Page 41 of Chasing Storm
Tears prick her eyes, the oldest trick in the book and one I realise now she used to do all the time. “Please, Thatch. I’m sorry. I will never do it again. I know what I lost.”
“Emma, I’m going to say this one last time, and I swear to God you need to hear me. Don’t fucking mess with Storm. We are serious about her, and you have just royally fucked things up. If we don’t come back from this, I will make sure your life is a living hell. Are we clear?”
She blinks, anger replacing the crocodile tears. “We. What the fuck, Thatch? You all going in on her. Guess that makes sense. I mean she was withFrancothe other night. What kind of desperate whore do you have to be…”
I let out a loud rumble with serious intent. I’ve never, ever been so angry before at anyone, and I hope never to be again.
She must see how serious I am and she takes a step back.
“Stay the fuck away from Storm and stop spreading these lies about us. Do I make myself clear?” I hiss.
She nods slowly, her hands trembling slightly as I stare her down. “Yes.”
Without another word, I give her a look of disgust and turn to walk back to the house, practically kicking the door off its hinges with my anger.
“Sorted?” JP asks, standing with his arms folded in the entrance hall, Josh at his side.
“Sorted in as much as she will shut her mouth. Storm is another issue altogether,” I say with a sigh and rub my hands over my face as I kick the door closed behind me.
“We need to do damage control, and fast,” Josh says.
“Agreed,” JP says. “But first, we need to find out what Emma said. Did she tell you?”
I shake my head. “Just that she didn’t want anyone getting in the way ofus.” I sneer, getting angry all over again.
JP sighs with me. “So we can probably assume she told her you shagged or something.”
“Probably.”
“Great. Just great.” He turns and stalks off into the kitchen with Josh behind him.
I join them, and we sit around the table despondently as we try to come up with something that can fix this mess, knowing that it will take mountains.
26
STORM
“Wow.” Cassidy looks at me with her black-eyelinered eyes and lets out a breath.
“Yup.”
“You sure?”
I nod. “Yeah. This whole thing has made me realise that I want this now. I’m done with boys and I want a man. A real man, who will sweep me off my feet and give me everything.”
“And you’re sure JP, Josh and Thatcher aren’t those guys?”
I glare at her. “No. What do they have to do with any of this? They are the whole reason I want to move forward and take that next step. And since when did you get so casual about throwing them all in the same boat?”
She purses her lips. “It’s unconventional, sure, but not unheard of. I’ve got plenty of friends who are into poly relationships. We should all be so lucky to find three hot guys who wants us.”
“Want? I’m not hearing anything good about that. Pass the parcel and then ditch the gift when they get bored.”
“I don’t know if that’s fair,” Cass says so seriously I wonder whose side she is actually on right now. “They mean business.”
“How do you know? When did you get such good buddies with them?”
“It’s a long story. But they’re really good guys and they’re serious about you.”
