Page 58 of The Love Rematch
Except it is. Because it’s Emily.
Jake knocks.
The door swings open.
“Hey—” Emily freezes, visibly recalibrating at the unexpected sight of his face. Jake takes the opportunity to swoop in.
“Get dressed and meet me downstairs in the lobby in five,” he whispers.
Her brows knot.
He grabs the knob and pulls the door closed, saying two more words before it shuts. “Trust me.”
Then he walks steadily down the hall to the elevator. His heart pounds as he takes it to the ground level. He finds a chair and waits, gaze glued to the metal doors. Time moves like crystallized honey down the side of the bottle, thick and slow. Finally, the doors slide open to reveal Emily in jeans and a fitted navy jacket for the colder London air with one of her colorful floral scarves knotted elegantly around her throat. She scans the lobby as she walks off. He waits until they make eye contact. Then he gets up and strides out the front door, knowing she’ll follow. They walk a block like that until he finally slows down to let her catch up.
“What’s going on?” she asks. “Nina told me to stay in my room.”
“I know.”
“And this is very muchnotmy room.”
“I know.”
“So where are you taking me?”
“Technically, I’m nottakingyou anywhere. You came willingly.”
She offers a pointed glare. “Where, Jake?”
He glances at her from the corner of his eye, lifting his lip in a half grin. “It’s a surprise.”
“A surprise,” she deadpans. “I hate surprises.”
His smile deepens. “I know.”
“The last time someone surprised me, it was my mother on national television telling the whole world about her pathetically single daughter.”
“And look how great that turned out.”
She rolls her eyes. “The last timeyousurprised me, it was with tickets to an outdoor music festival that ended with the two of us being driven home in separate cop cars.”
“One of which was driven by your father.”
“Yes…”
“And the other by Big Mike, a man I’ve known my entire life.”
“Your point being?”
“We weren’t in any trouble.”
She snorts. “You didn’t kiss me in public for a month after that night.”
“Isaidwe weren’t in any trouble.” He stopped to hail a cab, then met her gaze. “I didn’t say I wasn’t scared shitless.”
She smiles despite herself. There’s a war afoot in her eyes, a push and pull he remembers well. It’s not the first time he’s convinced her to go against her better judgment—and sneaking away with him? It’s clearly a bad decision. Still, when a cab finally pulls over, after a moment’s hesitation, she follows him inside. He breathes a sigh of relief. Unlike when they were teens, he really wasn’t sure what she would do.
“The Tower of London, please,” Jake says.
