Overtime

Chapter 3

Danielle is already waiting at the bar when we get inside. I kiss her cheek as I hug her but she doesn't greet me as warmly. She seems distant and quiet tonight. "I'm going to use the restroom," she says. "Will you order me a beer?"

"I will," Liam offers, waving the bartender over.

I watch as Danielle walks away with a frown. "Hey, do you know what's up with her?" I ask, nudging Liam.

"Fuck," he snaps. "You made me spill my drink."

There are only a few drops on the bar so I quickly wipe up the mess with a napkin. "I'm sorry. It was an accident," I say softly.

"It's fine," he sighs.

"What's going on with you?" I ask. "You've been acting odd since you picked me up."

"I'm fine," he says impassively.

"Do you know what's wrong with Danielle?"

"Holy shit, Emery. I don't know everything, okay? Why don't you just ask her?"

I stand up, shaking my head. "If you were planning on being an ass the whole night then you shouldn't have asked me to come out with you."

I begin walking away but I know he's following me. "Look, I'm sorry. Let me take you home at least."

Just before I reach the exit, I see Danielle coming out of the bathroom. "What's going on?" she asks worriedly.

"I'm going home," I say, pushing past the doors.

"Did you tell her?" Danielle asks lowly.

I stop abruptly, turning on my heel. "Tell me what? What's going on?"

They both look at each other nervously and all the pieces seem to fall in place. They're together. That's the reason they've been acting odd all night. But I can't seem to believe it. I shake my head in disbelief. "Tell me you didn't."

"It was a one-time thing. It'll never happen again," Liam insists.

"We didn't mean to hurt you," Danielle says softly.

Tears fill my eyes and my body ignites with anger. "You knew!" I yell, pointing an accusing finger at her. "You knew and you still did it. How could my own sister betray me?"

She looks down at the ground. "I'm sorry, Emery."

Sniffling, I wipe away my tears. "I don't want to see you ever again."

"Emery -" Liam begins.

"Don't," I snap.

Turning, I head for the street where I get a cab to take me home. When I get inside, I head upstairs for my bedroom only to be reminded of why I don't wear heels. Whimpering, I sit on one of the steps and struggle to unbuckle them through my tears. "Emery? Are you okay?" Mr. Lancaster asks from behind me.

"I'm fine," I sigh. "I just need to get these off."

He continues down the stairs and kneels on a step near my feet. "May I?"

I nod hesitantly and he places my foot on his lap before beginning to unbuckle the strap. When I feel his skin brush against mine, I grip the stairs a little harder. There's no denying the fact that he's extremely attractive. Slipping one heel off, he places it on the step beside me before beginning on the next foot. "Thank you," I say softly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asks as he slips my other heel off.

"Not really," I admit.

He leans forward and gently wipes away my tears. "Can I help you take your mind off of it?"

"Sure," I say, completely entranced.

"Good. Change into something more comfortable then meet me in the living room."

He stands up and holds out his hand for me to take. I grab my heels and he pulls me up with ease. We go our separate ways and I quickly change into some comfortable pajamas. After washing my face I make my way downstairs and join Mr. Lancaster in the living room where he has gathered a bunch of snacks and drinks on the coffee table. Noticing my presence, he pats the cushion next to him. "Any suggestions on what to watch?"

"Anything. Except for scary movies," I add.

He chuckles. "Why not?"

"Because I'll be curled up in a ball and hiding under a blanket the whole time. I've hated them ever since I was a kid."

"They're not real," he says. "I love scary movies. I'll pick one that isn't that scary."

He picks an older film that isn't too bad but I still find myself closing my eyes every once in a while. We share a few snacks until someone jumps out of nowhere, scaring me and causing me to spill some candy. He just laughs at me and continues watching the movie. One scene is so bad that I turn over lean my forehead against his arm. I honestly hate scary movies with a passion. When I look up, I notice him staring at me intently. "Sorry," I say, moving away.

"You're fine," he says, pulling me closer. "I didn't realize you were this bad or else I wouldn't have tortured you."

"It's okay," I shrug. "We'll just have to watch something else afterward to get my mind off of this or else I won't be able to get any sleep tonight."

He quickly shuts the movie off and searches for another. After a while of searching, he selects a random new release that we agree on. The opening scene is a couple having sex and I feel the awkwardness between us. He clears his throat. "Sorry. Guess I didn't pay attention to the rating."

"It's fine," I say, blushing slightly.

He turns the volume down and sighs. "Are you going to tell me what happened tonight?"

I frown. "My sister Danielle, Liam, and I have all been best friends since elementary school. Since I was the youngest he was really protective of me."

"And you fell for him," he says.

I nod. "The only person who knows about my feelings for him is my sister Danielle and tonight I found out that they slept together. She knew yet she still did it. How could she do that to me?" I ask, a tear slipping down my cheek.

"Come here," he says softly.

I lean into him and he wraps an arm around me. Although this is a bit weird, I am thankful for his presence.

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