Page 26 of Off-Limits Bad Boy
We sit in silence, the hum of the car's engine a steady, comforting sound. Emma's anger, hot and unexpected, leaves my chest tight and aching.
“Did everything go okay with the security setup?” I ask, breaking the quiet.
“Smooth as Siembra Valles,” he says.
I curl my lip. I hate Tequila, but I’ll take his word for it. “Good to hear.”
“Hey,” he says, and I brace myself. But he claps a hand on my shoulder. “I hope you guys had a good day.”
His words are genuine. And it reminds me that beneath his tough exterior, Alex cares. About Emma, about what happens next.
“I think we did, right up until that last part.”
He chuckles. “Sometimes the endings are rough. She’ll come around, I’m sure of it.”
I can only hope he’s right.
With that, he opens the door and steps back into the night, leaving me alone with the memories of a day that had been perfect... until it wasn't.
Chapter Eleven
Emma
I slam the door behind me, a fury tightening my chest until I can barely breath.
My fingers twitch with the urge to throw something, anything, and hear the satisfying sound of something breaking. The new security keypad by the door glares at me, refreshing this feeling of resentment and reminding me of the conspiracy between Alex and Kade.
“An adult conversation would have been nice!” I say to the empty room, knowing full well that the walls can't empathize with my sense of betrayal. But it feels good to speak out.
“Are you talking to yourself now?” Lila's voice startles me as she steps out from the kitchen, an amused smile dancing on her lips.
Panic races over my skin like a billion white-hot needles pricking into every pore. “Jesus, Lila, don't sneak up on me like that,” I say. “What are you doing here?”
I'm relieved for the distraction and when she opens her arms wide, I walk over and fall into them, the anger seeping out of me for a moment.
“Spill,” she says, pulling back and looking me dead in the eye. “What did those idiots do this time?”
I laugh, even though it’s not funny. Her reaction and knowing who is responsible for making me mad is part of the reason I’m glad she’s here. She gets it.
“Alex and Kade decided my apartment is Fort Knox and one took me out and the other installed a security system while I was gone,” I say, my fingernails digging into my palms painfully. “Without asking me.” That’s the part that really drives me up the wall.
“Typical,” she says with a snort, rolling her eyes. “And let me guess, this has something to do with Ryan?”
How did she know?
“Lucky guess,” she says, lifting both hands as if to proclaim her innocence.
“Ryan's just... he's history,” I say, hoping my voice doesn't betray the hurt. “But yes, it's because of him. They think they can handle my life better than I can. I’m a freaking adult, but they treat me like a child.”
“Ryan's trash, Emma. You deserve so much better.” Lila sits down at the dining room table and I sit opposite her. Her words stir something within me—because that's almost exactly what Kade had said.
“Kade said the same thing, I admit, and unasked questions rise between us.”
“Kade always did see right through people,” Lila says. “Maybe you should listen to him.”
“Sure, I’ll get right on that.”
She laughs, but my thoughts drift back to Kade's intense gaze, the way my skin seems to burn under his scrutiny. But I shove those feelings away - I’m not ready to face them head on.