man, everything I had to give. My heart, my virginity, my pride. Everything. And he was taunting me.
Um, no.
That wasn’t happening.
I’d been a coward for too long. It was time to grow a pair of balls the size of Texas.
“You know what, screw it.” I spun around, taking my sunglasses off, and I was seething. “No, I really don’t like you, Connor Clash.”
I saw the very moment it hit Connor because he stumbled back a step. “Emmy?” The shock on his face was incalculable.
I celebrated it and maybe that made me a bad person but that was how it was. He’d changed me, and not all for good.
Connor was a gun. I was the ammunition. Put us together and you got something lethal, a weapon capable of doing unspeakable things, more specifically to each other.
A flurry of emotions crossed him. Confusion then realization and when his eyes landed on where his friend’s hands had once rested, he slowly turned to Noah and uttered a deceptively calm, “You’re dead, Gamble.” His fists balled, the vein at his temple beginning to pulse. “I’ll fucking kill you.”
“Connor,” Noah started but a fist flew at his face, catching him on the jawline. Noah’s head lurched sideways. When he lifted a hand to massage his jaw, spitting out red-tinged saliva, I rushed over to him.
“Noah.” Eyes wide, my hands came up to his face and after I checked him, I turned to Connor and let out a sharp, “What is the matter with you?”
He seemed unsure about what to do, what to say, and when he took a step toward me, my vicious scowl made him pause. “Emmy, baby—”
“Don’t—” I closed my eyes in silent prayer. “—call me that.”
Connor’s lips parted as his eyes roamed my appearance then shook his head as if to clear it. When he spoke next, I wanted to take the five steps over, put my hands around his neck and strangle him.
“Holy shit, baby.” His brows arched. “You got hot.”
We were attracting a crowd. The people around us had stopped to watch the turmoil and I knew if I didn’t get out of there now, we’d cause a bigger scene than necessary. Gently, I touched Noah’s chin. “Are you okay, honey?”
“Go,” he sighed, taking my hand and squeezing it. “I’ll deal with him.”
I didn’t need him to tell me twice. My eyes landed on Connor and I took a moment to look at him, really look at him.
My traitorous body turned on me. I hated the hibernating butterflies that awoke at his hungry gaze.
When I lowered my eyes and walked away, Connor called out, “Can we talk?”
My scoff was loud. My response was louder. “Not on your life.”
Even as I said it, my soul screamed out for him.
After all this time, after all that happened, one thing was clear.
I still loved Connor Clash.
All I wanted to do was get away, a million miles away, somewhere more familiar. As I walked to the exit, I let out a deep sigh, running my fingers across my forehead. My reaction to him was upsetting.
Definitely something I had to work on.
I thought about Connor non-stop after that.
Weeks passed and I hadn’t seen the guys. We were keeping our distance after the almost brawl between Connor and Noah. Worried about Connor’s mental health, I thought about calling Noah when he got to me first. I answered on the first ring.
“Hey,” I spoke softly.
He didn’t waste time. “Emmy,” he started. “I don’t know what to do here.” He sounded worried in a way I’d never heard him. “All he does is listen to ABBA and Queen and get high. Every day, he’s worse than the day before.” What he murmured next had my heart breaking. “He’s killing himself.”
My eyes closed as I fought my emotions.
“Emmy, I need your help.” He sounded desperate.
I didn’t respond for a very long time but when I did, it was barely a whisper.
“Where is he?”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Back To Black.
Connor
When I stumbled into the suite, I saw the shadowy figure sitting in the dark.
Fuck.
“I said no girls tonight,” I exclaimed as I went to the fridge and snatched up a beer, popping the top. I took a long pull before looking at the girl sitting alone and I felt like an asshole. With a sigh, I muttered, “You cool if we don’t fuck?” Shuffling over, I swayed a little as I moved to sit on the stool by the kitchenette. “How about you come over here and suck my cock, babe.”