Ember in the Heart: A Novella Page 7

  So good at masking his feelings. No wonder he’d duped me.

  The blond and his parents turned to see what had caught his attention and Madeline smiled at the sight of me and my sister. “Jade, Ember, how nice to see you.”

  “You too, Mrs. Darwin, Mr. Darwin … Heather…” Jade cut off at that, apparently unable to say it was nice to see Foster.

  “We were just passing by and saw you in here … thought we’d be neighborly.” I forced myself to look at Foster.

  I saw the slight shuddering in his breathing that betrayed his discomfort.

  “Yeah,” Jade agreed, her fingers lacing with mine. “It was such weird timing too because I was just telling Ember about you and Heather, Foster.”

  Heather grinned, curling her arm around Foster. “It’s nice to see you again, Jade. And nice to meet you, Ember.”

  Not her fault, not her fault, not her fault. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

  “Well we better get going.” Jade tugged on my hand. She offered goodbyes to the Darwins and I followed her out. Feeling numb.

  What a foolish woman, I’d been.

  “Are you okay?” My sister hadn’t let go of my hand.

  “I don’t know.” I looked at her. “I used to think Luna had bad taste in men … but it’s clear she and I share that particular trait.”

  “Were you exclusive?”

  “No.” I stopped, shaking my head in anger. “No … but you tell someone you’re sleeping with that you’re sleeping with someone else too.”

  “You’re right.”

  “Ember!”

  I flinched at his voice.

  “Ember,” he sounded out of breath and I turned as Foster slowed from a run into a stop before us on the sidewalk. “Look, this isn’t—”

  “Have you been fucking her while you were fucking me?” I cut him off, my voice harsh.

  Foster flinched back. “Of course not.”

  “Then that’s all I need to know.” I turned to leave and he grabbed my arm. I shook him off. “Don’t touch me.”

  His expression darkened with frustration as he ran his hands through his hair. “Look, you and I … we … and Heather is the daughter of a family friend… and …”

  “And we were just screwing around,” I whispered, hating him because I hadn’t imagined his possessiveness or the way he acted like he wanted more than just sex.

  He’d made me start to hope.

  The cruelty of it was overwhelming.

  “No.” He tried to reach for me again but I retreated. Anguish blazed in his eyes. “I care about you. I do. I just…”

  “You don’t have to say it.” Disgusted with him, I dragged my gaze down his body and back up again. “Your family’s good opinion means too much to you, which means that you think I’m not good enough—”

  “No—”

  “I know who I am. I know my worth. And I deserve better than you, better than someone who would try to make me feel horrible about myself because he can’t stand up to his family. My mistake for getting involved with a boy.”

  He gaped at me, shocked, hurt, angry.

  And it satisfied that spiteful part of me that wanted him to hurt as much as he’d hurt me.

  I whirled around and stalked down the street, Jade’s footsteps falling into sync with mine. By the time we’d reached the train station, we were both sweaty and out of breath.

  Plus, I felt beyond nauseated. Every part of me ached.

  “You were wonderful.” Jade wrapped an arm around my shoulder as we waited on our train. “And you were right. He’s just a boy who doesn’t deserve you.”

  “What about G?” my lips trembled as tears stung my eyes. “I don’t want to hurt her.”

  Jade rested her head against mine. “It’s terrible and sad … but a clean break for the two of you will be best.”

  “We live next door to each other.”

  My sister sighed. “I know you might not want to hear this … but with me leaving … perhaps it’s time to sell the house.”

  Aghast, I pulled away from her. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s prime real estate. Even split five ways, your portion of the sale would buy you and Celeste a smaller place, maybe even somewhere closer to the beach.”

  “But … it’s been in the family for three generations.”

  “It’s just a house. And maybe it’s time to move on. Do you really want to watch Foster and Heather, or whoever he ends up with, start a new life with Georgie next door?”

