CHAPTER FIFTEEN Emily
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Emily
“S pooning at Lily’s? Really?” Bon’s face appears in front of me, her voice tinged with amusement.
I blink, rubbing my eyes as they adjust to the morning sun filtering through the store windows. My brain is still catching up, groggy and confused. Did we really fall asleep here? And why does my shoulder feel so warm? I shift, realizing my head had been resting on Josh’s shoulder. Worse yet, we’re holding hands—fingers intertwined like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
How the hell did this happen?
One moment, we were talking about getting back at Rob and wearing my dress, and the next... Well, I must have dozed off. Now, the whole situation feels more intimate than it should, and Bon, being Bon, is all over it.
I adjust my position and stretch my arms out. “We weren’t spooning,” I try to convince her. I smack Josh’s lap as he, too, wakes up and realizes what’s happening.
Josh stirs beside me, his own expression sluggish as he blinks awake. He frowns, clearly trying to make sense of the situation, and reaches up to rub his face. A faint mark creases his cheek, probably from where his head had rested against mine. His hair is a mess, sticking up in every direction, but somehow, he still manages to look ridiculously good. Seriously—who looks this handsome first thing in the morning?
I smack his leg lightly to snap him out of his daze. “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”
“What—” he starts, his voice thick with sleep, before he notices Bon standing there, her grin wider than ever.
Bon raises an eyebrow and gives me a playful grin. “Well, you may as well have!” Bon chuckles as she reaches out her hand to help me up.
I groan as I take her hand and stand up, feeling the stiffness of my muscles.
“Don’t you have anything better to do than stalk us at sunrise?” Josh says as he stands up too.
“Oh, brother dear, it’s well over 10 a.m.,” Bon says, eyes darting to both of us. Josh and I stare at each other in shock after finding out we slept for too long. “I know you two are disgustingly into each other right now and you don’t like spending time apart, but please. I need Emily today.”
I squint at her. “You do?” I pretend to be unaware, but Kate and Haley planned this so they can get ready for the bridal shower we’re throwing Bon later tonight.
Josh groans, standing and stretching, his shirt riding up slightly to reveal just a hint of skin, and another tattoo on his lower abdomen. My eyes dart away quickly, my face heating up again. He sees it, though, and he gives me a wink that only makes my face redder. Stupid, handsome morning person.
“Yes! We’re trying on your maid of honor dress!” She squeals.
The bell jingles again and I spin around to see Ryan walking inside. His face is creased in a frown, but the moment he spots Bon, he switches. His whole demeanor changes, his eyes lighting up as he approaches her.
“There you are,” he says. “I’ve been calling you.” He crosses the room in a few quick strides and leans down to kiss her softly, a kiss that’s more a greeting than anything else. For a second, they just stand there, looking at each other. This is the first time I’ve seen them together in the flesh, since I’ve been in New York the entire time they’ve been together. It's still astounding to me how these two found each other.
We’ve all been friends and neighbors for years, and no one saw this coming. And I’m so incredibly happy to witness how in love they are. How right they are for each other.
“Sorry, I left my phone when I went out to look for these idiots.” She motions to the two of us, still looking disoriented from last night.
Ryan smirks. “Hey, guys,” he says to us, giving us a once-over. “You look terrible.”
“Jetlag does that to you,” Josh says. “Nice to see you, Ry. Congratulations on marrying Miss Annoying over here.” He gestures to Bon, and she narrows her eyes at him.
“Whatever, he loves me,” Bon says as she winks at Ryan, who just shakes his head in amusement. “Anyhoo, I’ll meet you in an hour, Em. Go freshen up. Please.”
I nod and make my way out of Lily’s, with Joshua trailing behind me.
“I can’t believe we slept in there,” I say.
“Well, I can’t believe we slept at all,” Josh replies.
“I can’t believe you both have been here and not said hi to me all night,” a voice says from behind us. Manang Linda follows us out the door and stops as she holds her cane. She’s wearing a yellow dress with a headscarf and giant sunglasses.
I walk to her to give her a hug. She pats my back lightly with one hand while gripping her cane with the other.
“I’m glad you think my store is a cozy place to spend the night,” she says.
“Aw, Manang Linda, anywhere with Emily is a cozy place,” Josh says as he walks toward me and puts an arm around me. I shiver at the contact of his hand on my bare shoulder, and Josh gives it a gentle squeeze.
“You, Joshua Santiago, better not be up to your old ways,” Manang Linda wags a finger at him. “Emily has been through a lot; don’t be another Rob.”
I gulp at her remark, feeling guiltier than I ever did. I should really prepare my mind for this. Manang Linda, as vicious and blunt as she is, is the kindest woman you’ll ever meet. As long as you stay on her good side.
Josh, ever quick to deflect, says, “I can never be like Rob even if I try, Manang. First of all, look at me.” He flashes a playful grin. “I’m charming,” he adds.
Manang Linda shakes her head with a smile. She turns to me and says, “If he ever gives you trouble, you tell me, Emily. I still have enough strength in these old arms to whack some sense into him.” She pulls down her sunglasses to give me a wink.
I chuckle and put my arm around Josh’s waist. With my other hand, I cup his face playfully. “He’s right, Manang Linda. He’s charming.”
She just laughs and says goodbye, walking around us with her cane hitting the pavement in an even rhythm. I’m about to pull away from Josh when his hold on me strengthens.
“Don’t,” he says in a whisper.
“Don’t what?” I reply.
“Don’t pull away too fast, you’re making it obvious.” I look up at him, and see a playful glint in his eyes. His hand stays around me, and I don’t move.
“You’re really committed to this bit, aren’t you?” I tease.
“I’m not one to half-ass things, babe,” he says. My heart involuntarily leaps.
