Page 86 of For Emery

Sabrina looked just as eager to be alone with him.

“Yeah. Go. It was nice hanging with you guys.”

He bumped my fist. “Later.”

Sabrina unexpectedly wrapped her arms around me and leaned into my ear. “She’s a keeper.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” I said as she stepped back from me.

Crosby wrapped his arm around Sabrina and led her out of the bar.

Em returned a couple minutes later. She looked at the empty table. “Where’d they go?”

“I think she got what she came for.”

Her nose scrunched. “What’s that mean?”

“I think she just wanted to see me happy.”

Her bottom lip jutted out. “So, she was looking out for you?”

“I guess she was.”

She walked in between my knees and slipped her arms around my neck. “So, did she approve of me?”

“Yup.”

“And if she didn’t?”

I leaned in and kissed her. “Wouldn’t matter.”

She smiled.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Emery

I’d finished getting dressed in black skinny jeans and a fuchsia scoop-neck shirt, going for a more casual look. I had no idea where Jordan planned to take me. It had been a week since our first real date, and I wondered if he’d try to top such a special night.

I’d run to the restroom and was heading back to my room to fix my makeup. My heartbeat sped—a normal occurrence when I knew we’d be alone together. And after the amazing first week we’d had, I didn’t think things could go any better.

Bass from a radio down the hall made it impossible to hear my own thoughts as I tapped the passcode into the keypad on my door and pushed it open.

The moment I stepped into my room, a cold shiver rushed up my spine and the door closed behind me.

Wayne stood in my room.

I spun back around and grabbed the door knob, but he was too fast, knocking me out of the way as he blocked the door with his body. “I just want to talk,” he said.

“Not a good idea, Wayne,” I said, my voice cracking and my hands shaking as I backed up into my room, locking my eyes on him.

“I’d say letting your mother drain our bank accounts and not calling to tell me where you’d gone warrants a conversation,” he said, his face pale and cheeks gaunt.

Visions of what he’d done to my mother stung my eyes with tears. “The police are looking for you.”

“Haven’t found me yet,” he said moving toward me.

“How did you find me?” I asked, back-stepping until I hit my bed.

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