Page 143 of The Snowball Effect

And it’s NOT karaoke, before you ask :)))

Emma couldn’t help the scoffing laugh, shaking her head and feeling stupidly endeared. Because shehadbeen about to ask. Well, she’d been about to insist that they don’t do karaoke, but same difference, really.

“Ahhh, young love,” Brynn sighed from across their shared office space.

The grin immediately fell from Emma’s lips as she felt the heat rush to her cheeks. “Do you have nothing better to do than watch me text?”

Brynn stared back, winging up an eyebrow. “Obviously. We’re packing up, done for the day. What else do I have to do with my time?”

Emma couldn’t really refute that and, quite frankly, she couldn’t even summon up annoyance at feeling like she was under a microscope right now.

Mostly because her stomach was too preoccupied with this buzzing excitement and anxiety about her impending date.

Emma – 5:53PM

Well, you said you wanted me to tell you when I’m leaving work for the day, and I am.

Regan Freaking Gallagher – 5:53PM

Perfect timing! couldn’t have been better even if you knew our plans for the evening already

I’m excited to see you

Oh, and there it was. That feeling swooping so low in her stomach, before erupting and moving somewhere up in her chest.

She held her breath for just a second, before she gave into the feeling.

Emma – 5:54PM

I’m excited to see you, too.

After all, they were going on a date tonight. They were actuallydoing this, despite all of the logic that screamed at Emma that this was a bad idea. That this had the potential to be disastrous, for exactly the reasons she’d already told Regan.

But that logic hadn’t done Emma much good in the last few months, in terms of being able to keep her from developing these feelings for Regan, had it?

“You know I’ve been dying for the last two days, right? For you to tell me more about you and Regan?” Brynn asked, as Emma tucked her phone into her pocket and slung her bag over her shoulder to head out for the day.

As nervous as she truly was for tonight, she was also ready for it. She wanted to know what Regan had planned for them, what had gotten Regan so excited last night, as she’d proudly informed Emma, “I knowexactlywhat we’re doing on our date. Tomorrow night, book it in.”

Tightening her grip on the strap of her bag, she rolled her lips tightly… before expelling a deep breath. “We’re going on a date tonight. That’s the update.”

As Brynn fell into step next to her, she reached out and slapped her hand at Emma’s arm. “Shut up! That’s – wow. That’s a way bigger update than I expected after you were sothere’s no romantic dramathe other night.”

“There have been a few developments,” she offered in vague explanation, because it really was the only explanation she had.

She definitely wasn’t going to tell Brynn about walking in on Regan masturbating and how she’d never heard someone sound so uninhibited, so fucking sexy, that it drove her to the brink of insanity. Drove her right to the brink of confessing every little feeling for Regan that she’d tried to push down and ignore this summer.

But how could she have held it in? How could she have, when Regan had lit up Emma’s every nerve ending with that kiss, and then talked about touching herself, and then begged – so earnestly, so genuinely – for Emma to bare her soul?

Especially when Regan had been utterly correct. She’d never asked Emma to share anything that Regan herself hadn’t already shared, freely and openly, just because she wanted Emma to know.

Yeah, she wasn’t going to discuss that with Brynn, either.

Apparently, she didn’t need to. They shared an elevator to the lobby and Brynn merely shook her head, a thoughtful expression on her face, before she finally turned to look up at Emma. “You know, you havereallysurprised me. When you started in May and you were all-business, no gossip, didn’t ever want to share about your personal life, I really thought I was in for a real bummer summer. But now, look at us. Somewhat friends, and you’re telling me about your date with your hot roommate.” She bumped her shoulder lightly into Emma’s. “Not half-bad.”

Emma found herself smiling even as she rolled her eyes. “Not half-bad,” she agreed.

As they walked out of the building, Brynn let out a low whistle. “I’m having some déjà vu.”

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