Broken by Love (The Basin Lake Series Book 2) Page 5

  “You too,” I offer and glance up toward him. “Is, umm… is John here?”

  Denny’s grin goes away at the mention of the name, and Stephen who is already behind the kitchen counter with a bottle of vodka in hand says, “I think he’s probably at Madison’s,” and then he offers a nod toward Denny.

  “Oh. I thought maybe he’d be here.”

  “Nope,” Stephen says resolutely.

  “We’ll still have fun without him, won’t we?” Angela gives me that look that says I better say yes.

  Same old Angela.

  “I’m sure we will,” I say, eyeing the vodka.

  It takes less than half an hour for Stephen and Angela to meander toward a bedroom upstairs. Ten minutes after that come the sounds of sex, a creaking bed, occasional moans and groans, and even a shrill scream that tells me Angela has finally gotten her orgasm.

  It would be incredibly painful to sit through if I hadn’t already downed three glasses of vodka. Denny’s been talking about getting into med school, how he has three sisters, how Court and Meg, the girls from last night, are practically like sisters and that he guesses John and Madison are out “rekindling” their relationship at this very moment.

  “I like him,” I say, the alcohol having loosened up my tongue. “I like John, you know? I mean, if he’s with that girl, Madison, then I wouldn’t ever try anything, but you should know.”

  Denny’s grin fades yet again, and he nods. “Yeah, I figured as much. I was hoping maybe I was wrong because… well… I think you’re really beautiful.”

  We’re still sitting across from one another, and my heart dips for him. He seems like such a nice guy, and I’m sure he deserves a great girl, but I’m probably saving him from a lot of turmoil with it not being me.

  “We can be friends though, right?” I say. Lord knows I could use a few more of those, though I’m not sure how I feel about one of them being a guy.

  “Yeah, sure.” He sounds disappointed, like he already has enough female friends, along with his three sisters, and would like something more.

  Our conversation never quite recovers after that, and after a couple of uncomfortable hours it becomes obvious that Angela is staying the night. I ask Denny if he wouldn’t mind taking me home.

  “I can do that,” he says, practically jumping up from the couch and grabbing a set of keys.

  I follow him toward the door, and when we’re almost there, it opens, startling me.

  And I see John.

  “Oh… hey.” He looks at me and then at Denny, then back to me. “Emma. I wasn’t sure I’d see you again.”

  I expect to see Madison behind him, expect to see her offer me a dirty look that says, “Hands off—he’s mine,” but there is no Madison, just John.

  “Hi.” I lift my hand in one of those immobile waves. “I thought you were going to be here earlier.”

  He gives me a long, sweet smile, and widens his dark blue-gray eyes. “I wish I’d known I was supposed to be—nobody told me a thing.” He glances at Denny, silently scolding him I think.

  “Well, I was just about to take her home,” Denny says, putting an unwelcome hand at the small of my back.

  “But I don’t have to go…” I hurry to say, feeling myself blush. “I mean, I don’t have to be home or anything… not quite yet.”

  “Have you eaten?” John asks.

  I shake my head. The four glasses of vodka I’ve had since getting here went straight to my gut without much of anything to absorb them.

  “You didn’t feed the girl?” John asks Denny.

  “Sorry,” Denny says. “I’m a bad host.”

  “Okay then, it’s settled. I’ll take you to dinner.” He steps aside, welcoming me through the threshold into the balmy night air.

  “Thanks,” I say, feeling a warm buzz go through me at being so near to him, at smelling his masculine scent, of seeing him so up close.

  “You coming with us, Denny?” John asks like it’s an afterthought.

  “No man, you guys have fun,” he says, casting his eyes downward before closing the door behind him.

  “Just you and me.” John’s eyes crinkle as he smiles and offers me his arm.

  We go to a Mexican restaurant at the bottom of Queen Anne Hill. The food is amazing, and I eat a giant burrito stuffed with grilled vegetables, beans and rice. I was apparently famished. By the time I’m done, I’m wishing I could have another drink.

