Hearts on Fire (Book 5: Creek-Harbor)

Chapter 17// Elliot

So, I can't honestly say Emma Anderson is avoiding me, when I got into work this morning the chief informed me that Emma called in sick, which is not like her, she never calls in sick unless she absolutely has too.

Normally I wouldn't think much of it, she has two kids one of them could be ill or she could just be having a bad day, but the timing is questionable considering that last night she kissed me, and I kissed her back.

I shouldn't have kissed her back apart me knows that, especially with everything she has going on in her life, she doesn't need me as a complication.

But when her lips touched mine, I'm telling you I haven't felt that pull towards a woman in my entire life, until her and that alone scares the shit out me.

"Hey, did you see Emma last night?" snapping out of my thoughts and turned around to see Dex standing in-front of me, with a concern look in his eyes for his friend.

"What do you mean?" I questioned trying to avoid his early question.

"The girls said she went out for some fresh air, then she never came back. Gabby just received a text saying she was going home, then this morning she calls in sick.... I'm just a little concerned for her" He explained,

"I did see her last night" I admitted, hoping he doesn't ask more about it. Dex has known me near enough my whole life, he knows what I'm like when it comes to relationships and women, and I don't think he would take to lightly to me kissing Emma.

"You did....and?" He asks again, shaking my head and sighed, trying to think of the right thing to say to him.

"And we talked for a bit" I stalled, Dex looks at me his concern replaced with confusion.

"You talked...." Nodding my head and looked at him, I just know I probably have a guilty look on my face right about now.

"Eli what did you do? you better not have tried anything with her" He yells at me.

"I didn't do anything.... but..." I trailed off a little. He looks at me losing his patience.

"But what?" He echoed clearly angry now.

"She may have kissed me, and I may have kissed her back" I confessed and then waited for his reaction.

"Please tell me you're joking. Eli this isn't some random woman you picked up at a bar, this is Emma, and she doesn't need you messing her around" He fumed towards me, letting him have his say before taking my turn.

"I know that Dex, so off your high horse! I know that I shouldn't have kissed her back, I know that she's healing from her husband. I feel like an ass, but when she kissed me....I don't know I felt a pull and I couldn't break away from her." I admitted to him and I'm not lying. I'm no saint either, I've kissed and been with a lot of women, but I've never felt what I did from one single kiss like I did with Emma last night. 

"Look Eli, your family. And I'm glad your finally feeling real feelings for a woman, but I'm telling you they can't be for her" Dex says firmly to me.

"Isn't that my choice and Emma's too" I argued, I love Dex like another brother, but I didn't stand in the way when he fell in love with my sister. I didn't chase him away, I let it be so why he thinks he has a right to warn me away from Emma, is be on me.

"I'm just looking out for my friend here Elliot, my friend who lost her husband. My friend who has two kids, she doesn't need games in her life"

"I'm not playing games Dexter." I gritted out his full names with more bite.

"Maybe not intentionally but you can't blame me for being sceptically here. I've known you for years, I've seen how you go from woman to woman" He argued.

"I'm not arguing with that I have; I know my past Dex. But this it's different, the pull I feel her is different" I said, he looks at me still sceptically with my words.

I don't know how to have a relationship I will admit that I don't know how to be a boyfriend and all of that shit. And honestly, I've never had the desire to try for a woman before, but if Emma feels the same way I do after that kiss, then I'm willing to try for her because she makes me want to be more and to be better.

And who knows maybe it will blow up in our faces, maybe Emma isn't ready to start something new with another man after her husband. I don't know because I don't know where I stand with her after our kiss.

If she wants me to leave her alone than I will, but if maybe she wants to see if this thing between us is something worth exploring than I'm going to try and be better in-order to do that and even Dex isn't going to scare me away.

"Don't fucking hurt her Elliot..." Dex announces and then storms away from me.

Shaking my head and watched as my best friend walks away, pissed the hell off at me. And okay I get he's looking out for Emma because he cares about his friend but is also annoys me that he's putting his opinion in where it doesn't belong, especially with how cool I was when he was sleeping with my sister behind my back, I could have punched him in the face for that one, but I didn't.

I thought maybe he would have at least given me the same benefit that I gave him.

I don't know what to feel, how to feel or what to do about it. What I do know is that I like Emma a lot, it's new and it's scary but I want to see where it goes, but first I need to talk to her.