Emily's POV
"Can we talk?"
I can just stare at him in anger, pain, longing and the stupid love. When did this even happen? When did I fell for him so hard that I can't even stare at him longer without memorizing him in bed with Teyana?
"Emily? Look at me, please."
I was silent for a moment before looking up at him. Nothing prepared me to see the desperate look in his eyes. Surprised, I examined him more and the more I look at him, the more I noticed how devasted he looked.
"About what happened-"
"Why did you do it?" I asked cutting him off. I changed the scenario several times in different ways and thinking back, every time I was stuck with one thing, and that was where did I go wrong.
"What did-oh...Actually, I just wanted to talk about what happened. You deserve an explanation and I should start before you-"
He would have said more if not a voice stopped him by hugging me tightly from behind. I was surprised by the force but when I realized who it was, my lips twitched up without acknowledging anything.
"How is it possible that you're here and I hear it now!" Jer yelled out almost choking me to death. I could hear a distant laugh coming from my front door. Peeking from Jer's neck I saw it was Parker, Ethan, Riley, and Zoe.
Damn! They are all back!
"Hey, let her breathe." Audrey laughed running over to Jer making him finally pulling away from me. But it was cut short as Parker, Ethan, Riley, and Zoe all pulled me into a tight grasp.
"Too crowdy." I choked out laughing. They all let go immediately taking over who'll talk first. Rolling my eyes, I almost forgot why I left when Zoe started questioning.
"Hey, Em. You're a little early, don't you think? I mean I don't have anything against it, in fact, we're all glad that we'll get to spend more time together but I thought, you'll be more...upbeat and cheery."
My eyes widened, panic gripping me. I realized I didn't have any lie ready to tell them. I can't let them know that Rick cheated on me. That will be too embarrassing and horrifying considering he's a friend with almost everyone with them.
Audrey must've felt my panic as she changed the subject quickly. "Maybe Em's taking a rest from being hyper. She's going to need it anyway considering we're going to the bonfire tonight."
"What bonfire?" I asked confused. I mean they didn't tell me beforehand about anything. I could vaguely see Rick's staring at me.
This idiot is going to expose both our covers!
Jer and Ethan grinned in delight. "Oh, it's going to be the bonfire. It's the best one to finish our last summer together."
Summer's almost ending and then there's college. My mind swirled thinking back to how many plans I had to make it the best year I ever had. Freshly graduated from high school, having fun with friends, and in love with a potential boyfriend who wasn't supposed to cheat.
God, my whole dream was a big fat joke...
Realizing that my thoughts were going to a very unhappy place, I turned to look at Zoe. "So, as everyone's here, where's Blaze? Please tell me he knows that I returned."
She looked at me in mock shock. "Oh please, Cami told everyone she knew that the famous troublemaker Emily Holland is back and they better be on their best behavior."
I paused for a moment before a smirk formed on my face. "So, was everyone on their best behavior?"
Parker shook his head laughing. "Blaze is supporting a hungover and a possible black eye."
Huh?
"Why's that?" I elbowed Zoe who's cheek reddened making me more confused.
"Um, I kind of stopped him from kissing a girl, he said he was drunk and didn't realize so I gave him a right hook. That'll teach him never try to cheat."
Ouch. That word made me involuntary flinch. A big mistake on my part because everyone stopped laughing and then everyone's eyes turned behind me.
Rick...
I almost forgot he was here and why for that matter...
"Hi," Rick waved at all of them but it lacked his normal cheeriness or anything normal to it. I watched as Cami joined us, giving Parker a kiss. That made me look at Rick who was already staring at me in sadness.
For what?
Messing up or breaking up my already messed up heart?
"You fucked up, didn't you?" That made me snap my head at Parker. He gave Rick a dirty look before pointing his fingers towards us.
"You look like your fish died, and you look like you're nursing a broken heart. Also, you two are standing with four people distance when before leaving for Paris I had to beg Cami to stop your explicit PDA. And also, you flinched." He finished with a pointed look at me.
Oh, my fucking hell...he knew. How could I forget that before with Cami, he was a player, so he must've seen enough girl crying over him to connect the dots. Not even seconds later, Cami let out a gasp, letting me know that even she caught up.
Just great!
"Em-"
"Are you freaking kidding me! Rick, you? Out of all the people I know, you!?" Cami snarled pushing Parker out of the way to stomp in front of Rick. Oh shit to the hell, she's flipping mad.
Well, I'm mad too...
So that's why I didn't stop her when I heard the sound of slapping against a cheek. I didn't even stop when everyone was yelling at me to stop walking out.
I just didn't.
***
I was watching as people were having fun in their own way. Jer truly said when he said that it was the bonfire. I don't think I've seen so many people in a party before. The Grayson's beach house was the perfect spot they could've to find to get wasted in peace. Some people were getting drunk, some were gossiping the latest gossip, some were too busy making out. And, I was struck with sitting on the hood of my car with a bottle of beer.
"Figured I will find you in here." A voice shot out making me cringe. Just when I thought to get wasted without any care in the world...
"Cami, hey."
