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Displeased in about a hundred ways, I turn her to face the door, her back to ainston her belly "Much has already changed, Emily," I assure her The floral scent of her perfume teases my nostrils with bittersweet memories of me wrapped in that smell, in this woman, whoever she is "And so much more is about to"

"I eak," she murmurs "I should have ended this before you could feel the way you do right now"

"But you didn’t," I say, not bothering to ask why That answer is in the secrets she thinks she isn’t going to tell ht

She leans back into ainst hs, and holy fuck, her touch is too da The idea joltsher with me to open the door, before I then set her away from me, and into the hallway "It’s tihtly and da I want to save her, when I ht be the one I need to be saved after this, after her I watch her catch her balance and start walking, her pace even, when I have a feeling she wants to run; and even knowing Seth will have her followed, I don’t want her to run Reaching behindstrides, I catch up with her, but she doesn’t look at me I think it’s fairly clear that she doesn’t want to see the distrust in ain, we’re wellreasons

We fall into step as we so often do, which is so I have never experienced with any other woman But when I would norot us the hell out of the aparts this woman obviously delivers, when I didn’t even believe that was possible She wants to protectmyself, and I’m not sure what bothers me more: The idea that she doesn’t want my protection because she doesn’t trust me or because she’s my enemy

In all of sixty seconds, we round the corner and stop at the elevator bank, neither of us looking at each other I punch the call button while she hugs herself, a defensive stance that uarded She’s always been guarded I knew this I knew she had sos she wasn’t ready to tell, not things she cos almost instantly and I hold the door for her, not just because it’s the gentle to do but because I want to control every ht

She steps inside the car, and while she is often bold and even confrontational, tonight she walks to the opposite side of the car, leaning on the wall, arms folded in front of her chest still I join her inside, punching the lobby button, I rotate to face her,brown hair is sleek, her navy skirt and blouse si if her lis I should have wondered sooner

The elevator doors shut, sealing us inside a steel box with her lies and azes collide, the connection a punch in my chest I don’t want her to have the power to deliver But she does I am vulnerable in ways I swore I never would be with a wootten the lessons o What my mother warned me about with Emily The people closest to you can hurt you the lass shards of accusation

Apparently far from oblivious to that fact, E to sit through dinner with you looking atat you?"

"Like I’m one of the many people who you can’t trust and who have betrayed you"

"Change"You do think I’ on inin this elevator"

"Right," she says tightly "Because everyone in your fa everyone else, so it has cameras"

"You know me and my family well," I say dryly "And yet I know far less about you than I want to know"

"I thought eren’t talking in the elevator?"

"I want to knowa double entendre to use "And that’s not so"

"You knowon her feet, and choosing her words to play to the same audience I am

"And yet you still feel like a mystery to me," I reply, and it’s in that aze jerks toward the doors and I glance up and register that we are now on the fourth floor, rather than our destination Not about to let a wall of huive Emily a chance to escape, I close the distance between us, and by the ti in front of her She looks up atthe flash of torment in her eyes that I want to understand

The doors open andcloser to us as they enter the car, crowding E me to re her waist She sucks in air with the contact, her hands wrappingshe could ht and the car jolts into action, while E herself with a pal to be stunned by what she’s done, she tries to pull it away, but I cover her hand with aze see buttons to limpse of the confusion etched all over hers She doesn’t know if she wants to hold on to me or push me away In that, we are one, but I a emotions She’s trapped by her own lies; what she does with the freedoive her will speak voluether