Unbroken (The Disclosure Series Book 2) Page 2

  Jeremy tilted the computer toward her. “See for yourself.”

  “B plus, A minus, B, B minus…” She read the grades aloud, her eyes widening with each letter. “Jer, you did great!”

  He smiled down at her. “I know, I can’t believe it.”

  “I can.” She beamed up at her friend.

  “Yeah, yeah.” He brushed off the compliment. “Time to check yours.” He logged out and put the computer on Embry’s lap.

  Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, she began chewing furiously. Did she want to know? Could she handle it? What if she’d done horribly? Shaking her head, she handed the computer back to Jeremy and started pacing. “No. Yes. I mean I do… but, no.”

  Jeremy was smirking at her.

  “What?” she asked frantically.

  “Nothing,” he chuckled.

  “Shut up.”

  Jeremy’s hands shot up in the air. “I didn’t say anything!”

  “But you were thinking it,” she accused, jabbing her finger in his direction.

  His expression was suddenly serious, the playfulness gone. “You have no idea what I was thinking, Embry. I guarantee it.”

  She sighed inwardly. Nothing good would come from continuing that line of conversation, so Embry went back to the grades. “Fine. Can you look for me?”

  Jeremy’s eyebrows shot up. “You want me to check your grades for you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “I can’t look.”

  “Serious?”

  Her eyes popped open again and she glared at him.

  “Okay, okay,” he relented with a sigh. “Give me your info.”

  She recited her username and password, then proceeded to wear a path across the living room floor as he logged into her account.

  “Ready?” he asked, softly.

  “Yes.” She gulped anxiously.

  “Okay, Crim law—”

  “Wait! No,” she interrupted.

  “No turning back now, B. I’ve got your grades in front of me.”

  She stopped pacing and stared at Jeremy. “Okay, fine. I’m ready.”

  He read the grades off one by one, carefully watching her. “Crim, B plus.”

  She let out a relieved sigh.

  “Legal Writing, A minus.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “Torts, B plus.”

  A small smile grew across her face.

  “Contracts…”

  Jeremy’s pause frightened her. Could Luke have messed with her grade? Would he do that? Was it even possible? Had she been so caught up in him that she bombed the final?

  “A,” he said simply, breaking through her thoughts.

  “What?” she asked, distractedly.

  “A.”

  “A?” A slow smile spread across her face.

  Jeremy nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

  When it finally sank in, Embry’s hands flew into the air as she whooped and jumped up and down. “Holy shit! We did it!”

  “We sure did.” His lips curved into a wide grin as he stood from the couch.

  Embry jumped into his arms, wrapping herself around him and squeezing him tight. “We did it, study buddy!”

  A soft laugh vibrated in his chest as he held her.

  Pulling back, she grabbed his face, beaming. “Oh! I’m so happy, I could kiss you!”

  Jeremy froze. His expression fell, pain and longing replacing excitement. And just like that, the moment was shattered. He loosened his arms, letting her slide down his body until her feet hit the floor. Then he backed away quickly and sat on the couch, busying himself with his laptop.

  “Jeremy,” she said carefully, lowering herself next to him. His eyes met hers, and the hurt she saw caused guilt to sweep through her once more. “I should go.” She wasn’t sure what she was going to do, or where she’d go, but she couldn’t continue to hide out here, ignoring her problems and creating even bigger ones.

  He set the computer down and turned to face her. “You probably should,” he agreed with a sad smile. Reaching for her, he pulled her into his chest and placed a kiss on her head.

  She sat back and found his big brown eyes trained on her. “Thank you, Jer. For everything. You saved me this week.”

  “Anytime, Blondie,” he said sincerely. “You know that.”

  She nodded. “I really do.”

  He smiled. “Charlie will take you home. I’m not heading back until tomorrow night, so I’ll see you in class on Monday.”

  Embry shook her head in disbelief. “Wow, that break went quick. Time flies…”

  “When you’re in a drunken haze?” he joked.

  Embry slapped his arm, chuckling. “Something like that.”

