Page 90 of Just Enough

It took all my strength, but I caught Emily before she fell. Her body sagged against mine as she grabbed my face and forced her tongue down my throat despite the fact that our bodies were feeling like noodles. I carried her to my room and let her kiss me for as long as she wanted.

The way she moved, the way she breathed and burned with me—just looked at me reconfirmed that the events of today made me forget because of possessive fear.

Emily was just as caught up in me as I was her.

Roger was a ghost that belonged in the past.

Chapter 33

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Emily

“I’m having Bena surprise birthday party next Saturday. Bring your parents.”

Faith sat at a booth alone at Crash’s that following Wednesday. I blinked once, then just stared at her quietly because I wasn’t sure what to say. I knew the obvious answer was yes, but the thought of bringing my parents over to their house was nerve-wracking. My mom was a lesbian and my dad was a recovering alcoholic, and he would always be for the rest of his life. Her husband, on the other hand, Ben, was a lot more laid back than she was, and he always hung out with my dad, so he wasn’t a worry.

“I’d have to ask and see if they have any plans for that weekend,” I told her.

She nodded. “I never got to know your mom while she lived next door.” Because neither of them had wanted to get to know each other.

Faith was taking this a lot easier and quicker than I ever expected she would with me dating her son, but something about it all made me feel hopeful. I tried to remember if she had wanted to meet Tammy’s parents. I knew she gushed over Kelly and Tammy unlike the way she did me, but at the same time, I felt like my treatment was something to feel grateful about. Which was weird because the woman stalked my workplace instead of asking me if I wanted to hang out with her.

“Make sure to bring them,” she said again.

“I’ll ask them,” I told her quickly and got back to my tables. I wouldn’t get any tips if my customers thought I was ignoring them to talk to Faith.

Only I paused at a table when I saw Roger walk in. I ignored him being here and took an order and brought another table’s food out, then went around for refills. He was at one of my tables waiting, and I could no longer hold it off. I told myself that he was here to eat, but the feeling in my gut told me that wasn’t true. I had assured Benjamin that Roger would stop bothering me now that he knew we were together, but the texting hadn’t and now he was here at my workplace.

I found Linda, another waitress that was working today and asked her if she’d take his table. She saw that it was my ex and tapped my shoulder with a smile saying she didn’t mind. I refocused myself on work and glanced over at Faith who was scrolling through her phone while she waited for her food. I went to check to see if her food was ready and it was. I brought it out to her. “Here ya go.” I smiled as I placed it in front of her.

“Looks good,” she said.

“Do you need anything else?” I asked her.

“Not at the moment.”

I nodded and hurried off to another table, moving a lot faster when I got to Roger’s table. He caught my wrist when I walked by, making me jump. “Wait, Emily.”

My stomach filled with unease. I didn’t even want to talk to him. I didn’t even like that he thought it was okay to grab me. I loved Benjamin so much that I didn’t even want to look at my ex for fear of Benjamin thinking I wanted someone that wasn’t him. Which was silly because Benjamin was Benjamin. He trumped everyone in my life, and I was positive he knew that… Didn’t he?

“What is it?” I asked calmly, pulling my wrist out of his grip.

“Sorry,” he apologized. “But you’re completely ignoring me.”

“We don’t have a reason to talk,” I told him, stiffening.

“I miss you.” He knew he shouldn’t have said that, but he did anyway.

“I love Benjamin… You know that.” I didn’t feel bad for speaking my heart. “You probably knew the extent of my feelings for him before I did myself.”

He sighed, dropping his head in defeat. “You think I want to chase someone that doesn’t want me? I can’t help it, Em, you’re all I can think about… I love—”

“Emily.” I was already stiff from this confrontation with Roger, but when I heard Faith say my name, my body showed me just how much further it could tighten. I turned around and saw her peeking her head outside her booth to glance at Roger and me. I left Roger immediately and rushed to the woman I didn’t want to hate me any more than she already did.

“Do you need a refill?” I asked her in a rush.

“No. Just the check.”

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