Page 26 of Only When It Breaks

Luna flushes beet red. “Are you kidding me?”

“Nope.”

She groans and covers her face. “I hate this game.” But then she leans across the circle and plants a kiss square on Austin’s cheek.

The group erupts. “Whoa!” Henry shouts, laughing.

Austin’s mouth falls open in surprise. “Since when?”

Bella rolls her eyes, probably because the attention isn’t on her for once, and mutters, “Cute,” with a fake smile.

Austin spins next, and it lands on Bella. She smirks, “Dare.”

He grins, and I hold my breath because I know it’ll involve me. He lifts his drink to his lip before saying, “Kiss a guy in this circle you’ve slept with.”

The silence is instant; even Luna chokes on her drink.

Bella’s smile doesn’t even twitch. She stands, smooth as ever, and saunters over to me. She bends slowly as she slides her hand over my cheek, placing a lingering kiss on my lips. Emmie goes still in my arms.

Bella pulls back, “Too many times,” she whispers.

I stare at her, deadpan. “Grow up, Bella.”

She shrugs and saunters back to her seat, sipping her drink like she didn’t just light a match and toss it into a pool of petrol.

I glance at Emmie. She’s frozen. Her walls are going back up, brick by brick, and I feel her pulling away even though she hasn’t moved yet.

I grip her knee gently. “It was forever ago,” I say quietly, only for her. “Long before this. Before you.”

Her jaw clenches, but she remains quiet as Bella spins the bottle.

It lands on Emmie, and I’m about to protest; she made it clear she isn’t playing, but she says, “Truth.”

“Whoaaaaa,” Austin laughs. “Where are you gonna go with this, Bells?”

Bella tilts her head, voice all syrupy sweetness. “Do you actually think you’re Kai’s type?” And she adds a condescending laugh. Luna gasps, and Austin looks at Emmie in delight, probably waiting for her to crumble.

For a second, I think Emmie’s going to shrink. She goes still in my lap, but then she lifts her head slowly and locks eyes with Bella. And smiles. It’s not fake or nervous. But lethal.

“I didn’t think I was,” she says, calm and cool. “But then he kissed me in front ofyou.So . . .” She shrugs. “Guess he figured it out before you did.”

The silence isglorious.

Bella’s smile flickers, just barely, but I see it.

And Emmie leans back against me like she owns the place. I snigger, kissing her on the cheek like a proud boyfriend.

Chapter Nine

Emmie

I glow under his praise. Sitting taller as he wraps his strong arms around my waist and rests his chin on my shoulder. “Savage,” he whispers. “Little Rebel.” I freeze, unsure if it’s a pure coincidence or if he actually knows. His fingers trace lazy circles across my stomach, so I choose to ignore his comment and pray it’s a fluke.

I tune back into the group, “Dare,” says Austin.

Henry grins, “Take Luna upstairs for half an hour.”

“Not in my bedroom,” snaps Bella. “Use the spare room.”

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