Page 34 of Breaking the Rules
"Heard a lot about you."
"Yeah… You too."
"Always good to hear someone's taking care of my girl," I say.
His gaze goes back to Emma. He stares like she ripped his heart out. Like she's a bitch for lying. "Of course," he recovers. "I've always wanted to meet Emma's boyfriend."
She clears her throat. "Yeah. Vinnie has been a really close friend. I should have told you more about him, but I know you get jealous."
I shrug, playing my role. "Fuck, can you blame me?" I turn back to Emma. Blow her a kiss. "You know guys don't give a shit a woman's taken. And one as gorgeous as mine—"
She presses her lips into a smile. "You don't mean that, baby."
"I do." I shoot herfuck meeyes. "I'll show you how much when we get home."
"You're living together?" he asks.
"Fuck yeah. Paradise after a year in the joint. We got a lot of time to make up for too," I say.
"Right." He smiles to hide his confusion, but he doesn't sell it.
I turn back to Vinnie. Smile through my teeth. So he knows I'm not going to let him touch Emma. "Thanks for treating my girl right, Vinnie. What goes around comes around."
"Yeah. Sure." His eyes meet Emma's. They ask for something. For something she isn't giving.
She clears her throat. "We, um, we have to meet Brendon at… uh… the karate dojo. So we better finish this. I'd hate for you to miss your martial arts practice."
I nod. She's overselling it.
But it's working well enough.
Vinnie nods goodbye and backs away.
I close and lock the door.
But, still, Emma stays on edge.
She turns to the table. Moves a pair of jeans from her dresser drawer to her suitcase with shaky hands.
"Em—"
"Don't call me that."
"What the hell happened with that guy?"
"Nothing."
"Bullshit."
"It wasn't a big deal."
Bullshit it wasn't.
But pushing isn't going to help.
Her dark eyes are streaked with fear.
Her entire body is shaking.
