14. STERLING
Emma keeps looking at me like she’s going to say something, but she never does. It”s like she”s holding herself back, keeping a distance between us. At first, I thought she was just tired after the long day we’ve had, but she”s acting a little weird. She”s not her usual bubbly self.
I shouldn”t have told her that I had a crush on her. After it slipped out, I thought it might make for a good segue into what I really want to say, but that”s not how it worked out. All I did was make things awkward between us. She seems overwhelmed by it.
When we”re done cleaning, she excuses herself to the restroom and I gather Buddy”s leash, ready to take him outside for his last potty break before the night is over. The sun has set, and the street outside looks quiet from the window.
”Come on, Buddy,” I tell him, tugging on the leash. ”Let”s go out for a walk.”
Buddy doesn”t need to be told twice. He follows after me eagerly, his tail wagging with excitement. He leads me toward the front entrance, but as my hands press against the door, Emma”s voice comes from behind me.
”Hey, Sterling, got a sec?” she says, breaking the silent treatment she”s been giving me, whether she meant to or not.”
”Sure,” I reply, turning around. ”Is everything okay?”
She smirks and then jingles her keys in front of me. But I don’t get it.
When I just blink at her, she says, ”You”re an idiot, do you know that? I”m jiggling my keys. You know, like in the movie?”
I laugh, trying to play it cool. ”Oh, I see. So, what happens next? Do I kiss you?”
Her playful expression turns into a mischievous grin. ”Well, if you want to stick to the script.”
My mouth goes dry, and I can”t move a muscle. My mind is a garbled mess, and I can”t seem to form a coherent thought.
There”s this tension between us that”s been there for so long. And now that it”s out in the open, I”m not sure what to do... I feel like a twelve-year-old boy playing spin the bottle, and it just landed on me.
But then I tell my twelve-year-old self this is my chance and I”m not passing up the most beautiful girl I”ve even seen. I lean in slowly and kiss her. It”s soft and sweet, and my heart thunders in my chest. The moment her lips meet mine, something inside me shifts, and an intense desire for more floods through me.
Emma seems hesitant at first, like she”s not completely sure about what we”re doing, even though it was her idea. But when I bring my hands up to the side of her face, gently tracing her cheek with my fingertips, her lips part.
And that”s all the permission I need.
I take the lead, deepening the kiss and pulling her close. Her hands slide up my chest, and the delicious weight of her body pressed against mine takes my heart to a higher gear.
I start guiding her toward the wall, the heat of the moment taking over, when she suddenly flips our positioning and presses me up against it, pinning my body with hers. The shock of her unexpected assertiveness sends a jolt through me.
That was extremely pleasant. More, please and thank you.
This whole thing feels unreal. It isn’t just a fantasy, it”s happening. Emma and I have been friends for ages. And although I”ve longed for this moment a thousand times, I didn”t know it could feel this good.
Particularly the part about her pressing me up against the wall.
But now that we’re here, it”s so right.
She checks every box I could desire in a woman. The only problem is that she’s in the “best friend’s sister category.” I could definitely do without that complication.
But everything else? Absolutely.
And now there’s a bonus—the taste of her lips on mine. It’s a mix of fruit and something more subtle, making me want to go back for more until I can identify the exact flavor.
Our kiss continues on like a wildfire, consuming me with its intensity and leaving nothing but smoldering embers in its wake. Our hands are everywhere, mine racing through her hair, hers exploring my arms and back, seemingly desperate to pull me closer. My lips find their way to the contours of her neck, brushing gently as she arches her body in response with a delighted groan.
I trail slowly back along her jawline, on a mission to discover more about the taste of her lips.
Unfortunately, she pulls away before I can find out. We”re both breathless, a sound that I will replay over in my mind long after this night. Emma”s face is completely flushed. Her hair is a tangled mess and her lips are puffy, and it”s one of the most beautiful sights I”ve ever seen.
There”s a moment of awkwardness like she can’t quite believe what we”ve done, so I take that time to smooth down her hair and run my fingers gently over her swollen lips, lips I kissed into this state.
This wasn”t a friendly thank you kiss. This was years of passion waiting for its chance. It was worth the wait.
But I think we both also realize the movie scene we just played out has consequences. Emma takes a step back, her expression a mix of surprise and amusement.
”Wow,” she says, her voice a little shaky.
”Yeah, wow,” I echo, still processing the fact that we just crossed a line we can’t uncross.
I”m not sure what to do or say next, so I just continue staring at her. My heart aches to be near her again.
She clears her throat and takes a step toward the door, tripping over her own two feet, just like the scene in the movie. Since it’s her, it’s hard to know if it was on purpose or not.
Tripping, as I mentioned, seems to be part of her life. I reach out to catch her before she falls, and as soon as her arms wrap around me, the butterflies return. I pull her close and nuzzle my face in her neck, not wanting to let her go.
