Can't Let You Go

Chapter 55

***LIAM***

Running on the beach in the chilly dawn air was meant to help clear my head, but my imagination is in overdrive. One moment I'm worried Tally has fallen off a cliff and the next I'm replaying Emily's warm body pressed up against mine. From concern about Darius's intentions to Emily begging me to stay.

Making the same excuses for her that I always had, even adding the ones Tally told me she had made for her, I continued to let her cling to me and cry. That display dragged up every good feeling I ever had for Emily from deep within my memory where I had buried them. Part of me wants to watch her suffer the consequences of her own actions and the other part wants to save her from herself.

Trying to stop my mind from going where I don't want it to, I run faster, splashing in the edges of the water until the burn in my muscles tells me it's time to turn back. With each foot fall I chant her name in my mind: 

Tal--ly--Tal--ly--Tal--ly--Tal--ly--Tal--ly

She has suffered, too and doesn't deserve any more pain. What I've done so far is bad enough, I can't add any more. I'll help Emily reunite with her great aunt, then I can set her free again, let go of the... whatever it is I'm feeling. Pity? Guilt? Nostalgia? Attraction. "Fuck, she's still so sexy."

Wearing my tee shirt and jeans, Emily is sitting on the floor in front of my door when I return to the hotel. "We missed breakfast," she looks up at me with puffy eyes.

"We'll go after I shower. Are you ready?"

She shakes her head.

"Go change and I'll take you by your aunt's again after we eat."

By the time I've dealt with my wet shoes, showered and shaved carefully enough for Tally's approval, quite a bit of time has passed. "Emily?" I call through the connecting door as I button my shirt.

"It's open."

Opening my side's door reveals Emily sitting on the bed, wearing only the white bra and panty set she'd purchased, putting lotion on her arms. "I'm almost ready," she says without looking at me.

I should back away and close the door.

Putting more lotion in her hands, she stands and spreads it across her toned abs. Mesh lace panties show that her grooming habits have changed since she's been in California. It's possible she had permanent hair removal along with the boob job that I now have direct knowledge of.

"Where are we going for breakfast?" She swipes her hands across her chest. "Will?"

"Huh?"

"Where are we going for breakfast?"

"Oh, um, I figured we'd go back to that place in Fairview, if that's okay with you."

"Will."

"Hmm?"

"Will."

I look up at her face, "What?"

"I'll be ready in five minutes." She walks over, grips the edge of her side's door and looks me square in the eye causing me to lose track of time. Pulling her jaw to the side, just a tiny bit, to hide a smirk, is the look she has when she knows she's won but isn't going to claim her prize immediately. Slowly, she closes her door.

"Fuckfuckfuck" I mouth silently to myself, increasing to a whisper yell after I close my side's door. "Fuck!"

Meeting me in the hallway several minutes later, Emily is wearing the dress she'd purchased the other day.

"You had a cardigan with you, didn't you?"

"Yes, why?"

In trying to give her the least amount of attention possible at the store, I didn't really look at the dress she'd asked my opinion on. The top part of it is made of two overlapping triangles of fabric and anyone should be able to guess that they weren't going to give Emily's large bosom full coverage.