  8

  Foster

  Nothing felt right. He couldn’t settle. He couldn’t sleep. There was this anxious feeling in his gut all the time. Guilt rode him hard. And dread. He didn’t even want to analyze the dread.

  Georgie missed Ember.

  They hadn’t seen her in two weeks.

  She wasn’t answering his calls, his texts.

  She didn’t swim at night anymore.

  The few times he’d knocked on the door, Celeste answered, less than friendly, and told him Ember wasn’t home.

  Foster couldn’t blame her. No, he hadn’t slept with Heather. He hadn’t even kissed Heather. But the strange double date with his parents was technically their second date because they’d had lunch alone in the city the week before. Something he hadn’t told Ember.

  The whole time he’d tried to shake off his guilt, telling himself he wasn’t doing anything wrong. The same at lunch with his parents.

  And then Ember had walked into the restaurant.

  The look in her eyes.

  The betrayal.

  Fuck.

  He sucked in a deep breath and exhaled, the sound shaky to even his ears.

  He missed her.

  The sound of her laughter, the way her dark eyes danced with it. Her easy affection with G, like the two of them had been together their whole lives. The way G lit up for Ember in a way she used to only for him.

  The way he lit up for Ember.

  Her soft, breathy moans in his ears. Her hands caressing his back, gripping his ass. The dramatic slope of narrow waist into her curvy hips. Gazing into her eyes and feeling so fucking at peace, like he’d finally found something he’d been missing his whole life.

  “If I have to hear you sigh like that one more time, I’m going to punch you.”

  Foster started, swinging his office chair around from the window to find Colt braced against the doorway.

  His friend closed the door behind him and walked into the room. “It’s like working with a zombie these days. You barely said two words to Jack Hunter in the meeting this morning.”

  “We made the deal, didn’t we,” he grumbled like a petulant teenager.

  Colt scowled at him as he sat down on his desk. “This has to stop.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t. Don’t be an even bigger prick than you’re already being.”

  Indignation flushed through him. “I don’t need this shit right now, Colt.”

  “Oh I’m sorry, I forgot this was all about you.” His friend looked at him with such disappointment in his eyes Foster flinched. “Do you even give a shit how you made her feel or do you only care about how you feel?”

  Remorse cut through him. “Of course I give a shit.”

  “Really? Because you’re walking around here like you’re the one that got fucked over when the truth of the matter is that you made a very special woman think that her feelings aren’t more important than your parents fucking snobbery.”

  A sharp ache cut through his chest. “Colt—”

  “Nah, listen.” His friend pushed off the desk. “It’s clear to me that you have real feelings for Ember. In fact, it’s clear to me that you think you’re in love with her.”

  “Think?” he snarled. How dare he—

  “Yeah think. You see because I love Jade. I love Jade so much that the thought of hurting her, of putting my feelings before hers, makes me feel sick to my stomach. You don’t love Ember. If you loved Ember you would tell your father where
to stick his opinion and his money.”

  Heart racing, Foster shook his head. “Family is important. Can’t you understand why I don’t want to disappoint my father?”

  “No, actually, I can’t. Here’s your choice: on the one hand, Edward Darwin, who still makes fucking excuses for Georgie’s selfish mom just because of her family’s blue blood. A guy who bases his opinion of a person’s worth off a family fucking name. That’s who you want influencing Georgie’s life? Or, on the other hand, Ember. Funny, gorgeous, kind. Is great with Georgie. And for some stupid reason loves you.”

  Hope cut through the knife-like pain in his chest. “She said that?”

  Colt’s expression was harsh as he gave a tight nod. “She was in love with you. But I guess she realized the age gap was a problem after all. She said you had a lot of growing up to do and she didn’t have time to wait around.”

  He flinched, lowering his gaze. “I fucked up.”

  “She’s putting the house up for sale.”

  Panic shot through Foster. “What?”

  His friend nodded, grim-faced. “That’s how much you hurt her. So tell me … can you live with that? Because if your answer is yes, you’re not in love with her, man.”

