Chapter 19
brIELLE
There’s nothing to fucking do. I have no hobbies, no interests, no nothing.
The only thing I have is these four white walls.
Emris didn’t say anything else to me after we talked about his mom yesterday, and I won’t lie—hearing what happened made my heart hurt for him.
I might not like him, but at least we have one thing in common.
Laughter drifts in from my window, shaking me back to the present. Standing from the bed, I grip the curtains and inch them slightly to the side. A fire pit is lit up, and chairs surround it. Emris and Carson are crowded around the bright orange flame with a few other people I don’t know.
Emris is impossible to miss, though. He’s well over six feet tall, and the fabric of his shirt stretches around the muscles of his arms. Dirty blond hair that’s messy but in a perfect kind of way—the kind that makes me want to run my fingers through it.
Every time he moves, the ink covering his skin seems to come alive. Tattoos go all the way up his arms in unique patterns, disappearing under his shirt and then climbing up his neck. Even from here, I can see how they frame his jaw, how they make him look even more dangerous.
He’s laughing at something Carson said, head tipped back without a care in the world.
Like the universe has never once told him no.
And I’m supposed to hate him. That’s the rule.
He’s the storm I should’ve seen coming, but standing up here, hidden behind the glass, it doesn’t feel like hate.
And that doesn’t sit well with me.
It doesn’t explain why my chest tightens when he steps closer to the fire, light tracing the lines of his tattoos up his throat.
Fuck, this is bad.
I let the curtain fall as a wave of jealousy hits me at how content he seems with his life.
I’d do anything for a close group of friends.
Shit, I’d be fine with a single friend. I mean, yeah, I have Bexley and Kristie, but I never allowed us to get all that close.
If I let someone in, there’s a chance they will leave, and I don’t want to deal with the loss of another person if I can help it.
Music plays outside, and I sit at the end of the bed, not knowing what to do.
I’m restless after going into town with Emris and how normal it felt—especially after the fight in the kitchen that tampered my mood—but now, being back in this room with the door locked, it’s as if the walls are slowly closing in on me.
I crave the normalcy of what my life was.
Being stuck here is making me feel things I’m used to pushing down.
I’m not sure if it’s because, despite all the shit Emris has pulled since the night he took me, I feel safe.
For the first time in a long time, I feel safe.
I don’t trust Emris or Carson, but if they wanted to hurt me, I think they would’ve done it already.
And having somewhere to stay with a bed that doesn’t make me feel like I slept on the floor is definitely helping as well.
Lost in my thoughts, I don’t notice the sound of the bedroom door opening. I blink to recenter myself, finding Emris leaning his shoulder against the side of the door, watching me.
“What are you doing?” he asks. Pushing off the doorframe, he steps farther into the room, his eyes never straying from mine.
“What do you want, Emris?” I sigh, bringing my knees up to my chest.
I can’t let him in. I need to keep him at arm’s length, or I’ll never get out of here.
But what if—No. I can’t entertain any what-if’s.
Right?
“Wanted to see if you’d like to come outside and meet everyone?” He seems genuine, but again, I might feel like I’m physically safe here, but mentally, Emris could destroy me.
“Pass,” I mumble, looking away from him.
“Come on. You’ve been up here all day. Five minutes, and if you wanna come back up, I won’t stop you.” Emris steps in front of where I’m sitting, holding his hand out.
Do I want to open myself up to those people? Not really, but it’s not like I will ever see them again once I leave.
“Fine.” I get up, stopping as I look down at my clothes. I threw on some sweats and a graphic tee earlier. Looking back up at him, I sigh. “Let me change.”
“Take your time.” I watch as he lowers himself to the bed. He leans back on his elbows, his eyes tracking down my body.
Even fully dressed, I can still see the hunger lingering in the depths of his blue eyes.
Stepping into the closet, I look at the rows and rows of clothing. I reach for a simple black pocket tee and a pair of jeans to go with it. In the closet are more clothes than a single girl would need. Brand new shoes, socks, underwear, and everything else you could want.
Looking over my shoulder, I find him still watching me.
Smiling, I take a step closer to the door and slam it closed. His laughter booms through the door, and I shake my head before stripping and putting on the new clothes as I try to mentally prepare for going downstairs.
When I pull the closet door back open, Emris is leaning forward, elbows on his knees. He looks up at me, eyes tracking over me as if I’d let him, he’d devour me right now.
My eyes work their way from his face to the tattoos on his skin all the way down to the veins on his hands.
I’m fucking screwed.
I clear my throat. “Ready?” I ask, trying to sound more confident than I am. He stands, smirking as if knowing the kind of reaction I’m having to him. He stops right in front of me, his hand coming up to push a strand of hair behind my ear.
My heart pounds, not knowing if I should push him away or pull him closer, but he chooses for me.
He takes a step back, grabs my hand, and pulls me out of the room without a word. I follow helplessly until we walk through the back door.
The cool air hits me right in the face, and I instantly shiver. It’s chilly but not too cold if I’m close to the fire, but as we get closer, everyone looks our way.
Or my way.
Their eyes zero in on me, and my skin starts to feel itchy, but I don’t make a move, not wanting to draw any more attention to myself.
