Page 49 of The Stolen Moments Trilogy

“Hey, what’s up? You look like a zombie.”

She rolls her eyes and glares at me. “I just really miss Asher,” she says. “We said we’d stay friends and things have been going well. I speak to him all the time, but it isn’t the same. Asher and Carter have been going out almost every night with their new football team, and I hate it.”

I nod in understanding and take a bite of my food, barely tasting it. All I can think about is the photo I saw earlier. He seemed so close to that girl and the way she was looking at him… I can’t help but overthink it. When he said he’d move on, I naively thought he meant he’d forget about his feeling and we’d go back to being friends. I didn’t think he’d actually get with anyone else. He hasn’t so much as looked at anyone in as long as I can remember. The only time I’ve ever seen him do that was with Gemma, and I’m pretty sure he did that to make me jealous. This time, it doesn’t look like that’s his aim. It looks like he’s truly moving on, and there’s nothing I can do about it.

“Hey, you’re Emilia, right?”

I look up to find a guy I’ve never seen before standing in front of our table. I nod and he scratches his nose awkwardly.

“I’m Landon,” he says. I nod again. Landon shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “I just wanted to introduce myself. I moved here a few months ago. I noticed you on my first day here and I just haven’t been able to get you out of my mind. So, I finally worked up the courage to talk to you, but I don’t really know what to say. And I guess maybe... Do you think that maybe you could give me your number?”

I blink up at him. He’s rambling like crazy, but rather than being annoying, it’s kind of cute. My first instinct is to say no. Though Carter and I aren’t together, it still kind of feels like we are. But then I think back to how short he’s been with me recently and the photo I saw earlier today. He’s moving on, and I need to do the same. If I don’t, I’ll end up pining after him while he’s getting with one girl after the other at college.

I nod at Landon. “Yeah, I guess I could give you my number.”

Landon grins at me and fumbles around with his phone before finally handing it over. I type in my number and give myself a missed call before handing it back to him. He grins and puts his phone away. He’s surprisingly cute. He’s not hot like Carter is, but he’s good looking and a little dorky.

“I... uh, I will text you,” he says. He turns around and walks away, but he pauses two steps away from me and turns back. “Bye, Emilia,” he says. He turns around again and walks off in a rush.

Kate bursts out laughing. “That’s one thing I forgot about. With Carter gone, you might actually be able to date. Dude, you might not have to go to college still a virgin,” she says, elbowing me. I blush and shake my head. I feel bad for not telling her anything. She’s told me about every step she’s taken with Asher, but I’ve kept my own experiences a secret.

“Maybe,” I reply. I don’t really want to date. I just want Carter.

Chapter 42

Carter

I’m excited as I walk into the house. It’s been months since I’ve been back and I’ve missed the hell out of everyone. I’m excited to be spending Christmas at home. Asher helps me carry my luggage in carefully, and I know he’s already looking for Kate. I don’t need his help, but he insisted, as though it’s not obvious that he can’t wait a single second longer to see my sister again. I thought he’d get over her at college for sure, but he hasn’t. I haven’t seen him look at a single girl in months. It’s like he doesn’t even register them. I haven’t been much better, to be honest. Every time I got close to sleeping with someone, I ended up backing out. My Minx ruined me for everyone else. I’m excited to see her, and I’m excited to see what kind of shit she’ll get up to this time. I’m sure she’s been planning some absolute mayhem for me.

I walk into my bedroom and stare out the window, straight into hers. I expected to find her studying at her desk, or maybe not even there at all. What I find instead is her in some other guy’s arms. She’s standing in the middle of her bedroom, her lips against his. The way she’s kissing him is passionate and eager. It’s obvious that she’s learned a thing or two since I kissed her for the first time all those months ago. My heart feels like it’s been ripped right out of my chest.

“Carter?” my mom says. She puts her hand on my shoulder and I drag my eyes away from the show Emilia is unknowingly giving me. My mom glances out my window and looks at me with wide eyes before pulling my curtains shut. She looks awkward and then glances away before clearing her throat.

“How long has that been going on?” I ask, my voice low. Even I hear the barely restrained anger in my tone.

My mother looks at me apologetically, and I already know I’m not going to like the answer. “I think they’ve been together for two months or so?”

I stare down at my shoes. “I’ve only been at college for less than five months,” I say, more to myself than to her. It’s no wonder she said she didn’t want to do long-distance. Was she ever even serious about me at all? It sure didn’t take her long to start dating. I guess with me out of the way, she finally got what she wanted. I still remember how distraught she was when I crashed her date with Tony. I want to be happy for her, but I can’t. My heart feels fucking shattered. Maybe she was never really that concerned about Kate. Maybe it’s me she didn’t want.

“Come on, darling,” my mom says. “I made your favorite carrot cake.”

I follow her down the stairs and try my best to smile. I don’t want her to find out that Emilia has hurt me. I don’t want Emilia to know either. She and I were never together, she made sure of it. It’s better this way.

My mom fills me in on all the things I’ve missed, and it’s like I never even left. Just like usual, Emilia walks through the door around dinnertime, but this time she has a familiar-looking boy in tow. I think he was in her grade. At least this one isn’t scrawny as fuck. He’s got nothing on me, but at least he looks better than fucking Tony.

Emilia freezes when she sees me standing in the kitchen, her eyes going wide. She looks so fucking beautiful. How the hell is she more beautiful than in my memories?

“Carter,” she says. It takes her a couple of seconds, but then she walks up to me and hugs me. Her familiar smell assaults me and her body still fits against mine perfectly. I stand there, frozen. I don’t even hug her back. She pulls away quickly and looks at me, confused.

“Ah, Carter… this is Landon,” she says awkwardly. He steps up to me with a wide smile.

“Wow, Carter Clarke. We’ve never met before, but I’ve always looked up to you. You were a legend on the field, man. You still playing? I mean, yeah, of course you are.”

I nod at him and then glance back at Emilia, but she’s avoiding my gaze.

“How do you and Emilia know each other?” I ask, needing to hear it for myself. I see a flicker of panic in her eyes before she looks back down.

Landon throws his arm around Emilia and grins at me. “Oh, well, Emilia and I are dating.”

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