Chapter 38
CHAPTER 38
Nine days later, I sat on a park bench during my lunch break, talking to Emily. I had promised Porter that I’d eat at my desk, but they’d closed the office for a private meeting, and I had no choice but to leave.
Plus, it was so gorgeous outside, I couldn’t help myself. There were enough people walking around that I was reasonably sure I was safe.
“How are you feeling now?” she sounded so concerned.
“A lot better. My bandages have come off my hands, and I can actually move without crying.”
“Have you told your dad yet?”
“I’ve tried, but my dad left on yet another business trip, and he’s not returning my calls. Plus, this situation warrants a sit-down talk.”
“What does Porter have to say about that?”
He’s beyond pissed.
“He’s fine. He said the minute my dad gets back, we’re going over to my parents' house, and he’s going to spell everything out for him.”
“So, basically, he’s livid.”
“Why do you say that? ”
“When Jackson says he’s going to spell something out to someone, it usually doesn’t end well for the other person.”
I laughed. “Okay, he’s not happy, but in my dad’s defense, I haven’t been exactly pushing the issue.”
“What happened with Yates?”
“Well, the detective called me, and she told me that Yates admitted to putting some sort of tracker on my phone when we were dating!”
“What? That’s so creepy.”
“Right? Which explains why he always knew where I was. The detective told me I could press charges, but he’s not the real enemy here. He’s not trying to kill me. He only wants to date me.”
“You don’t think he’s involved with this other stuff?”
I made a noise. “No. The other stuff is too big, too dark, for him to get messed up into.”
“What did the detective say about the guy who was driving the car? The one who got murdered?”
“Apparently, he’s known by the police, but that’s all she’ll tell us. She said she’s still trying to determine if he was actually targeting me and how he ties into everything.”
“Do you think your life is in danger?”
Yes!
“No, Emily, don’t be silly. Come on.”
“But this seems to be escalating.”
“The detective can’t even determine if any of this is related. Besides, nothing has happened in the last week.”
“How is Porter dealing with this?”
He’s losing his mind.
“Oh, he’s become a bit more safety conscious, but at least with my dad being away, we haven’t had any campaigning to do. It’s fine, Em. Honest.”
“Okay,” she sounded unconvinced, “and how’s the wedding planning going? ”
“My mom is completely out of control, but she and Roo have planned the most gorgeous wedding.”
“So…are you and Porter actually engaged?”
I could feel my face turn hot and red. “Emily! No!”
“Well, I don’t know. With all that hot sex and him being so protective, I was thinking maybe this was becoming the real thing.”
“Em, I coerced this guy into everything. He’s probably counting the days until this mess is over. Trust me, Porter doesn’t want to date me.”
“I think you like him.”
I couldn’t lie. “Maybe, but my feelings don’t count in this situation.”
“I think you should tell him how you feel.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No. You know, sometimes honesty is good.”
“He came to New York to get Felicia back.”
“I know.”
“And one night, as a quick favor, the poor bastard got called to a police station to bail my ass out of jail. I was in jail, Emily. Jail. ”
“That wasn’t your fault.”
“I forced him to be my fake boyfriend to ward off the jealous ex-boyfriend.”
“It was a spur of the moment thing.”
“Just like the secret fake engagement? Which has led us to our big, fat fake wedding.”
I could hear her smile. “You make it sound so bad.”
I laughed. “It’s bad, Emily. This is so bad, even you can’t make rainbows out of this.”
“He deserves to know the truth.”
“He deserves a medal. His interactions with my mom, alone, warrants him receiving a purple heart. He’s a damn freaking hero around her. But regrettably, the fun isn’t over yet. We still have a public break up to face. And that’s going to be ugly.”
“I think he likes you. ”
“I think he likes you and Jackson. So, despite the fact that one little favor has turned into a full-time, life-altering, life-threatening public experience, he’s still valiantly trying to hang in there. Because of you guys. But forcing him to face my unwanted emotional advances after he has expressed how he feels about Felicia would be cruel.”
“Who says he’ll let you down?”
“Right. Are we having the same conversation? I’m running for the Pulitzer of worst dating candidates right now.”
“I vote that you talk to him.”
“Emily, this is one of the reasons I love you so much—your unfailing belief in humanity and everything good. But Hell will freeze over before I burden him with that.”
“Will you think about it?”
I snorted. “No.”
“We can talk about this later.”
“You’re relentless. How does Jackson put up with your strong arm techniques?”
“He says I’m the boss.”
“That I believe.”
“I miss you.”
“Not as much as I miss you.”
I had experienced crushing loneliness when Emily and Jackson left. But I no longer felt lonely.
When had that feeling gone away?
Since the day Porter showed up .
I didn’t want to think about the day he left. But that day was coming. It was coming fast.