by Aly Martinez
I quickly roll to the side, forcing her to the mattress beside me.
“How did we never meet?” I ask, entwining our hands. Yeah, real manly. Thankfully it’s dark, because I’m forced to roll my eyes at myself.
“I don’t know! I didn’t come up here much. Sarah and Brett always came to Savannah. My mom was terrified of flying, so they came down so they could visit the whole family at one time,” she answers, dragging her nails gently over my abs. I flinch at the sensation.
“I still think it’s crazy.” I brush her hair away from her face, punctuating it with a soft kiss on her swollen lips. Pulling her snug against my body, I roll onto my back. She immediately relaxes into me, and the feelings that wash over me—because of something so simple—taunt my already muddled heart.
“You weren’t at their wedding.” She smiles. “I was only sixteen, but I would have definitely remembered you.” She snuggles even tighter into my side.
“I didn’t know Brett until he and Sarah were already married. And don’t remind me how young you are,” I tease, rolling to face her. I tuck her long blonde hair behind her ear and gently stroke her cheek. Fuck it. I’m willing to admit it. God, this feels fucking good.
“I’m only six years younger than you are.” She leans forward, kissing my lips. “You’re not exactly robbing the cradle.”
“You’re staying the night, right?” I trace the curve of her hip up to her breast.
“Of course. I’m a cuddler.” She nuzzles in close and yawns into my neck.
“We’ll talk in the morning, okay? But we need to figure this out. I don’t know how we are going to do it, but Emmy, I’m not going another five days without you.”
“Mmm, I agree,” she mumbles sleepily. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes for her breathing to even out, and she never rolls away—not that I would have let her even if she’d tried.
I watch my arms covered with black tattoos glide against her creamy white skin as I stroke her sides. The stark comparison is not lost on me. My dark soul is filled with hate and revenge, while Emma is filled with hope and promise. I honestly can’t even begin to figure out how we are going to make this work, but I know that I have no choice. I’m not losing Emma, and I sure as hell am not letting Sarah take her from me too.
I WAKE up to the sound of knocks on my front door. It’s probably only been a few hours, but it was the best sleep I’ve had in years. Emma is still curled tightly into my arms, and before I get up to answer whatever asshole is disturbing us, I take a minute to breathe her in.
The knocking doesn’t stop, so I try to quietly roll away. I don’t make it very far.
“Who the hell is making all that noise?” she asks, stretching like a cat before curling back into a ball.
“I’ll be right back.” I kiss her forehead and move to my feet.
“I need coffee.” She sits up, trying to pull her hair back into a ponytail.
“Kitchen. Coffee is over the stove. Make a whole pot.” I say as she stands to get dressed. I walk over to stop her from pulling on her shirt. “Whoa! What are you doing?”
“Can I get dressed?” She laughs, snatching the shirt back out of my hands.
“Um, I’m going to say no.”
“Well you’re just going to have to live with it.” She pulls on her shirt, not even bothering with a bra. I can see the faint outline of her nipples through her white shirt, and if it’s possible, this might be even sexier than Emma naked.
“Let’s compromise.” I pull her into my arms. “Shirt and panties only.” I reach between her legs and drag a finger through her wet folds. Her soft sigh has me desperate to toss her back into my bed. Just when I’m ready to ignore the door completely, I hear another loud knock.
“Coffee. Shirt. Panties. Nothing else. We’ll continue this in a minute,” I inform her as I pull on a pair of jeans and head to the door. I listen to her whispered curse as I walk away.
I fucking love that she likes my tattoos. And just to make sure she is ready for round two, I throw in a back flex as I walk out of the room.
“Now that’s cheating!” she shouts.
My smile is huge but quickly wiped away as I snatch open my front door.
“About damn time!” Eli barks, shoving past me into the living room.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I growl, getting ready to close the door when Brett rounds the corner behind him.
“What took so fucking long?” He also busts in uninvited.
“Well, by all means, come on in!” I say roughly, slamming the door behind them.
