Page 10 of Saving His Heart
“Not until you agree to take the clothes and return the pans. I can buy my own damn pans, Lex.”
“I will not. I can buy my own clothes, too, you jerk. Let me go,” Lexi screams.
“Oh my God,” Dex sighs. “Will you two stop fighting? It’s like you need a buffer, and you’re grown-ass adults.”
In between our fighting, we hear, “What the hell is going on?”
Our heads whip to the entryway. Standing there with hands on her hips is Emory, and it hits me like a strike of lightning.I need her to be my buffer.
Finally, remembering that I have Lexi bent over in a headlock with my fist on her hair, I let her go. I quickly step back with my hands in the air like a child caught raiding the cookie jar.Please, please, let her know me well enough to agree to this.
I would say we have become friends over the last year, but this is definitely crossing a line. Praying she has some sort of ESP, I take a step forward and put on my game face.
“Well, this is one way to make introductions, I guess. Here we go, Ems, this is … well, this is everyone. Everyone, this is Emory,” I swallow thickly, “my girlfriend.”
Everyone in the room speaks at once, and Emory looks faint. I just stare at her as I make my way across the room. Embracing her in a stiff-armed hug, I whisper, “Please, please, just go along with me. I’ll double your pay.”
“This is going to cost you more than that, Preston,” she hisses before pulling away and plastering on a smile. “Hi, everyone?”
Dex speaks first, “Your girlfriend? What do you mean? How long has this been going on, and why didn’t any of us know?” He sounds hurt. This poor guy just can’t catch a break.
Trying to stick as close to our truth as possible, I tell them, “About a year.”
“Why didn’t you say anything? Or bring her to meet us?” Trevor asks.
Finally, the craziness of the last year does some good. “Well, things have been a little … intense. I didn’t want to throw anything else at y’all with everything going on.”
“Emory is who you were talking about every time you said you had a date?” Lanie asks quietly. “So, you’re not really a man whore?”
I can’t help but laugh. I’m not even sure Lanie realizes she just swore. It’s a rarity when she does, and usually, I love it when it happens, but I’m wound tighter than a three-day clock.
Placing an arm around Emory, I feel her tense, and I know I need to move this along. “We had just discussed moving in together when Julia went missing,” I tell the room and feel Emory clench my side, painfully. Trying not to wince, I rub my hand up and down her back in an attempt to calm her and pray she doesn’t blow my cover.
“I didn’t want to say anything before because Lexi looked so tired, and we are all stressed about Loki, but I was the one who sublet Loki’s apartment. I wanted it to be ready for him whenever he returned.” Before I continue, I do something I haven’t done since I was twelve, I cross my fingers behind Emory’s back. “Ems had already given up her place, so she moved into Loki’s apartment while everything settled. I think once we talk to Seth, it will be okay for Lexi to move down there now, though.”
“Thank God!” Lexi exclaims, attempting to tame the rat’s nest I made of her hair. “I mean, listen, I appreciate everything you were doing for me, but I think Lanie might be on to something, and we can never be friends if we’re living together.”
“Agreed,” I blurt. “Okay, now that that’s settled, I’m not kicking anyone out, but I promised I would help Emory pack tonight.”
“All the goddamn secrets,” Dex says, stopping me in my tracks. Emory and I both tense, knowing we are holding onto a big one. “Let me make this clear to everyone in this room, and Loki will get the message loud and clear if I ever get my hands on him, but the secrets in our family are over. I don’t know how we got to this point. I don’t know if it happened over time, or all the shit hit the fan at the same time, but we are a family. Emory? Lexi? That means you guys, too. No more secrets. Please.” He stands but looks defeated, and I feel as guilty as I ever have.
Everyone nods in agreement as Emory and I bite our tongues.
Chapter 4
Emory
After a quick round of introductions, Preston takes me by the hand and leads me out of his apartment. I’m so gobsmacked, I can’t speak. A year ago, I never would have imagined I’d have any chance of doing anything with medicine again, then in walked Preston.
I don’t know how he convinced Dr. Terry, who is the most by the book doctor I know, to do this. If I had to guess, though, I’d say the Westbrook Wings that keep popping up all over the hospital have something to do with it.
Preston hired me to take care of him.What the hell is he thinking, introducing me as his girlfriend? His freaking live-in girlfriend?My feet are tapping in time to my racing heart, but I’m also pissed. This is precisely what got my medical license taken away. If Dr. Terry finds out about Preston’s little prank, I’ll never have a chance of being reinstated.
As if sensing my inner turmoil, Preston says, “Don’t worry. I’ll explain everything to Dr. Terry. I’m sure you’re worried about this breaking some code of ethics or something, right?”
He hit the nail on the head, but he has no idea how hard he hit, and it kills me. Tears fill my eyes, and I can’t even tell him why. He never needs to know what I allowed Donny to do, or how it ruined my sisters and me.
“Hey, hey,” Preston coos. “Don’t cry, I’ll explain everything. Come on.”