"Hey? Really?" She responded with a scoff, rushing over to where I was sitting. Giving her a grin, I continued my search for party entertainers when she gripped my hand, making me look at her.
"What?"
When she opened her mouth, it was filled with hurt. "What happened back there, Em? You know you can tell me everything."
A moment of silence passed as I started to tell her everything that happened in this week. Every word felt like a punch as I realized how much of a stupid I was to believe that I can ever have a relationship without dealing with cheaters or fuckboys. I don't even know if Rick is still here or just went back to New York. But that didn't matter as tears started to pool in my eyes.
"I thought we had something, Cami. Something that made me feel that I can trust myself blindly with Rick. Well, imagine my surprise when I saw Teyana climbing down his bed and Rick calling her back to bed. I don't think I've have felt like I did at that moment. The feeling of despair, shock and betrayal...it's hard to describe." She let out a laugh hearing me as I raised her eyebrows.
"Really? Who do you think pinned after a boy for 4 years, only to watch him breaking hearts of numerous girls without any care? I know what you're feeling Em, trust me, I do. But-" She stopped looking at me with a weird look. "At least hear what he have to say. Then you can kick his ass or kiss him to death for all I care."
When her words registered in my head, that's when I noticed a silhouette behind her. Titling my head more, I realized it was Rick. I mean I would recognize him anywhere.
He didn't leave!?
"I'm gonna go. I demand you to join the others after you two...fix your problems." Cami's mouth curved into a smirk as she pushed passed ahead talking with people in the way. Just as she disappeared into the crowd, I turned to Rick.
"Explain."
With a small smile, he slid past me, still walking making me surprised. "Hey! Where are you going!?"
Turning back, I almost melted as his eyes were filled with hope and amusement. Giving me a shrug he continued. "Well...I want to explain in private and if by any chance you decide to rip my throat out, I'd rather that not happen in front of three hundred or over people."
Fair enough...
So following behind him leisurely, he stopped when we reached the deck. Giving me a timid smile, he started. "When we were at Vic's, I got a call from Teyana. She wanted me to meet her but when I refused she told me that she was already in our house."
He stopped to look at my reaction. It was hard for me not to kill him but for my heart's sake, I gave him a welcoming nod to keep continue.
"Ok, so even then I told her to get out of the house but what I failed to realize that she already had a weakness against me."
This time anger clouded my eyes, making me memorizing what happened in a broken record. Balled into a fist, I looked at him dead. "What could possibly be in her sleeve that made you cheat? Was it her beauty or amazing experience in sex? Enlighten me!"
I heard a loud humorless laugh but it wasn't anything comparing the burning eyes of him, that was looking at the ocean before us. I noticed the clench of his jaw before he focused his eyes on mine. "Em...for a girl that takes pride in being intelligent you really could be clueless." Before I could actually kick him where the sun doesn't shine, he continued. "You're my weakness. I'm scared shitless that I'll do something wrong or hurt you and you'll leave me. Ironic, considering that's what ended up happening."
He nodded looking at my surprised face before speaking out. "So, when I refused she told me that if I don't go and meet her, she'll send you the pictures of our high school drama club where we acted as a newlywed couple. She even told me that she had pictures when we were together and she can easily make it look like it's new. So, I agreed to meet her."
"Then?"
"I went to meet her and she started babbling about how we should get together and shit. I told her to get the fuck out of there when suddenly a mask is forced on my nose. Believe me, when I say this, I was dragged so I don't even know what happened after."
My jaw dropped hearing him. Did Teyana really? But then I knew a crazy before to know that nothing is impossible where love is concerned. He must've felt my confusion as he gripped my hand tightly, making me look at his eyes. "I woke up to the sound of Sean and Teyana screaming. When asked what happened, Sean told me how you saw me with Teyana and she hinted that we slept together."
A snort left me as I thought back to that day. "Hinted? She practically told me that you two love each other and made love, no big deal!"
His jaw hardened but he gave me a grin in return. "Good, cause she's now in jail and I don't think she's coming back for a long time. And for Sean, I think I understand my mistake by trusting Teyana. Her main plan was to start a conflict between us and that's what happened. You don't know how I had to beg for his forgiveness."
My lips twitched up feeling a smirk coming over. "So did he forgive you?"
He gave me his own smirk in return. "Well, why don't you ask himself?"
"Y-You mean...he's here!?" Rick let out a laugh at my combust. I mean how's that possible that Sean tagged along with the cousin he despised!? This is insane!
"Ok, now that you know that I never cheated, I have a surprise for you."
Isn't that why I was there that day? My chest constricted thinking what he's going to tell me. Is it what I'm thinking or is he going to surprise me? I'll never know.
Because the next moment I was being whirled around and thrown into the cold water, making me curse him to the depth of hell while I could hear a laughing retort.
"This isn't skinny dip but we can always change that."
I almost forgot that I had a bucket list to burn.
***
Ok, I know it was a long chapter to endure but good and bad news together. This is the last chapter. Next, an epilogue is coming and before you guys say it's so short, I always wanted their story to be wider but told in a short form. The story is about being accepted, overcoming their past, and I think they've done that already. And everything else you need to know will be in the epilogue.
See yea soon!