  He smiled. “I’ll see you in two days.”

  “Okay.” She leaned in, planting a kiss on his cheek. “See ya.”

  Embry stared unseeing out the window as the town car took her home, Luke still on her mind. She hadn’t spoken to him since she’d left him standing in her parking lot over a week ago. The pained look on his face was burned into her memory. He’d called, texted, left messages, but she hadn’t responded. She wasn’t ready.

  She’d spent New Year’s Eve crying in Jeremy’s arms, and every night since had been a haze of alcohol and partying. Jeremy had tried to convince her to stay in, calm down, even call Luke and try to work things out, but she hadn’t wanted to think, to feel. So she’d dragged him along while she self-destructed.

  It hadn’t helped. She was still angry with Luke, still hurting. She had no idea where things stood between them, but for the first time in her life she was tired of running. It was time to hear him out, give him a chance to explain. She’d had her time away and all it had caused her was extra heartache.

  Fishing her phone from her purse, she scrolled through his texts, then pulled up her voicemail and pressed the phone to her ear, listening to his deep, southern rasp.

  Her stomach fell when she heard his pleading voice. “Baby, it’s me. I know you need your space, but please call me, text me, something. I need to hear from you. I need to know you’re okay. I love you.”

  Her eyes clouded with tears, but she shook them away. She was tempted to type out a quick text letting him know she was coming home, but she couldn’t find the words. There was too much she wanted to say. She couldn’t do it over the phone, and she wasn’t ready to see him yet. If she heard his voice—or worse, saw his face—she’d fall right back into his arms and forget all that had happened. She couldn’t do that, not this time, but she would hear him out. Eventually.

  The town car pulled into her complex a while later. Embry thanked Charlie, grabbed her duffle and headed up the stairs. She walked through the front door and nearly tripped when her foot connected with a cardboard box. Glancing around her apartment, emptiness seized her chest. In her drunken, emotional haze, she had completely forgotten—or more likely blocked out—the fact that she’d been planning to move into Luke’s. Almost everything was packed away in boxes, ready to go to his house. Thankfully, she hadn’t yet told Morgan’s parents that she was leaving.

  She let out a deep breath. What now?

  Toeing a box out of the way, she dropped her duffle on the floor and headed for the bedroom. Clothes were strewn across her bed, shoes all over the place. What a mess. Stripping off her clothes and leaving them in a pile at her feet, she made her way to the bathroom. She turned on the shower and examined herself in the mirror as she waited for the water to heat. Her cheeks were gaunt and her eyes hollow. The dark circles beneath didn’t help either. Late nights combined with a diet of not much more than caffeine and alcohol would do that to a person. Stepping into the shower, she stood beneath the stream of steaming hot water. It felt good to be home, despite the mess waiting for her. Leaning her head back into the spray, she ran her fingers through her hair, letting the warm water work her over and loosen her tense muscles.

  Embry’s eyes landed on shelf
in the corner of her shower, noticing a bottle of Luke’s body wash. He’d started leaving a few things at her place for the nights he stayed over. Knowing it would be painful, she reached for it anyway, popping open the top and inhaling the familiar scent. Just as predicted, her stomach twisted and filled with longing.

  Part of her wanted so badly to forget everything, but she wasn’t sure she could. So much had happened between them, and once again she’d run instead of hearing him out. But did that really matter? He’d lied. Again. After all they’d been through. After all she’d shared with him about her past, about Jack. She couldn’t believe he’d kept something so big from her.

  She didn’t know much of Luke’s romantic history. Though it was obvious there were women, he’d never mentioned anything serious. It was easy give in to her anger and believe that he simply got off on sleeping with his students. But deep down, there was a reassuring voice telling her that she was different, that he truly loved her. She wanted to believe it, but her insecurities reared their ugly head and the hurt pulled her under once more.

  Embry stepped from the shower, dried off and wrapped herself in a robe. Luke ruled her thoughts as she searched the pile of clothes on her bed for something to wear to bed. She loved him, there was no question, but over the past few months she’d lost sight of herself. Their relationship had come first and it had come fast. If they were going to work it out—and that was a big if—things would have to change.

