𝓢𝓮𝓮 𝓜𝓮

Chapter 7

KAI KISHIMOTO

I felt a weight pressing on me before I could open my eyes, popping one open and trying to figure out my surroundings. I was met with a single door in front of the bed, a table right next to it with two bags, one I recognized as mine and the other... oh.

I opened my other eye, looking down, my chin being met with the top of Emmaline's head, her brown hair shielding my chest from view as she leaned into my side and her face in the crook of my neck. I swallowed seeing my arm around her waist, hugging her to me. I could feel my heartbeat going faster at the feel of my hand under her shirt, touching her skin to skin.

I couldn't do this, not after yesterday. Because yesterday was eventful. I wanted to pry my hand off of her, but it just wouldn't listen to me, my fingers brushing against her ribs instead causing her to stir before relaxing into me again. I huffed out a breath and closed my eyes again, trying to tone whatever the hell that was happening out, but it only amplified it because when I took my next breath, I inhaled the scent of Emmaline's shampoo, and my grip slightly tightened on her waist, memories from yesterday flashed in my head.

I didn't mean for any of the nonsense that happened yesterday in the lake to happen. I saw her gasping for air, and on instinct I held her to me until she found her breath again. I was supposed to let her go afterwards, but then she went ahead and looked at me like that. If I thought the way her eyes looked at the dinner party was compelling, I thought so wrong. Because yesterday she looked at me with eyes so dilated, I could barely see the green in them, and I still couldn't pry my gaze off of them. As if they demanded attention no matter what, that was real compulsion, and it was so fucking beautiful.

I didn't know what came over me, but I couldn't help but drop my gaze to her lips. I've never done that with her before. I never even thought about it, it was weird and out of character of me. Even if it was for just a second, I was sure that I was going to kiss her. I was going to stay frozen like an idiot when she leaned in and let her take my lips with hers. What the actual hell is wrong with you?

I rubbed a hand down my face and let out a frustrated breath just when my phone rang, and Emmaline's body tensed. Quickly, I snatched it off of the nightstand and answered before checking who was even calling, watching her nuzzle her face into my neck more and gritted my teeth, gripping the phone tighter, "hello?"

"Hi," a soft voice answered, taking me a second to recall who it belonged to, "I'm sorry if I woke you up, but we're supposed to leave in 10 minutes, so..."

"Clara," I cleared my throat, trying to angle my back to the headboard, "it's fine, I was already up. You guys can head down, Emmaline and I will get ready and be right there."

"Okay," she said, "are we going to drop her off too, or is her dad going to pick her up?"

"She'll come with us," I replied. Yesterday I told Emmaline to call Uncle Warner and tell him me and my friends are going to take her with us so there was no need for him to drive all this distance in the morning, it took some convincing and maybe a threat my way here and there, "I mean her house and mine are technically the same, she's right next door."