Emery (Unexpected, #3)

by Cora Rose

Welcome to my life, people. A whole day could pass, and I wouldn’t even notice.

I’m scrambling to remember all the interesting parts of me when most of them are just kind of depressing.

He could fart, and I’d still manage to make something out of it.

Me: I’m in a car. With him. He has nice lips. I keep staring at them. I want to eat them. Snack on them. Lex: I’ll send up a prayer for you, Hannibal Lecter. Thoughts and prayers.

“Sounds like a lousy reason, and who drives half an hour for a bag of candy.” Okay, so August obviously doesn’t have his priorities straight, but I’m not going to go there right now.

For a few hours, I was really starting to like the guy. Not sure how I feel about him right now though. Agitated, irritated, and most definitely frustrated top the list. Kinda want to kiss him again, too. Ugh.

How do you know all this stuff?” “I was a Boy Scout.” “Of course you were.” His eyes slide across me. “Makes total sense.” “Actually, I’m an Eagle Scout if we’re being technical.” “What the fuck is that?” “It’s like an elite Boy Scout.”

“We grow accustomed to the Dark, when Light is put away.”

I’ve actually surpassed pathetic and skidded right smack into plain old sad.

“Yes, well, Lex tries to help because I have a terrible time remembering important things, but it’s a bit like the blind leading the blind,”

I realize that he took care of me first. My stupid heart stutters and swoons, because I can’t remember a time when anyone else put me first.

“I’m practically a walking encyclopedia of issues. My poor neurons don’t know which way they want to fire.

Like, I have this huge fear of abandonment that I can’t quite seem to…abandon. Fuck if that isn’t a play on words.

I just kind of happened, and he’s stuck with me. I’m like gum stuck on the bottom of your shoe. You scrape and scrape, but it never really goes away. Just impossibly sticks for years. And then you look at it one day and go, huh, still there. Shame.”

“I see.” “Do you?” I ask, turning slightly and looking at him. “I do.” Oh, Jesus, I hate reading between the lines. I’m terrible at it. Thanks, Mom. “Can you tell me exactly what you see because, you know, perception is different for everyone, and I’m not sure you see what I see.”

I’ve only wanted you since the first time we met. I saw you, and you looked so damn gorgeous and sweet. Like a fucking angel, and I knew I was a goner.”

Um, how would we know what normal parents are supposed to do? Ours were abusive drug addicts who wished we were dead. Lex: True. Psycho Moms Club for life. Ride or die, Bitch.

Emery blinks at me and then he’s striding toward me, a frown on his face. His hands are suddenly in my hair and he’s messing it up with a drawn-out growl, like he’s pissed at my hair and not me. And when he steps back, he pops the lollipop in and out of his mouth again, breathing heavily. “What the hell?” I gasp. “Why’d you do that?” “To make myself feel better. You look fucking human now.” I run a hand through it again and Emery eyes it and shakes his head. “Fucking droid.” “What did you call me?” I ask. “A droid. A bot. Some kind of cyborg. That’s what you are, you unfeeling asshole.”

“I want someone to fucking fight for me for once, goddammit.”

“And you’re not used. You’re…” his voice breaks. “You’re brave. And beautiful. And funny. And smart. And amazing.”