The Problem with Emerson

12 | The Problem with Brie

THE PROBLEM WITH BRIE loving Emerson like she did was the fact that even after the epic disaster that was kissing him, she still couldn't get him off her mind.

However, when Jax Daniels showed up on Brie's doorstep, she was temporarily distracted.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" she asked when she opened the door. "How do you know where I live?"

After their last tumble between the sheets, embarrassment and guilt had caused her to avoid him once again. Since she also happened to be avoiding his roommate, the task wasn't so difficult this time around. Except when, out of the blue, he showed up at her house.

Jax rolled his eyes. As if you really have to ask, they said. "That kid keeps a fucking address book like it's 1956. It wasn't hard to look you up while he was out."

Brie glared. No one (except her, because she never judged him for it) was allowed to make fun of Emerson and his address book. She grit her teeth. "Your point, Daniels?"

Jax shoved his hands into his pockets. "It's fucking cold, Brie. Can I come in?"

She contemplated leaving him on the porch to freeze his balls off, but when she realized that she, too, would have to endure the brisk December air in order to hear what he had to say, she opened the door wider and took a step back.

"Fine. But my mom will murder you in your sleep if you track snow all through her house."

As if to say duly noted, he stomped on the mat in front of the door, excess snow falling off his boots and leaving a pile of white in their wake, and then he entered the house.

For all the times that Brie had hooked up with Jax, they had never done it at her house. He took the opportunity to look around as they stood awkwardly in the foyer.  Brie rocked back on her heels as she waited for him to speak.

Jax pulled a hand from his pocket and dragged it through his hair. Brie had many memories of her own fingers running through those locks in the throes of passion. Before, the mere idea had had her full of wanting, but now, she felt nothing. Which made her feel even worse for using him.

"You're making a mistake," he finally said.

Brie blinked, thrown off guard. She hadn't expected him to say that. Not that she knew what he meant by his statement. If he was there to try to convince her to sleep with him again, he had another thing coming. "Excuse me?"

He sighed. "I think you're making a mistake with Emerson."

Brie crossed her arms. This was going to be good, she was sure. "Not that it's any of your business, but what's your reasoning?"

Mud brown met unsettling blue, and after a moment, Jax looked down at his feet. "Look, Brie, I like you," he admitted. "You're hot, and you're funny as shit. And you don't put up with people's bull. Now, I won't pretend to understand why you would be interested in a guy like Emerson, but it's clear that you are, and the guy's miserable without you." He shrugged. "I think you're making a mistake by letting him go."

Brie's stance softened. That was somewhat sweet, in the Jax kind of way.

"Do you?"

"He went home last night for the break," he told her, which wasn't necessary, as she already knew that he had.  "I think you should go see him."

She crossed her arms.  "And why would I do that?"

Jax quirked a brow.  "Because you're not an idiot."

...

Brie broke so many laws on her way to Greenborough, she was convinced that she would get pulled over. She made the drive in record time and arrived at the Bhandari-Bishops' as the last rays of sunlight began to fade.