Chapter Nineteen
JUSTIN SHOULD TURNand go home. A tiny spark of his mind—one the rest insisted was delusional—told him he was making some pretty broad assumptions The thought was enough to prompt him to send Antonio a quick text.My evening freed up. You doing anything?
A reply buzzed through, seconds later.Hanging out. Emily says hi. You coming over?
The simple note washed away the cloud hanging over Justin’s head.Already here.He shut off his car and headed inside. He and Antonio had keys to each other’s houses since they bought the properties. As Justin stepped through the front door, he saw Emily leaned against Antonio, his arm around her shoulders. Justin stalled, unable to process his reaction.
Emily looked up and grinned, and his mind was clear again. She held out her hand. “Perfect timing. Come join us.”
“What are we doing?” Despite his sort-of attempt to set the two up, Justin was grateful to walk into the welcoming and innocent-looking scene. He didn’t know where she expected him to sit, though. The loveseat was only meant for two.
She tugged his arm and shifted as he sat, somehow making the arrangement work. “Distracting me,” she said.
“From what?”
“If we tell you, it’s not distracting.” Antonio’s posture wasn’t as casual as Emily’s. A tension coiled in the way he moved, and faint lines marred his face.
Justin would ask about it later. The overall mood in the room was light, and he wasn’t going to spoil that. “How does thisdistractingwork?”
“First of all, she promised not to vanish into oblivion when her contract is up.” Antonio sounded calm.
“Oblivion?” Justin tried to look incredulous. “That sounds like a difficult place to get to. You’re sure you’re not agreeing for convenience’s sake?”
Emily screwed her face up in thought. “Maybe. A little bit. Seriously, though. I told him, I’m addicted to your company, so I don’t want to sever ties.”
“I’m great with that.” And he was. “But that took about a minute to tell me, so now what?”
“Hmm... Now you tell me—why Brazil?” Emily said.
Fuck. He hadn’t thought about his reasons in ages. It had been even longer since he shared any bit of the story. “Antonio already knows. I don’t want to bore him.” Why was Justin hesitating to share something so simple?
Because it wasn’t simple; it was personal. Even if he glossed parts over, he had to reach deep inside for the words. Did he want this woman seeing those hints?
Antonio met his gaze. “I never mind hearing it again. If you want to keep it to yourself, say so. Don’t use me as an excuse.”
“All right.” Justin pushed out the doubt. No reason to make a bigger deal out of this than it was. “It was because of my grandpa.”
“Thank God.” Emily sounded relieved.
Justin raised his brows in question.
She gave him an impish smirk. “I thought you were going to say it was because a random mugger killed your parents and left you alone as a poor but hyper-wealthy orphan.”
“Sorry my origin story isn’t as glamorous as Batman’s.” When did the ribbing become so comfortable?
“I’m glad.” She sounded sincere. “I want to hear your story, not a comic book exaggeration. What about your grandpa?”