Page 102 of The Love Rematch
He can’t miss.
He won’t.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
emily
Emily wakesup sore in all the right places, wishing there were some way to give the sport of surfing and the state of California the hugethank youthey’re due. Because, well, shit. Jake learned a lot in their seven years apart, and she fully intends to take advantage of his new prowess—making up for lost time and all that jazz.
Except…she can’t.
When she rolls over, the bed is empty. Emily sits up and hugs the sheet to her chest, suddenly cold as she stares at the vacant room. Outside, the sun sparkles off the water beneath a cloudless sky. A literal paradise beckons. Inside, a nightmare looms.
She’s alone.
Again.
The déjà vu washes over her like a sudden-onset flu. She feels hot and feverish, then inexplicably frigid. A chill sends goose bumps down her arms, leaving them trembling. Nausea pulls at her gut. Vomit threatens at the back of her throat. Emily vaults off the bed and surges toward the bathroom, sure she’s about to be sick. It’s not until she’s kneeling with her head in the toilet that rational thought takes over.
He probably didn’t want to get caught.
He’s probably back in his room, pretending nothing happened.
She’ll see him in an hour.
Emily sits back on her heels and wipes her mouth. The wordsHe’s not goneplay like a mantra in the back of her thoughts. Because he isn’t. He can’t be. After everything he said to her last night, after everything that happened, he wouldn’t just leave again without an explanation, without a reason.
He’s here. Somewhere.
He has to be.
Theclickof a door reverberates loudly in the silence of her room. Emily launches to her feet, flushes the toilet, and springs from the bathroom.
“Ja—”
The words catch in her throat when she’s greeted by the sight of Nina standing next to her nightstand, staring at her bed with a scowl as if she knows what transpired there last night. The producer jolts and clutches her clipboard as Emily skids into the room.
“Rough night?” She arches her brow.
Emily swallows. “You could say that.”
“Have no fear, makeup is on the way.”
Emily lets out a pathetically squeaky laugh as the smile on her face wobbles with unshed tears. Nina steps closer with a frown and puts her hand on Emily’s shoulder.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Me? Sure. Yeah, sure.”
Nina snorts. “That was convincing.”
“You haven’t, um—” Emily stops herself, aware how crazy the question will sound first thing in the morning with her hair looking the way it does and her mouth obviously swollen. She’s being ridiculous. Jake snuck out to go back to his room. He clearly doesn’t want anyone to find out what happened. Anything she says to Nina will be suspicious. Still…
“Haven’t what?” Nina presses, her eyes blank.
The question spills out in a rush. “You haven’t seen Jake, have you?”
“Jake?”
