𝙏𝙀𝙈𝙋𝙏𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 • 𝙇𝙍𝙃

13. aphrodisiac

APHRODISIAC

the color washed away from emma's face. it's as if she saw a ghost, which probably would have been better than the current scenario.

she knew that luke had been with other people. but now that one of them was literally staring her in the face, she wanted to cry.

"y-you and her?" emma stared at luke with a look of betrayal on her face. he avoided her gaze, not necessarily understanding why emma seemed so distraught over the fact.

"we've slept together numerous times," natalie continued, failing to read the room, or maybe she just didn't care. "and i specifically remember him moping about some ex- girlfriend. now here's where it gets interesting... he told me her name was emma. and i eventually asked if you knew luke, to which you said no"

emma wished she could disappear, or make herself seem smaller. not only had she been caught in a lie by her superior, but said superior has also slept with luke... talk about a slap in the face.

"obviously, since you said you'd never met him i waved the thought off. but today... he just couldn't keep his eyes off of you... all day. and judging by your little reaction to the news of luke and i, well, dating, i assume you're his ex"

natalie wore a smug expression on her face, as if the mere fact that emma was breaking down on the inside was enjoyable to her.

emma opened and closed her mouth many times, words failing to describe how she felt in this moment. she looked to luke, hoping he would say literally anything. but he didn't.

it wasn't luke's fault, he didn't know the two girls knew each other, emma knew that. but she still felt angry with him.

emma scoffed at luke's failed attempt to bring any comfort or light to the situation. she grabbed more champagne and walked off, bumping luke's shoulder as she pushed past luke and natalie.

maya took a step forward, ready to go after he friend, but luke halted her movements.

"let me" he said.

luke seemed to have sobered up after the small altercation, or maybe his drunk intuition was to always go after emma.

regardless, he needed to do damage control.

"hey, wait up" luke jogged towards emma, unable to keep up with her quick pace.

"leave me alone" she muttered, swiftly maneuvering around unsuspecting guests.

"woah, are you mad at me?" luke managed to catch up to the pissed brunette and grabbed her elbow, pulling her into a secluded corner.

"no!" she groaned, throwing her hands up in frustration. "why in the hell would i be mad? you're moving on, it's great. i'm great"

"who said i was moving on?" he furrowed his eyebrows and caught emma's wrists in his hands.

"you're dating again, aren't you? natalie just said you two dated-" her words were coming out rushed, it was apparent she was less than happy about the news.

"we never dated, emma. she was in san francisco, it was a few months after i released the song, she was a fan. we flirted, and we hooked up. she was just a rebound with some silly crush... it never meant anything more to me"

"whatever" she mumbled.

emma felt more at ease knowing luke hadn't dated natalie, though she still felt queasy knowing they slept together.