That not only broke through her dreamy thoughts, but it also made her laugh. “No. Not at all. Every time he asks me to the movies or dinner or…anything, I say no. He’s questioned me several times, accusing me of going steady with someone else, but I tell him the same thing every time—I don’t have time for a boyfriend.”
“Why keep him around if you don’t intend to take him back?”
She took a deep breath, hating the fact that she had to keep defending herself when it came to questions about Bobby. It didn’t matter who it was from—her friends, her parents, and now, Andy. Emily wanted nothing more than for Bobby to simply disappear. “I don’t keep him around…my parents do.”
“Why do they want you to be with him so badly?”
“Because of his name.” That was the last thing she wanted to tell Andy, but she didn’t have any other choice. She certainly wouldn’t lie to him. “Over the years, my parents have worked three jobs between the two of them. They said that’s the reason they stopped at one kid—because they couldn’t afford to have more and be home to raise them. Like all parents, they want better for me, and I guess they see Bobby as a way for me to have that.”
“Do they not care that he’s a lazy, conniving asshole?”
A smile slowly curled Emily’s lips as she said, “They think he’s the greatest. Because in front of them, he turns on the charm—exactly what he did to me when he first asked me out. He says all the right words and does all the right things, and before you know it, you’re under his spell. He’s a smart guy, I’ll give him that, but unless you see his true colors, you don’t have a clue how selfish and manipulative he can be.”
Andy knew not to push any further. Any other question he had would only produce answers that would upset him, so he let it go. The last thing he wanted to hear was how her parents wouldn’t approve of him simply because he was from the other end of the valley. He understood there were people in this world who cared more about opportunity than true happiness.
He was not one of them.
And he hoped Emily wasn’t, either.
Without hearing Andy’s thoughts, she had no idea how her admission had affected him. However, based on the rejection hardening his eyes, she could come to her own conclusion. Which she did, right before deciding just how she would set him straight.
Emily pushed onto her knees and shimmied her way between his bent legs, face to face. With one hand on his cheek and the other on his shoulder to steady herself, she leaned into him until her mouth was on his.
At first, it was the type of kiss expected of someone inexperienced—flat, unmoving lips, noses side by side. However, that didn’t last long. Taking her by surprise, Andy threaded his fingers into her hair, cradling the back of her head, and deepened the kiss by holding her closer. It was fierce and frenzied, as if this was the only opportunity he would ever have to taste her. And just as it slowed, coming to an end, he gently caught her bottom lip between his teeth and pulled on it, causing Emily to moan softly.
Once her voice and thoughts returned, she said, “I don’t care what my parents think. I don’t care what Bobby ends up doing or saying. Nothing will stop me from spending time with you. I would just like to have a little more time together, with no one knowing about us, before others start to try and pull us apart.”
That made sense to Andy, and not only because he wanted the same. Somewhere deep down, there was a need to give Emily anything she wanted. He knew how ridiculous that was, but it was a desire he couldn’t ignore.
“What are we…a modern-day Romeo and Juliet?”
She playfully rolled her eyes. “For both of our sakes, let’s hope not. Their story didn’t end well.”
Chapter Eleven
Drew
There was something about seeing Kenny in my shirt that did a number of things to me, none of which I’d ever experienced. Or could even explain.
As much as I wanted to stay and watch her face glow red, which intensified her blue eyes, I needed a moment to compose myself. So I carried her clothes to the dryer and took the time to put on a T-shirt, picking one from the top of the clean pile.
When I returned to the living room, I found Kenny on the floor in front of the fire, her legs crossed beneath her. “You can sit on the couch, you know.”
“Yeah, I just wanted to get closer to the heat. I can’t seem to get warm.”
I so badly wanted to wrap her in my arms, but I couldn’t. It was storming outside, and the last thing I wanted to do was start something that would make her uncomfortable without anywhere to go. Instead, I resumed my seat on the sofa and tossed her a blanket. “That should help.”
“Thanks,” she muttered while wrapping the soft fleece around her shoulders. “You didn’t have to put a shirt on, you know.”
The smirk on her lips sent a wave of desire through me. It also brought a smile to my own face—then again, just being in her presence did that. “Well, you’re wearing one, so I thought it was only fair if I wore one, too.”
That transformed her smirk into a giggle.
“Have you looked at any of your pictures yet?” she asked, reminding me about the photos I took of the fog wall.
I reached across the sofa and grabbed my phone off the side table. As I flipped through each shot, my excitement diminished. “Not one. None of them turned out. It’s just a grey screen. I thought at least one would show the definition at the top, but no such luck.”
“That sucks.” She sounded genuinely disappointed on my behalf.
Just then, the lights flickered. The sky lit up white, flashing into the room as if paparazzi were at the windows taking pictures. Immediately following that, a rumbling boom vibrated the walls and floor, sending waves of tremors through our bodies.
Kenny jumped, but only slightly. Then she smiled as if thinking about a fond memory that had been lost to her for some time. “I used to be afraid of lightning and thunder.”
I watched her, though she stared out the window behind me. “Why?”
“I think it was an inherent fear.”
I was confused. “It was what?”
“Inherent fear. Like, my mom hated storms, so when we had one, I followed her lead.”
“So because she was scared, you were, too?”
“Yeah. To me, they were in the same category as bad guys.”
I bit my lip to keep from smiling. I didn’t want her to think I was making fun of or laughing at her. But the way she said, “bad guys,” like she was still a kid, amused me. “Do you have any idea why she was afraid of them?”
“My grandmother—her mom—died during one. Taking her to the hospital, no less. So it had to do with that, but she’s never fully explained it to me. I’m pretty sure it was the loss of her mother, coupled with her own guilt for thinking it was her fault.”
“But you’re not scared of them anymore?”
She dropped her chin and shook her head. When she glanced up again, her lips were twisted to the side, and a bright smile shone in her eyes. “No, and if I tell you why, you won’t believe me.”
“Oh, now I have to hear this.” I lowered my feet to the floor and sat forward, practically on the edge of the cushion.