Page 114 of Always Be an Us

Maybe I can make a run for it, jump into the lake and just swim away.

"Emma," Xavier calls my name again and my head snaps toward him. "How have you been? It’s been so long."

I open my mouth to say something perfunctory, or to tell him I’ve been fine. Instead, what comes out is, "What are you doing here?"

My tone is hoarse. Perhaps it could be construed as hostile or simply shocked. But it's certainly not friendly.

Xavier's smile wavers just a little and I feel a chill in the atmosphere even when he shrugs affably. "I was in town."

"Why? You don’t know anyone here."

"Well, not in this town. I was in Bellamy," he remarks. "Remember I told you that my dad had family there?"

I almost remember him vaguely mentioning it, but I'm not sure. Every single memory I have of Xavier is now colored by what he did after our relationship.

"Anyway, I went to visit my Uncle, and since Lakewood is only a town over, I decided I might as well drop down and see you too." His smile turns wistful. "I’ve missed you, Emma.’

He takes a step toward me and two things happen at once. The first is that Declan visibly stiffens beside me, and what I think was a growl rumbles out his throat. The second is that Remy’s barks suddenly increase in intensity, and he charges, straining against his leash.

"Remy," I call out again loudly. "Calm."

The dog settles but visibly bristles at the sight of Xavier, who is eyeing the dog cautiously.

"This isn’t a good time, Xavier," I say.

"Yeah, I can see that." His eyes flicker from the dog to Declan, and then he jabs his thumb behind him at the house. "I peeped through the window and saw the mess. Are you redoing the house?"

I can’t tell if it’s a joke or if he’s mocking me. Right now, I’m too brain-shocked to figure it out.

"Something like that," I say and take Declan’s hand. It's instinctive but it's also designed to drive Xavier away as quickly as possible. I don't want him to think there's even a chance of me getting back together with him now that he's back.

Xavier's eyes travel to our joined hands and his face falls. "Oh."

Yeah. Oh.

Declan makes it even worse by dragging me closer and wrapping my hand around his waist, still staring Xavier down.

Xavier visibly pales but he recovers quickly, posting a wan smile on his face. "Well, I guess I’ll see you around then."

"I guess so," I respond.

He gives me a quick nod and then walks past me to get to his car. I stiffen when he gets close, as the scent of his cologne wafts around me. I once told him he smelled like a luxury handbag store, all leather, with a touch of sweet feminine fragrance. He took it as a compliment but I'm not sure I meant it as such.

I much prefer Declan's subtler sandalwood scent.

As Xavier gets into his car, he gives me a final tight smile and a wave before he drives off.

Only when his car is out of sight do I feel like I can breathe again. The thundering heartbeat in my ears diminishes as well.

"Who is that?" Declan asks as Remy finally drops his haunches and lays at my feet, panting. Then he aptly rolls over on his back. Evidently, he wants some reward for his excellent barking.

I squat to rub his belly, avoiding Declan’s eyes when I say, "Xavier is my ex-boyfriend."

"Ah," Declan answers, and I look up to find him staring. "Is that why you looked violently ill at the sight of him?"

I nod. "Things didn’t end well between the two of us. He kinda cheated on me."

Declan’s eyes darken with fury and I shrug. "Or I suppose it’s the other way round. He cheated on someone else with me. The entire time we dated, he had a steady girlfriend that he’d known for years. I was the other woman. Just a 'good time gal' for him."

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