E I G H T Y - N I N E


    EMERSON.


    "Paige?" Eva repeats and I nod my head to the redhead who stands in front of our apartment, with her


    head turned to us now at the sound of the car.


    "She''s here. " Eva says and I hum, unfastening my seatbelt. "I''m just as surprised as you are. I didn''t


    expect to see her anytime soon. " Eva doesn''t respond as we both get out of the car, and walk to her.


    "Hey, you both. I was just about to leave. " Paige says as we stop in front of her, and I slide my hand


    around Eva. She''s looking more held up than thest time I saw her, with a smileplementing her


    features.


    "Eva. " She calls.


    "Paige. " Eva responds, letting my hands fall from her as they both hug, patting each other''s back for a


    while before they pull away.


    "You look... Well, you look like you, blondie. " Paige remarks and Eva says, "I can say the same thing


    about you, redhead. " And they bothugh. A smile stretches to my face as I watch them converse


    without wanting to throw hands at each other.


    "Is everything alright now?" Eva questions in a softer tone and Paige bobs her head, "Definitely better


    thanst time. I think you can tell by my face. "


    "Too bad. " My girl clicks her tongue teasingly and Paige res at her yfully, causing them tough


    again before they drop their hands, and Paige turns her head to me.


    "Hey. " She lowers her voice as she stands in front of me. "You don''t look like you''ve missed me, " she


    narrows her eyes and I say, "Are you back to school?"


    "More or less. " She responds. "Why? Don''t you want me back here?"


    "What? Of course not. It''s good to have you back. " I assure her and she smiles before she looks back


    at Eva. "Do you mind if I give your boyfriend a hug?"


    I meet Eva''s eyes as she nods in approval and I don''t take my eyes away from her as Paige steps


    closer, engulfing me in a hug.


    "You look good. It''s nice to see that. " Paige murmurs in my ear and I give her back a small caress


    before she steps back.


    "Jaxon is waiting for us. Do you think you cane with?" She asks and I say, "You called Jaxon


    before you came here?"


    "Yes, he made ns. We''re to meet at a restaurant. I thought it''d be nice to catch up on things. " She


    exins and I hum, shifting my gaze to Eva, "I''m not sure if I can. I don''t want to leave Eva alone. "


    "I''m not a kid, Emerson. I can take care of myself if you''re leaving to spend time with your friends. " Eva


    speaks and I turn my body to her as I grab her hands. "I know that, but I don''t want to leave you, baby.


    "


    "I''ll be fine, and you''ll be back soon. " She says.


    "Still, I don''t want to—" Paige interrupts my words when she says, "I''ll leave you two to make a


    decision. " She chortles and I watch her step away before I gaze back at Eva.


    I cup her face with both hands. "Come with me. "


    She raises her hands to cover mine. "I honestly don''t mind if you leave with her. I have to catch up with


    school work anyway. "


    "I know, " I smile, stroking her cheek and she fondles my hand in return. "But I want you toe with


    me. Yes?"


    "Emerson—" she starts but I don''t let her finish. "I''ll work with you when we get back. "


    She seems to think about it for a while and she looks over my shoulder to where Paige stands before


    she meets my eyes and blinks once.


    "Is that a yes?" I beam and she chuckles. "You always find a way to make me say it. "


    "It''s adorable. " I whisper and she removes my hands from my cheeks as we both turn to Paige, whose


    eyes are on us.


    "I take it as you found an agreement?" She lifts her brows and I take Eva''s hand in mine as I lead her


    to the car.


    "We just need to get the bags in and we''ll be out. " I tell her as I take the bags from the backseat and


    she nods, "As long as you don''t get distracted with something else. "


    "That isn''t assured, but I''ll try to get him to keep his hands to himself. " Eva jokes, nudging me with her


    shoulder before she grabs the rest of the bags.


    We stride into the house, and into her room. As we drop the bags in the room, Eva makes a turn and


    I''m quick to wrap my arms around her, hugging her from behind.


