Only His | (Book 1) 18+

five

EMARA
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Kade watched with a raised eyebrow as I downed my fourth shot, my face scrunching up before I put the glass down.

"I hate people," I muttered. "I hate your family."

"I hate my family, too," Kade agreed.

"I wish I could go back in time and pretend tonight never happened." I could feel Kade rubbing my back like what he did when I was sobbing in the car. "I'm always left feeling like shit whenever I leave that place, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Kade said. "Don't let what my father calls you to get to your head, Em."

"I don't," I told him, shaking my head. "It just hurts how that's how he honestly thinks of me. I've tried so hard to show the bastard that I actually care and he still thinks I'm just some slut that's trying to get to the family's money.

"I didn't want any of this," I continued, pushing my glass forward for another shot. "I didn't want all of the money, the constant faced of myself that I see in the magazines when I never realized... I wanted a normal life; a normal job, a normal relationship, a normal family."

Kade stayed silent, hesitating before he pushed my glass in front of me. I took it, downing it quickly.

"Tristan never told me that you were the one that founded the company," I admitted, watching his jaw clench as I spoke. "He said that you were too busy getting tattoos and being a know-it-all bastard."

"Funny." Kade shook his head. "I was the one who started it, I was the one with all of the ideas for it, I was the one that helped with the blueprints for our first building, our first piece of technology — Tristan was the one to take the notes. He did shit while I did everything and when I got tired of his bullshit for taking the credit, I signed the company into my name unless only I say to change it, and left.

"I chose the easy life, despite the constant paparazzi; I opened up my own gym and no I have a co-CEO running that while I do the paperwork for the gym and the company my brother apparently made." Kade grinned at me. "You don't have to follow your boyfriend everywhere you go, Emara. You're allowed to give yourself your own name instead of "Tristan Black's partner"."

I nodded in agreement, chewing on my lip.

"I, uhh... I'm opening my own fashion line in a month," I murmured, looking away from him so he wouldn't see my blush. "Tristan doesn't know, though. I don't want him to know until it comes out."

He nodded, tilting his head a bit as he watched me. "Why am I allowed to know?"

"Because I'm not mad at you." I laughed to myself, watching the small grin grow on Kade's face, too. "I'm sorry that you didn't get the recognition you deserve."

He shrugged. "I'm fine. I've gotten recognition for other things."

I smiled softly, nodding my head before staring at the counter. The names that Mr. Black had so easily called me continued to run through my mind, my bottom lip wobbling. A gold digger. A slut...

"I didn't even get to eat," I muttered, my head tiredly resting on Kade's shoulder. "God, I wish I could just vanish."

Kade chuckled. "You'll be fine, Em."