Page 47 of No Redemption

My phone buzzes and I pull it out, her name flashing across my screen. I slide open the message from her.

Emery:Come find me

I smile, sliding the phone back into my pocket as I begin to ascend the stairs. I take them two at a time, the sound of the crowd slowly growing quieter as I walk down a hallway. My phone buzzes again with another message from her.

Emery:Warmer

I look up. She’s clearly watching me. I scan the hallway, but I don’t see her. I continue walking, another message popping up.

Emery:Even warmer

I poke my head around a corner, seeing an empty ballroom that has several large sets of glass doors that open out to balconies. I check the first one, but she’s not there. My phone alerts again as I check the second set.

Emery:Hot

I smile, checking the third set of doors, opening them to see her standing by the railing.

“On fire.” She smiles, lifting her martini glass.

“What do I win for finding you?” I slide my hands into my pockets to keep myself from grabbing her.

She taps her chin, her eyes shifting like she’s thinking. “My freedom.”

My stomach sinks. “Is that how you still feel—that I’m your captor?”

“No.” She smiles. “I’m just teasing you.”

I step closer, unconvinced. “I’m serious, Emery.”

“So am I.”

I remove my hand slowly, reaching up to touch her face. “You are so beautiful,” I whisper as I drag my thumb over her lip. “Such a beautiful, sweet flower. I don’t deserve to be in your presence.”

She lifts her hand, placing mine in hers as she takes it away from her face and places it over her heart. “Yes, you do. What you did for me—I can never repay you for that.”

“You never would have been in that position if it wasn’t for me, Em. You were right, I am the bad guy in all this. You saw through me from day one; you saw the evil festering inside me.”

“What would you have done if Dane had fallen in love with me?” Her hands encompass mine as she presses them against her chest.

I clench my jaw at the sickening thought. “I would have let you be happy. I wouldn’t have interfered.”

Her eyes search mine. “Sometimes—sometimes I wonder if I was happy. Like truly happy.”

“Why?” That wasn’t a response I was expecting to hear. From the outside looking in, had you not known the real Dane, you’d have thought they were the fucking couple of the year. One of those couples who never fight and have two perfect kids in the suburbs.

“Because you were right.” I stare at her questioningly. “When you used to tease me about thinking about you or wanting you.” I can’t hide the smile that tugs at my lips even if someone put a gun to my head. “How did you know?”

“I’d be lying if I said I did. I guess it was more of a hope, something I was projecting because I sure as fuck thought of you every single day. But there was a part of me that wondered because you never told him the things I said to you.”

“How do you know I didn’t?”

“Because he would have told me. He knew I was in love with you.”

“He knew?” Her voice goes up an octave.

I nod. “In fact, when he told me about his plan, he told me that if I thought about telling you, there was no point because you would never love me.” Before she can agree with that statement, I ask her why she never told Dane the things I said to her. I knew I was pushing the limits, playing with fire, but maybe I didn’t care at that point. I was willing to throw it all away if it meant letting her know how I felt. “Why didn’t you tell him?”

She blushes, then something else takes over her face entirely.

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