Page 35 of Only When We Fall

“Because I don’t trust Landon around you,” I tell her. It’s the truth.

She groans, throwing the sheets back and scanning the room for her clothes. I throw her one of my shirts and she glares at it with disdain. “You were sick on yours,” I explain. “They’re in the washing machine.”

She scoffs, “Don’t think that little trick will stop me leaving.”

“It’s not a trick, Em. Look, you want the truth, you can’t trust Landon.”

“But I can trust you?” she asks, adding an unamused laugh. “Seriously?” She tugs my shirt on.

“Have you slept with him?” I don’t want to know the answer, but if I’m right, this might help her to see what he’s really after.

“That’s none of your business.”

I still at her words. I thought she’d tell me straight that she hasn’t. But her indifference makes me suspicious. “So you have?”

“I don’t ask you who you’ve slept with,” she points out, adding, “Although, it would probably be easier to ask who you haven’t slept with.”

I shake my head, pushing to stand. “You have this impression I’m a man-whore, Emmie.”

“Aren’t you?”

I growl in frustration. “We’re not talking about me. This is about you and him.”

“You have no right to be jealous, Kai. We were over months ago.”

“I never ended it,” I argue.

She pinches the bridge of her nose and inhales slowly. “Why can’t I trust him?”

“He’s only after one thing.”

This makes her laugh louder. “Believe it or not, not all men are like you.”

“Again, with the man-whore references,” I snap. “Landon isn’t innocent. He practically told me that’s all he wants from you.”

“Was that before or after he called you out for being with another woman, less than an hour after you stood in the window of that restaurant, staring at me likeIwas the one cheating?”

I frown. “What?”

“He told me, Kai. I know you were with a woman. But it doesn’t matter, because we’re not together so you can fuck whoever you want.”

She turns, grabbing the door and yanking it open. I rush over, slamming my hand against it and spinning her back to face me. “I wasn’t with another woman.” Emmie rolls her eyes. “Em, I wasn’t. I swear. The only thing I’m guilty of is drinking after I swore I wouldn’t. I saw you both and it sent me over the edge, soI went to drown my sorrows. It washimwith another woman. I confronted him.” She shifts, her eyes searching mine for the lie. “It’s the truth,” I say, my tone serious. “I was pissed he’d been on a date with you, and twenty minutes later he was sleazing over some other girl. I calledhimout and then I hit him.”

“Why would he lie?”

Her words are like a punch to the gut. “Why would I?”

Her eyes flick from mine and she stares down at her feet. “Because that’s what you do, Kai Banks. You reel me in and hurt me with your lies.”

I take a step back, nodding slowly. “I’ll give you some time to freshen up,” I mutter.

She steps clear of the door, and I head out, closing it quietly behind me.

Chapter Eleven

Emmie

I find Kai sitting in the kitchen nursing a mug of coffee. He looks up and forces a smile. It doesn’t reach his eyes. “I’ll walk you back,” he mutters, pushing to stand.

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