Shattered Girl (Emmy)

Chapter 161

Once Drew and I returned from his birthday weekend, the rest of the summer seemed to fly by. Patrick, Drew, and Mike were sucked into work. Patrick hoped that by the new year, his business would be completely legitimate, and all three guys were working overtime to ensure that happened. While I knew this was a good thing, I still hated it. Worse, I hated the way we seemed to always pass each other on the way in or out. I would wait up for them some nights, but work seemed to make them later and later.

"Hey," Jake whispered, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me back against him. The twins' classes had started almost two weeks ago, and Josh was the only one who had a class on Friday. "Why are you awake so early?" Tipping my face up, I smiled as I looked into his eyes. Jake had been and always would be the most laid-back of my guys, and he was so easy to talk to.

"Do you have to get up soon?"

"No," he murmured. "What's up?"

I need to talk to you, but not as my boyfriend."

His eyebrows wiggled slightly while he stared at me, but I didn't turn away from his searching look. "You can always tell me anything," he said slowly." But I'm always going to be the guy who loves you, too. I will do my best to give you advice from a non-boyfriend perspective, though, I promise." Jake stroked the hair away from my face.

"Talk to me." A knock on the door froze my words, but not his. "Thanks, Darren. Leave it outside for us, and I will grab it."

"Of course. Mr. Jake. The others have all left already, so you will have the house to yourselves."

My face burned with embarrassment, and I hid against Jake's neck. I wanted to kiss him for not laughing. He sounded genuine when he replied, "Thanks, Darren. We'll be down in a little while for breakfast."

thump down the staircase that I threw myself off Jake and buried my face in the pillows.

what we are doing; that's why

I knew that. "It's just

door, not caring, and grabbed the full tray with the carafe of fresh coffee, creamer, and sugar. There were also some blueberry muffins, which smelled like

"Normal?"

"Embarrassing."

with his foot, set the tray on the bench at the end of the bed, and poured us both coffee. "It's only embarrassing

for you to say. It wasn't your naked ass up in the air when he came in with something for Patrick. I have never been so embarrassed in my life." To his credit, Darren never said anything about

sure it's my ass in the air

"You would,

how to wake you

poor balls. It had only taken one experience with a Brazilian to say, "Never again." Huffing out a sigh, I took a long sip from my coffee. It was

with each other every second of every day. But even when Patrick and I were

really changed

be expected," Jake said gently. It scared the hell out of us, Em. We didn't know what had happened, and when we got

"Gee, thanks," I grumbled.