Page 31 of Unwrapping Ember
I take her hand in mine, locking eyes with her, fully aware that this conversation will change everything between us.
“Ember, there’s something I need to tell you.” My voice trembles with emotion, but I force myself to man the fuck up.
She looks at me, a blend of concern and curiosity reflected in her eyes. “Talk to me, Koda. You know I’m here for you.”
“I know, Ember, but it’s not easy. It’s been eating away at me,” I confess, holding her gaze. “I need you to understand that I trust you, and I hope you can trust me too.” I mentally prepare to unveil the truth I’ve guarded for so long, but then the sound of Baine and Everest entering the house halts me. Before I can utter a word, Ev strides into the room holding a bottle of Jagermeister.Thank fucking god.
“What are you lovebirds up to?”
Ember sits up, noticing my hesitation. “Uh, just talking.”
They catch the look of uncertainty on both our faces but press on, likely sensing the gravity of our conversation.
“Talking can wait. It’s time for some naughty truth or dare.”
Ember blushes, a smile breaking through that charms my heart. I want to see her happy; I won’t burden her with my confession just yet.
“Oh, well, Koda was about to—”
I cut her off, choosing to sidestep my dilemma for now. “It’s fine, Em. Let’s play and have some fun. We’ll continue this later.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” I lean in and kiss her softly before standing, seizing the Jäger from Everest’s hands.
He follows me into the kitchen, undoubtedly ready to bombard me with questions. As soon as I flick on the light, he starts. “What was that about?”
“What the hell do you think?”
“You’re telling her?” His expression reveals shock, but I’m beyond fucking caring.
I grab four shot glasses and fill them, tossing back mine immediately. “Yeah, I’m telling her. She deserves to know.”
“What if—”
“Ev, fucking drop it. I’m not interested in the ‘what ifs’ right now.” He observes me closely as he gulps down his shot.
“Did something happen while we were gone?”
My silence speaks volumes, prompting him to sigh deeply, his head dropping. “Damn, Koda. What the fuck did we miss?”
I pour another shot and take a steady breath before responding. “You didn’t miss anything. I just need to tell Ember the truth about everything. I can’t keep hiding the shit from her.”
Ev nods, his concern etched across his face as he watches me. “I get it, man. Just be careful with her, okay?”
He’s right, and though I want to shield her from any pain, she needs to hear the truth.
“I will. Let’s just head back to the others and have some fun for now.”
I walk into the living room, Ev close behind, and as I enter, Ember greets me with an eager smile. It tugs at my heart, knowing it’s about to fade, but I can’t put this shit off any longer.
Ember
Sitting here, embracing a pleasant buzz, I can't help but steal glances at Koda, yearning to uncover the secret that hides behind his enigmatic demeanor. A weight lifts from my shoulders, a soothing relief coursing through me as I finally free myself of the burden I’ve been carrying.
To my surprise, he took the news with surprising grace; I half-expected him to explode or chastise me for keeping it to myself. Little does he know I reported it to campus police, who did absolutely fucking nothing, which is why I felt no need to share that detail with him.
As I survey the living room, I'm surrounded by flirty, joyful expressions, so I paste on a smile, reluctant to dampen the mood. To my astonishment, Baine pulls me onto his lap, his nose gliding along the nape of my neck.