    "Are you sure you''re okay with it?" I whisper into her ear and she caresses my arm before she twists in


    my hold, turning to face me, "I am, Em. Why''d you think I''m not?"


    "After what happenedst time. I don''t expect you to be—" she presses her lips to mine, silencing the


    rest of my words as her hands slide down my chest and when she breaks away, she says, "That was


    before. I believe she''s changed, and wouldn''t try something like that again. Besides, I trust you. "


    "Hmm, can you do that again?" I brush my lips against hers and sheughs as she moves out of my


    arms. "Don''t think about it, Emerson. We don''t want to keep her waiting now, do we?"


    "I honestly don''t mind. " I raise my shoulder and she shakes her head, gripping my hand as she leads


    me out of the room.


    "That''s two times now, Carson. " I tell her and she presses a finger to her lips as we walk out of the


    house, and back to the car.


    She takes her previous seat and Paige takes the backseat before I get into mine and drive out of the


    spot again.


    The drive is spent in silence with only the sounding from the radio interrupting the air along with


    Eva''s voice as she sings lowly along while rocking our entwined hands back and forth between her


    thighs.


    "I''m suddenly hungry. " Paige mutters from her seat when we arrive in front of the restaurant. She''s the


    first to climb out, followed by me and Eva, with me keeping her by my side.


    I drop my hand to the low of her back as Paige leads the way inside the restaurant and Eva throws me


    a smile over her shoulder as we walk through the door.


    Jaxon holds out his hand from the booth he is and we stalk towards him. He punches my arm as I take


    the seat in front of him, and I do the same.


    I slide a hand around Eva''s waist and bring her to myp, pressing my chest to her back to bury my


    face in her hair, sniffing her hair.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "Hey, Eva. It''s been a long time since we met. " Jaxon is the first to speak as Paige takes the seat next


    to him and Iugh as she swats her arm, "Aren''t those words meant for me?"


    "You don''t deserve them because you don''t consider me a friend, I believe?"


    "Why would you say that?" She whines and he frowns, "Honestly Paige? You left without notifying me?


    "


    "You''re friends with Emerson. " I raise both hands in oblivion as both heads turn to me before they look


    back at each other, "I didn''t think it was needed for me to let you know if Emerson does. "


    "That doesn''t make me any less mad. "


    "But I did call you first. " She argues and he says, "You only called because you wanted to ask about


    Emerson. "


    "I didn''t realize—" their voices fade into the distance as I focus on the woman on myp and she jerks


    in my hold when I pinch her sides. I drop my head to her shoulder and inhale her scent, keeping my


    hands firm on her waist.


    "Emerson. " She giggles as she turns her head to me, and I smile, "You smell so delicious. "


    "You''re being clingy again. " She says and I remove my head from her shoulder, angling it to her face,


    "I thought you love it when I am?"


    "We''re in public. " She states the obvious and I take a nce around us before I look back at her,


    "And? Who''s going toe to me andin about ying with my girlfriend?"


    "You''re blushing. " I tease her when she tears her gaze away from me. Lifting one hand to pinch her


    cheeks, I say, "You always blush when I call you that. "


    "I love the sound of it. Onlying from you. " She whispers and I lower my head to her ear, "My


    girlfriend. "


    When I pull back, she''s smiling at me and I close my hands around her, "My Eva. "


    "Stop. " She swats my chest before she turns her head again, and Iugh; pressing my nose into her


    hair for the second time before I look back to the people in front of me, and they''re staring at me with


    weird faces.


    "What?" I say and Jaxon responds with, "It''s as if we don''t exist at all? Are you trying to rub it in my


    face, you fucker?"


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about. " I shrug and he mouths something under his breath, shoving


    me his middle finger and causing me tough.


    "Where do you think you''re going?" I pull Eva back when she attempts to move out of myp and she


    says, "I need to use the restroom real quick. I''ll be back. "


    "Don''t keep me waiting. " I tell her and she says, "You have Jaxon and Paige with you. "


    "You''re the one I want. " I answer and she shakes her head, "You''re awesomely cheerful today. "


    "I know. I''m happy. " I wink and she ps my thigh before she moves out of my hold.