  “You sure you don’t want something besides Coke?” John asks, having finished his food and now enjoying a margarita on the rocks.

  I shake my head. “No, I’m good.” If only I could though, if only I was two years older and could legally get alcohol wherever I went.

  “I’m really happy to see you,” he says, leaning forward, his hands clasped together on the tabletop. “I was worried about you. I hope that guy from last night hasn’t tried to bother you again?”

  I shake my head.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” He asks me this very gently, his eyes filled with concern.

  “He was just my boyfriend in high school,” I say, embarrassed to admit I willingly dated the guy.

  John looks puzzled for a moment. “In high school? So, a while ago, right?”

  I nod, trying to decide how difficult it will be to continue to lie by omission about my age and whether or not it will matter to him. There are plenty of other things in my past that are more important to keep under wraps.

  “I just graduated this year,” I say in a burst of courage, barely able to look at that handsome face of his. “High school, I mean.”

  “Oh.” His eyes widen briefly in surprise before he eases back into his chair.

  “I’m really sorry if you thought I was older. Angela knows how to get us into clubs, so…” I scrunch my lips up, awaiting his response.

  “It’s okay,” he says, giving me a cautious half smile. “I mean, so you’re what, eighteen?”

  “Nineteen.”

  He relaxes. “We’re only four years apart then, which isn’t the biggest deal in the world.”

  “You sure?” I’m worldly enough to realize that, at our age, four years can be a pretty big difference. John’s been through four years of college while I’m only a few months out of being stuck in the same building with every possible clichéd high school clique you could imagine.

  His answer comes in the form of a question. “Is Angela just nineteen too?”

  I tilt my head in affirmation.

  “Well, I guess Stephen won’t care. Makes him seem pretty old though.” He follows up with a laugh.

  “How old is old?” I ask.

  “Nearly twenty eight. He’s my older brother’s best friend, and he’s nice enough to let Denny and I live with him while we’re finishing up school.”

  “That’s… generous.”

  “It is, and he’s not ready to settle down or anything, so he likes the company.”

  “I think Angela really likes him,” I say.

  “I can tell.” He grins. “So, Emma, you’re nineteen. You mentioned you were taking a break from school last night. So, no plans for college this fall?”

  He’s looking at me with expectation, and I’m afraid I’ll disappoint him with my answer, but I don’t lie.

  “I’m just focusing on working right now, at a place called Patrice’s—it’s downtown. It’s a handbag boutique.”

  There’s a spark of recognition in his eyes. “Hey, I know that place. My mom’s been there I think, and Madison too.” Then he swallows hard and looks away for a moment like he didn’t mean to mention his “on again, off again” girlfriend’s name.

  “Is she your girlfriend?” I ask, deciding that if I’m telling him some of my truths, then he should do the same.

  “Madison?”

  Yes, Madison.

  I nod.

  He sighs. “She was, but we broke up for good last month. I know it’s recent, but I can guarantee it’s permanent.”

  “Oh, well, your friends
kind of said you were just on a break.” I take a long drink of Coke to moisten my suddenly dry mouth.

  Hearing that he’d broken up with the beautiful girl that dragged him off the dance floor was one step in the right direction. But it had only happened a month ago, which would put me into solid rebound territory, not to mention the very real possibility they’d get back together, regardless of his “guarantee.”

  When I set my Coke down, he puts his warm hand on mine. “She wasn’t supposed to be there last night. I’m not really sure who told her where I’d be, but I was just there to have fun.”

  I tilt my chin down, look into my lap and try to decide if I want him to say he was looking for something more than that.

  “And then I saw you,” he says, which causes my eyes to lift. “I noticed you even before Stephen brought your friend over, before she pointed you out. And then up close…” He smiles, as if transfixed by a good memory. “When Madison grabbed me, it was like a buzzing alarm taking me out of a dream.”

