Forgetting Prince Charming.

CHAPTER 14

Emma was exhausted and her eyes hurt. Sunday morning had come far too quickly, and Emma was due to her parents for brunch. She'd only managed three hours of sleep. Exhaustion didn't come close to what she felt but, she held no regrets. Clubbing with Joey was a far better end to her evening than it had been with Will. She'd never experienced a night quite like she had and the smile on her face was a testament.

They'd danced. They had a lot to drink. They'd even kissed, plenty.

She blushed at the memory and hid her face in her blanket. Joey had her breaking all her rules and her vow. She wasn't sure she was upset by it. She still felt something strong for Eamon and she still dreamed of the day he'd be hers. The contest had her questioning her choices though. She was beginning to wonder if it was fair for her to keep 'pure' for Eamon. When Emma had first met Eamon, she'd been so sure he was it for her. Even after he'd started dating her sister, she still felt in her heart that he was hers. Her feelings were so strong that she'd vowed to not date until Eamon came to his senses. She felt some twisted sense of dedication to him to remain pure. She had believed that staying single for Eamon would mean her constant state of availability.

Now, Emma wondered if her vow simply meant she was shooting herself in the foot. Eamon was perfectly happy being with Larissa. She should be able to do the same. When she'd been with Joey, she'd felt guiltless. It had finally hit that her waiting around was doing no good. There wasn't any reason she shouldn't continue to live her life and have some fun. She'd had a lot of fun with Joey. She grinned again.

Distractions were good. Distractions allowed you to see your goal better once your head was clearer. It was what she and Eamon needed. Larissa was simply Eamon's distraction until he realized she was the better sister. For Emma, her distraction was the contest. She'd grouched a lot about it but, Lucy and Joey were right. The contest could be good. Finally, Emma would be allowed to let loose, have some fun with some beautiful men and just be young. It was just a distraction anyway; one that would let her see her prince clearer at the end.

~~***~~

When Emma pulled up to her parents' place, her giddiness from earlier was long gone. In its place remained lethargy and a hangover. She knew she should have taken a nap, but her mind had been too busy. She'd been too busy thinking about her night with Joey. Now, she felt the laziness of regret.

Emma parked her car and was surprised to see she was the first to arrive. As she'd stepped out her car, another pulled up behind her. Emma spotted a familiar silver Mercedes and she gulped. Show time. She stood by her car door and watched as two perfectly crafted humans exited in coordinated magnificence.

Eamon was the first to spot her. His tall, muscled body was wrapped casually in dark jeans and a tight black golf shirt. He had sunglasses on while he stood with his hands deep in his pockets. His thick black hair was combed and gelled to the left. Emma resisted the temptation to swoon. His beauty wasn't fair.

"Hey Em," he greeted from in front of her. He shot her smile before he looked towards Larissa. She cat-walked slowly towards him. Larissa wore a pale purple summer dress that flowed graciously around her. Emma was sure cost it more than a months' paycheck.

"Hey Em," greeted Larissa as she interlocked her hand with Eamon's. She looked over at Emma with a raised brow. "Wow, you look bad."

Emma frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Larissa removed her bumblebee sunglasses and placed them on top of her golden curls. "Did you get any sleep last night? You look like you've been run over by a car."

Emma groaned. She should have made more of an effort with her appearance. Eamon and Larissa had shown up looking like models and there she was, in her old and frayed sweatpants. She wore a long-sleeved white shirt that had a large picture of Donald Duck on the front. She hadn't even brushed her hair. She'd been too tired, and it had hurt her head. Thank goodness for ponytails and baseball caps. Now she was paying the price. Eamon wouldn't want to be with her now.