by R. R. Banks
"I'm sorry I didn't call first," I say.
Emma shakes her head.
"No, don't be sorry. It's fine. Do you want to come inside?"
She looks up at me like she wants me to kiss her, her big blue eyes locked on my mouth as she bites into her plump, pink bottom lip. I want to oblige her. I wish I could sweep her into my arms and see if her mouth tastes as sweet as it looks right now. I know it does, actually.
But I can't. That's not why I'm here.
"Thanks, but I can't," I explain. "I don't have much time. I actually have to get going."
Emma's face drops slightly.
"Going?" she asks.
"Yeah," I tell her, pushing through the words I don't want to say. "I have to head back to school."
The smile is completely gone from her face now, and her body tenses. I can feel the discomfort and painful emotions radiating from her already. And it's just going to get worse.
"You're leaving?" she asks. "I thought your classes didn’t start for a few more weeks."
"I know," I say. "I'm president of my fraternity on campus, and there are some events before classes start that I have to be there for."
The words sound flat as they come out of my mouth. The way she looks at me makes my stomach knot. I've never felt more like an entitled rich prick in my life than I do right now under the searing stare of those wide blue eyes.
"Oh," she says. Her voice is unnaturally bouncy as she forces herself to sound breezy and casual. "Yeah, your fraternity. I totally understand. Important priorities."
This isn't what I want to do. I know I'm hurting her, and I don't want to. I've been thinking about this for the last two days, ever since I reluctantly pulled away from her naked body and watched her dress. I know what she's thinking – that this was the beginning of something more. I’m crushing that for her. The reality is, I'm crushing myself, too. The feelings I have for Emma are stronger than ever, but after spending the last two days with my brothers still in Magnolia Falls, I came to the conclusion that my sense of responsibility had to be stronger.
I know how hard Emma has worked her entire life to get where she is now. She pushed herself every second to accomplish more and create the opportunities she needed. Now they are just within her reach. A few more weeks and she’ll finally get rewarded for everything she sacrificed in high school. She'll get out of Magnolia Falls and get a glimpse of what else life has to offer.
There's no way I can take that from her. Emma deserves the world, and I can't get in the way of it. I know there is more ahead of me, too. I graduate at the end of this year, but then there’s graduate studies, and more. I haven't made those decisions. Not yet. But the point is, I need to focus on school, and so does she. We can't distract each other from our goals. Not right now. Maybe one day we'll find each other again, but for now, we have to go our separate ways.
"Good luck in school," I say. "I know you are going to do an amazing job. The world won’t know what hit it."
She forces a tense smile.
"Thanks," she says.
"I hope we run into each other next time we're both home," I say.
Emma nods, but doesn't respond. I want to touch her one last time. I want to gather her into a hug and squeeze her tight to remember once I put the island behind me and return to campus. But I can't. If I do, I'll never leave. Her eyes sparkle with tears, and her jaw is set so hard, I can see the muscles twitching beneath her skin as I stare down at her for a few seconds longer, wave, then walk away.
End of sample. Click here to continue reading Marriage Mistake.
Also by R.S. Lively
Marriage Mistake
Not Over You
Hate To Love
Accidentally Royal
About the Author
R.S. Lively is a romance writing duo consisting of Ruth Scott and Lauren Lively. With every page you turn, their passion for books and love of romance jumps out. Their novels are guaranteed to bring you laughter, and light up your day/night. If you're looking for a beautiful, sexy, funny, and sweet romance... You'll love their wonderful creations!
