Chapter Twenty-Three
E mma rolled over and stretched between the sheets. Her body felt used, abused and deliciously sore. Muscles ached that she hadn’t even realised she had until last night.
She breathed deeply, relishing the scent of Gabe’s aftershave all around her. She grabbed a fistful of sheet and lifted it to her face, inhaling the exotic fragrance of Gabe and sex. It was a heady mix. Grinning to herself, she slid a hand across the bed to reach for him.
Cold.
Her eyes opened. She sat up and scouted the room. He wasn’t there.
She scooted to the edge of the bed and grabbed her satin robe from the floor. She belted it and wandered down the hall toward the kitchen. The neckline slid off her shoulder as she walked. It was always doing that, it was far too big for her. She shrugged it back up onto her shoulder. Gabe must be making coffee, or something.
Emma rounded the doorway and stopped, frowning. No Gabe.
“Where on earth…” Emma bit her lip and glanced at the clock on the wall.
Eight thirty. Where would he have gone? Work?
Her stomach started churning. Surely he hadn’t left , left? He was coming back, wasn’t he? From all indications he’d enjoyed the night as much as she had.
Hadn’t he?
A horrible feeling writhed in the pit of her stomach, but she pushed it away ferociously. No. He wasn’t the type to get what he wanted then run, pretending it hadn’t meant anything. She knew there had been the bet to see who would date her first. Surely there wasn’t a bet about who would sleep with her first?
No. He isn’t like that. He’s my friend, not some scumbag lowlife.
Isn’t he?
Emma’s knees weakened. Where was he, and why hadn’t he let her know he was leaving? Or leave a note?
She scanned the kitchen for one, but there was nothing to be seen on the counters, except for the remains of their quick snack in the middle of the night.
A heavy knock at the front door made her jump.
A huge grin erupted on her face. The dope had locked himself out. Emma ran down the hallway, her robe slipping again as she pulled the door open.
“I thought—” Her smile drained from her face.
“Good morning, Emma. And I take it by those marks on your shoulder that it was a good night , as well,” said Darby, laughing. “Courtesy of my brother, I presume?” she teased.
Emma’s face flamed with embarrassment. “What makes you say that? Could’ve been anyone,” she said as she yanked up the errant sleeve of her robe.
Darby leaned against the doorjamb and raised an eyebrow. “Was it just anyone?”
Emma frowned and stepped back, making room for Darby to enter. “Of course not.”
She wrapped her arms defensively around herself. She’d really thought that it was Gabe at the door. Now she didn’t know what to think.
Darby closed the door behind her and followed Emma down the hall and into the kitchen.
“Well, it’s obvious someone gave you those bites, and I’m sure you weren’t playing Pictionary when it happened.”
Emma’s shoulders slumped. “No. Gabe spent the night,” she confirmed quietly.
“Ha! I knew it,” she joked, a happy sparkle lighting her eyes.
“I don’t suppose you’ve seen him?” Emma asked quietly. She turned and fiddled with her new coffee maker to have something to do. Silence met her quiet question. She busied herself, dumping coffee into the percolator to avoid Darby’s stare.
“What do you mean? He’s here, isn’t he?”
Emma squeezed her eyes shut as the sharp pain from Darby’s words cut into her insides. She hadn’t seen him either.
“No.”
Emma couldn’t look at her. She didn’t want Darby to see how much it upset her that Gabe wasn’t there. If she could pretend it didn’t matter she might not think about it too much. But Darby was having none of that. She turned Emma around by the shoulder.
“Where did he go?”
Emma finally raised her gaze to Darby’s. “I don’t know,” she whispered, her voice betraying her uncertainty. “He was gone when I woke.”
Darby opened her mouth to speak, but disbelief rendered her speechless. She took a breath and tried again. “What are you trying to say? That he left?”
Emma shrugged. “I don’t know. All I know is that we had an amazing night, or so I thought. Then I woke up just now and he was gone. No note. No message. No Gabe.” She took a deep breath and said the words that resounded through her head. “I think maybe he’s regretting it.”
Darby put both hands on her shoulders and stared hard. “No, Emma! If he thought that, he’d tell you himself. There’s got to be a good reason he’s gone. Maybe he went down to the bakery to get you something for breakfast?”
Emma bit down hard on the hope that sprang up with those words.
“Maybe, but I don’t think so. I have a funny feeling that something’s not right. Maybe last night he realised he didn’t really want to be with me at all. It wasn’t exactly planned. We argued. Then we agreed to…”
She looked away, not able to stand looking into eyes so similar to the ones she’d spent the night staring at.
“No! I don’t believe that. The only reason he’s been telling anyone who’d listen he’s not interested is because he’s been trying to convince himself of that. He’s had a major thing for you since the first night you came to The Cow.” She continued when Emma nodded. “It wouldn’t have happened even once, if it had been a mistake.”
Emma looked back at Darby. “Did he tell you that? That he was interested?”
Darby frowned. “No, but he didn’t have to. We could all see it. He just tried to pretend he wasn’t. He couldn’t stay away from you, even while lying to himself. No. I won’t believe it.”
Emma looked Darby in the eye. “Was there a, you know, a-a bet, or anything like that? To see if…” She trailed off, unable to repeat what was going through her head. Just the thought made her feel sick even thinking it.
It took a moment for her meaning to click. When it did, Darby’s face went white.
She put her hands on Emma’s face. “No! He would never! And if there had been he would’ve flattened anyone who dared take it. Max would’ve had his turn too. There would’ve been a huge uproar about something like that,” Darby insisted.
Emma’s eyes teared up, despite her best intentions to keep control of herself.
“Then where is he?”
Darby’s hands fell from Emma’s cheeks. “I don’t know. Have you tried calling him?”
Emma shook her head. “No. I only woke up a few minutes ago.”
Darby pulled her phone from her pocket. “Okay. We’ll have this sorted out in a moment, you’ll see.”
She hit a speed dial… and waited. Darby’s expression became expectant, then she frowned. “It rang out. I’ll try again.” Darby swore after a few seconds. “It went straight to voicemail. Maybe he’s out of range or on an emergency call-out?”
Emma’s stomach plummeted. It had rung the first time. He wasn’t out of range. He just didn’t want to talk. That didn’t bode well for her.
“Listen, I’m going to have a shower. Help yourself to some coffee, okay? I might be a while.” She turned and walked to the door without waiting for an answer.
“Emma?”
Emma half turned in Darby’s direction. “Yeah?”
The concern in Darby’s grey eyes almost broke her heart.
“Don’t give up on him, okay?” she pleaded. “Please. There’s a good explanation for this, you’ll see. I know it.”
Emma nodded, and continued down her hall. She was going to have a very long shower and try to wipe the last eighteen hours of her life from her head with the hot water. Along with the man who had filled those hours.
Darby had asked her not to give up on Gabe. But there was nothing to give up on.