Stuck between two bad boys

DEVIN’s POV

I moved past the whole class looking for Emily. I wasn’t sure which class she had but I knew she was around. When I met her classmate, she said Emily may be in the library. I grimaced wondering what she was doing in the library and just went looking for her.

When I got into the library, I showed the blonde librarian my ID and tilted my head, searching for Emily. I hadn’t seen her since the day began and had no idea what she wore. I just hoped I found her quickly.

When I took a turn to the other side of the shelf, I found her sitting at the outright end. She was staring at a book and I just paused.

I walked over to where she sat and called her but she was lost in her thoughts. She was obviously thinking and not reading.

“Emily.”

“Emily?”

How could everyone else hear and totter their heads but she didn’t?

I touched her and called her name one last time. “Emily.”

She flinched at my touch but I could see her chest fall when she saw it was me. She looked beautiful… Just a little worried and her face, her lips were bruised. I frowned at the thought that it could be a love bite.

“Devin,” she replied, in a relaxing tone.

“Hey, I didn’t know I’ll meet you here. Just turned around and caught a glimpse of you.”

It was obviously a lie, I knew I would see her here and that was the reason I came here.

“Oh.”

“I’m sorry, didn’t mean to scare you or disturb you.”

I could see the scared flick her face gave when she saw me. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah… Uh, yeah,” she stammered.

“What are you thinking of? You didn’t look like you were reading when I walked in.”

“Nah” she waved her left palm, “I was reading. I was till I got oblivious of my surrounding.”

Indeeeeeed.

“What book are you reading?” I asked gesturing to the book in her hands.

“Oh, this?” She implored, turning to the book. “It’s just a random book on Hormones.”

My brows furrowed. Why was she reading a random book on hormones?

Was she feeling something and was wondering if it was her hormone?

I took the seat beside her and sat down. The next minutes were completely silent. She barely said a word and I could tell she was completely uncomfortable with me around.

I should probably leave her but I’ve felt the urge to see her since I met her father. I felt a surge of emotion, Emily made me feel something that I never felt. It felt like with her I didn’t care what anyone thought. I just wanted to be myself around her and more than anything, I wanted to be completely straightforward and honest.

This feeling felt strange but if I was asked to explain what I feel for Emily, I’ll only say I think I’m in love with her. There was a problem though, Emily is a minor and how was I going to explain I was in love with a minor? Fuck it.

Emily continued looking down at the book. It was visible that she was just staring blankly but her view was so perfect. Her hair was plaited in a bun behind and some strands just fell on her face messily. Everything about her made me smile except the bruise on her lip.

“What got you bruised?” I asked.

She raised her head to me and for a second, she said nothing. When she finally thought of something she said, “it wall our kitchen wall, I was dizzy and got bruised.”

I don’t know if she wasn’t hearing herself but she sound so unbelievable.

“You suck at lying, Emily.”

“But I’m not lying,” she dragged.

“Maybe, but you’re not saying the truth either.”

“Maybe.”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

I loved that she was finally sincere. I wasn’t a kid, anyone could easily guess it was a rough kiss. I felt my skin prick the moment I thought of who could have kissed her. Was it Xavier? Of course.

I tried removing the thoughts from my head as I stared at her. She was so adorable, I would want her too if I was her father.

James explained he wanted Emily back, and he would do anything to have her. I understood his feeling and wondered if my parents would have done the same if they were alive or of I knew them.

James was doing what every father would do, he was just doing his in a wrong way. He paid me to date his daughter and have myself turned in for dating a minor. According to him, he’d then file a case saying her mom wasn’t taking care of her and ask for custody of her. That way, she’d be taken away from her mother.

I can’t say I know much but I know Emily loves her mother and would never think of leaving her. James wanting to take her from her mother was just going to be a hard one for Emily but I couldn’t do anything except take the job.

I wasn’t going to pretend about loving her because I already did. She made me care so much for a person who wasn’t me. I just hated that I was already playing games that I was trying to avoid. I accepted the job and money from James because I needed it not because I wanted to but Emily.

“I only came to check on you..”

“Oh yeah, thanks, Devin.”

She wasn’t sounding dismissive but I knew I needed to give her some time to think and possibly give myself a minute. If I had to do a clean job for James, then I needed to make the whole thing believable. I wouldn’t just recline in silence with her this minute and ask her to be my girlfriend the next minute.

I thought of something that I could say or do to release the tension between us.

“Will you be free later today? For a walk or something.”

I wasn’t sure of her reply but I had to give it a try.

“Sure.”

A content smile crept on my lips. She didn’t even need a minute to think and that was a good one for me.

“Sure?” I asked re-confirming her reply.

“Yeah, sure.”

I adjusted on the seat beside her and closed the gap between us. Her hair strand was lazily falling on her face and I stretched my hands to tuck it behind her hair. At that point, she turned her head with her gaze falling on my face and her lips touching my hands.

She looked so beautiful, adorable, and innocent. Her lips called mine but I couldn’t afford to kiss her. I regret taking the job from James.