Hard to say NO |✓

1

~Emma~

I wake up and my head is pounding. I smell of alcohol. I roll over and see Hunter Lane lying next to me in bed. Everything from last night is a blur and suddenly it all comes back—the fight, the humiliation, Jennifer, Hannah, and then there's Hunter. I grab my phone from my handbag and see nine unread messages and eleven missed calls. I squint to see who they're from. 'Best friend.'

Emma, can we talk?

Plz?

I am so so, so sorry. Plz call me.

Where are you?

I have known u since you were four, you can't avoid me forever.

Will you plz ANSWER me?

I am the worst best friend ever.

Good night, plz forgive me. X

Now I'm worried. You haven't been home in 2 days. WHERE ARE YOU?

I struggle out of bed and walk over to the other side of the bed, where Hunter is fast asleep.

"Wake up. It's four o'clock," I say while taking a good look at his chiselled abs. He opens his big green eyes, grumbling while he looks at the clock on the table next to him. He looks even better when he wakes up than he does during the day—his chestnut-brown hair is wild and so messy that it's attractive.

"Good morning to you too, gorgeous."

I roll my eyes and head to the bathroom. Feeling guilty after reading Hannah's text messages. I open the wardrobe, get a towel, and grab my clothes and makeup, which is in my bag.

"I'm going to have a shower and then I'll go back to my place."

I slam the door behind me and turn the tap on, letting the water warm up. I get undressed, start playing some music on my phone, and get in the shower. Trying to erase my memory on what happened last night with Hunter.

Twenty minutes later, I've got my makeup on and I'm dressed. I head downstairs to the kitchen to get my keys. Hunter is in the living room watching TV. I grab my keys and a bottle of water from the fridge. Hunter comes from behind me, wraps his arms around me and whispers into my ear.

"Last night was amazing" I turn around and look at him for a few seconds. Before I can say anything, there is a knock on the door.

"Babe, it's me. Open up." And that's when I realize what I did last night was unforgivable. I slept with my best friend's boyfriend in an act of revenge. That made me just as guilty as she was. She had hurt me the night before that's doesn't mean I should sleep with her boyfriend.

"Shit. It's Hannah. Go out through the back door," says Hunter as he runs to the door, bringing me back to the present.

"It's locked," he whispers at me.

Then we hear Hannah unlocking the front door.
"Never mind, I'll use the key under the mat. Where are you?" asks Hannah as she walks into the kitchen. I begin to panic, fearing the worst.

"What should I do? Do you want me to hide?"

Hunter looks at me and starts to laugh in a low voice, so Hannah doesn't hear us.

"Hide under the table!"

So, that's exactly what I do. I bend down to crawl under the table. I see Hannah. Hunter walks to he, and they kiss. I can see everything from down here. Then I spot my keys and the bottle of water on the counter. I pray that Hannah doesn't notice them, but I can't do anything about it because I'm under the table.
"I'm very worried about Em. She didn't sleep at home last night, and she won't answer my text messages or phone calls."

When I hear Hannah say that she is worried about me, I can't ignore the feeling that she betrayed me, but I do feel bad for sleeping with Hunter last night. Hunter glances at me under the table as Hannah gets a glass of water.

"I bet she is just angry at everything that has happened these past three days," says Hunter with a grin. Hannah turns around and sees the keys and the water bottle.
"These are Emma's keys. How do you have them?" I look up at Hunter , who's so relaxed compared to me.

"I found them on the floor in the school hall and I recognized as hers. I'll give them to her on Monday."

Hannah nods and then they make their way to the staircase.
When they're out of sight I emerge from under the table and head to the entryway. I open the door and let myself out, with no keys and no water bottle. I start to walk home, which is a ten-minute walk from Hunter's house. I love living in Santa Monica because it's so cosy, and we all live so close to one another.

When I arrive to the front door I realize I have no keys.  I  ring the doorbell. My older brother opens the door. I'm so shocked to see him that I run into his arms as he picks me up. 

"Mum told me what happened with Hannah and you.  And I wanted to come and see you as a surprise, just to cheer you up." He says while we are still hugging.

"Thanks, so yeah that's happened and it's the worst feeling. On Monday I will have to face all the staring and the talking behind my back." We let go and then he gives me a pity face and says.

"You'll be alright, I know it's hard but there's nothing you can do about it. Who told?" We walk in the house and I nod to his question and we sit down on the sofa. I just want to forget about these last three days.

"I don't want to talk about it. So how are things with Ella in Miami?"
"She wants to have children!" he says staring at the floor. You gotta be kidding me.

"Daniel Skys you are only 22 years old and Ella is 23, you are too young to have children," I say in a motherly tone.

"I know I told her but." The voice of our mother cuts him off.

"Emma, where have you been? Hannah came looking for you. I thought you stayed at hers last night and apparently not." She says with an angry face and then turns to look at Dan. 

"It's okay mum, I stayed in a friend's house because I knew Hannah would come and see me," I tell her, hoping she won't know I'm lying and finds out I was sleeping with Hunter. I stand up and walk up the stairs past mum's bedroom and Daniel's and go into mine.

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