Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Briar

" W hy are you doing this?" I ask Emmett, trying to ignore the heat of his hand on the small of my back.

"Because I want to." He twirls me away from Gillian and Ben.

"You're only going to get her mad," I say, my fingers itching to touch the back of his head. To feel the silkiness of the strands between my fingers. I can't imagine what it would feel like to know he was mine, and I could touch him whenever I wanted.

"I'm done caring. I wanted to dance with you, so that's what I'm doing."

He's a good dancer. Of course he is, how could I think any less? Bruce probably gave them lessons in the living room when they were young. He's brought up three great boys.

"But—"

"Just enjoy it." He pulls me closer so that our bodies have hardly any space between them.

In only a few months, I won't be able to get this close to him, so I do what he says and enjoy it. Maybe it's time I take a line from Emmett's book and just live. Do what I want to do. Stop worrying about everyone's reactions to what I decide.

Emmett spins me around, leading me into a slow country song. His fingers dip lower on my back, splaying across the top of my ass.

Every once in a while, Gillian catches my eye. Her eyes fall to his hand, inspecting the closeness of our bodies. Ben looks annoyed, and the two of them fight for who gets to lead because he's trying to get her away, and she wants to stay in line with us. I'm not sure what her problem is or why she's so worried. She's like an overprotective guard dog.

"Ignore her," Emmett whispers. "You're so tense."

"Because she's been eyeing us the whole time."

"If you don't relax, I'm taking you to my truck and driving you home."

I pull back from him, his reaction coming from left field. "Clue me in, Emmett."

He stares down at me, his steps not skipping a beat. "I like you."

"Okay?" I swallow past the dryness in my throat. His facial expression is one I haven't seen yet.

"I mean, I like you like you."

My feet stop as my stomach turns over. He tries to get me to dance again, but I don't let him.

"No, you don't." I unwrap my arms from him and walk off the dance floor, panic gripping me.

Instead of sitting at the table with all the girls, I tell them I'm going to the bathroom and walk right out of the bar. I stop in the front parking lot, needing some air.

"Why are you walking away from me?" Emmett asks, busting through the doors.

"Take me home." I wrap my arms around my waist.

"Why? What did I do?" He looks so concerned, so genuinely worried and confused about what he could've done to upset me.

"Nothing." I shake my head. "I just… I have enough on my plate." My eyes dip to my stomach. We just heard the heartbeat a few days ago. Why is he making everything so confusing?

"And I want to help you."

I blow out a breath and stare at the sky. "Help me? You're not the kind of guy I could ever rely on, Emmett."

I feel like the worst kind of person as soon as the words leave my mouth, but they're true, aren't they?

He steps back, his shoulders falling. His gaze shifts to the door as though he's waiting for someone to come through them. I'm surprised Gillian hasn't stormed out yet. I watch him inhale and exhale a few times.

"Come on." He nods, voice void of emotion. "I'll take you home."

He walks to his truck, not waiting for me. Emmett goes over to the passenger door and opens it before rounding the back of his truck to the driver's side. He climbs in, sits, and waits for me to join him.

What does he expect me to think? That a leopard can change his spots? That I'm the game-changer for him? No one believes in those fairy tales anymore except for maybe Gillian. I'm pregnant with another man's baby. Emmett can't possibly want to start something with me.

Gillian comes out of the door when I'm halfway to the truck. "Are you okay?"

Ben is right behind her.

I stop and turn to face them. "I feel sick. Emmett is going to take me home."

She breaks the distance, and her hands go to my upper arms. I think she still sees me as that six-year-old girl who had nightmares and was afraid of the monsters under her bed. "What is it?"

"Just my stomach. Probably something I ate." I hope I'm putting on an Oscar-worthy performance because I have a feeling when I get in that truck, a bomb is going to explode and upend my life again, shifting everything I was growing comfortable with.

"Okay, well…" Gillian looks at Ben.

He swings his arm over her shoulder. "Call Gill tomorrow. Emmett will get you home safe."

Gillian looks at her soon-to-be husband and smiles at me. "Yeah, he will."

I'm not sure if she believes her words, but I hug her and Ben and walk to the truck.

Emmett's eyes are downcast, focused on the steering wheel as I climb in and buckle my seatbelt. He drives us back to his house, the cab so silent that I feel awkward when I shift in my seat and stare out the window. When he turns the truck down the small road toward his house, I decide I can't go to bed like this. With him mad at me.

He parks, climbs out of the truck, and heads toward the house.

"I'm not sure what you expected. Did you want me to just strip and say, take me?" I'm talking to his back.

He stops on the porch steps, hands sliding into his pockets, but he doesn't turn to face me. "I just wanted to dance with you."

"No." I shake my head and walk toward him. "You told me you like me like me. And honestly, that's something a thirteen-year-old boy would say."

He throws his hands in the air and whips around to face me. "So, let me get this straight." He rushes down the steps. "You see me as some playboy who's so stupid I'm willing to jeopardize everything for some pussy."

"What are you talking about?"

He shakes his head. "This isn't something I'd go into lightly. You're not the kind of girl I pick up at The Hidden Cave."

"Exactly. I'm having another man's baby!" I shout. "And spare me the holier-than-thou act. You know your reputation. That reputation was hard-earned by you."

"You're different."

My heart flutters open, allowing his words to warm the part of me that doesn't believe in love anymore, that doesn't think any man can be good and pure in his intentions. "Maybe now, but after you sleep with me and get it out of your system, I'll be like all the rest."

He steps up to me, his hands cradling my cheeks and tipping my head back so he can stare into my eyes. "No, you won't. I understand that it's hard for you to trust right now. Another man just did the worst thing to you, but I'm not him. I can't guarantee you anything except that you are not a fling for me. I would never get involved if it were just about sleeping with you."

I push against his chest. He's saying all the right words, but so did Chad. And I na?vely believed every devotion that came out of his mouth. All to be destroyed when I found out I was probably one of many. That I wasn't his game-changer; I was his Thursday night girl.

"I'm pregnant with another man's baby. I'm spoiled goods." I bolt up the steps, but he grabs my arm, his thumb running along my inner wrist.

"No, you're not."

Tears flood my eyes. "I can't."

He eases me around, and he steps up on the bottom step. "You won't."

I stare at the T-shirt that pulls across his broad shoulders and muscled chest. There are still things he doesn't know. I haven't told him about what I heard, what happened all those years ago.

"I hate you," I whisper.

His hand cradles my neck, thumb running down the front of my throat. He strokes it up and down, tilting my head so I have no choice but to look into his eyes.

"No, you don't." His tone holds so much conviction that my eyebrows scrunch because there's more meaning behind them.

"What?" My forehead wrinkles.

"I'm going to kiss you now, Mrs. Emmett Noughton."

My eyes widen. He leans in, his fingers sliding up the back of my head so I'm exactly where he wants me. How many nights did I stay awake dreaming of this moment? Dreaming of him saying these things to me? But I'm not the only one keeping a secret.

I push him back before our lips meet, and he stumbles down the step, finding his feet. "What the hell?"

"How do you know?"

He laughs.

Anger boils inside me, and I circle around, heading the rest of the way up the porch. "Go to hell!"

I stomp upstairs and slam my bedroom door behind me.