Page 72 of Save the Date

“Please tell me that’s not what it sounds like.”

“Then I will tell you nothing at all.”

Emma laughed again. She always laughed when she was with Will. Men spent so much time at the gym to impress women with their ripped abs, but nothing got Emma’s juices going more than a sick burn or clever callback. She’d fallen for many a loser solely due to their text banter.

“Should we do another one?” Emma asked. She knew it was reckless to get wasted with a guy she maybe still had feelings for when she was engaged to someone else, but Emma wasn’t going to let herself cross any line she couldn’t come back from—even if she felt herself inching closer and closer toward it.

“Absolutely,” Will replied as he reached for the bottle only to be distracted by the sound of an incoming message on his phone. He took it out of his pocket and a painfully familiar smile broke out on his face. It was the smile of someone who had a crush. “Sorry, one second.”

Emma watched as Will carefully typed out a response. She felt her chest tighten with jealousy.

“Who are you texting?” It was hard to self-censor after blue raspberry schnapps.

“You know that girl Anika wanted to set me up with?”

Emma nodded, not liking where this was going.

“We’ve hung out a few times. She’s a graphic designer and she keeps sending me these self-made memes about sound engineers—” Will stopped talking when he looked up and saw Emma’s face. Clearly it had betrayed her specific instructions toappear chill.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Emma squeaked. “I guess I didn’t realize you were dating someone.”

Will turned to face her on the couch, putting his phone down on the table. He had the makings of a smirk on his lips. “You’re the one who told me to go out with her.”

“I know. I just hadn’t realized it had already happened. Multiple times.” Emma reached for the bottle in an obvious attempt to change the subject. “Let’s do another one.”

Will quickly grabbed the bottle before she could get it. “Not so fast. I want you to admit that you’re jealous first.”

“Why? Are you a sadist?”

“Maybe. Or maybe it’s just nice that the tables have turned.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Emma said as she lunged for the bottle only for Will to deftly hold it above his head.

“You have to say it or no more schnapps.”

“Oh no, whatever will I do without the synthetic taste of a fake fruit,” Emma cried as she stood up from the couch. “I guess I’ll have to make do with all that nice wine in your kitchen.”

But before Emma could execute her plan, Will sprung up to block her path. They were now wedged in between the couch and the coffee table, and his face was only a few inches from hers. She could smell the mix of alcohol and sugar on his breath. Will took a step closer, and Emma took a step back. He then took another step closer, and Emma couldn’t seem to get her legs to work.

“Tell me why it bothers you that I’m seeing someone,” Will said barely louder than a whisper.

“I can’t,” Emma whispered back. “We shouldn’t talk about it.”

“I thought therapists say you should talk about everything.”

Emma slowly shook her head back and forth as he crept even closer. The combination of multiple drinks and the intoxicating smell of what she had come to identify as Will’s shaving cream gave the whole interaction a dreamlike quality. Emma wasn’t sure if she was really in Will’s apartment or if she was tucked away safely in bed. Because if it was somehow a dream, she could get away with anything. And she desperately wanted to misbehave.

“Emma,” Will said, reaching his arm out to tuck some of her unruly hair behind her ear.

Without thinking she grabbed his hand and held it to her face. His skin was warm and more familiar than it had any right being. He took her gesture as an invitation to close any remaining space between them. He used his hand to tilt her face up toward him.

“Tell me if you want me to stop and I’ll stop.”

Emma said nothing, which really said everything. She watched as Will let what remained of his guard down. They locked eyes and she could see how much he wanted her, which was both thrilling and terrifying. She felt the same unignorable need flowing through her body, but she also heard an alarm bell going off. If she kissed Will right now, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself. There was no level of mental gymnastics that would justify her cheating on Matt, not after everything he had been through.

So just as Will’s unfairly soft lips were about to hit hers, Emma pulled back. “Wait.”

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