Page 22 of Bad Call
An uncontrolled laugh bursts from my chest, and he shakes his head in exasperation.That fucking girl. She’s sassy as hell, but she truly cares about the people around her. I’m so goddamn proud of her for that.
“Where are you off to?” Jett asks. “Got a hot date?”
“Something like that,” I reply, unable to stop the wide grin that spreads across my face. “Have a good night,guys.” And with that, I leave, catching Maddox’s well-aware smirk as I head out the door. I know we have to let Austin in on the whole situation sooner rather than later, but I’m sure Stella will want to be included in that conversation. I get why she didn’t tell him our story before—it wasn’t a happy one, and she didn’t want him to feel like he was in the middle of something. But I’m done hiding now. It’s time to see if fate really did have a happy ending in store for us all along.
TWENTY-ONE
STELLA
“Shut your mouth!”Arden says, the mud mask that’s dried on her face cracking as her jaw drops. “You let him finger you in a random bedroom while another couple listened in? That’s the sluttiest thing I’ve ever heard.”
My brows bunch as I prop the phone up on the bathroom sink, turning on the faucet to wash off my makeup. “You’re kidding, right?” I deadpan. “You fuck two guys at the same time on a regular basis.”
She lifts her shoulder into a shrug. “Okay, fine. You got me there. So, did you guys at least talk stuff out afterward?”
I massage the soap into my skin, rinsing quickly and patting with a hand towel as my stomach twists with unease. I have no idea what we would’ve done or said had Maddox not knocked on the wall last night. The way Emmett held me after making me come felt like things were shifting between us. Andthat kiss? It wasn’t like the one in my living room weeks ago. There was no pain or longing when his lips touched mine in the darkness—onlyhope for the future. At least, that’s how it felt for me. I can’t explain any of it, but I know something changed.
“No,” I reply with a groan. “I don’t think either of us was in the right headspace for that after going through all those emotions at once. He’s obviously still processing things, so I’m kind of leaving the ball in his court. I’ll apologize as many times as he’ll let me, but it’s his choice if he wants to hear any of it.”
“He will,” she says, her expression softening. “You’re doing the right thing, Stell. Whether you believe me or not, I know there isn’t a chance in hell that Emmett Hayes could ever stop loving you. Just give him time to figure that out.”
I nod, swallowing the emotion that clogs my throat. I’m so grateful to have a best friend who’s been there for every stage of my life, including my entire relationship with Emmett. She was right beside me when I married him, and she held my hand through the divorce process, even though she didn’t agree with it. But I thought I was avoiding an inevitable heartbreak, so the only voices I wanted to hear were the ones that said I was right.
“Thank you,” I tell her. “For being my friend even when I’m stupid.”
She giggles, her big, brown eyes sparkling with mirth. “That’s me. Lover of stupid people. Why do you think I’ve been obsessed with Jackson Blake since I was eight years old?”
“I heard that, Princess. And you’re gonna pay for it later,” his muffled voice replies from across the room. She wiggles her brows suggestively, making me laugh because she got exactly what she wanted out of that one.
“Okay, I gotta go,” she laughs. “Call me tomorrow.”
“Have fun with your non-slutty double penetration,” I singsong, hanging up the phone with a chuckle. No matter how heavy life gets, I can always count on Arden to make me feel better. I know I do the same for her. That’s why our friendship has stood the test of time, and why we always run to each other when we need support.
Turning off the light, I head for the living room, ready to curl up on the couch under a warm, thick blanket for the night. I finally talked Austin into going out, so it’s just me, a family-sized package of Oreos, and whatever reality show will make me feel like my life is less of a train wreck than it is. Is it the healthiest coping mechanism? Probably not. But it’s the best I can do for now.
