Page 30 of Steady Stroke
“A sign of what?”
“That hanging with Lincoln West is only going to end in pain and trouble.”
Emmett blinked. “Because of one misunderstanding?”
“Dude, his roommate pepper-sprayed you. That isn’t a misunderstanding, that’s deliberate.”
“She was scared. She didn’t know who I was.” Emmett couldn’t explain his deep-seated need to defend Roxy. And no way was he giving up Lincoln on Adrian’s say-so. Especiallynot when this was the most words they’d exchanged in one sitting in over a year.
“Yeah, well, be careful, okay? Don’t end up dead like the rest of your family.”
Grief punched Emmett in the gut over the careless way Adrian said that. Adrian seemed oblivious, too intent on his sandwich and beer. Unwilling to get upset in front of his cousin, Emmett took his tablet and went to his bedroom.
Behind the closed door, he let loose a silent scream of anger, frustration, and grief. He missed his parents and sister intensely, every single day, and he didn’t need anyone reminding him of his loss. Heknewwhat he’d lost, and he knew why.
He knew exactly why his parents and sister were dead, and he’d never make that mistake again. He couldn’t risk it.
Even if it meant a life of loneliness, surrounded by casual friends. And never knowing another lover’s touch.
I won’t risk it.
His heart wouldn’t survive losing anyone else he loved.
SEVEN
Complete and utterembarrassment kept Lincoln in bed until noon Saturday, when Roxy forcibly wrangled him up and into the bathroom to shower.
“There are limits to how long I’ll let you wallow,” she said, and then promptly shut the door on him.
Lincoln glanced at his reflection in the mirror. Smudges under his eyes, a general grayish pallor to his skin. He looked terrible. The headache was long gone, thanks to Emmett’s gentle care, and that only made him feel worse. His new friend had nursed him through a long bout of vomiting, wiped him down, gave him a pill, and then went home without even a thank-you from Lincoln.
His only contact with Emmett had been a briefHope you’re feeling bettertext that morning. He hadn’t managed to compose a proper reply yet. Hell, he owed Emmett a phone call at the very least.
A long hot shower washed away the last of his post-migraine funk. Roxy had a bowl of hot chicken noodle soupwaiting for him when he shuffled into the kitchen in board shorts and a sleeveless tee. He mumbled a thank-you as he slid onto a stool at the counter and proceeded to gulp down the soup.
The silent mothering didn’t bother him until he noticed the way Roxy stood opposite him, fingers twisting together in knots. She was frowning, and that disconcerted him. A lot.
“Okay, what?” he asked.
“I have to tell you something, and you’re going to get really mad at me.”
“Okaaaay.” He put the spoon in the nearly empty bowl and gave her his full attention.
She chewed on her lower lip before launching into word vomit. “So when I came home yesterday I didn’t know you’d be here, and your friend scared me to death because he was standing in the kitchen, and I thought he broke in because he didn’t say anything, he just kept staring at me like he’d been caught at something, so I kind of pepper-sprayed him in the face.”
Lincoln blinked hard several times while the words sorted themselves and made sense. “You did what?” Then his confusion shifted into a protective anger that surprised him for its ferocity. He stood, stool scraping. “Christ, Roxy.”
“I’m sorry.” She hugged her arms around her middle. “He scared me, okay? I didn’t think, I reacted, and he’s okay. I made sure he was okay before he went home.”
“You pepper-sprayed him.” Knowing Emmett was okay wasn’t enough. He’d been fucking pepper-sprayed. In the face. That shit hurt.
“I know! Look, he was really great about it afterward. I told him about that party last summer, so he got why I overreacted to a strange man in the house.”
That did a bit to calm some of Lincoln’s temper. From her point of view, she’d been protecting herself from a potential attacker. But she’d sprayed Emmett. His Emmett. All because of Lincoln’s fucking migraine. He hadn’t been there to explain to Roxy who Emmett was.
“Okay, I get that too,” Lincoln said. “And if Emmett forgave you, I guess I can’t hold it over your head.”No matter how much I want to.
No one got to hurt Emmett. Not even Roxy.
