link climbed down the steep hill, the mud squishing under his shoes as he made his way to her.
“You’d never let me get injured.” She slid back, letting him have control of the vehicle once again.
He moved in front of her. “Not on purpose. But you go off like a wild child and there isn’t much I can do to stop it. You know if anything happened to you, Dad would kill me.”
Wild child? Sure, she was wild, but only ever to get Link’s attention. She liked having him look out for her. It made her belly flutter and tingles race through her body.
“Let’s get out of this mess.” Link pressed the gas and the ATV jolted forward, only to stop. Thick, wet drops of mud splattered over them like rain.
Emma giggled and held her hands out as more landed in her hair.
“Fuck. You’ve really done it now,” Link grumbled, standing and thrusting his weight as he hit the gas again. But the tires still spun in place.
“Get up front. Hit the gas when I tell you.” Link climbed off.
“You’re letting me drive again?” She slid to the front with a grin.
He positioned himself behind the four-wheeler. “When I say go, GO!”
Emma hit the gas. The ATV inched forward, so she kept the gas steady and steered towards the other side without mud. The machine jerked faster once the tires were clear. Emma let off the gas and parked it before turning around. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened before she burst into laughter. Link was completely covered in mud from head to toe.
His expression was unamused as he stalked towards her. Emma couldn’t stop the giggles from pouring out of her. She clutched her stomach.
“You’re going to get it now.” Link reached out his arms for her.
She was giggling too hard to get away in time. He grabbed her and pulled her against his mud-soaked body, smearing it all over her as he embraced her.
“Link!”
He burst out laughing, joining her before he swiped his dirty hand across her cheek.
When they’d shown up at the shop looking like two swamp monsters, their father had just shaken his head and snapped the picture before teasing Link for being a bad influence. Link’s eyes had widened as he pointed towards Emma accusingly. Emma had offered her dad an innocent smile. That was how it had gone with them. But that had been before. Before everything had changed.
Emma: What happened to us?
She waited a beat for the little response bubble to appear, but it never did.
Guess he got what he wanted and now he was done with her.
Emma bit the side of her cheek and set the phone down before glancing at herself in the mirror. She stared at her reflection. The ripped, vintage Rolling Stones T-shirt was looser than it had been when she arrived in Shattered Cove more than a week ago. Her white skinny jeans were just a tad easier to slip on and off. The bags under her eyes had only gotten worse. I’m a fucking mess. Her eyes darted to the shaver in the tub. The temptation of a temporary escape teased her.
I shouldn’t. How many years had it been since the last time? She didn’t want to throw all that away.
I thought I was over this. She fisted her hands, fingernails digging into the skin of her palms as she fought for control. The subtle pain of her nails against her skin doused her in painful temptation. Just a little more and she’d be free—at least for a little while.
Fuck it. She pulled open the plastic and separated the blades. As she took off her leather bracelet, the shiny white scars stared back at her. A reminder of all the other times she’d taken her pain into her own hands—seized back the control.
After grabbing an alcohol wipe from the first aid kit she’d found under the sink, she washed the area. Pressing the sharp metal to her wrist, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, holding it in the space between the emotional pain keeping her captive and the blade that would set her free—even if it was only for a few moments. She exhaled and pressed it through the first layers of her skin. The bite of pain sent a welcome warm rush of endorphins rocking through her. All her thoughts cleared, the ache in her heart dissipating for a few perfect seconds when nothing else hurt except where she chose.
Opening her eyes, the crimson droplets dripped down her arm. The red was a beautiful contrast to her snow-white skin. Her body buzzed like she’d had a few drinks as a calm settled into her bones. She threw out the broken razor and wiped the blood from her arm before washing it down the sink. Next, she pressed a small piece of gauze against the cut. Once the bleeding stopped, she covered her mark with a Band-Aid and then slipped her wide leather bracelet back on to cover the evidence.
Now everything was going to be okay for a little while longer.