  “You’re poetic,” I say, unable to curb the smile spreading across my face. I want to believe him because he’s the first guy in forever that has made me feel anything real, who might have actually thought something of me other than just being a piece of ass.

  “God, I hope you don’t think that was some kind of line.” He glides his thumb across my hand, his face turning a shade of crimson.

  “No, I don’t.” The sincerity in his voice is real, not put on, and even with the alcohol still flowing through my system from earlier, I feel like I can discern that. “I actually thought the same about you… at the club. I’m just sorry you had to see me drunk like that… and I’m sorry about Ike. You got an eyeful of me at my worst.”

  He presses his lips together and shakes his head before speaking. “I got in an argument with Madison outside, and after she left, I decided to do a couple laps around the block. That’s when I came across you, and I think I was there for a reason.”

  “Maybe. You scared him off, and I really appreciate that.”

  “When I asked about seeing you again last night, you didn’t answer,” he says.

  “Oh.” I shake my head. “I was worried about that. I can remember saying yes in my mind at least.”

  “If only I was telepathic,” he says with a quick laugh and a warm smile. “You want to go out to Alki with me?”

  “Tonight?”

  “Yes… if you’re free of course.”

  It’s been a while since I’d been to Alki. Angela and I had skipped school on a really hot day in May and hit the beach there, her soaking up the sun while I hid under a giant umbrella to make sure I didn’t burn. It might have been a nice memory except for the fact that Ike had tagged along as well. He’d still been my boyfriend, but nobody would have guessed it by the way he’d stared at other girls on the beach and made comments about their asses and how he wished my boobs were bigger. How I’d remained with him until just after graduation is a testament to how low I’d been willing to settle for a relationship, how I hadn’t been sure I deserved any better.

  In hopes of scrubbing that memory and replacing it with something I might actually treasure, I offer a smile to John and say, “Sure. Let’s go.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  EMMA

  When I allow myself to dream a little, I begin to imagine that John isn’t just some fluke and that he might actually see beyond the damage I sometimes feel is plastered all over me. We’ve spent every single night of the last week together, starting with that drive to the beach at Alki and most recently a long walk through Belltown after having Thai for dinner. I’m practically daydreaming about him as I’m doing inventory in the storeroom at work, and of course Burk notices.

  “You’re in love, aren’t you?” he asks me while he keeps his eyes on the customers milling about.

  “I’m not in love,” I say matter-of-factly, though if I’m being honest with myself, I think I am. I haven’t felt this way since Mr. Thatcher, which, in its own way, kind of scares the hell out of me.

  “Oh, but you are,” he reiterates. “I can tell these things. I’ve been around the block more times than I’d like to admit, and you my dear are in love.”

  “Just more of your fantasies,” I tease, sealing up the last of the boxes and closing the storeroom door behind us.

  “You’ll wear that lavender dress at your engagement party, Emma,” he says, smiling briefly at a customer. “You just wait and see. It’s all going to happen for you.”

  I just shake my head. I’d actually love to believe him, but I can only dare to hope our blossoming relationship will become more. Both of us seem willing to take it slowly, for our own reasons I suppose. But there is no denying that my feelings for him are growing with each moment we spend together. I just have to remain careful, remain vigilant. I’d fallen deeply in love with a man once before, a man who’d lied to me and broke my trust. I’d do my best not to let that happen again.

  JOHN

  “What’s this I hear about you wanting to do legal aid?” My dad asks from his desk.

  I’m immediately opposite him, going through legal briefs as part of my internship at our family law firm, Mercer and Associates. “It won’t be until the fall,” I say, looking up from the briefs. “So, it won’t interfere with what I’m doing here.”

  “I’m not worried about that, son.” Dad eases back in his chair, Seattle’s skyline just beyond his giant window. “I’m only curious to know if this interest in legal aid is of a professional nature. I’ve still got my eye on you to take over the family business, you know?”

  “Michael and Sarah have that covered, don’t they?” My older siblings are both already lawyers and would be far better suited to step into that role.

