Page 8 of Worth the Risk

“Oh it’s okay, you’ve already done so much.”

Ruffling through my drawers I find a pair of older sweatpants and one of my hoodies from the past season on the baseball team. “I insist.”

“Really, I’m fine.”

“Emilia please don’t fight me on this, okay?” There’s a strong urge in me to protect this girl. Granted, I would never knowingly let another man take advantage of any girl, but something about her pulls me in.

“Okay.” She takes them from me with a shy smile, stepping around me back to where she came from. She emerges from the bathroom two minutes later, she looks adorable in my clothes. They swallow her short frame. “I had to roll these sweatpants at the waist a few times.” She laughs, it’s a sweet sound to hear after the unfortunate events of the evening. I think I would do anything to hear that sound again. “But this is much more comfy and I already feel better. So thank you.” She smiles at me, a real smile that takes my breath away.

“You’re welcome. Now let’s get both of us some ice.” I force myself to stop staring at her and gently take her uninjured hand in mine. Leading the way down the stairs.

“I don’t know where she is!” I hear a girl screaming from somewhere downstairs. “She isn’t answering her texts. The last text she sent me she said she was trying to avoid a creep and now she isn’t answering!”

“Wait a creep?” I hear Ryan interject. “We threw someone out just before we told everyone to leave, some guy was trying to take advantage of a girl. I think that girl’s with Liam. We reach the bottom of the steps and round the corner into the kitchen where they're all standing, Rosie’s back to us but Garrett and Ryan are facing us.

“Em…” Garrett starts but is interrupted.

“Yes of course I’m looking for Emilia, who else would I be looking for?” Rosie shouts.

“Rosie…” Emilia’s voice, still soft but less shaky has the girl turning around so fast she could give herself whiplash.

Chapter 5

Emilia

I’ve barely said Rosie’s name before she whips around, the end of her long hair that she’s pulled back into a ponytail hitting Ryan in the face.

“Emi!” She runs over to me, practically shoving Liam out of the way. “Oh my gosh, Em.” Ro engulfs me in a hug. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see your text and then when I did you weren’t answering your phone. I was so worried about you.”

“I’m okay.” I say just as Liam comes back over to us, holding a frozen bag of peas up to me which I gratefully take and place on my wrist.

Rosie gasps, “your wrist! Oh my gosh who did this to you? I swear to god I’m going to find him. He’s going to regret ever even looking at you. You know what? He’s actually never going to look at any girl ever again because I’m going to…” I break out into a fit of laughter. Man that feels good after the events of the last thirty minutes. “What? I’m serious.” I point over to the two guys leaning against the kitchen counters, wide eyes and jaws dropped. Garrett is smirking because he’s seen this side of her before.

“She’s a bit protective.” My voice finally feels like my own.

“Only for those I love. I’m so stupid, I never should have left you alone.”

“It’s okay, I’m fine. Liam helped me out.” I smile at him across the room, he’s got a frozen bag of corn on his knuckles. Gosh, I knew he was physically attractive, but now that everything from the evening has sunk in and I realize he’s also a good person, wow. I’m sure he’d be that way for anyone though, he’s just a good guy.

“Thank you Liam.” Rosie smiles at him for a second before turning her attention back to me. “We should go, Garrett, can you call an Uber?”

“Wait, let me drive you back.” Liam chimes in and walks over to me taking the frozen peas off my wrist and examining it.

“You don’t need an Uber, I only had one beer hours ago, so I’m fine to drive.”

“Liam, are you sure? You’ve done so much for me already.”

“Yes, I’m sure Emilia.”

“Perfect!” Rosie hugs my waist. “Ubers are kinda sketchy late at night anyways.”

We all pile into Liam’s Jeep Wrangler, well all of us except Ryan who stays behind. I’m sitting in the front seat, Rosie’s directly behind me and Garrett is in the back behind Liam. When I look back, Rosie is passed out, that girl has an absolute gift and is able to sleep anywhere. Ten minutes later we arrive at our apartment complex.

“I got her." Garrett says and walks around to the back passenger side scooping Rosie into his arms. “Ready Emi?”

“Just give me a minute and I’ll be in.”

“Need me to wait?”

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