Page 84 of Fate In Fiction

“I didn’t want to take sides, but since you’re putting me in the middle…” Emery trails off as her bold blue eyes meet mine. “Josie deserves friends who help lift her up, not bring her down.” She turns back to Stella. “You seriously thought it was fine to give Emmett back to Criselda?”

“Emmett can make his own choices. If he chose that actress over Josie, then that says more about him. Josie would deserve better.” Stella shrugs.

“I think the only part I agree with is your last statement,” I say. “I deserve people who treat me right. Come on, Emery, we can go eat at your place.” Standing, we leave Stella with a gaped mouth, making our way out of the bistro.

“So, you love him?” Emery sips her coffee as we sit on her small balcony above her restaurant.

“Of course, I love him.” For the first time in my life, I’m relaxed. Happy like the female characters in my favorite books. “After everything he knows about me, he still loves me. He went all sappy and took care of me during a terrible period.”

“Has your doctor gotten back to you?” Months ago, but it doesn’t matter.

“Yeah, but I have no worries about the way things are going.”

“How about you? Are you planning to visit your hometown?” I smirk, hoping she’ll give me a bit more detail.

“I can’t believe I did this, but I’ve booked time off work and am heading to my hometown for a month. It’s my parents’ deathaversary, or whatever people call it, and the hospital they both worked at is doing a wing named after them.”

“Not too far away.” I use an encouraging tone. “And a month? Emery, I’m proud of you.” I imagine losing both parents at seventeen can do something to your mind that would be irreparable. “How old is your aunt again?”

“Quinn is twenty-eight.” Emery forces a laugh. “Crazy how my mother’s sister is only five years older than me. But, I wish my full month off work was declined. I’m going to miss cooking in the restaurant.”

“I’m going to miss you, but I know this will be good.” I wink. “And maybe that certain someone will be there too.”

“God, I hope not.” Her gaze finds the mountain skyline. “That town is too small for us both to be there at the same time.”

“Come on, he can’t be worse than Ryan.” Her ex-fiancé lasted a week before cheating on Emery.

“That’s the problem.”

“Girl, you’re gonna need to elaborate a bit more on that,” I say as she finishes off her drink in one chug.

“The list is a mile long.” She gives me a side-eye, and I know I’m getting to her. “Okay, fine. He is my best friend’s ex. He understood what I was going through when my parents passed away.” Her voice falls quiet as she stares ahead. “I tried to hate him so I wouldn’t feel for him. He had this cocky dominance, and I had to test him every damn time.” Her head shakes with frustration. “I never intentionally want to throw sass at him, but he brought out this side of me that wanted to see how he’d react to it. And maybe I got a high off of that.”

“Wow, this runs years deep.” I curl my legs under me and lean in. “You haven’t even spoken to him in years and you’re this riled up just talking about it.”

“Shut up.” She pushed out a breath. “Technically, I was supposed to meet him first, not Hallie. But anyway, I’ll just have to avoid him for the month. Easy peasy.”

“Mmhmm.” I feel myself growing giddy at seeing how this will all play out. “Was he a good kisser?”

“He was dating my best friend, Josie.”

“You said that.” I pry. I can’t help myself.

“We never kissed, but there was a… connection between us.” She picks at her nails and continues. “It’s hard to explain, but I wouldn’t kiss him and do that to Hallie.”

“I appreciate you sharing that with me.” I smile and place my hand on her arm. “I feel like that small town is going to smoosh you two together. Just please don’t leave me forever.”

“No way in hell will we work out, Josie.” Emery bites her lip, staring out over downtown.

“If you say so.”

EMMETT

“And this next song is our daily interruption of our rock streak with a 90s boy band,” the voice on the radio app announces with a laugh. I know Josie is listening right now, and she’s probably about to cringe. It’s to the point where I don’t even know what boy band song I request. It’s whatever pops up in my quick search. As a new financial contributor to the university’s radio station, they’ve been very kind with my terrible music selection to annoy Josie.

“Mr. Wheaton?” Adrianna pokes her head in my open door. “I wanted to remind you that your flight leaves in two hours, and you’re not flying private.”

“Fuck,” I say under my breath, then glance at my work document. “I forgot the ticket was pre-booked.” Now, without my funds restricted, my brain shifted to the old ways when I used to walk into the place at departure time. “Thank you, Adrianna.” I close out of my account and swing by my suite to grab a suitcase.