I settle on something to watch, yanking my blanket up and opening the pack of cookies in my lap. Before I even get a chance to enjoy a single bite of my guilty pleasure, a heavy fist raps against the door, startling me. I immediately assume it’s Austin, so I hop up, ready to roast him for being too old to enjoy a night out. But it’s not my problem patient standing there when I swing it open. It’s Emmett, looking absolutely delicious in a pair of jeans and a form-fitting long-sleeved shirt. His dark hair is perfectly messy, and the five o’clock shadow on his jaw is something new, but sinfully sexy. I all but forget to speak as I look him up and down, taking in the effortless beauty that’s only gotten more intense with age.
“Can I come in?” he asks, making my eyes snap up to his. I wonder if I’ll ever see him and be able to think straight, although I already know the answer. He made my brain glitch as a teenager, even when we spent everywaking moment together, so I doubt that’ll change now. Especially when I know what it’s like to be away for years, ready to give anything for just a single glance.
“Of course,” I reply, motioning for him to pass before closing us inside. “I figured you were at Theo’s. Austin said all the guys would be there.” I pause, guilt from last night hitting me like a bag of bricks. “I hope I didn’t cause any trouble between the two of you with the whole bathroom thing.”
“I went there to apologize. I was out of line last night. I should’ve never put my hands on him, but when I saw the two of you together, I lost my fucking shit.” He hangs his head for a moment, blowing out a defeated breath before bringing his gaze to mine. “That’s what you do to me, Stella. After all this time, and the years we spent apart. I thought I could hate you—that I could somehow walk away and not feel anything. But the truth is, I don’t think I’ll ever stop seeing you as mine. I don’t want to.”
“Em,” I choke out, twisting the hem of my oversized T-shirt in my fingers. “I’ve always been yours.”
He rushes toward me, his big palms cradling my cheeks as his lips press to mine. The kiss steals every last molecule of oxygen from my lungs, yet it feels like I can finally breathe again after being suffocated for so long. Sparks of electricity skitter across my skin when his hot tongue plunges into my mouth, making me feel like a live wire as he devours me. His hands find their way to my ass, easily lifting me off the floor like I weigh nothing. Instinctively, I wrap my legs around him, the hard, heavy feel of his erection pressed against my core eliciting a needy whimper that he swallows greedily.
“Fuck,” he says against my lips. “I want you so bad, but we should slow down.”
“No,” I beg, diving forward to kiss him again. “Please. We’ll talk more, but please. I need to feel you. It’s been so long.” I’ve never been this desperate in my life, my heart and head at peace for once, because I finally feel like I’m home. We may have a million issues to work through, but for now, I just want to show him how much he means to me. I want him to see that I truly have always been his, even when he thought I wasn’t.
Without breaking the connection, he carries me to the bedroom, carefully lowers me to the mattress, and settles his hips between my parted legs. He grinds himself into me, stars exploding behind my eyes with each delicious slide of his cock over my panty-clad center. It feels so good already, pleasure pulling tight in the pit of my stomach as my orgasm slowly blooms to life.
“I need to taste you,” he murmurs, coasting his lips down my neck and latching onto the heated skin. I moan loudly, my hips bucking from the bed in search of more friction. But he doesn’t give it yet, pushing up to his knees and removing his shirt before tossing it aside. Tan skin stretches tightly over stacked rows of abdominal muscles, and my tongue itches to trace every single peak and valley. But that’ll have to wait, because as soon as he sheds his jeans and kicks them to the floor, he’s focusing his attention on me.
My shirt is the first thing to go, his pupils blowing wide as he sees my tits for the first time since we were eighteen years old. Insecurity washes over me at the thought, because while his body has become harder andmore toned, mine has gotten softer in all the places he used to love the most. I immediately regret not taking better care of myself while we were apart, hoping that he’s not turned off by the way I look now.
He rakes his gaze over my exposed skin, studying every dip and curve below him. My cheeks heat with embarrassment, arms snaking across my stomach and chest when the scrutiny becomes too much to bear. He freezes at first, brows pulling tightly in confusion. But I can tell the moment he figures it out, because his eyes shoot up to mine, flaring with anger. He grips my chin roughly, so I have no choice but to look at him, before leaning down and getting right in my face.