“You’re not even dressed yet?” Eli asks. He flops down on the couch and props his feet on the coffee table.
“Hey, asshole. Feet off the table. Dressed for what?” I look down, noticing that they are both dressed for the gym.
“It’s a table, jerk-off,” Eli says dryly, ignoring me and leaning back against the couch.
“No, it’s my table. Get your damn feet off it!” I shout, turning back to Brett. “What’s going on this morning?”
“You were supposed to take us to your boxing gym. Get a few spars in and see about getting us signed up.”
Fuck! All thoughts of commitments disappeared last night. I knew I had to work today, but I fully intended to call in late. Emma’s more than worth whatever shit the boss would dish out.
“Fuck, I completely forgot.” I run a hand through my hair.
“Hey, did you make this?” Eli asks, running his hand over the table where his feet once sat.
“Yeah. I finished it a few weeks ago.”
“Damn, this is nice.” He leans in to get a closer look. “Oak?”
“Uh, no. That's Bubinga. And it's highly figured so don't put your feet on it. Or anything for that matter." I scoff.
"Highly fingered? Jesus, Jones. Do you ever think of anything other than sex?" Eli responds jokingly.
"No, dumbass. Are you twelve? It’s highly figured. See the wavy lines. That's called figuring. And the closer together those lines are, the more expensive the wood is. So like I said. Get. Your. Feet. Off.”
“This is really fucking nice!” he says, inspecting even closer.
“I could have done better, but I love that table. Look at the joints. There aren't any screws or nails like that cheap shit you buy at Walmart and put together yourself. I used mortise-and-tenon joinery," I explain to Eli, who is looking at me like I'm speaking Greek. I start to elaborate when Brett’s shout from the kitchen interrupts my thoughts.
“Emma?” he says, and my eyes go wide when I realize what he is just finding out.
I had big plans of talking to Brett about Emma. Looks like that won’t be necessary anymore. Fuck. And she’s half naked, too.
I quickly make my way to the kitchen to find Emma hauling ass out down the back hall toward my room.
“Em, wait.” Brett tries to follow her, but I catch his arm first.
“Let her get dressed.”
He may act like her big brother, but he’s not related to her, and he most certainly is not going to see her in a T-shirt and panties. Besides, it will give me a minute to talk to him alone.
“You son of a fucking bitch!” He turns to face me with a murderous glare. So much for talking.
“Jesus Christ, calm down.” I walk to my hall closet and pull on a hoodie. If Brett and I are going to brawl like high schoolers this morning, I should at the very least be dressed.
“Calm down? Calm down?” he says, following me. “What the hell is Emma Erickson doing half naked in your kitchen at seven a.m.?”
“Oh, fuck!” Eli joins the conversation.
“Well, she was fully naked at two a.m. if that helps at all,” I say just to be a prick.
Truth be told, I’m pissed. I’m pissed because Brett and Eli showed up, ruining my morning with Emma. I’m pissed that her last name is Erickson. And most of all, I’m pissed off that I don’t have a single explanation for him. A week ago, I would have had a whole story to give Brett, but now, things a
re so up in the air with me and Emma. What do I even tell him?
Brett’s eyes go wide as he steps up into my face. Eli quickly moves to get between us, but it’s Emma who stops it from escalating.
“Caleb, shut the fuck up!” I hear from behind me. “And, you!” She directs her attention to Brett. “Chill!” She is once again dragging her hair up into another ponytail even though the one she had moments ago was perfect.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Brett snaps at her, causing me to go on alert.
“Brett, watch your fucking mouth. That’s your only warning, so I really suggest you heed it.”
Brett and I have had our fair share of blowouts since we lost the girls five years ago. Almost every single one of them revolved around Sarah. They are almost always resolved quickly and usually my fault. He’s still my best friend. I love the guy—I really do—but I don’t need any other obstacles when it comes to Emma.
I reach over and pull Emma into my side, making it very clear that this isn’t one of our usual fights. This is real—or at least I fucking hope it is.
