the granite, pain destroying my fingers and skirting up my forearms.
The doorbell rang.
“What the hell is this? Grand Central Station?” I snapped. He looked at me like I’d lost it, and maybe I had. “Come in!” I didn’t care that Grams might have heard me not greet a guest, or that Mom was upstairs doing whatever it was she did lately.
Six feet and a granite counter separated me from Riley, who I had planned to spend the rest of my life with, but it may as well have been two miles, or two million miles. “Babe, I love you. I know we can fight for this. I won’t see her again, I swear. Once we get up to Boulder, everything will return to normal, I know it. I’m the only one for you.” His gaze ran past me, and he stepped back reflexively before glaring. “What the hell are you doing here? It’s a little early for hockey.”
Josh came up beside me, put an Ember-labeled Starbucks down on the counter, and met my gaze, melting my tension instantly. My posture relaxed as he unzipped his black ski coat, revealing jeans that hugged low on his sculpted hips and a soft gray Henley. He couldn’t have been more different from Riley’s carefully chosen polo. “I’m not just here for hockey.”
“Well, you’re not fucking welcome to anything else in this house,” Riley fired back, coming around the island. “It’s not like you actually want her! I remember the girls you went after in school, and Ember isn’t on that level.”
Not on that level? What the hell? The man I’d thought was the love of my life didn’t think I was enough to merit Josh Walker’s attention. He thought so little of me. How had I never noticed it before?
I glanced up at Josh. “Whatever I need?” He gave a small nod, and I pounced. I threw my arms around his neck and fitted his mouth to mine. I knew this was for Riley’s benefit, but the moment Josh’s lips touched mine, I forgot all about Riley.
Josh grabbed ahold of my rear and lifted me against him. I lost myself in the feel of his mouth and the plunge of his tongue as he slanted over me. My body remembered his, softening against him. Oh, yes, I remembered exactly what his body could do to mine, and I wanted it again.
“Are you serious?” Riley’s shout broke through my haze. Josh kissed me gently, brushing my mouth with his one last time before setting me back on my feet.
It took all of my concentration to turn back to Riley. “Get out. We’re done, and I’m not saying it again.”
“We’ll fix this when we get back to Boulder, Ember. I’m not walking away this easily. I don’t care what happened with this guy.” His face was a mottled red. “Remember, we have a plan! I know you want the same things I do.”
The phone rang again. “For the love of God!” I ripped it off the charger and stabbed the talk button. “Hello?”
“May I speak with December Howard?” a polite female voice asked me.
“This is she.” I was so not in the freaking mood to deal with anything else today. Josh and Riley sized each other up across the island, and I was afraid that any moment there would be an all-out brawl in my kitchen.
“This is Ms. Shaw from the registrar up here at CU Boulder. One of your classes”—papers swished in the background—“Psych 325: Early Childhood Trauma, has been cancelled. Was there another class you’d care to put in its place?”
“Cancelled?”
“Yes, miss.”
Josh turned, his eyes softening, and took a step toward me. Riley crossed his arms and leaned forward onto the island.
It wasn’t a choice between them. I would never make a choice this big on a guy . . . right? But Gus needed me, April was floundering, and Mom wasn’t functioning. What the hell was I supposed to do?
You do what you can. Grams was right. I could only do what was in my power, and everything else I had to let slip. But this? This was in my power. “No, thank you.”
“You wouldn’t like to add another class?”
Past versus future, but with the options
The doorbell rang.
“What the hell is this? Grand Central Station?” I snapped. He looked at me like I’d lost it, and maybe I had. “Come in!” I didn’t care that Grams might have heard me not greet a guest, or that Mom was upstairs doing whatever it was she did lately.
Six feet and a granite counter separated me from Riley, who I had planned to spend the rest of my life with, but it may as well have been two miles, or two million miles. “Babe, I love you. I know we can fight for this. I won’t see her again, I swear. Once we get up to Boulder, everything will return to normal, I know it. I’m the only one for you.” His gaze ran past me, and he stepped back reflexively before glaring. “What the hell are you doing here? It’s a little early for hockey.”
Josh came up beside me, put an Ember-labeled Starbucks down on the counter, and met my gaze, melting my tension instantly. My posture relaxed as he unzipped his black ski coat, revealing jeans that hugged low on his sculpted hips and a soft gray Henley. He couldn’t have been more different from Riley’s carefully chosen polo. “I’m not just here for hockey.”
“Well, you’re not fucking welcome to anything else in this house,” Riley fired back, coming around the island. “It’s not like you actually want her! I remember the girls you went after in school, and Ember isn’t on that level.”
Not on that level? What the hell? The man I’d thought was the love of my life didn’t think I was enough to merit Josh Walker’s attention. He thought so little of me. How had I never noticed it before?
I glanced up at Josh. “Whatever I need?” He gave a small nod, and I pounced. I threw my arms around his neck and fitted his mouth to mine. I knew this was for Riley’s benefit, but the moment Josh’s lips touched mine, I forgot all about Riley.
Josh grabbed ahold of my rear and lifted me against him. I lost myself in the feel of his mouth and the plunge of his tongue as he slanted over me. My body remembered his, softening against him. Oh, yes, I remembered exactly what his body could do to mine, and I wanted it again.
“Are you serious?” Riley’s shout broke through my haze. Josh kissed me gently, brushing my mouth with his one last time before setting me back on my feet.
It took all of my concentration to turn back to Riley. “Get out. We’re done, and I’m not saying it again.”
“We’ll fix this when we get back to Boulder, Ember. I’m not walking away this easily. I don’t care what happened with this guy.” His face was a mottled red. “Remember, we have a plan! I know you want the same things I do.”
The phone rang again. “For the love of God!” I ripped it off the charger and stabbed the talk button. “Hello?”
“May I speak with December Howard?” a polite female voice asked me.
“This is she.” I was so not in the freaking mood to deal with anything else today. Josh and Riley sized each other up across the island, and I was afraid that any moment there would be an all-out brawl in my kitchen.
“This is Ms. Shaw from the registrar up here at CU Boulder. One of your classes”—papers swished in the background—“Psych 325: Early Childhood Trauma, has been cancelled. Was there another class you’d care to put in its place?”
“Cancelled?”
“Yes, miss.”
Josh turned, his eyes softening, and took a step toward me. Riley crossed his arms and leaned forward onto the island.
It wasn’t a choice between them. I would never make a choice this big on a guy . . . right? But Gus needed me, April was floundering, and Mom wasn’t functioning. What the hell was I supposed to do?
You do what you can. Grams was right. I could only do what was in my power, and everything else I had to let slip. But this? This was in my power. “No, thank you.”
“You wouldn’t like to add another class?”
Past versus future, but with the options
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