Everett Holden had sworn to live the rest of his life a single man, but his plans are disrupted when he finds himself sharing an apartment with his best friend's ex - the one woman he detests with every fiber of his being yet simultaneously desires...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
EVER SINCE THE charity gala last weekend, things with Emery have been...nice.
We've fallen into a routine together. During our break between classes, we'll come back to the house and do chores or watch a television show together. It's really the only free time we get considering she works the rest of the day at one of her jobs, but I always wait for her to get home, and I save her a plate of leftovers in the fridge.
But tonight, when I'm busy chopping vegetables, Emery comes home early from dog-walking. She shouldn't be home for another two hours.
"Mrs. Edison canceled," she explains. "She didn't go on her vacation, after all."
I watch as she kicks off her shoes, tossing them along with her other three pairs by the door, and the sight makes me smile. It's hard to keep my hands off her, especially when she's wearing jeans that make her ass look fantastic, but I continue to chop, focusing on the task at hand.
"Need help?" She asks. "I'm a shitty cook, but maybe you could teach me a thing or two."
I jerk my head toward the drawer beside me. "Grab a knife and join me."
She does as she's told, and I grab her a cutting board of her own, placing an onion in the center of it. "What are we makin'?" She asks in a voice that's cuter than it should be.
"Sweet onion burgers. Mince that so we can combine it with the ground beef."
"Mince," she repeats slowly. "Right. Got it."
"Do you know how to mince, Em?"
From her silence, I can tell she doesn't, so I wipe my hands on my apron and step behind her, reaching my arms around her waist to grab the knife. "Watch me, okay?"
My mouth is right beside her ear, and a grin tugs on my lips as I see goosebumps rise on the back of her neck. She watches in silence as I cut the ends of the onion off and slice it in half, then twist one of the halves to slice it into even sections.
"I don't want to do too many steps," I tell her. "Try what I just did with the other half, and then I'll show you how to do the rest."
She nods and takes her own knife to follow my instructions. "Who taught you how to cook?"
"My mom," I reply. "It was the only time I'd get to spend with her. When she didn't work super late at the hospital, she liked to cook us dinner, so I'd always offer to help. You know, to get that extra time."
"Ev..." Her voice breaks, but I kiss the back of her neck, instructing her to continue cutting.
"I heard what you said the other night about our demons, and I meant it when I told you that I'm looking on the bright side now. I'm willing to put in the effort if it means there's a chance I can get there."
A bright side with you, I mentally add.
She remains silent as she moves the knife, and everything is correct, down to the final slice. "Good job," I say. "That's exactly right."