His eyes immediately flash down to my arm around her waist. “Are you fucking kidding me? Jesus Christ, this is a joke. Right?”
I don’t say anything, and Emma just shrugs before shaking her head.
“All right, big man. Let’s get out of here. You two can talk this over, maybe over the phone…on a long-distance call…with at least twelve hundred miles between you.” Eli tries to move Brett toward to the door.
“Fuck you, Eli,” he snaps.
“Eli?” Emma squeals, causing us all to look at her. “You’re the one who snuck Sarah a phone, right?”
“And you’re the crazy-ass woman who screamed at me,” Eli says with a devilish smirk.
“Eli,” I growl in warning.
“Yep, that’s me,” Emma says proudly before releasing me and throwing her arms around his neck.
“For Christ’s sake! Can someone fucking tell me what the hell is going on? You have been in town not even a week, yet somehow you and Jones have already hooked up?” Brett booms.
Emma immediately releases Eli and resumes a protective stance at my side. It’s almost cute to think that she’s protecting me. I bite my lips to keep my smile hidden. I have a sneaking suspicion that it would be highly underappreciated right now.
“We’ve been talking every day for over a month now,” Emma quickly explains, and I can’t help but close my eyes and look up at the ceiling, hoping for divine intervention. I know exactly how well that little bit of information is going to go over with Brett.
“A month?” he whispers. “A. Fucking. Month.”
Like I said, I’ve known Brett for a while now. These fights are nothing new, so I know exactly how this is going to go down. While he stands there stunned, I walk to my den and grab my prized coffee table, pulling it into the corner. I grab one wooden picture frame with a picture of my niece off the wall and the clay pot from the corner, tucking them safely out of the way next to the table. Just as I turn around, Brett is already storming toward me.
“Start talking,” he says, stopping directly in front of me.
Emma starts to head toward me, and I know Emma too—she’s about to get all up in this shit, and it won’t have a positive ending.
“Don’t let her go,” I say to Eli.
He rolls his eyes and lets out a frustrated groan but grabs her arms.
“Get your fucking hands off me!” she screams, becoming suddenly aware where this is going.
“Caleb?” Brett says again, oblivious to all the activity going on around him.
“Well, jeez, sir, I’ve been dating your daughter for…oh wait. You’re not her daddy at all!” I smart off. It’s habit. Really, I can’t even control it.
I shouldn’t have kept this from him, but I knew he was going to overreact. I figured as soon as Emma got back in town, we could sit down and tell him together. Maybe go out for drinks with him and Jesse. She can usually keep him from freaking out completely. I guess it’s out there now though.
“Don’t give me that shit. Don’t act like I’m the fucked-up one in this situation.”
“Am I the fucked-up one? I met a girl, talked to her on the phone, built a relationship, and then brought her home. I’m pretty sure that’s how dating works these days.”
He barks out a laugh but never backs away. “A relationship? You’re fucking delusional! She’s no more than a passing obsession for you, and the fact that you kept this from me for over a month proves it.” He takes in a deep breath before roaring, “That’s my family!”
“No, she’s your ex’s family. Is Sarah still your family?” I say as Brett leans in even closer.
“God damn it, let me go!” Emma screams, but thankfully Eli does his job and keeps her back.
“Fuck. You,” Brett says slowly.
“Get out of my house. What I do with Emma is none of your fucking business.”
“Oh, I believe it is very much my business. I have watched you fuck every woman who has come within a ten-foot radius of you for five years now. You get your fill then walk away. The only woman who ever managed to get you to commit was Manda, and you have made every woman since her pay for the fact that she wouldn’t commit to you.”
The truth in his words stings. I don’t necessarily agree with him, but that doesn’t mean his words don’t hit me hard.
“Fuck you, Brett,” is my very uncreative response.
“Can you please stop them?” Emma yells at Eli.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. He won’t hit me. He never does,” I tell Emma while smirking at Brett. “Right, brother?” I say with a wink.
