PARTTWO
1 Month Later
CHAPTERSEVEN
AUGUST
“Ihave something to tell you,” I say, taking a sip of my drink and looking at my best friend, Magnus. We’re at his apartment playing video games and drinking wine. Well, Magnus is drinking wine. I’m drinking a Jack and Coke and getting murdered on the screen.
Kind of like how my heart has felt the past month. But that’s just plain pathetic because it was all my choice. I thought it was the right one to make at the time, but as the days turn into weeks, I’m no longer sure. I’ve gone over it a hundred times in my mind, and I don’t know what the right answer is.
All I know is that I have this sinking feeling that I made a mistake.
Magnus’ eyebrow arches and he leans toward me, his controller suddenly forgotten and discarded in his lap. “Oh, thank sweet baby Jesus. You’ve been keeping a secret forever and I’m dying to know what it is. Sem told me that I needed to be patient, but you know that I’m about as patient as I am tall.”
I snort and take another long sip of my drink and eyeball him. “Where is your husband?”
“At work. He’ll be home soon. So, you have some time to get it all out.All the dirty, juicy details. And let me tell you, I want all of them, August.”
I set my controller down and lean back against the couch, running my hands through my hair. Fuck, where do I even begin? This whole month has been a shit show. I feel like I’ve been trudging around in molasses. Time has been moving much too slowly and I’m so damn confused about so many things.
“So, you’ve already kind of guessed…but remember when Emery and I got stuck in the snow…?”
“How could I ever forget? I thought you’d died. And let me just remind you that you took your sweet time getting back to me, which I will never,everforget.”
I eye him and he waves his hand as if to saygo on.
“Yeah, well…something happened out there….”
“Oh, fuck yes! Please tell me you two shared a sleeping bag. Forced proximity is fire.”
Magnus is fanning his face, looking flushed and I roll my eyes.
“Hold it together, Mag. You not getting laid enough or something?”
“God, no. Sem is horny all the time, and my ass is double-o sore, but this is not about me. I need to know. Did you cuddle naked for survival?” he asks, leaning closer to me. “Tell me. Lie to me. Just say yes.”
My mind conjures up visions of Emery on top of me, his hips grinding into me, his tongue in my mouth. In my ass. Ugh, the entire thing was so much more than just sharing a sleeping bag. And I know my best friend sees this, with how my cheeks pinken in reverie.
I clear my throat. “Yeah, of course we did. We had to stay warm. It was freezing.”
“I knew it!” Magnus groans. “I can see it. The two of you all cozy. There’s more. Tell me more.”
“Well, then some stuff happened and we…well, I if tell you…I’d like you to keep this to yourself.”
Magnus is practically on my lap now, his eyes wide. Is he holding his breath? He’s kind of turning blue.
“Jesus, breathe, dude,” I say with a small laugh. “And yeah…we…you know, we crossed a few lines.”
Magnus exhales loudly. “You little slut. I fuckingknewit. You blush every time I ask about him. You look like a guilty choir boy.”
I scoff. “I do not. And I don’t blush.”
Magnus is flapping his hands in excitement, not even listening to me. Oh god, here it comes.
“How was it? Do those tattoos run completely over his body? Does he have any on his dick? How was the kissing? Because I’ve seen him kiss and oof, it’s hot. Like he does this thing with his tongue and his teeth…”
I wet my lips and think back to it all. I’ve been dreaming about it for weeks. I wake up aching and needy and he’s not there. Brutal is one way to describe it. But at the same time, I’m proud of him for sticking to his guns. Emery deserves someone who won’t hide him. He deserves someone stronger, better than me.