  Foster’s gut wrenched. “I love her. And I’m an asshole.” He pushed out of his chair, his agitation visible. “You’re right. You’re so fucking right, part of me wants to punch you.

  “I’m a father now. I can’t keep making choices based on what’s best for my father. It has to be for what’s best for the people I love.” Frantic with dread at the thought of losing Ember forever, he shook his head. “What if I can’t win her back?”

  Colt considered this, his demeanor toward him visibly softening. “Well … here’s some advice: with the Bonet sisters, actions speak louder than words. But actions accompanied by the right words, is your best shot at getting her back.”

  9

  Ember

  On the plus side, the rehearsal dinner was a smallish affair. Compared to the two hundred strong guest list for the wedding, there were only seventy-five people at the rehearsal dinner.

  I couldn’t bear to think what this wedding cost Jade and Colt.

  But I would … because it kept my mind off someone else.

  Three weeks had passed since I’d caught Foster at lunch with his other woman.

  His calls and texts had stopped around ten days later.

  However, for some weird reason he’d started calling me again this past week. I had a bunch of texts from him pleading to meet with me because “we needed to talk” but I was half-convinced he was just horny. Moreover, I didn’t want my resolve to melt.

  A guy who let me think I wasn’t good enough was not the right man for me.

  End of story.

  I missed G terribly. And my guilt was overwhelming. The truth is, I wanted to see her but my sisters kept holding me back, telling me I’d only make it worse for the little girl in the long run.

  I missed her giggles and her smile.

  And I really hated the idea that I made her feel as abandoned as her mom did.

  Tears choked in my throat and burned in my eyes, and I dropped my gaze to the table to hide my emotions.

  As Maid of Honor I was seated at the top at a U-shaped banquet table.

  Only a few seats down from me, at Colt’s side, was Foster.

  My skin hummed with awareness of him.

  He hadn’t brought a date.

  I, mean, neither had I … but I’d worked myself up a lot about this rehearsal dinner because I was so sure Heather would accompany him.

  Maybe she could only attend the actual wedding.

  His parents were here. Colt had invited the Darwins to the rehearsal out of respect.

  I couldn’t even look at them. I blamed them, too, for making it so Foster felt he had to please them with his choice of girlfriend.

  Though, I wondered if any parent would be happy about their son dating a woman eleven years older than him? Feeling forlorn, I reached for my champagne glass and emptied it in one chug.

  I could feel Jade’s eyes, but thankfully she couldn’t question me because Colt was in the middle of his thank you speech.

  My gaze moved over the tables before us, sliding through the Darwins and past folks I recognized from the engagement party. Then onto the banquet table where my sisters sat with their partners. Moon, Linzi and Jilly. Luna and her bored-looking husband Garret. And Celeste and the guy she’d been dating for the past month. He was a cute vet she met after accidentally running down a cat. Seriously, my sister’s life was an ongoing rom-com novel.

  They looked good together and she seemed to really like this one.

  Who knew, maybe I’d have to buy a one-bed house on the beach. Grow old on my own, no kids, no pool, just a cat that someone would run over one day and use as an anecdote at her wedding to the vet she met through my dead damn cat!

  Shaking my head out of my morbid thoughts, I tried to zone back into the room.

  Colt was thanking his beautiful fiancé. A sweet kiss on her lips.

  We were to raise our champagne glasses—shit, mine was empty. Hope no one notices. I pasted a strained smile on my face.

  After my soon-to-be brother-in-law settled back into his seat, the murmur of conversation started again and Jade covered my hand nearest her. “Are you okay?”

  I wanted to say I needed more champagne but the last thing I should do was get drunk at my sister’s rehearsal dinner in front of my ex.

  Was he even my ex?

  Did five weeks of fan-fucking-tastic sex really count as a relationship?

  My heart throbbed in answer.