We continue walking with our arms around each other. The weird thing? It isn’t weird. We fall into step so easily. The air at this time is hot, and the streets are quiet except for the occasional honk of a tricycle. For a moment, it’s peaceful, and I almost forget that everything about this situation is a lie. And that’s what worries me.
It’s only been a day, and I’m already on the verge of breaking my rules. I can’t be that girl who catches feelings for her fake boyfriend—no matter how swoon-worthy he may be. I’ve never been too influenced by my emotions before, and I’m sure this time can’t be any different. Besides, feelings are not caught, they’re developed over time. And definitely not in a span of two weeks. I remind myself again that this is temporary, and I can enjoy it while it lasts. But I won’t ruin it by wanting to make it real.
After a long bath, I change into a short pink dress. I miss wearing summer clothes. New York summers are still too chilly for my liking, so I hardly ever get to wear shorts or mini dresses. But here, I can finally embrace the warmth.
I check my phone to see that Joshua made some edits on the note I shared last night. I open it to see my altered list.
I chuckle as I head over to the Santiagos’ since Bon is still getting ready. I swore to secrecy with Kate and Haley that I will keep Bon occupied today, so I make sure she doesn’t make any detours.
“Hey, Em!” a familiar voice calls out behind me.
I turn to see Richard jogging up, his tie slightly loosened and his usual confident grin in place.
“Richard!” I say, throwing my arms around him in a quick hug. Richard and I have always been close. Well, we’re all close, but he and Rob were the only guys around our age growing up, so naturally, we hung out more. And who could forget prom? He was everyone’s last-minute date after their plans fell through. Meanwhile, I didn’t even have a date—I was too busy with college applications.
He steps back and gives me a look. “How’s it going?”
“Oh, you know,” I say with a shrug. “Still alive, functioning. Nothing headline-worthy.”
“And dating Joshua,” he adds with mock seriousness, nodding like he’s evaluating a major life achievement. “I gotta say, no one saw that coming.”
“Believe me, neither did I,” I reply, squinting at him. His polished corporate look—button-down shirt, tailored slacks, and a messenger bag slung over his shoulder—makes him seem way too put together. “But more importantly, where are you off to? Are you auditioning for a ‘Business Casual’ fashion spread or something?”
He laughs, tugging at his tie like it’s a noose. “Law school stuff, obviously. Gotta look the part, even if I’m suffering on the inside.”
“Right,” I reply. “Almost done with law school. Good—this town’s going to need you years from now when Haley finally gets arrested for who-knows-what.”
He smirks, his eyes glinting with amusement. “You’re giving her years before that happens? Optimistic.”
“That’s fair,” I say with a grin. “She’s overdue as it is.”
He chuckles, shaking his head. “Where are you off to?”
“I’ve got my own very important thing to do today: keep Bon occupied and make sure she doesn’t escape.”
“Oh, good luck with that,” he says, raising an eyebrow. “You know she’s like a cat when she doesn’t want to do something, right? Impossible to catch, impossible to reason with.”
“Don’t remind me,” I groan dramatically. “If I don’t come back, tell Kate and Haley I did my best.”
Richard laughs, giving me a playful salute. “Will do. Good luck, Em. You’re gonna need it.”
With a final wave, he heads off toward whatever law school adventure awaits him, and I walk toward the Santiagos’.
I enter their home without even ringing the bell, and decide to wait in their giant living room. Just as I’m about to sit down, I hear the front door creak open. I turn around, and— oh my god.
Josh steps in, a toolbox in one hand and a towel in the other. He’s shirtless, glistening with sweat, and his tattoos are fully on display, winding from his right arm up to his chest—intricate and distracting. Terribly distracting. His skin is a golden tan, though his hands are darker, with a faint tan line from the shirts he must wear on-site. He should really think about using sunscreen to even that out.
I try to focus on anything else, but my eyes betray me, lingering on the way his muscles move as he wipes his forehead with the towel. It’s like he’s in slow motion, and any minute now, trumpets will play in the background.
“Captivated, baby?” Josh’s voice snaps me back to reality. There he goes again with his flirting. It suddenly occurs to me that I never quite flirted back. Maybe I should. After all, he did add a ‘JUST flirting’ amendment to our rules.
“You wish,” I reply, trying to sound indifferent.
He smirks, his eyes twinkling. “You look pretty in that dress, Emily.”
“T-thank you,” I stammer, feeling the heat rush to my cheeks.
He doesn’t miss a beat. “Even prettier now that you’re blushing,” he teases, his grin widening.
“Cut it out,” I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest in a weak attempt to regain control of the situation. “Aren’t you supposed to be fixing something?”
“I was,” he says, leaning against the wall, “but I wouldn’t be much of a boyfriend if I left my girl standing here, would I?” His eyes flash with mischief.
I rolled my eyes, though my lips twitch, fighting back a smile. “Stop it!”
Before Josh can fire back, Bon finally appears, saving me from further embarrassment. “Ew, you look icky,” she says, wrinkling her nose at him. Funny—young Emily would’ve totally agreed if she saw a shirtless, sweaty Josh, but now? Now he just looks… not icky. I shake my head, hoping the motion will clear my mind.
“Let’s go, Em,” Bon says as she fumbles with her keys.
I glance back at Josh, and sure enough, he’s still watching me with that playful, flirty look, like he knows exactly how to get under my skin. Well, if he can make me blush, I can do the same. I saunter over to him, leaning in to give him a soft peck on the cheek, lingering just enough to make it count.
“See you later… baby,” I say, tousling his hair with a teasing grin before giving him a wink. “Since you consent to anything.”
Bon grunts another teasing remark, and Josh blinks, clearly caught off guard. “Y-yeah,” he stammers, looking like he just lost his cool for the first time.
One point for Emily.