Chapter 10
EMMA
“Iheard about it from Jimmy, who you know always has an inside track on these things…”
“Uh huh.” I nodded at my brother as if I was paying attention to what he was saying.
Whatever it was, he was pretty excited about it.
Mitch only animated his speech when he was happy about something, or super pumped up.
Did not caring what he was talking about make me a bad sister?
To be fair, I tried at first, but my mind was on other things.
Well, one other thing, who hadn’t been home in three days.
My eyes wandered over to Vahn’s closed bedroom door.
Where did he go? It wasn’t unusual for him to spend a night out here and there—side effects of being a manwhore I suppose—but he was never gone for this long.
Not even when he started sleeping with Tiffany Wainright, who every guy on campus had a thing for.
She was beautiful, rich, and a complete and utter bitch.
Was that where Vahn was? As far as I knew he cut ties with her months ago, which Tiffany wasn’t too happy about. I believe her exact words were, ‘a bottom feeder like you does not get to dump me’.
When you spend years living with someone, you learn a lot about them. For example, Vahn was arrogant, abnormally entitled, an absolute asshole, and stubborn as hell. But he was a good friend to Mitch. If my brother was in trouble, Vahn would be there no questions asked. So, I put up with him.
That Tiffany situation made me see Vahn in a new light. Not only did he not put up with her I’m better than everyone attitude, but he couldn’t be bought either.
He threw away every gift she sent him. And some were quite expensive. Vahn had a lot of bad qualities, but he had integrity, and I could respect that.
At least that’s what I thought until he shoved his hand down my pants.
Now, I couldn’t help but wonder if the Tiffany thing was all an act.
Maybe if he had shown some remorse or hesitation of any kind, but he didn’t.
Vahn was getting off on it. I’d never forget the way he stared at me while he had me pinned in the recliner. It was like he wanted to do more.
Maybe he did? Maybe I did. Not that I could talk to him about it because he disappeared. Then again, maybe it was just my own frustration messing with me. I tried to finish the job that Vahn started, and failed.
So, I’d been on edge for days. For all I knew that was his plan. Some new sick way to torment me.
Mitch slammed his hand down on the table between us. “Emma!”
“What?”
“Are you listening to me?”
I had no idea what we were talking about, but I didn’t want to upset him.
“Of course I am.” I lied.
“So, you’re on board?”
“Sure.” I waved while looking back over at Vahn’s door.
Was he avoiding me, or was he busy? What if he couldn’t look at me because I did it wrong?
Could one even do something like that wrong?
I didn’t have much control in the situation, so it wasn’t really my fault.
Vahn did have sex for a living, and it was kind of hard to live up to those standards when one had zero experience.
If he was disappointed that was his own fault.
Fuck Vahn Kessler and his stupid magic fingers. He should’ve never touched me.
My head tipped to the side.
Why did he touch me? That was the part I didn’t get. Vahn had never shown any interest in me. I was nothing more than Mitch’s baby sister to him. The annoying girl he shared an apartment with. He’d made that perfectly clear over the years. Still…
“Aren’t you worried about Vahn?” What if something happened to him?
Mitch cocked a brow. “Why would I be worried about Vahn?”
“What if he’s with Tiffany?” She was no good for him.
“Why the hell would he be with Tiffany?”
“He hasn’t been home in three days.” I pointed out. “He has to be with someone.”
My brother’s brows pulled together. “He was here last night.”
“He was?”
“Yeah.” Mitch said. “He came home around midnight and left twenty minutes before you got up.”
Huh? Okay, so he was avoiding me.
“Why are you so worried about Vahn?”
“I’m not.” I might have said that a little too high pitched. Lowering my tone I clarified. “I hadn’t seen him, and thought he might be in trouble. Is there something wrong with worrying about my friend?”
“Friend?” Suspicion narrowed Mitch’s stare. “Since when is Vahn your friend?”
Damnit. I should’ve thought that answer through.
“He’s always been my friend… Yeah, he’s an ass but we live together…
you’re always hanging around him, so we’re in close proximity.
Stop asking me questions. If you didn’t want me to be friends with Vahn, then maybe you shouldn’t have brought him around.
You have no one else to blame for this but yourself. ”
Mitch stared at me for a second before saying, “Why are you acting weird?”
“I’m not acting weird. You’re acting weird.”
I was definitely acting weird. But what was I going to say? Your best friend shoved his hand down my pants, worked me into a frenzy, and is now avoiding me? Mitch got in a fist fight with his best friend in high school because he tried to kiss me.
They never spoke to each other again. And Mitch had known that guy for ten years. My brother needed Vahn. I wasn’t going to let what we both obviously thought was a mistake end their friendship.
Did Vahn think it was a mistake? Did I?
“Did something happen?” Mitch asked.
“No.”
“Emma.” Mitch warned.
He was the one person who could always tell when I was lying.
“Did Vahn touch you?”
