Emery nods with a polite smile plastered on her face, but I can see a storm brewing under the surface. “Thank you for the invitation. If I don’t end up going home for the holidays, I think I’ll take you up on it.”
My dad’s face lights up with the weak promise, and the loud chatter of the family room begins again. I turn toward Emery as she pulls her hand back to her lap. Something feelsoff. I arch my brow silently, asking if everything is okay, and she nods reassuringly before leaning over to me.
“I’m going to go get some air. I’ll be back in a minute,” she says before excusing herself from the table. I give her exactly two minutes before I rise to my feet to follow after her. Whatever silent battle she was fighting, I wasn’t going to let her do it alone.
For a short woman, she sure does move fast. By the time I make it outside, she’s nowhere to be found. It isn’t until I see a tiny puff of smoke that I spot her by the edge of the garage, a couple of feet away from the house.
“Hey,” I say, pulling her vacant stare from one of the trees she’s settled on.
“Oh, shit,” she grunts, almost dropping the small rectangular vape in her hand. Emery looks at me with wide eyes and a pale face, like she’s just been caught with her pants down. “I swear I don’t smoke anymore. I stole this from Eve’s purse.”
“I highly doubt that your doctor sister uses one of those death contraptions,” I say, wrinkling my lips. “That being said, mind if I get a hit?”
“Really?” she asks, narrowing her eyes.
I hold out my hand and raise my brows, answering her question. She flicks her head to the side and complies before handing me the vape. I take one drag and slide it into my back pocket.
“Hey! That’s mine.”
“Oh. So, you do smoke,” I say with a victorious smile. Her face twists up in irritation as she places her hands on her hips. “I’m not giving it back until you tell me why you’re so upset.”
“Fine.” Emery’s features loosen up as she breathes out a low whistle. “I know this isn’t real. I know we’re just playing house or whatever, but being in that room with your family makes me think about everything mine isn’t.”
I tilt my head to the side, resisting the urge to pull her into my arms. “Bambi, my family isn’t perfect, and half the time I feel like one big joke to them.”
“I know,” she says, wrapping her arms around her body and staring at her boots. “But through all the joking and prodding, I can tell that there’s a lot of love in that house. Even just looking at all the family photos on your walls—the house you grew up in is so full of love. If you walk into my childhood home, you wouldn’t even be able to tell that kids lived there at one point.”
Emery pauses, letting out a frustrated sigh. “I guess what I’m trying to say is it’s hard for me to experience a real family dynamic when I felt like I never got one. Sure, I have Eve and Eli, but it’s not the same. I never felt accepted by my parents growing up, and seeing your family makes me mourn the kind of relationship I missed out on.”
A burning sensation erupts behind my ribs, causing a slow, heavy ache to settle there. I watch as she zones out, retreating to whatever cocoon she’s isolated herself in.
“Emery,” I say, stepping closer, but maintaining a safe distance. “You deserve more than that. You did when you were a kid and you do now.”
She looks up at me, her eyes glazed over with the type of sadness I can’t begin to understand. “I’m sorry,” she says, shaking her head. “I shouldn’t be hitting you with all this right now. We’re trying to convince your dad we’re a couple, and I’m killing the mood.”
Emery attempts to sidestep me to walk back to the house, but I grab her wrist and pull her back. Her breath hitches, and her mouth falls open. “Don’t ever apologize for sharing your feelings with me. We can play pretend and still be honest with each other.”
Although the statement makes me a complete hypocrite, it still makes her crack a small smile, which is worth it. If I wasbeing honest, I’d tell her this doesn’t have to be fake. I want her to be a part of my family for real.
“It always throws me off when you’re sweet,” she says, kicking the edge of my boot. “It makes me forget how annoying you are, and that’s dangerous.”
“Why is it dangerous?” I ask, stepping so close that our lips are mere inches away from each other.
She lets out a shaky breath, dropping the timid smile. I think I might be imagining it, but her eyes dropped to my lips. It makes my body thrum with anticipation. “Because, I?—”
“What are you two doing back there?” a distant voice calls out. A voice that belongs to my cock-blocking future sister-in-law.
Emery jerks back, nearly tripping over her own feet. Instinctively, I reach out and grab her hips, which causes her to murmur a curse word and shoo my hands away. I bite back a groan and roll my head to where Emma is standing on the porch with suspicion painted on her face.
“We’re coming!” Emery calls out, making sure to create as much distance as possible between us, but I decide to have a little fun and loop my finger around her belt before pulling her against my body. “Oof. Knox, what are you doing?” she whispers angrily.
“Playing the part,” I whisper back, fighting off a cheesy grin. After some initial squirming, she settles into my side and tucks her arm around my lower back in defeat. It makes me feel all warm and tingly inside. But like…in a manly way.
“Desserts ready, and your mom wants Emery to try her apple pie,” Emma says, a smugness coating her face when her eyes connect with our bodies glued to each other. “You guys are cute, but banging behind the shed while my son is inside isn’t cool.”
“All of our clothes are still on,” I point out. “If anything, Emery was dry humping my thigh.”
“Knox,” Emery gasps, before smacking my arm. I smile wide at her and try to pull her back into my side, but she stomps up the porch and into the house before I can test out her acting skills anymore.
