Page 9

CHAPTER NINE

Emerson

When Joey enters the patio it’s the perfect time for me to sneak away.

I don’t know what happened. I mean I know what happened, but my head is spinning and honestly I’m not sure what to make of it.

Walking through the living room, I pause looking behind me.

The sound of Kelton’s voice echoes over the open space, but I can’t see him.

He and Joey are still out back and part of me wishes that he’d rushed after me.

The other part, a bigger part, is thankful he hadn’t.

I need a moment. My head truly needs time to catch up with my heart.

I continue on, needing some air, and walk out onto the front porch.

“It’s beautiful, Gran,” Alizabeth talks into her phone as she holds it out in front of her. The sound of their gran’s voice is so excited. “Show me again,” she practically squeals. Suddenly Liz turns around and finds me standing there. “Say hi to Em, Gran.”

I force a smile I should have known wouldn’t work and offer her a wave.

“I’ll call you back.” Liz ends the call without a second thought and starts to walk toward me. The closer she gets, the tighter my chest feels. She can read me like a book. I’ve never been able to keep anything from her.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” I know the mistake I make the very second I make it. I look to the ground and shrug my shoulders, while holding my hands out at my sides. “I’m good,” I add, “fine, yeah.”

“Liar.” Liz narrows her eyes at me.

“No.” I’m not even sure why I try to back my way out of this. “I’m good.”

“What happened?” she asks and I see her gaze shift upward over my shoulder. My heart feels like in the moment it is going to beat out of my chest. “Tell me or I’ll make him tell me.”

My tongue feels like it’s three sizes too big.

“Fine.” She starts to step around me and I grab her arm.

“He kissed me.” The words come out is a harsh whisper, much harsher than I intended them to be.

“What? Wait when?”

I can practically feel him staring a hole in my back. Thankfully we are too far away for him to hear our whispers. Alizabeth looks over in his direction once again. “Just now?”

I nod.

“Like in front of Joey?”

I shake my head.

“Are you just going to stop the explanation there?”

“Can we please talk about it later?”

“You’re joking.” Again I shake my head, pleading with my eyes for her to give me this.

“I’ll let it go for now, but not forever. Someone is going to explain this to me.”

“I promise.” I feel my shoulders sag in relief. “Whenever I figure it out for myself, you’ll be the first to know.”

When I feel his hand touch my lower back I tense and quickly step forward. I don’t know why, but when I glance in his direction and see the hurt look on his face, I swear I hear the crack of my heart.

But before I can say anything he does. “Are you ladies ready to go?”

Alizabeth crosses her arms over her chest, cocks her head to the side and my stomach does a nervous flip. I close my eyes waiting for this entire thing to blow up.

“I’m ready. House hunting triggered this girl’s appetite, I’m starving.”

And I am thankful. When I open my eyes and she offers me a wink, I know she knows just how thankful I am.

I haven’t missed the way Kelton has watched me all night.

Every single time I glance in his direction, our eyes meet.

My nerves are running wild, and to be honest I haven’t heard one single word of any of the songs being played by the bands.

It’s almost like I’ve had tunnel vision throughout the entire concert.

I feel like I’m in my own little bubble, with nothing but my doubts and insecurities to keep me company.

“You planning on avoiding me this entire visit?” His deep rugged voice covers me like a warm blanket.

I didn’t even see him sit in the seat next to me, that is how lost in my own thoughts I am.

“I’m not avoiding you.” I’m a terrible liar.

When he chuckles I look over at him and can’t keep from smiling.

“You never could tell a lie.” Leaning forward he rests his elbows on his knees. “Just like that time you and Liz broke my truck stereo knob.”

“In my defense, it was my turn to pick the song.”

“She was so pissed off when you confessed.”

“She was.” I remember the death glare she offered me. “Told me that if she ever needed help hiding a body I was the last person she’d call.”

“Never met a person that had a better poker face than my sister.”

“It’s scary sometimes,” I add with a laugh.

Silence falls over us, and I know he is looking at me. “I didn’t mean to make things weird.”

“I know.” I offer him a forced smile.

“But I did.” When I don’t answer him, he sits up straight, leans back in the chair and for the remainder of the concert we sit in silence, both lost deep in our owns thoughts.