  “Miss wet T-shirt?” Morgan eyed Embry, lifting a silver medal from a moving box. It dangled from her fingers on a hot pink ribbon.

  Embry glanced at her best friend, then down into the large glass in front of her. She took a gulp of wine instead of answering.

  “Oh no,” Morgan teased, swinging the medal around her finger. “You aren’t getting out of this that easily. How did I not hear about this?”

  Embry shrugged, blush staining her cheeks. “It was college.”

  “Obviously. I’m pretty sure between writing memos and case briefs, oh, and having a steamy, forbidden affair with your professor, you didn’t have time to show off the goods for fun.”

  Embry flinched at the mention of Luke. “Are you going to help me out here?” She motioned to the boxes surrounding them, trying for a change in subject.

  Morgan sat back on the couch, bringing her glass of wine with her. “Nope, I’m good. Just supervising.”

  Embry frowned. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously,” Morgan deadpanned.

  “You came all the way over here to watch me unpack?”

  Morgan shrugged. “I’m offering moral support. And don’t forget—” she tapped the glass in her hand “—I brought the wine.”

  “Lush.”

  “Brat.”

  “Whatever.” Embry rolled her eyes and suppressed a smile as she reached into the box beside her and unwrapped a picture frame.

  “So have you returned any of his messages?” Morgan asked directly.

  She eyed her best friend before answering. “No.”

  “Are you going to?” Morgan pressed.

  “I don’t want to talk about this, M.” Embry busied herself pulling a small vase from the box.

  Morgan lifted a curious eyebrow. “Would you rather discuss the events that led to your becoming the reigning queen of the wet T-shirt circuit?”

  “Yep. I’ve got tits for days,” Embry deadpanned.

  Morgan smirked and shook her head. “Look, I’m just—”

  “I know, Morgan.” She ran a hand through her hair. “But I’m not ready.”

  Morgan leaned forward, capturing her friend’s attention. “Don’t you want to hear what he has to say?”

  Of course she did, she just hadn’t found the courage yet. Still, frustration simmered beneath the surface as she thought about it. “Why? So he can give me his completely rational and logical explanation for lying? Again?”

  She’d been doing this for days—arguing with herself, knowing that on one hand Luke probably would have a good explanation, but on the other hand, it wouldn’t excuse his lies. The only way she kept herself from making a beeline for his house and leaving all the hurt behind was to remind herself of how it felt when her heart had been torn from her chest for the second time because of his betrayal. Luke was a damn good attorney. He could lawyer his way out of or into anything, including her heart. She didn’t want to give him that chance until she knew what she really wanted.

  “He fucked up,” Morgan said bluntly. “I just think you need to put your big girl panties on and talk to him… or you can just run again.” Sarcasm seeped from her voice.

  “I’m done running,” Embry replied harshly.

  “Good.” Morgan took a sip of her wine. “Men are morons, especially when they fall in love. You were away living the life in Florida, but when Brett and I first met, he was a complete jackass. He almost screwed it all up, but I forgave his dumb ass.”

  Embry laughed. “Really?” She couldn’t picture Brett ever doing anything to fuck things up with Morgan, but she didn’t spend much time around him during his fraternity days.

  “Yes, really. He tried to juggle dating me and some skank in my sorority.” She finished off her wine and waved her hand, signifying the end of her story. “All I’m saying is hear him out before you throw away something that made you so happy.”

  “I will talk to him,” Embry conceded, knowing in her heart it was true. “But, only when I’m ready. Until then, fuck off and pour me more wine.” Embry held up her empty glass and shot a sweet smile at Morgan.

  “Okay.” Morgan grinned, refilling Embry’s glass and then her own.

  Embry blinked. “Really? You aren’t going to fight me on this?”

  “Nope.” She smirked. “I’m going to sit back, enjoy my Cabernet, and watch you unpack.”

  Embry shook her head and proceeded to hang a few of the pictures that had been packed away.

