Page 52 of Beating Heart
“Farah has been jealous of you our entire lives. We’ve all known it, seen it, but I hoped she’d outgrow it. Do I think she regrets it now that everything has blown up in her face? Hell yes. You were the best thing that ever happened to her, Emmy. You were a loyal, true friend,” Easton said, and it was very clear how close these two were.
“Yeah. I know she needs a friend right now, but I can’t be that person for her.” She shook her head, looking between her brother and me. “And I feel bad because I’m happy about this new future of mine. They both seem to be lost and desperate to repair things, and I’m ready to leave my past behind me, you know?”
“I get that, and they’ll have to live with the mistakes they’ve made,” I said. “But you just keep doing your thing. Don’t let anyone clip your wings.”
“Fuck yeah. Spread those wings and fly, Emmy girl.”
A wide grin spread across her face. “I should have known that the marriage would be a bust when he wouldn’t agree to my one request at the reception.”
“What was it?” I asked.
“We were supposed to get married in Rosewood River on the water. I told him I’d seen a photo shoot where the bride and groom waited until the photos were done and the reception was over, and then they jumped into the water in their dress and tux and took the final photos. I just thought it was a cute idea because we grew up on that river. But Collin thought the idea was appalling.”
“Pretentious prick,” Easton grumbled.
“So, who wants to go jump in the lake with me in this too fancy of a dress I’m wearing?” She waggled her brows.
Easton looked between us. “How about I order us dinner, and you take my sister out to the lake and make sure she doesn’t drown in all that fabric?”
“I’m down,” she said, turning to look at me. “What do you say, Heart?”
“Sure. If you want to swim in your wedding gown, who am I to tell you no?” I pushed to my feet.
“Burgers and wings good for everyone?” her brother asked.
She took one more swig from the bottle of champagne. “It’s a perfect way to end the day. I’m glad you’re here, E.”
He nodded, and then she set the bottle down and turned to me. “You ready?”
“Born ready, Sunny.”
fourteen
. . .
Emerson
I held up the skirt of the dress and kicked my cowboy boots off on the patio, nearly losing my balance, most likely from the champagne I was still drinking. I’d cut off the hard liquor a while ago, but the bubbly stuff left me with a nice, lingering buzz. Nash steadied my shoulders until I was standing fine on my own two feet. Then he took off his shoes and jeans and tee, leaving him in nothing but a pair of navy briefs. I tried not to stare, but clearly, I still had a good buzz going, as I’d been boozing it up all day.
“If you keep staring at it, I can’t control the way it’ll react.”
“Are you referring to your penis?” I chuckled.
“Can we not insult him by saying penis? I prefer dick. Cock. Shlong. Big daddy.”
My head fell back in laughter. Nash Heart had turned my day around. Finding him and my brother standing at my back door had been unexpected. Normally, I’d hate being interrupted, maybe even a little embarrassed, when I was having a moment with Beyonce. But today, I welcomed it.
Welcomed them.
Easton was a no-brainer. He’d been my other half my entire life.
But Nash, why did I want him there when I was having a pity party? I’d tried hard to avoid him all week. This pull that I felt toward him terrified me. But I’d been thrilled to see him standing there today.
“All right, let’s do this,” he said. And before I could respond, he scooped me up and tossed me over his shoulder, fireman-style. He ran toward the water as I laughed hysterically.
In all the years I’d been with Collin, he’d never picked me up or carried me. Not once. Not that I had asked him to or needed him to.
But this simple act of chivalry… it did something to me.
