Seducing my dad's best friend

EMMA'S POV:

Oh my God. This is torture.

Someone needs to shut her the f*ck up.

I groan and yank my bedsheet up to my face, pressing it against my ears to block out the screeching sound of her voice.

It is futile. She reaches a high note she cannot hit — knows she cannot hit — but does it anyway.

I scream into my pillows, throwing my hands and legs around to kick the bedspread off me.

Standing up from my bed, the bedspread pools around my feet. I take one step and suddenly I'm crashing to the floor.

Oh my f*ck.  Please don't tell me my nose is broken

Wincing, I tentatively bring my fingers to my hurting nose and blow out a sigh of relief when it is fine.

Not fine for my ears though as she sings another chorus and I forget about my nose , getting back to my business.

I rip my door open and stomp my way downstairs to the kitchen.

And there she is in the kitchen, her hair perfectly styled, wearing her nurse's uniform.

"Mum, can you stop singing? Your voice sounds like a dying goat."

She glances at me for half a second and turns back to her stove. "Good morning to you too, Emma."

"Yes, hell of a morning. Really, Mum, you have got to stop wailing. There's a reason it's not your talent."

She ignores me. "If you're through throwing tantrums like a teenager, set the table." She waves a spatula at me without turning around.

I glare at her back. "No thank you, ma'am. I'm going back to sleep."

I know you're wondering why I'm acting like a b*tch. I'm not exactly like this. I'm not a morning person, that's true. But how would you feel when someone stops you from having the most mind blowing orgasm ever?

She did.

I was having a beautiful dream with someone I'm never supposed to want. Cole Madden. My dad's best friend.

His hands roamed over and around my body, touching me in places I could still feel. The dream felt so real. I could even feel his hardness pressed against my inner thigh. His kiss claimed me like I belonged to him. I was in heaven.

In my dream is the only way I could have him, but it seems I can't even have that anymore.

I march back to my room and lay on my bed with my eyes closed.

I summon the dream back. "Please come back to me, Dream Cole. I'm right here."

But he doesn't come.

Instead My phone pings. I pull the pillow from under my head and press it over my face, screaming into it again.

I'm going to kill somebody.

I try to ignore the notifications, but then my phone rings.

Giving up, I snap my eyes open but without any glance, I blindly search for my phone on the bedside table.

Without looking at the name, I answer as I lay on my side watching the bright sun reflect on my dark curtains. "Hello?"

"You whoring b*tch!"

Okay, that's one way to answer a call.

I pull the phone from my ear and look at the caller ID. "Oh sh*t."

"Yes, sh*t, Emma. You are disgusting. A motherfucking harlot." My dear boyfriend, Collin, curses me, his breath heavy on the other side of the line.

"Those are some nice, sweet names you have for your lover." I casually reply as I yawn.

My bones are too d*mn tired for this drama this morning.

"Let me hear it, then. Explain why the f*ck you slept with my best friend."

I pick at my nails, bored. "Your best friend has always been a blabbermouth. Good thing his d*ck is f*ck*ng big to make up for that little flaw."

A crash comes from his end of the line. "Do you hear yourself, Emma? You don't hear how desperate you sound? He said you were begging for it."

I roll my eyes at the ceiling. " Collins, stop. You're just upset that I'm not bending over or begging for your attention anymore."

"You were willing to bend over for him." He laughs low, mean, nothing happy about it.

I stretch my free arm above my head and smile at nothing. "Um, I didn't bend over. I rode him all night to his bliss."

Without waiting for him to continue, I cut in. "And who gave you the right to open your mouth and call me those names? You f*ck*d my cousin, idiot."

He stammers. "That was years ago. When we were teenagers. A silly mistake I apologized for."

I snort. "Apologized for? By sleeping with your coworker and claiming you were stuck at work?"

I hear him take a deep breath. Gotcha.

"I'm not a fool, Collins. Neither am I someone who wastes their loyalty on a cheating *ssh*l*. I'm a girl who knows how to have fun."

It is a moment before he replies. I can hear my dad in his room on his phone, talking to his clients.

"With this attitude, you are going to make everyone leave you. You are too much for anyone to handle anyway."

I hum. "I don't give a single f*ck. And a word of advice — with your whoring *ss moving around the streets, you are likely to catch a sexually transmitted disease. Now, since we are on the topic, let's break up." I hang up before he can get a single word out.

The line goes dead, and I stare at the ceiling. Hopefully this is the end of Collin's chapter in my life. I was already tired of acting like I'm in love with him in order to get my revenge.

But his words echo in my head, except they are not his anymore. They are mine. I have been telling myself the same thing for years.

Everyone is going to leave you. You are too much to handle. Too loud. Too difficult. Too much work for anyone who tries.

I curl my body deeper into the bed, all fight leaving me let the words sit there, rush through my head and I do not push them away.

Maybe he is right. Maybe everyone does leave. Maybe I makethem. No one can handle me. I have always been difficult because the moment I let my guard down, someone leaves. Someone proves I was never worth staying for. So I make myself hard to love before they have the chance to try.

"Come down for breakfast," Mum calls.

I do not answer. I stay curled for one more breath. Then I drag myself to the bathroom, quickly do my morning routine, and head back downstairs.

Dad is already seated, but he is not dressed for work unlike Mum.

I cross to my seat and drop into the chair. "Finally decided to take a break, huh?"

Dad frowns, his face stony. He looks at Mum and gives her a nod.

"What's going on? Is someone dying?" I ask slowly.

Mum starts. "You see, your father got a job transfer overseas."

I blinked"When are we going?"

I stand up so fast the chair scrapes against the floor. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? I could have packed my bags."

"You're not going with us, Emma." Dad's hard voice stops me in my tracks.

I freeze. "Why?"

"Because you are old enough to take care of yourself, Emma."

Everyone is going to leave you.

I feel the words in my chest like something heavy pressing down on it. 

I want to argue.  "I don't have a job right now..." The words come out smaller than I meant them.

Dad holds up a hand, cutting me off. "You won't be staying alone."

As he says it, I hear the low hum of a car pulling into our driveway. The engine cuts off.

I look toward the window. Then back at Dad. "What's going on, Dad?" I ask, confusion creeping into my voice.

"You'll be staying with Cole."

EMMA'S POV: 

He hasn't aged at all.

He is still exactly as the last time I saw him. Dark hair with a natural streak of grey;  I remember making fun of him for it, calling him old. His eyes are the shade of rich whiskey brown. His lips are full. His body looks carved out of perfection. His beard is shaved down to dark stubble, rough enough to feel.

His height fills the kitchen like he truly owns the place.

"Hello, E." His pet name for me flows smoothly out of his mouth. I have forgotten how good it sounds. Like something warm wrapping around me. A warm honey indeed.

My mouth dries up. "Hi, Cole. Long time."

It is as if we are the only two people in the room. I forgot about my parents leaving this afternoon without any notice. I forget about my breakup with Collins. I forget about everything except the way he is looking at me.

He smiles. "Are you si