Chapter 12
Working with Luke was insufferable, but Emmeline had no other option.
Most of the week had passed without any hitches, but she was still thinking of his little stunt with the file the next day: the way he’d locked an arm around her waist, pulling her close to him.
He’d had the audacity to ask for a kiss—the memory made her blood hot.
With anger, of course, and with something more.
Something that was getting more and more difficult to deny.
At least her plans for the coffee shop were coming along, though she wasn’t being nearly as efficient as she should have been.
She didn’t know what was wrong with her, but she suspected Luke’s presence wasn’t helping, and nor was the mischievous baby dragon she had to take care of.
Motu was a handful; in the evenings, she could sometimes leave him with Torch for a few hours and it was fine, but then when she got home, he wanted all of her attention.
He was in Torch’s paw now as they flew down to see Millie and the baby.
Emmeline wished she had more time to visit or even to stay over for a few days, but she already felt like she was being pulled in a hundred directions.
She had just dropped off a care package for Saphira with some mommy-to-be self-care items. She had been meaning to do that all week, ever since Saphira told them the news, but she just hadn’t had the time.
Now, as she flew down south to her sister’s, she had two hours in the sky, and the wind rushing against her face was a welcome feeling to quiet all else. Though she couldn’t quiet Luke’s words from the night before.
He was right in that she was very privileged. She’d never shied away from that; she didn’t know why she got so defensive when he said it in the bookshop’s office.
He was also right in that he didn’t copy her idea. She remembered now; they had both had the idea at the same time.
Emmeline had only made such a misstep because she had tried so hard to block out that time they had spent together, but she couldn’t block it out any longer.
That evening at Tales it had been evident on his face. Guilt knifed through her at the memory, but she shook her head.
“There’s no need to feel bad,” she muttered to herself. “Not after his little stunt with the file.”
When he’d asked for a kiss, a part of her had been thrilled at the thought of giving in—but she knew she’d be able to distract him and get the file. Her triumph had been short-lived. He had hardly looked bothered—he’d smirked at her.
At least she’d got the file, but she soon found it wasn’t even that useful. He had been putting on a show to make her want it, to purposefully vex her, and it had worked. He was driving her insane. She didn’t understand his games, his emotions, or what he was playing at.
Emmeline let out a groan, and Torch turned her head back, slowing her flight speed.
“It’s fine, girl,” Emmeline said, stroking her scales. Torch faced forward again, but Emmeline continued to stew.
Luke was making her lose focus. The realization made her pause. What if that was what he wanted? To get in her head so she would lose Anh’s investment?
Irritation flashed through her. That wasn’t going to happen. Emmeline clutched the handlebars tighter. She would beat him. And then she’d never have to see him again. She could go back to pretending he didn’t exist.
Though she had a sinking feeling that it would be easier said than done after these six weeks in each other’s company . . .
Thankfully, Emmeline shortly arrived at Millie’s, and she didn’t have to think about Luke or the bookshop or work or anything.
“I’m here!” Emmeline called, entering through the front door. Noah and Ira ran to attack her with cuddles, and she hugged them tight.
“Motu!” Noah cried with glee. Emmeline was promptly forgotten in favor of the baby dragon. Motu’s eyes widened as the four- and two-year-olds reached for him. With a hiss, he flapped up, latching onto Emmeline’s shoulders.
“Tch, Motu, don’t be a baby,” she said, plucking him out of the air and setting him down on the floor. “These are your friends!” She turned to her nephew and niece, then. “Be nice, okay.”
Closing the door, Emmeline went in, first going into the kitchen, where Samreen was washing the dishes.
“Hi, Ammi,” Emmeline said, giving her mother a kiss on the cheek. Her mother was neatly dressed in trousers and a gray sweater, her dark hair in a fuss-free twist.
“Hello,” Samreen replied. “How was the flight?”
“Not bad,” Emmeline replied, walking past her to head into the living room, where Millie was sitting on the couch next to her husband.
Millie’s dark hair was pulled up in a high knot, and she was wearing one of her husband’s T-shirts.
They were both watching baby Eve, who was asleep in a bundle of blankets in Millie’s arms.
“Hey,” Emmeline said, leaning forward to kiss her sister’s cheek, then bop Eve’s nose. At the contact, Eve twitched a little, and Millie hushed her.
“Hey,” Millie said, giving Emmeline a tired smile.
“How are you guys holding up?” Emmeline asked. Millie opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, Motu flew into the room, chased by Noah and Ira, who were laughing with glee.
“Guys, shhh,” Liam said gently. “Eve’s asleep.”
Noah made a face. “She’s always asleep. She’s so boring.”
Emmeline snorted, turning to her nephew, who was pouting. “When you were a teeny tiny baby, all you used to do was sleep, too, you know,” Emmeline said.
“No way.” Noah shook his head.
“Yes, way,” she replied.
