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Chapter 1
A Dangerous Attraction
Ryler
Emery, Emery, Emery,
a song in my head,
stuck on repeat
I don’t knohat’s wrong with me
I barely know her,
yet I can’t stop thinking about her
How her lips felt,
so hot and soft against mine
How a she tasted,
like untouchable sunlight
Emery, Emery, Emery
My attraction to her is dangerous
Beautifully dangerous
The kind of danger I don’t necessarily mind,
yet I have to
God, what I would give
for things to be easy,
for Emery to be the Emery I first met,
for her to be touchable,
instead of so far away,
even when she’s sitting right across from me
My hand stops lance across the roo We’re supposed to be working together on a Creative Writing partner project that was assigned today in class The instructions were to interview your partner and then write a poem about them But since we hardly talk to each other, Emery and I silently decided to co about Es for her
“What’s wrong?” Her soft, tentative voice interrupts hts
She’s wearing a short pair of shorts thatevery time she bends over and a thin-strapped tank top that shows off her bare shoulders Her long, brown hair is curled and runs down her back Her lips are luscious, and her gorgeous eyes are locked on me and filled with curiosity
“Ryler, what’s up?” She chews on her pen with her head tipped to the side “You’ve been staring aton ers across her cheeks and forehead
Another thing I’ve learned For such a beautiful girl, Emery is extremely self-conscious
I shakehowat her, I set my pen and notebook aside on the sofa and stretch my arms above my head
“Sorry,” I sign to her “I’ve just got a lot on my mind and spaced out”
She studies me intently, and then her lips part, but she quickly closes herher mind on whatever she was about to say She presses the tip of her pen to her notebook and starts scribbling in it again
I want to tell her I’s turned out this way Sorry for everything Sorry that I took away the peace she felt whenever she spent ti my cover So, instead I focus back on the paper
I’m so sorry, sorry, sorry
that I’m a liar
If I had my way,
I would tell you everything
If I had my way,
I’d have you unconditionally
But life isn’t that simple
Never has been
We continue writing for what feels like an eternity, only stopping to take a break when Emery puts her pen down
She stretches her ar her back “I e had soh a yawn “I’ve alanted to listen to ”
I drop the pen ontothe pen for the last three hours, then elevate n, “You’ve never listened to ?”
“No, I wasn’t really allowed to listen toa strand of her hair around her finger “I probably should get an iPod or so, but I haven’t really had the chance to since I’ve been under twenty-four hour surveillance”
I tap my foot on the floor, restless and unsure what to say since I’m part of the surveillance Ever since Doc, her father, hired uard, Emery has been cold and distant
She turns back to h “Sorry”
“For what?”
“For co”
Always so apologetic Always so afraid of saying the wrong thing Emery has lived her life in fear, that much I’m sure of I’ve seen first hand what kind of a monster her father is, seen him kill someone with my own eyes I’ve also picked up on little details of Eh the few stories she’s told me That was before she found out I worked for her father, even though I technically don’t Really, I’ as an inforht oal is to find Doc’s boss, Donny Elder lords in the country To do so, I have to find the location of his main warehouse, which happens to be located in a hidden town no one seems to want to speak of
Stale, the agent who gives me orders, is positive Emery knohere the town is and wants ht be right, the idea of using Eet information h, since Emery barely speaks to me anymore
She collects her pen again and her hand flows across the paper, tracing letters with such passion Whenever she writes, she looks so relaxed and into it, and I find it fascinating to watch She’s so cal most of the day She deserves to feel this all the time, and I wish I could make that possible for her
A sudden idea clicks inmy journal and pen down on the coffee table, I rise to my feet and walk toward the front door
Her gaze flicks to ?”
“I’ll be right back,” I sign, then open the door and slip out into the stairwell
I trot down the flight of stairs to the second floor and push open the door towhat s from the kitchen, and pots and pans cover the counters
“Hey, you’re just in time for dinner,” Violet says from near the stove She lifts the lid of a pan and peers inside “Can I just say how great this smells?”
Luke opens the fridge door and grabs a soda “Subtle way to co”