Untitled (New York Unraveled #4)

Chapter Eight.

EMMETT.

I couldn't believe I was doing this. After fighting tooth and nail with my senior to excuse me from therapy, I was essentially doing exactly that. That too with the man I was dating. I should have been getting a goddamn award for my stellar brain. Why was I unable to say no to the guy? Now it was going to bite me in the ass.

Chiding myself with all the curses in the book under my breath, I rang Ajax's doorbell. He opened a second later, a phone pressed to his ear, and seeing me, his pained expression turned...well, less pained for a second, making me feel like an accomplished person for being able to comfort him. Giving me a quick kiss, he led me inside. It was clear from his face that he was regretting the conversation he was having, which was one-sided at best because he couldn't get in a word edgewise.

I raised my eyebrows in a question, my obvious amusement at seeing him written all over me. I never thought this man, who was always in control, in the bedroom and out, who got people to do what he liked, could be on the scolded end of the stick from anyone. "My sister," he mouthed and held up a finger, indicating it would only take him another minute.

"Alexa? Alexa, listen to me. For God's sake, shut up," he said but he sounded so meek, I doubted it scared her. "I have to go, alright? We'll continue this conversation some other time." He listened for another minute, making noises of consent, until his eyes widened like he was anticipating pending doom. "No fucking way."

What was just murmurs became pretty clear as Alexandra raised her voice in reply. "Yes fucking way. Hand over the phone or I'll have your ass kicked by mama. You know she's looking for a reason to after you canceled your trip home."

Ajax cringed and held the phone out towards me. "She wants to talk to you."

It was my turn to widen my eyes in fright. "Why?" I furiously whispered, cupping my hand over the mic so she wouldn't hear me.

He shrugged. "Hell if I know."

I swallowed. Talking to your guy's family is big deal and I'd never been there before. "Hey there, Alexandra," I said in false enthusiasm.

"Hi, army dude. You can call me Alexa," she said. She didn't sound pissed which I took as a good beginning.

"Okay, I'll restart then. Hey there, Alexa," I said.

She laughed at my poor attempt at a joke. "Hi, army dude. How are you doing?"

"Pretty great, thank you. How are you doing?"

"Polite. Good." Wow, she was straightforward to a fault which was throwing me off my game. "What's going on between you and my brother?"

I shot a panicked look at Ajax who was mirroring my expression. Swallowing hard, I said, "I don't think you wanna know the specifics of what your brother and I do." Idiot, idiot, idiot. Why the fuck did you say that?

"I don't wanna know about your sex life, smartass. What are your intentions with him?" she asked but she sounded more amused and less strict. Maybe I hadn't completely blown it.

"Is this some sort of test? Will I have to meet him in secret if I fail?" I desperately needed a filter between my brain and mouth.

"You won't stop seeing him even if his family forbids you to?"

"I don't think I can. Even if God Himself forbids me to," I said honestly. You don't win the family by insulting the family, you dumb shit.

"Yes, this was a test and you just passed. You can breathe now and give the phone back," she said.

Surprisingly accurately, I had been holding my breath which I promptly released with a long sigh as I gave the phone back. My heart was thudding loudly in my chest after this near-escape from death. Who knew family encounters could be more physically stressful than sex?