”So, uh, I should probably get going,” she says too soon.
I relent, pulling away. ”You okay? You seem a little flustered.”
”I am not,” she mutters, but I can see her smile. She”s obviously feeling the same way I am.
I let out a sigh, my eyes lingering on her lips. The kiss we shared is still fresh in my mind, and all I can think about is doing it again and again and again.
But I don”t want to push things. We just took a huge step, and I don”t want to do anything to ruin the moment. Especially not by being too greedy.
I know this is new territory for her, and I”m not sure exactly how she feels about it. Maybe it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, something she did out of impulse. But, maybe, it was more. It definitely felt like more. She doesn”t look like she regrets it.
At our feet, Buddy prances around us, wrapping the leash around our legs. Emma giggles, and I pull her in for one last hug and kiss her gently on her cheek.
”Thanks for this. It was a great day,” she murmurs.
I nod. ”It was. And the wall thing was...”
”Not planned,” she says. My eyes lock on her, wondering if she thinks it was mistake, until I notice her biting her bottom lip, before adding, “But wonderful.”
Whew.
Reluctantly, I open the door for her. She walks down the steps backward, looking at me—until she collides with another body.
She stumbles, again, and my heart stops.
”Ow,” she says, rubbing her elbow.
”Emma, what the heck?” Peter asks.
I hold my breath, hoping he didn”t just see our kiss. I know I said I didn”t care, but that”s easier to do when he”s not here. Emma”s eyes go wide, and she starts mumbling something that sounds a lot like an excuse, but he cuts her off.
”What are you doing here?” He looks from her to me, and I see the suspicion dancing in his irises.
”Sterling and I just finished handing out the flyers for our fundraiser,” she explains. ”Wait, why are you here?”
”I was going for a walk and saw the lights on. Figured I”d come say hi to my friend here.” He shoots me a look that says he”s not buying Emma”s story, and I clear my throat.
”I was just taking Buddy out,” I tell him.
”Right,” he says, and he looks back and forth between us again, like he”s waiting for one of us to say something.
”It”s getting late,” Emma says. ”I should get home.”
I wince at her leaving, dreading the idea of being left alone with Peter right now. He”s got questions for me and judging by the way he”s balling his fists at his side, he must have seen the kiss through the door.
”Why don”t I join you on your walk with Buddy?” Peter offers, and my stomach clenches.
I force a smile. ”Sure, that”d be great.”
But Emma, my saving grace, grabs his arm and says, ”Why don”t you escort me back to my hotel, Peter? It”s dark and I’d love some company.”
His eyes narrow. He’s not going to let this go. But he can”t let his sister walk home alone. Not after she asked him so nicely.
”Yeah, all right. Let”s go,” he says, and he turns her in the direction. ”Sterling, I”ll talk to you later. We can have a little chat. Alone.”
I rub the back of my neck and let out a sigh. ”Sure.”
The door shuts behind them, and I lean against the table, trying to calm my racing heart.
Peter, my best friend and the man who is like a brother to me, just witnessed something that could potentially blow up our friendship. But I still don”t regret it. I”d do it again in a heartbeat.
Emma is incredible, and if this is how she feels about me, then I”m not about to give her up. Not when she”s right in front of me, and not when I”m this close to figuring out how to make this work.
Peter stopped me years ago, but I can”t allow that to happen again.
I wait a few minutes for Peter and Emma to get some distance, and once I”m sure they”re gone, I step out into the night. The street is quiet, and I”m thankful it”s so late. We”re right in the middle of town, and all of the shops and stores around have closed up for the day. It”s a beautiful area, with families living nearby and large houses that have been here for generations.
It”s not a fancy place, but it”s a nice little town, and people are happy here. As I walk Buddy, his happy demeanor is easy to get caught up in. He leads me away from the clinic, and I can”t help but smile.
This little guy did the impossible. He brought Emma and I together. It”s not like the dog can understand what”s going on, but maybe on some level he knows he did his part.
Now it”s time for me to do mine. Emma”s given me the green light, and I”m not going to waste another second worrying about what anyone else thinks.
As I round the corner, the park next to town square comes into view, and I slow my pace, my heart skipping a beat at the sight of Emma and her brother. They”re walking along the sidewalk, and Emma is leaning forward, talking a mile a minute.
As they talk, I can see the tension in Peter”s shoulders. I feel guilty, but only because I left Emma to deal with him on her own.
And he does not look happy.
He glances in my direction, and Emma follows his gaze. She stops mid-sentence, a smile breaking out on her face. She waves at me, and I raise my hand before pivoting on my heels and turning around.
”Sorry, Buddy. Guess we”ll have to visit the park in the morning.”