“Guys, this is Brielle. Brielle, this is Ash”—he points to a pretty blonde, who gives me a small smile—“That’s Ray or Raymond, and his brother Troy.” Ray is tall and lanky, but he seems nice as he says hi and smiles. Troy, on the other hand, crowds me instantly.
Troy’s arm goes around my shoulder, causing me to tense.
“Oh, um—” Emris sees me lock up and knocks Troy’s arm off me. The feeling of Emris’s arm around me instead makes me instantly relax.
“Nice to meet you.” He winks, but his smirk remains.
“Thanks, you too.” Wringing my hands together, happy his hands are off me, I look toward the fire.
“Are you in a better mood now, Brielle?” Carson jokes, and I send him daggers from across the pit.
“I was in a great mood before this caveman dragged me out here,” I say, and Ash laughs.
“Sounds like Emris.” She sighs before standing and going to the small cooler opposite the fire, pulling out two beer bottles.
“Here.” She hands me one, and I take it before she goes back to her seat.
For whatever reason, her comment about knowing Emris on a different level doesn’t stir up any sense of jealousy in me—not like the girl at the store, anyway.
The way her eyes devoured everything about Emris until she saw me, the look of pure disgust in her eyes.
But Ash seems like nothing more than a friend, not someone who is interested in him, and for some reason, I feel relieved.
“Thanks.” I thank her for the beer with no intention of drinking it. It’s been a long time since I’ve drunk anything, and I’m not going to start now.
Not with these people.
Emris takes my hand and walks us over to two empty chairs. I lower myself and try to loosen up. The beer bottle stays in my lap, and I busy my hands with the cold cap.
Carson and the brothers talk about random stuff, Ash and Emris butting in occasionally.
Everything between them seems natural, and I decide to ask Emris more about how they met later.
But I might not get the chance, and for whatever reason, that makes me sad.
I shouldn’t be feeling anything toward them. I have to leave.
My eyes move to the fire, and I get lost in thought for a while before someone stands in my line of sight.
Troy smiles at me before plopping down in the empty chair to my right.
Emris is now standing on the other side of the fire with Carson, but his eyes are on the ground, only nodding at what he’s saying.
“So, tell me about yourself, Brie?” Troy’s voice brings me back as he leans back in his chair, bringing the bottle to his mouth as his eyes track over my body. He’s cute for sure. Brown hair, brown eyes, and a strong build. But he’s not... Emris.
“Um, there isn’t much to know. I’m pretty boring.” I give him a tight smile.
They must know I didn’t come here willingly, right? Or did Carson and Emris keep that information to themselves?
“I find that hard to believe. You’re absolutely gorgeous. A girl like you must be interesting.”
I can see Emris’s grip on the beer bottle tighten from the corner of my eye.
“I was a bartender for a few months, but that’s as exciting as my life has been.” I shrug, playing with the bottle in my hand.
“Oh, a bartender, huh? I bet you got loads of tips. Did you enjoy it?”
What the hell is wrong with this guy? The tension in the air grows, and I wish Emris were next to me again. He might be my enemy, but at least he makes me feel safe. Right now, Troy is making me regret coming down.
“It paid the bills,” I mutter.
“How does your boyfriend feel about you working at a bar?” He brings the beer to his mouth, and by the way he sways in his chair, I can tell he’s intoxicated.
“No boyfriend,” I state, my eyes going from Troy to Emris, who still isn’t looking at me but is now talking to Ash.
A hand grips my thigh, and I freeze, my arms raising slightly so I don’t touch Troy. He squeezes my skin, and my stomach sinks.
I don’t like this.
“Um,” I begin, but the hand on my thigh is gone, and the chair next to me falls backward, Troy dangling from Emris’s tight grip around his throat.
“If you ever lay even a finger on her again, I’ll kill you without any hesitation.”
Emris’s voice is cold, not like the kind I’ve heard already. No, this time it’s different. This time it’s stripped of all emotion, with no warmth left.
My whole body breaks out in goosebumps while everyone else has gone quiet, eyes on the scene unfolding in front of them.
“Fuck off, pretty boy. She can do whatever she wants,” he forces out, and when Emris finally releases Troy, he rubs his throat.
It doesn’t take long for him to recover and charge at Emris, though. Troy is nothing compared to Emris, and right now, Emris looks like he’s about to snap. Troy tries to swing at him, but Emris steps back, causing Troy to almost fall to the ground. Thankfully, Carson steps in.
“Alright, let’s cool it. I think it’s time to call it a night,” Carson declares, stepping between Emris and Troy, trying to break up the fight. Carson grips Troy’s shoulder, and he steps back, smiling as his eyes clash with mine.
“Have a good night, Brie. I’ll see you around.”
I don’t say anything as Troy, his brother, and Ash all walk toward the guest house at the back of the property. My eyes move back to Carson and Emris, and I see them talking in hushed tones before Carson steps back and walks over to where I am.
“Sorry about Troy, Brielle. Go easy on Emris,” he says, lightly gripping my arm before stalking off in the same direction the others went.
Emris downs the rest of his beer before plopping next to me, his eyes not once leaving the fire.