“Noah, catch him!” Ira ordered, jumping up to reach for Motu.
The baby dragon looked thoroughly harassed by the two toddlers. He landed on top of the couch, then hid behind his wings.
Ira tried climbing over her father to reach him, and Millie quickly pulled Eve out of the way before the baby got kicked in the head.
“Millie, are you still holding that baby?” Samreen asked from the kitchen. “I told you not to spoil her with too much lap-time.”
Millie turned to Emmeline and made a face of distress. “Save me,” she mouthed.
Emmeline stood. “Hey, Millie, can you show me that thing in your room?”
Millie stood as well. “Ohmygosh, yes, thanks for reminding me,” she said.
“What thing?” Samreen asked from the kitchen.
“Oh, just something!” Emmeline replied breezily, as Millie deposited Eve into Liam’s arms. “We’ll be back in a second!”
“Liam, hold the fort,” Millie whispered, voice an order. Liam’s eyes widened, but he nodded.
“You got it, babe,” he whispered back, shielding the baby as the toddlers and Motu wreaked havoc. Taking the opportunity, Emmeline and Millie ran upstairs, making a beeline for her bedroom.
Two seconds later, they heard Ira ask, “Hey, where’s Mama?”
Millie gasped.
“The closet!” Emmeline said. Without turning on the lights, they rushed into Millie’s walk-in closet, shutting the door. They sat down against the door, barring it from opening if the kids did follow.
Emmeline turned on her phone’s flashlight, setting it on the floor, while Millie crawled forward and fished out a bag from one of the drawers.
“Contraband,” Millie said, showing her the bag of chocolate-covered espresso beans.
Emmeline laughed. “Ohmygod, yes.” The chocolate made the espresso bearable for Millie, and they used to eat these all the time in university while studying.
Millie sat back down beside Emmeline, and they both popped the beans into their mouths, relishing the sweet chocolate and bitter espresso. “You know I actually never get these,” Emmeline said. “It feels like such a uni thing.”
“I keep this bag for special occasions,” Millie said, taking out another. “Uni feels like forever ago.”
Emmeline blew out her cheeks. “When life’s biggest challenge was a discussion post.”
“Things get so complicated the older you get,” Millie agreed, offering Emmeline another bean. Their shoulders were pressed together, and just the contact made Emmeline reset. Seeing her sister always grounded her, and all the tension from the week slipped away in the quiet of the dark closet.
“Those were such golden days, and we didn’t even realize it,” Emmeline said. She was reminiscing on the time her and her sister lived together, went to school together, did everything together.
Millie turned to Emmeline. “I love Ammi, but I’m struggling a little with how intense she can be,” she said. “I mean, I appreciate all the help because managing the kids and a newborn would be too much, but like . . .” She widened her eyes.
Emmeline snorted. “Don’t worry, she’s driving me up the wall, too,” she told her sister. “She calls me every other day to ask after Motu and the boys and Dad.”
“Good lord,” Millie said, shaking her head. “She asks too much of you.”
Emmeline knew it was true, and she was tired of it. Why must I take care of everything, and everyone? You do in fact have other children! They were words she imagined saying to her mother often, but they never came out.
“It’s okay,” Emmeline said, instead. “How’s Eve been?”
At that, Millie smiled. “Adorable, though Noah’s kind of right: all she does is sleep, so she is kind of boring.”
Both sisters laughed.
“You’re just used to toddler chaos,” Emmeline said. “And anyway, be grateful she’s not up half the night crying like Ira used to be.”
“God, you’re right.” Millie shuddered at the memories. “Now tell me how things are going with the bookshop. Have you run into Luke again?”
“Have I?” Emmeline started, blood quickening in her veins at the mention of Luke.
Emmeline told Millie all the infuriating details of the past ten days, expecting her sister to be angry on her behalf but surprised to find Millie squealing and then, worse, giggling.
“Stop giggling!” Emmeline ordered.
Millie only cackled. “Why? This is perfect. He’s your match.”
Emmeline pouted. “I hate him,” she said.
Millie frowned. “Why?”
Emmeline gave her a look, but still her sister didn’t understand. “He broke your heart,” Emmeline finally said. “You cried for a week!”
Millie’s jaw dropped open. “Are you okay?” she asked, slapping Emmeline’s arm.
“Ow!”
“You hate him because of me?” Millie confirmed. “I’m literally married! We are hiding from my three children as we speak! I don’t even remember what happened between us.”
Emmeline scoffed. “Well, I remember,” she said, crossing her arms.
“Don’t,” Millie replied. “You’ve got enough going on without holding onto a grudge for something I literally couldn’t care less about. Let it go.”
Millie was always too forgiving, but Emmeline was her older sister. It was her job to be protective, though deep down, a part of her knew that it wasn’t only that.
That perhaps the real reason she kept Luke an arm’s distance away was because she was afraid of what she might feel if she let him get close to her.
And that thought unsettled her.