Lured into Love (Blossom in Winter #2) - Melanie Martins Page 0,80
seconds, though, she says, “Babe, there are two things in life you always have to watch out for: your ass and your assets.”
Wow. It feels like she just described objectivism in one sentence.
“What?”
Oops! I must have said that out loud. “Nothing…” I say, as I don’t feel like explaining to her an entire philosophy focused on self-interest, at least not now. “Thanks for everything, Emma. You are the best.”
“And you?” she asks, looking me in the eye. “How are you coping with the breakup? And, like, why did he break up with you in the first place?” She sounds irritated and angry simply at the thought of it. “That’s crazy. Everything seemed to be fine.”
For a second, I barely remembered that I had told her about my breakup. And I’m glad I only have two friends that I talk to on a regular basis—each time I hear the word breakup, there is an uncontrollable wave of emotion that emerges within me and brings me down. But enough tears. I already gave a pathetic show in front of Matthew; I’m not going to do the same with Emma. I take a deep breath, and I mentally crave a hole in the ground to bury these depressing thoughts deep down and leave them there once and for all.
“It’s just like my nightmare. It’s crazy. Mom threatened Dad and Alex with something she’s holding against them, and Alex just left,” I tell her. “He didn’t even try to fight back, you know.”
“Jeez…” Her eyes widen in shock, and her mouth even gapes. “Do you have any idea what it can be?”
After pondering for a few seconds, I say, “I just know it’s a crime serious enough to land them in jail.”
“Holy shit…” Emma blinks twice, dazzled by my revelation. “Your dad and Alex in jail? Are you serious? Even if they did commit some serious crime, I can’t see them behind bars.”
“I know… It sounds impossible. It must be something really bad.”
Emma looks downward as she thinks something through. “Do you want me to hire some people and see if they can find out?”
A few days ago, I’d have called Emma crazy and declined straightaway. But now…
“How much does it cost to hire those people?” I ask.
“Don’t worry about it, babe, it’s on me…” she says, brushing my arm. “But they are known to find things no one else can.”
The more I assess her offer, the more I realize that if those people are capable of uncovering those secrets, they’d be a weapon they can use against Dad and Alex and threaten them with, just like Mom is doing. And that doesn’t sit well with me. “No, I better not. I don’t want anyone else involved,” I tell her. “If anyone is going to find out, it’s got to be me and no one else.”
Emma seems a bit disappointed about my decision and says, “Alright, as you wish. How are you gonna find out, then?”
“I’m gonna ask those who know,” I tell her.
But Emma chuckles at my overly simple and naive tactic. “Good luck with that.” After drawing in a breath, she looks me in the eye again and asks in a low voice, “Do you think it’s really over?” That’s the question I’ve been asking myself since he left. And the truth is…
“I don’t know… Alex explicitly said it was. But it’s not like he wants to—he’s just being forced.”
“Yeah, that sucks big time.” Emma lets out a rush of air, shaking her head, her expression becoming serious. “Fuck, I wish I could do something for you.”
“It’s not you who has to,” I tell her, putting my hands on her arms. “It’s him. He’s the one who decided to leave.” And as we stare at each other, we exchange a small smile. “You are the most amazing friend I could ask for, Emma. Thank you for everything.” And I plunge her into a tight hug. Then, as I release her, I give her a kiss on the cheek, filled with gratitude. “You’ll have lunch with me, right?”
“Yeah, of course,” she says, her eyes gleaming with joy. “Should we drink this bottle?”
“When Dad signs the agreement, we will.”
And for some unknown reason, her face becomes grave again. “You know, my flight is tomorrow.”
“Oh,” I utter back. Damn, I had totally forgotten about her trip to Europe. “Well, when you come back, then. I think Dad is having another gala dinner next month. You have to come, you know that, right?” And since she