Page 77 of Lost the Handle

Emery

“Why are you walking funny?”

I look up from my phone, which I was checking for verification from Yvette that she’s spoken to Ava. She’s at the ER today and isn’t expected back till this evening. Once Quinn fucked the hell out of me and came so damn hard he went cross-eyed, he cleaned me up and told me he’d be home late. I’m sure I’ll hear from him before that. I know once Yvette tells Ava about my offer, she’ll call Quinn right away.

I’m unsure how he’ll react to my interfering, but I fucked up once, and I don’t make the same mistake twice.

I glance down at myself and then back to where my sister is giving me a weird look. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You’re walking like you just got rammed by a giant.”

I mean, she’s not far off the mark. Quinn is a giant, compared to me.

“Emery!” she giggles, her face flushed, and is she glowing? My sister is a gorgeous girl. Long, slick brown hair to her waist, cherubic cheeks, and naturally heart-shaped lips. She’s taller than me, built like a model, and is that flour on her nose? I knowshe’s being trained to make cupcakes with my aunt, but why did she ask me to come over if she was busy?

I snort as I wipe her nose clean. She giggles again as she bats my hand away, and I ask, “What?”

“You’re walking funny.”

“I am not!”

“You are. All bowlegged. Wait? Did you get railed? Who? OMG! Did you and Quinn hook up?”

I purse my lips. “Can I plead the Fifth?”

Her eyes widen, her mouth parting before she shrieks, “No shit! What? When?”

My face warms. “Last night, this morning, and ugh, Stella… It was everything I wanted.”

“Damn it!” she pulls out her phone, and then she’s counting on her fingers. “For real, you couldn’t have hooked up tomorrow? I had $500 bucks on y’all getting back together on day ten. It’s only day nine.”

I bring in my brows. “What?”

She shows me a group text, and when I see the name of the group—The betting group for when Quinn and Emery fuck—I glare at my sister. “Seriously?”

“What? It was easy money. Or so I thought.”

I stare in disbelief at the phone as I click the members of the chat. The usual suspects: her, my brothers, Quinn’s brothers and sisters. Each one picked a date. These assholes.

“Well, at least you didn’t lose on day one, like Asher projected.”

Stella snorts. “I know. Everyone gave him shit. But damn, I think Posey won.”

She goes to grab her phone, but I shake my head. “No way! You promise me right now, right here, that you won’t tell anyone.”

Her brows knit. “Why?”

“Because we’re working out the details,” I explain, before I recount how it all went down last night.

“So, he broke it off with her after dinner?” she asks since I left that part out on purpose.

I press my lips together. “He’s doing that today.”

“Emery Elaine! You slept with him when he’s engaged!”

My cheeks flush, but I feel no remorse. “Yes. He’s mine, Stella!”

She gawks at me. “You know better than that. If you give the milk for free, what’s going to make him leave her?”

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