    "Hold this. " She passes me her phone, and just before she walks away from my sight, she presses her


    lips to my cheek, mumbling that she''ll be back soon and then she leaves.


    "He''s intoxicated, isn''t he? I know. That''s what I''ve had to live with for months. " I remove my gaze from


    Eva''s disappearing frame at the sound of Jaxon''s voice to say, "Seal that mouth. "


    "I see it though. " Paige says and I avert my gaze to her. She smiles, "You literally glow when she''s


    near. It''s weird to see you act like that, but I''ll take it. "


    "What a fool love has made him into, don''t you agree?" Jaxon chuckles and I throw the key in front of


    me at him. He manages to catch it and wave it in the air with a sense of aplishment. "Are you


    trying to flirt with me now that your girl is out of sight?"


    "I can think of many different ways to make you shut your mouth, and something just tells me each way


    will be equally effective. "


    "I''m touched, Emery. Such an aggressive love for your tight buddy. " He holds a hand over his chest


    and I sigh, shaking my head as I look back at Paige and she''s staring at me with a smile on her face.


    I drop my hands on the table before me and push my head closer. "So do you want to tell me why


    you''re back?"


    She drops her hands too. "Well, I received some messages that say a close friend of mine might be


    having a hard time, and me being the caring friend I am, thought I''d reach out to him. But turns out, it''s


    the actual opposite. He seems to be having the best time of his life. "


    I nce at Jaxon and he raises his head in cluelessness. Then I look back at Paige. Sheughs and


    continues, "Sage told me you were having some issues so I thought I''d check-up. "


    "You''re still in contact with Sage?" I ask and she nods. "Of course, I am. She''s my friend. I''d be with


    you too, but I know otherwise. "


    "I''d have responded if you did. " I tell her and she straightens her shoulders, dropping her gaze to her


    hand as she fiddles with her fingers, "I didn''t think so. I thought you might want your distance after what


    I did to make you hate me. "


    "I wouldn''t be here if I hate you. " I mutter and she lifts her head. "I don''t hate you, Paige. And I''ve


    forgotten about what you did. You should too; it''s what''s best. "


    "I feel like an outsider in this conversation. " Jaxon peeks in and we bothugh. He frowns, "Seriously,


    is there something I don''t know about?"


    "You didn''t tell him?" Paige raises her brows at me.


    "Tell me what?" Jaxonments and I sink back in my seat. "Nothing. Just a little misunderstanding


    we had. "


    "Protecting me still, Emery?" She smiles and I say, "I wouldn''t exactly call it that. "


    "I''m about to lose it here. " Jaxon groans and Paigeughs. When the sound dies down, and silence


    takes over again; I direct my gaze at her, "Did everything work out?"


    She hums. "There''s a lot to talk to you about. "


    "You can tell me here. " I say and she discreetly nces at her side.


    "Bitch, I saw that. " Jaxonins, and Iugh as they both fall into another argument.


    I fold my arms to my chest and lean back in my seat as I watch them while I wait for Eva''s arrival.


    "Why isn''t sheing back?" I mumble to myself when there''s no sight of Eva after a while.


    "Are you okay? You''ve been shifting that leg for a while. " Jaxon speaks from his seat and I grumble,


    "I''m waiting for her. "


    "Dude, keep it down. It''s only been a few minutes since she left. " Heughs and I jerk my head, unable


    to hold it any longer as I move from my seat.


    Paige''s head raises to me. "Where are you going?"


    "I need to go check up on her to make sure everything is alright. " I tell her, attempting to walk away;


    only for her to grab my wrist. I look down at her and she says, "I have to—"


    "I''ll be back, Paige. " I interrupt her, removing her grip from my wrist before I take the same direction


    Eva took earlier. I take my phone out to text her, only to realize I''m holding hers and I groan in


    frustration.


    A scream resounds around me when I draw closer to where the restroom is and my heart jumps in my


    chest as I fasten my steps.


    "Eva!"