“There might be one in the door.”
Emma didn’t see one but grabbed a bag of frozen corn. She double-wrapped it with a paper towel, walked to the couch, and kneeled next to him. Tyler took the bag and gingerly placed it over the bridge of his nose.
The swelling was bad, but now that he’d showered, he really only had the one cut over his brow. Everything else was bruising.
“Do you want painkillers?”
Tyler nodded. “There should be something in my bathroom medicine cabinet.”
Emma leaned over him and brushed his hair away from the bandage over his eye. “I don’t know which room is yours.”
Tyler’s breathing changed, and Emma pulled her fingers back.Why had she just touched him like that?“First door on the right.”
She pushed up from the floor and walked down the hall. Her pulse quickened as she pushed the door open and walked into the darkened room.No snooping, just go to the bathroom and get him some ibuprofen.She flicked on the light. His room was tidy. A pair of jeans hung over the end of the bed, and his comforter was slightly mussed near his pillow.
She forced herself to walk to the bathroom and not imagine him taking those jeans off. The bathroom was just as neat, his toiletries stacked behind the sink. Emma opened the medicine cabinet and spotted the white bottle, but as she reached for it, she paused. A beaded bracelet sat on the shelf next to his razor. Silver and turquoise. Not masculine in the least.
She grabbed the bottle and closed the mirror, then turned off the lights as she walked back to the kitchen. So, he had a woman’s bracelet in his bathroom. That was consistent with what she knew about Tyler, and she had no claim on him. So why did it make her feel like she’d swallowed a handful of rocks?
It took her three tries to find the glasses, but she pulled one down and was filling it with water when her phone rang. Setting the glass down, she pulled it from her back pocket.
Her nostrils flared. Sean’s name rolled across the display. She didn’t want to answer, but Sean never called. If something was wrong, she’d regret not talking to him.
Emma pressed the green button. “Yes?”
“Hey.”
She didn’t answer right away. “Did you and Kelty get home okay?”I’m mostly asking about Kelty, she wanted to add, but didn’t.
“Yep. You?”
“I’m at Tyler’s.” She dared him to comment. She twisted the cap off the ibuprofen and poured out two pills, then tucked her phone between her head and shoulder and walked the water and medicine to the coffee table.
“Look, Em, I shouldn’t have reacted that way.”
“You think?” Emma scoffed. Tyler put out his hand and she dropped the pills into his hand. “You lost the game, Sean, and hurt your best player.”
Sean exhaled. “I get it. I’m an ass.” He had that right. “I just—I don’t understand why you’re doing this to yourself again.”
Tyler winced as he sat up, and she handed him the glass of water.
“I’m not doing anything to myself, Sean. Tyler and I aren’t together. I was trying to make a point.” Silence. Emma continued, “You can’t keep being my guard dog. Eventually, I am going to meet someone and—”
“Not like him! Emma, you have to see this pattern. It’s like your radar is broken. Instead of lighting up when someone stable comes around, you have damn stars in your eyes the second you see a fu—”
“Just stop, okay? I’m not as naive as you think.” Emma’s cheeks flushed when she saw Tyler was watching her face. She stood and turned from the couch.
“So you’re not into him?”
“I—that’s not the point! It doesn’t matter who I’m into or whether I make stupid dating decisions. It’s not your job to save me from it! I don’t need a gatekeeper, I just—” Emma ran a hand through her hair. “I’m sorry I messed with you, Sean. I was just so sick of you making it abundantly clear you don’t think I’m capable of taking care of myself.”
Another pause. Then Sean said, “I don’t want anyone to ever treat you like that again.” Emma bit the inside of her cheek. “Tyler’s always with someone new. They never stick around long. If that’s what you want—”
“You know that’s not what I want.” She wanted what he and Kelty had. Someone who would tell her to shut her damn mouth, then take her home and hold her as they fell asleep together.
“I’m sorry.” Sean didn’t say what for, but Emma stood there, gobsmacked. She’d never heard those words out of her brother’s mouth.
“Is Kelty standing there forcing you to apologize?”
