Page 37 of Falling With a Spin

“Alright, you are all set.”

Grabbing the drinks, I head for the door and throw a quick wave, making sure not to drop the drinks in the process.

I get in my car, quickly pull up the address he’d given me last night before leaving and then press play on my Taylor Swift playlist. Letting her music ease my nerves.

Twenty minutes later and one too many wrong turns, I finally pull up next to the house. I close my eyes and let out a deep breath before stepping out of the car. I grab my bag and the drinks, turning around I notice the house is a two story with a wrapped-around porch and a front yard with flowers of all colors planted into the ground. I double-check the address that Hunter gave me, yup it’s the correct one. The house looks different from what a group of guys would live in, especially college guys.

“Alright lets do this Emma,” I stuff my phone in my back pocket and walk up the steps to the front door. There’s music blasting from the house, and even though it’s ten in the morning, it seems a little early for this.

Balancing the drinks in one hand, I knock on the door, hoping there is someone who might hear me. Knocking three times and with no luck, I attempt the doorknob, and lone behold, it’s locked. Just my luck. Sitting down on the steps, I place my head in my hands to calm my anxiety. At this rate, I won’t get any studying done, I’m going to be screwed for the test. All of the sudden, everything is quiet, and I jump off the porch and start knocking heavily on the door. I hear footsteps behind the door, and a few seconds later, it flies open.

“Hi, how in the fuck can I help you?” A very irritable guy stands in front of me, leaning against the door. He has dark brown eyes and curly blonde hair that he keeps sweeping back. I vaguely remember him from that Saturday morning. But what I don’t remember are those abs because right now, he sure as hell isn’t wearing a shirt.

“Sweetheart, a picture will last longer. Now, do you want to tell me what you are doing here?” Smirking, he looks me up and down.

“I'm here to see Hunterr,” rolling my eyes. I peer behind him, hoping to get a glance and see where Hunter might be.

“All right miss attitude. Oh wait-” He snaps at me and taps his foot on the ground. “You're Emma,” he responds excitedly. “Yeah, he told us that you are coming over. I remember you from a couple of weeks ago. I’m Cole. You can come in, and I’ll grab Hunter. We were just finishing up practice.” He finishes, holding the door open for me to walk in, and then disappears down a pair of stairs.

I stand there awkwardly, waiting for either Cole to return or Hunter to get me. Looking around the house, a picture that hangs on the wall snags my attention. I walk up to it and see all the guys from that morning on stage with their arms wrapped around each other and smiling at the camera.

I reach out to run my fingers over it, a smile coming to my face. I would like to know if I looked this happy being on stage.

“That was taken about a year ago at our first performance.” I jump at the voice that comes from beside me. Turning, I see Hunter attempting to hold in his laughter.

“Holy cheese fuck balls, you scared the shit out of me.”

“Holy cheese fuck balls?” He looks at me strangely, and I huff, rolling my eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

“Sure, whatever.” I give him a sly smile and hand him his drink.

“This is for me?”

“No, it’s for Casper, the friendly ghost.”

“Are you always this sassy in the morning?” He smirks, and if I weren’t looking at him, I would think he’s being serious.

“To answer your question, yes, I usually am when I haven’t had any coffee in my system.” I hold up my drink. “This right here is my saving grace and lifeline.”

He chuckles before taking a sip of his drink, and I swear a small groan leaves him as he takes that first sip. I quickly glance toward other pictures on the wall as my cheeks flush red.

“Come on, follow me. We’ll go up to my room so we can study in some sort of silence.” He says, walking up the steps.

No matter how much I try to get my legs to move, they won’t budge. It’s only been a couple of weeks since that night, and I’ve been scared to enter a bedroom that’s not mine. Hunter turns around, and the realization dawns on him. He quickly descends the steps, and concern deepens on his face when he notices me taking two steps backward.

“Emma, I promise you it’s okay. You are safe here.” He said the same thing last night, and I do feel safe, but I’m also absolutely terrified. “Would it be easier for you if we went into the living room? Or the kitchen? We can even go outside.” He reaches for my hand and rubs idle circles that send chills up my spine and a warmth in my stomach.

I shake my head no. “I will be okay. We can go up there if it’s quieter and easier to study.” Stuttering, I try to put on my best smile.

“Okay then,” He looks to the left where the kitchen is. “Do you want anything to eat?”

“No, I'm okay.”

Giving me a small smile, he turns and walks up the stairs. Following behind him, I can’t help but stare at his ass. It should be illegal for men to have this nice of an ass. I glance up and see Hunter smirking down at me.

Fuck. I got caught.

“My room is right here,” he opens the door letting me walk in first.

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