I’m not lying. He won’t hit me. He never does. He likes to think he will, but he’s just a good guy who has a jaded asshole for a best friend. He’s used to this shit by now. The only time we have ever come to actual blows was the day of Manda’s funeral. And I think he only hit me that day because he knew I so desperately needed some sort of distraction to keep myself from losing it completely.
Brett never drags his eyes away from mine as he addresses Emma behind him. “Em, you might want to ask Caleb when the last time he was in a relationship was. You might also want ask him when the last time he fucked Lisa was. I know it wasn’t very long ago that she came to me, concerned about his nightmares.” Brett offers me a wink of his own. “Lastly, make sure you find out who he really thinks should have died in the wreck.”
“Well, shit, Brett. Your lack of faith in me is almost insulting. Emma already knows the answer to every one of those questions and then some. You see, you clearly were not listening. I have spent the last month talking to her. Not fucking her. Should I have told you this? Probably. Is it really any of your fucking business? Absolutely not. Now you and I can talk about this later, once you calm down and without an audience. But for now—get out.”
Brett stares at me for a minute before turning on a heel to walk away. I glance over at Eli as he begins to release Emma and raise a hand for him to wait. I never expected a fight with Brett, but I did expect his next move. Not two seconds later, Brett snatches up the lamp off my end table and throws it against the wall. He walks right past Emma, who stands stunned, and out the front door.
Eli just shakes his head before asking Emma, “You going to be all right here, babe?” She nods, and he follows Brett out the door.
I head over to comfort her. I know that couldn’t have been the easiest thing to watch. I know she loves Brett, but he was being a total—
“You dick!” she screams, surprising me.
“Me?” I ask, stunned by her accusation.
“Yes, you! Couldn’t you let me talk to him? Maybe explain it so he would understand? He didn’t do anything wrong, and he sure as shit didn’t deserve to be treated like an ass because he was trying to protect me. I don’t have much family left, but I consider him to be a part of it.” She turns, snatching her purse and coat off the rack.
“Emmy, wait.”
“Emm
a!” she corrects me, slamming the door behind her.
I watch from the window as she marches out and stands on the curb. I have no idea where she thinks she’s going. We took a cab back here last night. I can only assume that she’s doing the same now when she digs her phone out of her oversized purse. I’ve never in my life claimed to be the easiest person to get along with. I’m a hot-tempered dick sometimes. I know it, but apparently Emma didn’t.
I walk to the coffee maker and pour two travel mugs of coffee. I leave mine black, but I have no idea how she takes hers. She is a chick though, so I add a bunch of cream and sugar to it. I pull on a jacket and head to the curb.
“Here.” I offer her the mug. “It’s a peace offering.”
She tries to ignore me but finally gives in to the temptation. Without a word, she snatches the cup from my hand and takes a sip. She makes a horribly disgusted face as she barely chokes it down.
“Shit, are you trying to kill me now?” She hands it back to me and snatches mine out of my other hand. She takes a sip and her shoulders instantly relax. “Ah. Much better.”
I can’t help but laugh. Of course she takes her coffee black. It wouldn’t be Emma if I’d expected it.
“Look, I’m sorry. I’ll talk to Brett. You and I have a lot going on right now, and I just felt like he was one more problem for us to overcome.”
She doesn’t reply, and we stand in silence, sipping coffee on the sidewalk. Less than two minutes later, a cab pulls up. She hands me back the mug and reaches for the door.
“Maybe you are the only problem we are going to have to overcome. Ever think of that?” She opens the door and slides into the cab.
“Sweetheart, come on,” I plead, trying to get her to stay—or at least talk to me for a minute longer.
“I’ll call you when I’m ready to talk.”
I HAD to do something to get my mind off Caleb. Sure, I’m pissed. He was a dick this morning, but I’ll get over it. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to make him sweat it out a little bit first though. I also need to make amends with Brett. He didn’t answer my calls this morning. I know he’s upset, but I’m not sure what exactly to say. Sorry I was talking to your best friend? One thing is for certain—I need to get out of the house.