Why would he automatically jump to that conclusion? It was true, but still.
“Could you really see Vahn touching me?” I gave Mitch my best are you dumb look.
He was silent for a minute, while I held my breath and prayed that he wouldn’t see through my lie. When he burst out laughing, I didn’t know whether to be insulted or relieved.
“You’re right.” He chuckled. “Like Vahn would ever waste his time with you. That guy has a line of prime pussy waiting for him.”
Well, fuck you too Mitch.
“Can you imagine?”
Actually I could.
He laughed harder and slapped his hand on the table. “You and Vahn.”
I rolled my eyes. “Alright, calm down.”
“I’m sorry, but you and Vahn. How ridiculous would that be?”
It wouldn’t be that ridiculous. “I could get Vahn if I wanted to.”
“Sure,” he snorted as if there was no way that could ever happen.
Mitch continued laughing as if this was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Vahn chose that moment to walk in the door. What was with his timing? I was starting to think he had a camera hidden somewhere in here.
He took one look at my brother and cocked a brow. “What’s so funny?”
“You and Emma.” Mitch sputtered out between chuckles. “How fucking wrong is that?”
Vahn’s navy eyes locked on me. “Not as wrong as you think.”
What the hell was he doing?
Mitch immediately stopped laughing and glared at Vahn like he was the enemy. “Are you saying, you wanna fuck my sister?”
“Of course he’s not.” I sang, trying to defuse the situation.
To which Vahn swung his stare over to my brother and said, “What if I do?”
“Well,” Mitch pushed his chair back and stood up. “I’d have to kill you.”
I didn’t know what Vahn was thinking, but I did know he had no interest in me in that way. So, this must be some twisted joke. He did have a sick sense of humor. This wasn’t funny.
“Ha ha, Vahn,” I murmured attempting to pass it off as a joke. “Very funny.”
“I don’t see what’s so funny about it.” He shrugged. “Think about it Mitch, would you rather she fuck some tool you hate, or your best friend?”
I’d never seen Mitch look as pissed as he did when he marched across the room to puff his chest up against Vahn. “What are you trying to say?”
My heart was pounding out of my chest, and I could barely breathe, let alone comprehend what was happening. If I didn’t stop this then my brother might very well end up in jail for murder.
As I opened my mouth to interject, Vahn choked out a laugh.
“I’m just fucking with you man.” He slapped his hand on Mitch’s shoulder. “Me fuck Emma, come on. Look at her.”
My jaw fell open.
Are you fucking kidding me? I was getting ready to stop world war three and he was fucking with us. That shit was not funny. My brother disagreed. He thought it was hysterical. So hysterical that he bent over in amusement.
“Oh man,” he sang while clutching his belly. “You got me. That was good.”
They could both fuck right off.
Vahn looked over at me, and popped his bottom lip out in a condescending frown. “Awe Em, did you think I wanted you to be my girlfriend?”
That question caused my brother to laugh harder.
“You know what Vahn,” I lifted my hand and pointed at him. “You better sleep with one eye open.”
“You seem frustrated Parakeet. Is something wrong.”
This son of a bitch. He knew exactly what was wrong. He also knew I wouldn’t say anything in front of my brother.
“Maybe you should take a bath.” Vahn suggested while the corner of his mouth curled up in the slightest of smirks, that I was pretty sure was meant just for me.
He was goading me, and I wasn’t going to give in.
“Maybe I will.” I sang sweetly back at him. “After all I want to smell fresh for my date.”
Both Vahn and Mitch stopped cold and said, “What date?”
“None of your business.” I lifted my chin and marched in to my room.
Let’s see how they liked that. I could have a social life. I didn’t, but I could. And it would be none of their business. If they could go around sleeping with random women, then I could do the same. I was an adult. Not a child.
“Emma.” Mitch called after I closed my door. “Get back out here.”
“Go to hell.” I yelled back at him while clicking my lock in place.
“Emma,” Mitch pounded on the door. “Get out here. I wanna know who this guy is.”
“You’ll never know.”
“Oh, I’ll find out.” Mitch growled. “Then I’m gonna kick his ass.”
Pfft, sure he would. What was he going to do, follow me?
Normally I wouldn’t go this far to piss my brother off, but I was so annoyed at how he reacted. Like the thought of me seeing someone was utterly absurd. I could get a man if I wanted. I had a successful cam show where men watched me all the time.
My appointment today wasn’t a date per say. More like a meeting with Professor Winston. He called me last night and asked if I would come in today. I assumed it was about the open TA position—he’d hinted at it a few times. But I wasn’t about to tell my brother or Vahn that.
I didn’t even feel bad about lying. I was perfectly happy to let them sit here and think I was out with some guy.
Vahn wouldn’t care anyway. He was only pretending to care for my brother’s sake.
And Mitch needed to stop treating me like I was a little girl.
I was a grown ass woman who could make her own decisions.
God, it felt good to stand up for myself.