"well, as entertaining as this has all been, brandon? could you give me a ride back to the shop? i seem to have been stranded in enemy territory," jadalee drawled, lithely getting to her feet and walking to the door.

"jadalee, if you wouldn't be such a bitch all the time, then maybe you wouldn't end up in enemy territory so much." brandon's voice cut sharply through the tense silence hanging heavy in the room.

my eyes widened and then narrowed dangerously at her as she turned to me and began speaking.

"just so you know, you're stupid if you let this come between you two. nothing happened in the shop, he pushed me away. and in the ten or so years that i've known him, he's never called any girl his girlfriend, nor said i love you to anyone but brandon. i'd get your head out of your ass if i were you, but keep this in mind. you fuck things up with him? i'll be standing right behind you waiting to pick up the pieces, enjoying every minute of him being back in my bed, in my body."

with that, she turned to leave again but my words stopped her causing her to whirl and step back, every one of them coated in ice and dripping with contempt and truth. "if you think for one second that you will ever get your slutty, whorish hands on him again, you are sadly mistaken." i stood, walking slowly toward her, satisfaction coursing through me when she took a nervous step back.

"i'm not controlling and selfish, so i won't say that there's no room in his life for you, because if you've been a friend to him for so long, then it's not my place to tell you to fuck off. that's his choice, and frankly, i'd be concerned right now if i were you. but what i will tell you is this: i'm drawing the line, here and now. you so much as drop an eyelash over it and you. will. regret. it. luke's mine." i smiled sweetly at her and raised my hand, wiggling my fingers at her and finishing with, "buh-bye, now! have a nice day!" before i turned my back on her and walked into the kitchen.

i heard brandon murmuring something to allie and then the soft click of the door as it closed behind them. i stood where i was, breathing deeply and trying to calm my shaking nerves. i jumped when allie grabbed me from behind, jumping up and down and shrieking in my ear.

"oh my god, emma! you are friggin' awesome! she's a bitch but you just out-bitched her! i mean, capital b-i-t-c-h and don't you forget it! i've never seen you like that before...well, okay, maybe once or twice when some idiot got on your nerves, but not like that! god, i love you...can i have your baby?"

i laughed and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her close for a second. "allie, i love you, too, and yes, you can have my baby. save me the pain, anyway. thank you, by the way."

she pulled back from me, asking, "for what?"

"for just being you and being my bestest friend in the whole wide world," i told her, grinning.

i had allie drop me back off to my car in the parking lot of her shop, promising that i would call her later, once i'd talked to luke. i pulled my phone out of my pocket and powered it on, ruefully noting that i had ten voice mails, twenty-seven missed calls, and two dozen or so text messages. most of them were from luke, but a couple were my sisters, my mom, my brother, and even brandon.

ignoring all the messages, i called brandon, who picked up immediately. wasting no time on pleasantries, i asked, "where is he?"

"home," was all he said before i hung up on him.

i headed home.

chapter 18

i pulled into the drive and parked, but didn't get out right away. leaning my forehead against the steering wheel, i braced myself before i blew out a breath and headed inside.

i opened the door and went in, looking for luke. i caught a glimpse of his dark hair out the kitchen window on the deck, so i quietly slipped out the door behind him. my heart clutched when i saw him, sitting there dejectedly with his head in his hands, elbows braced on his knees. i walked around the front of him, sinking to my knees and gently raising his face to mine.

"luke."

he closed his eyes and mine started to fill with tears at the raw pain etched across his face. "baby, i trust you and i believe that nothing happened with saw. i know i told you i needed time to think, but i know there's nothing to think about. i love you, luke. i'm sorry."

his eyes opened, revealing the intense, gorgeous smoky blue-grey depths that i'd fallen for, and he smiled briefly before asking, "saw?"

i nodded, unable to contain my smile when i said, "you know, skank-ass-whore. saw. that's my nickname for-"

"i get it, emma." he gave me another small smile before his face fell again and he reached up, skimming his thumb down my cheek. "i'm so sorry, sugar. i really was pushing her away. she just caught me off guard after i gave her a hug, and then she just reached up and planted a kiss on me...i was excited to see her. i hadn't seen her in about a year, and i wanted to tell her about you, but..."

"shhh, its okay, luke. like i said, i trust you. and, um...don't be mad, but i kinda told her that she'd regret it if she ever touched you again, and also kinda sorta hinted that you'd be mad at her and tell her to fuck off." i winced as soon as the words left my mouth, rushing to continue. "but i didn't mean that you can't be friends with her or whatever, i mean, you totally can be friends with whoever you want to be friends with, but i can't help it if she touches you again and i have to jump on her back and thump her forehead into the concrete about a half million times before she gets the message, but you know what i mean, right? i'm not-"

"emma?" luke said, his voice low and soft.

"hmm?" i asked, half afraid of what he was going to say.

"shut up."

"okay." that's what i said, but it's not what i did. "i'm not trying to take away your friendship with her, luke. she's been in your life a lot longer than i have. as long as she respects the boundaries, then everything should be fine. i...um...also told her you were mine."

i looked into his eyes, smiling tentatively at him while he blinked down at me.

"i am?" he asked, the beginnings of a smile playing around the edges of his lips.

i nodded slowly at him while he brought his hands up to cup my face. "emma, i think you're too good for me," he said roughly, continuing over my protest, "but i'm going to try to live up to you. i'm so sorry, baby. i think i went a little crazy when i heard you make that little choking sound and then you ran away from me...you wouldn't answer your phone, wouldn't talk to me, and all i kept thinking was that i'd fucked up one of the only good things i've ever had in my life. god, i'm so sorry..."

i brought my hands up to touch his face, pulling it close to mine and laying my lips softly on his. he groaned deep in his throat before crushing me to him, sweeping his tongue between my lips and devouring me like he was starving for my taste. he gathered me up in his arms, pulling me off my knees and into his lap without breaking the kiss, his hands roaming every inch of my back, thighs, and ass, setting me on fire just as much as letting me feel his reassurance that he was there with me, for me.

i pushed against his chest with my hands, breaking the kiss to catch my breath for a moment. he caught my eyes and i melted when he whispered, "i love you, emma." i leaned my forehead against his, completely in awe with the fact that he'd finally said it, that this was real.