“Right.” Sliding my hand over my tie, I step around the couch and down a short hallway. I know she’s watching me, so I point to the door and look back at Carley.
“That’s the one.”
Raising my hand, I knock softly.
“Go away, Carley.”
Her voice sounds soggy. She’s crying.
Shit.
I knock again.
“Carley. I’m not in the mood.”
I’m startled by a whisper in my ear. “Just go in.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
Reaching out, I turn the knob and expect it to be locked. It’s not. When it clicks open, I push it open slightly––enough to see that Emma’s lying face down on her bed. The dress she had on has been replaced by black stretchy pants and what looks like a T-shirt.
“Emma?”
She must not have expected me because she practically jumps off the bed, wiping her face with the bottom of her T-shirt, revealing porcelain white skin on her stomach. “Eli?” she croaks. “I thought you left.”
“No. I––we need to talk.”
“It’s okay.” She gives me a fake-ass smile. “I get it. You don’t have to explain anything.”
“No?” I move into the room and press the door shut behind me. “I think I do.”
“Eli….”
Stepping close to her, I look down at her blotchy face. The little bit of eye makeup she had on is now sort of running down her face making her look like a pretty raccoon. Reaching down, I swipe my thump beneath her eye. “You’ve got a little makeup.”
“I do?” Turning away from me, she bends to look into a small mirror. “Great,” she grumbles. “Can this night get anymore terrible?”
“Terrible?” Wow. That breaks my fucking heart. “I wanted tonight to be special.”
Emma stands and slowly turns to face me. “Well, it wasespeciallyterrible.” She doesn’t smile. I wish she would.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t… I didn’t mean to say that about your roommate. I didn’t mean it the way you think.”
“She’s really pretty and super nice—”
“Will you please let me speak?” I didn’t say that in anger, but I’m getting tired of her assuming the worst from me.
Her head moves up and down slowly.
“Out in the hallway, I was going to say that she and Cody would be a good fit, but you jumped to the conclusion that I wanted to date her. Hell, you had your door unlocked and you were in your bedroom in two minutes flat.
“I just figured—”
“You figured I was there to hook up with your roommate when I was there to take you on our first date. A first of many.” I pause. “At least I was hoping it was the first of many.”
“As friends.” She’s not asking.