  “What if you and Luke work it out?” Morgan asked, curious. “Wouldn’t you still want to move in with him?”

  She narrowed her eyes at Morgan.

  “What?” Morgan shrugged. “I know I would. Playing house with Southern Sexy? Sign me up!” She winked suggestively, and Embry’s eyes rolled again.

  “No, I do not want to play house with Southern Sexy, Morgan.”

  “Why not?”

  “We moved too fast. I have no idea what I was thinking.” She folded up an empty box and got to work on the next. “And what were you thinking?” she accused, glaring at her friend. “Aren’t you supposed to stop me from making rash, stupid decisions?”

  Morgan pointed at herself, eyebrows raised. “Me? How did I get dragged into this?”

  Embry chuckled. “It comes with the territory. You’re supposed to reel me in when I’m all crazy in love and moving in with someone I just met four months ago.”

  Morgan twirled a long, chestnut lock around her finger and shrugged. “Honestly, I love him for you, Bree.”

  Embry’s eyes widened, surprised by Morgan’s attitude toward Luke.

  “Really,” Morgan continued quickly. “I’ve never seen you so happy in my life. Who am I to tell you you’re moving too fast?”

  Embry thought about it. She had been happy. Really happy. Luke was the light to her dark, the calm to her storm. He balanced her, completed her. But then he’d shattered her with a lie so big, a betrayal so deep, that he’d left a permanent scar on her heart.

  She didn’t know how to forgive that. She wasn’t sure she could.

  The creaking of the bedroom door pulled Embry from a deep slumber. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, trying to focus in the dark of the room. A silhouette moved toward her and she froze, her pulse beating wildly in her ears. Fear and anticipation held her hostage. She couldn’t have moved if she tried.

  But as quickly as her panic surfaced, it melted away, expectation taking its place as he drew nearer. Her head swam, filling with that intoxicating smell she’d be dreaming of—a mix of spice and fresh that was so essent
ially him.

  “Luke?” she questioned in a breathy whisper, tipping her chin to search his face in the dim light.

  “It’s me.” The sweet, southern rasp of his voice sent her reeling.

  “Wh-what are you—”

  He bent down, his hands cupping her face and his mouth crushing hers, effectively ending her question. The electricity that shot through her at that moment annihilated any rational thought. She was nothing more than sensation, everything else floating away as her body took over. Reaching up, she grabbed Luke’s neck and pulled him closer. He eased onto the bed above her, never allowing their connection to break.

  The feel of his tongue tangling with hers, and the weight of his body braced above her, filled every empty space in her hollow, aching heart. She felt whole for the first time since she’d driven away, sobbing into Jeremy’s arms as Luke stared after her. She’d seen it all over his face, he was broken too. But at the time, a small part of her had taken pleasure in seeing the same pain she’d felt written all over his face. Now, she wished she could take it back—rewind the last week and experience every second she’d missed with him.

  A million thoughts threatened to form in the back of her mind—How? Why? But she could only focus on the warmth spreading through her body as his lips moved against hers. Had she breathed since he’d walked in? She couldn’t remember. But somehow, she knew she could survive on just his kiss, oxygen becoming utterly unnecessary if she could just continue to breathe him in.

  Suddenly her breath was stolen as he pulled away. Panting, she rested her forehead against his. “I missed you,” she whispered.

  Luke lifted his head slowly until his eyes were level with hers. The room was dark, but she could still see the spark in his piercing blues, feel his gaze like a caress. “I missed you. So much.”

  He brought his mouth to hers once more. The kiss was filled with longing and urgency. His tongue assaulted hers, licking into her mouth as Embry reached down, tugging at the hem of his shirt. It was as if she had no control over her actions, her body making the decisions for her. The hurt she’d felt so starkly just hours before was now nowhere within reach, her only concern was getting closer to Luke. His lips left hers momentarily as he sat up and tore his shirt over his head. He took the opportunity to slide the straps of her camisole down her arms, exposing her bare breasts. Her nipples tightened in anticipation as he took her in, hunger in his eyes.