New Love

Chapter 31: Emily

Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on the door. He had not responded to my last text and I couldn't help but wonder what that meant. Mia bounded to the door and swung it open in greeting.

Scott came in first and kissed Mia soundly on the lips. He was followed by Will and Seth, who made their way to their girlfriends. Then, much to my dismay, Abe swaggered in. Jay followed him and his eyes landed right on me. My heart jumped into my throat as he licked his lips, a smile spreading across his face. I met his gaze, taking my bottom lip between my teeth. He tilted his head and cleared his throat.

"Hi, Jay." Lucy rushed up to him, trying to embrace him, but he held her off. His eyes stayed on me. "You didn't answer any of my texts. What were you doing?"

I bit the inside of my lip and popped my knuckles.

"I was busy texting another girl," he said. My mouth flew open and Lucy took a step back. "Since you and I aren't together anymore." He glanced down at her as he said this.

I braced for the Lucy rage that was destined to follow his comment. Instead she laughed and playfully slapped his arm.

"You're so funny. He's joking." She turned back to the rest of us.

"I'm not." Those blue eyes landed on me again. My face heated up and I knew I was blushing. I just hoped that no one else noticed. I took a sip of my beer trying to extinguish the white hot fire that was burning inside me.

"Hey, Lucy, I need some more wine." Casey stood. "Why don't you come in the kitchen and help me pick one out." Casey linked her arm with Lucy and the two of them headed into the kitchen, Lucy glancing back over her shoulder as Jay took a chair and spun it around backwards, and sat down.

"Hey there, sweet thing." Abe sat down beside me. "You don't call, you don't write. How are we supposed to make this thing work?" He threw his arm over the back of the couch, taking a piece of my hair between his fingers. I pulled away from him.

"Talk about someone who can't take a hint. There never was nor never will be anything between us."

"Never say never, baby." He leaned in closer to me.

I shook my head. Stabbing a finger into his chest to push him away. "I am not your baby."

"We have established that Emily already has a boyfriend tonight, Abe. So you might want to back off."

I gave Ashely a wide eyed look and she just shrugged and took a drink of her wine. I let my gaze drift over to Jay. He pressed his lips together.

"Oh, does she now?" Jay pulled his phone from his pocket. I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to laugh it off.

"It's what the girls decided. Not me."

"Well, where is he then?" Abe asked. "I don't see him here. Snooze you lose."

I just rolled my eyes at Abe. My phone vibrated beside me. I picked it up and looked over at Jay, who was staring at me with a raised eyebrow.

Jay: Boyfriend, huh?

I closed my eyes and took a breath in, letting it out slowly. When I opened them. I looked down at my phone again, and decided to give him a little dose of his own medicine. I made a show of tossing my phone onto the table. I raised my eyes to him. He shook his head and shoved his phone back into his pocket.

"So, in keeping our sexy girls night going, I propose we spice it up a notch since the boys are here.

"I think I need another beer." I stood and headed toward the kitchen.