Page 125 of Cougar

Lowering her to the floor, I cup her face and bring my lips to hers. “I love you, Emerson.”

A sharp gasp echoes over the sound of the shower. Emerson pulls from my arms and swipes a hand across the glass of the shower in time for us both to catch a flash of dark hair fleeing the bathroom.

“Oh my God,” Emerson chokes out.

My heart sinks.

“She saw us, Cam.” She jumps out of the shower in a panic. Not bothering to dry off, she reaches for a robe and hurries to cover herself. Emerson pauses at the door and looks at me over her shoulder, eyes wide with panic. “Stay here,” she instructs before leaving the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

No fucking way. We’re in this together.

I quickly towel off before grabbing my jeans from the floor and slipping them on. I move to stand at the threshold of the open bathroom door. Jay’s eyes are red, her face soaked with tears, and it shreds my heart.

“The cameras were everywhere. I almost fell,” she cries hysterically into her phone.

“Jay,” Emerson says. “What happened?”

“I have to go. I love you, Zach.” She spins around, angry and teary-eyed. “I was calling you,” Jay shouts. “Someone tipped them off. They knew I was there.”

“Who?”

“The paparazzi. They were outside Jack’s office building. They were shouting at me and asking about Ace and Tyge.”

“Where was your security?” Emerson yells.

“There were too many of them, and the flashes… who needs a flash in the freakin’ daytime? I couldn’t see where I was going and I almost fell.”

Guilt fills my gut like a lead weight.

“You have to fix this! Zach is going to see those pictures and freak out.”

“I’ll take care of it, I promise,” Emerson says in a shaky voice.

“I saw you with him,” Jay whispers, but there’s an angry edge in her tone. “How could you be with him in my father’s house? Does Uncle Liam know about you two?” She holds up her phone as if she’s threatening to call him.

Liam isn’t going to be happy about Emerson and me, but for him to find out from a hysterical Jay will not bode well for anyone. Liam is a ‘swing first, ask questions later’ kind of guy.

Jay’s eyes flick from Emerson to me and turn to slits. Her nostrils flare, and the pained expression on her face quickly morphs into an angry one. Thankfully, years of experience on the pitcher’s mound keeps my reflexes sharp, because there’s no warning when Jay hurls her cell phone at my head.

“Fuck you, Cam!” she screams. “This is my father’s house!”

* * *

Emerson

“That’s enough, Jayla.” I straighten my spine. “First of all, this is my house, too.” I take a step forward and point in her face. “Second, my relationship with Cam is my business.” I slap my hand over my heart as tears slide down my face. “Your father was the love of my life. I miss him every day.” My voice breaks. “I grieve for him every day. I’d give anything to have him back. He’s gone, Jay, but I’m still here. Existing while everyone else is moving on with their lives. Why can’t I? Am I supposed to spend the rest of my life alone? Just because I’ve found happiness doesn’t mean I’ve stopped loving your father. I will never stop loving Marcus. But that doesn’t mean I can’t love Cam, too. He makes me happy. When I’m with him, everything hurts less. I love you, Jayla, more than anything in this world, but you will not make me feel guilty for moving on with my life.”

The tension in the room is so thick, it’s almost suffocating. Jay stands just inches from me with her fists balled at her sides, her eyes flicking between Cam and me.

Bass appears in the doorway. “Everything okay in here?” he asks gruffly. His eyes dart between Jay and me, then move to a shirtless Cam standing behind me.

Knowing him, he’d been standing just outside the door listening and waiting for the right moment to step in and diffuse the situation.

Without looking away from me, Jay replies, “Yeah, B. She wasn’t answering her phone because she was too busymoving on,”she sneers.

“Princess!” Bass bellows, and for the first time ever in my eighteen years as her mother, I want to slap her.

I cock my hand back, ready to strike. Jay’s eyes widen briefly, but then she squares her shoulders and lifts her chin in defiance. Daring me.

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