  Opening my mouth to assure her, I was abruptly cut off by the sound of cutlery tapping against glass. Jade turned her head to the left and I followed suit, shrinking back in my seat as I realized Foster was standing to address the room.

  Oh gosh, were we supposed to prepare our Best Man and Maid of Honor speeches for the rehearsal dinner too? A flush of panic moved through me.

  “Uh, I’m not scheduled to talk tonight.”

  Oh thank God.

  “But Colt gave me permission to hijack the rehearsal dinner.”

  What?

  A murmur of confusion shifted through the room.

  “What is he talking about?” I whispered.

  Jade shook her head, looking as confused as I felt.

  And then Foster turned and looked directly at me.

  His expression open, pleading, tender.

  Holy. Crap.

  “Months ago, at Colt and Jade’s engagement party, I met a woman who knocked me on my ass. And I was so unprepared for it, so not in the place where I could handle it, that I was unforgivably rude to her.”

  Tears of shock glistened in my eyes and I could hear my sister’s indrawn breath of surprise.

  “I never believed in fate.” He shrugged, looking boyish and uncertain. “Not until you, Ember. Not until I bought the house next door to yours without knowing it. It’s like the universe wanted us to be together.”

  “Foster,” I whispered.

  “And somehow, because you’re a goddamn miracle and you’re so kind,” his emotion made his eyes wet, “You not only forgave me for being an asshole,” —the room tittered but I was barely paying attention to anything but him—“You took care of my daughter and you helped us through a really horrible time.” He stepped out from his chair to approach mine and I tilted my head back to hold his gaze. “Ember Bonet, I know I don’t deserve you. You are incredible, smart, kind, funny, loving and passionate, and there is no doubt in my mind that someone who is your equal is out there waiting for you. But I’m a selfish bastard because the mere thought of letting him have you feels like my heart is being ripped from chest. And that guy, whoever he is, might deserve you … but I can promise you,” Foster lowered to his knee in front of me and reached for my hand, “I can promise you that no man will love you harder than I do or work harder to prove it. Please forgive me for being a bl
ind fool?”

  I couldn’t breathe.

  Foster Darwin had just declared himself in front of all these people, including his parents.

  “Let me make it up to you,” he pushed, panic glittering in his dark eyes. “I will never give you cause to regret it. I love you.”

  “Okay.”

  His eyes widened. “Okay? Yes?”

  I smiled, that damn ache in my chest easing. “Yes. But you have a lot of groveling to do, Mister.”

  Foster grinned, standing up to pull me into his arms. He hugged me so tight I could barely breathe. “Anything, anything.” He kissed my temple, then my cheek and then my lips.

  A long, deep, hungry kiss that was only broken as the erupting cheers in the room finally registered with us.

  Cheeks hot, I laughed, a little embarrassed by the public display as the room full of practical strangers celebrated our romance.

  Well … not the whole room.

  They waited until all the guests had left hours later. We’d felt their eyes on us during the rest of the evening but they never approached. I was tense. Foster kept whispering assurances in my ear. The man hadn’t stopped touching me since I’d agreed to give him a second chance. He’d apologized to Jade for hijacking their celebrations but my big sister was genuinely ecstatic for us.

  “Here we go,” Colt murmured at us.

  Everyone had left except the four of us and the Darwins.

  Colt took Jade’s arm and strode toward the exit, nodding at the Darwins as they departed.

  Foster’s hand tightened in mine. “It’ll be alright,” he promised.

  But I wasn’t certain. There was a part of me that couldn’t trust Foster completely just yet. I knew he sensed that when his expression hardened with determination. “One day you’ll never doubt me,” he vowed.

  I squeezed his hand and took a deep breath as Madeline and Edward halted before us. Foster’s mother looked uneasy, whereas Edward was clearly furious.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Edward gestured between us.

  “I think that’s self-explanatory.” Foster pulled me closer into his side. “I love Ember. We’re starting a life together.”