  “Michael is in New York, and Sarah… well, Sarah…” Dad chuckles. “She’s not going to be ready to settle down for some time with all of that globe trekking.”

  “They’ll come home when they’re needed,” I reply, not sure if they actually would but willing it to be true. The last thing I want is the pressure to take over Mercer and Associates when I’m not sure that’s really what I want for my life.

  Dad rests his elbows against his chair back and seals his fingers together into a pyramid shape. “One should hope, but in the meanwhile, it’s always good to have a candidate here at home. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, son, always have, save for a few missteps along the way. You remind me of myself at that age.” He smiles purposefully and then sighs. “But you’ve got to keep your eye on the prize.”

  “The prize I see might be different from the one you do,” I answer with honesty, something that has been sorely lacking when it comes to our discussions about my future.

  He nods. “Summer before law school, I remember feeling the same way. Your grandfather wanted me to consider just what I’m asking you, and I rebelled. I wanted some adventure in my life, maybe to go off and join an Alaskan fishing crew or spend a season in the mountains fighting fires, maybe even a run with the bulls in Pamplona.” He chuckles again, his eyes light, almost childlike for a moment, as if he’s imagining having done all those things. “Spent several weekends getting downright drunk and shacking up with a girl I met along the way,” he adds.

  He looks at me knowingly, and I realize that he’s found out about Emma… somehow.

  “And what happened to that girl?” I ask, curious to see where he’s going with this.

  His eyebrows lift, as do his shoulders. “Not sure. She was one of those girls that liked to have fun, not a lot of direction. I realized I couldn’t allow myself to get bogged down with a girl like that. After I’d sobered up, I pushed ahead through law school and was introduced to your mother a year later.”

  I let a small, sharp laugh out. “Who told you?”

  His eyes widen. “Ah, such a smart one you are, son. Can’t get anything past you.”

  When he doesn’t offer a name, I start to guess. “Was it Denny?” I don’t want to imagine my best friend would
rat me out like that, but it might have just come up in conversation. Denny is like a son to my dad.

  Dad smiles, somewhat deceptively I think. He can be the nicest guy you’ve ever met unless you do something he doesn’t want you to.

  “It was actually Madison that paid me a visit, and Denny might have mentioned you were out with another girl this week—I’m sorry to hear that you and Madison are still having problems.”

  “We’re broken up,” I say, annoyed by his present tense description of our relationship status. “If she thinks there’s a future for us, then she’s mistaken.”

  “Oh, well, you never know with these things,” Dad says. “Madison is a good girl, son. She’s smart as a whip and not bad on the eyes… not bad at all. She’s not the kind of girl you let go of easily.”

  “Who said my decision was easy?” My jaw clenches, and the last thing I want is to have to explain my position on Madison all over again.

  “All right, all right,” he says, putting his hands up in a sort of surrender. “Then why don’t you tell me about this other girl, son. Is it serious?”

  I sigh and consider what I should divulge to my father. On one hand, I’ve been eager to list off all of the things I like, and am growing to love, about Emma to absolutely anyone who would listen. On the other hand, I’m concerned that they might dissuade me from her, like Court did the other day when she called what Emma and I have insta-love.

  “Just be careful about jumping in too quick,” she’d said, but considering she’s been single forever, I didn’t take a lot of stock in her advice.

  But as far as Dad is concerned, I figure I better just tell him before someone like Madison tries offering him some version of the truth again.

  “Her name is Emma,” I say, feeling myself beam as her name crosses my lips. “She’s beautiful and down to earth. She’s so easy to talk to, and she doesn’t have an agenda. She just likes to listen, and in turn… I like to listen to her.”

  Dad pushes his bottom lip out like he’s impressed. “She sounds like a nice girl, but how well do you really know her, son?”

  I let out an exasperated breath and scoot out from the desk. “I know enough,” I say. “And maybe you should just learn to give people chances before judging them.”