“He sure is. We’re going bowling later,” she replied, beaming a smile.

“That sounds cool. Have a good time.” Emily made her way over to the coffee bar to retrieve her purse. After ducking out from under the counter, she found Fallon standing right beside her, her expression filled with concern.

Emily looked at her suspiciously.

Twirling her black hair in between her fingers, Fallon hesitated before speaking. “Trevor told me you took Dillon back.”

“I did. We worked things out,” she replied, walking over to grab her jacket off the coat rack. “Why are you bringing it up now?”

“Well, I didn’t want to upset you during your shift.”

“Why would that upset me?”

Fallon cocked an incredulous brow. “Come on, Em. I know what happened with you and Gavin.”

Emily tried to ignore the pang of hurt in her chest when she heard his name, but it was no use. It ricocheted through her system. She slipped on her jacket and gave Fallon a questioning look. “How do you know what happened between us?”

Fallon blinked her gray eyes and shrugged. “Olivia told me.”

“Of course,” she sighed and started heading toward the door. Turning around, she zipped up her jacket, slung her purse over her shoulder, and let out another sigh. “Well, I’m fine,” she said softly, lying as smoothly as she could. She wasn’t fine. She was a mess, and by the look on Fallon’s face, she was pretty sure Fallon could tell she was.

Fallon approached her. “Why are you marrying him, Emily?” she asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Emily’s features morphed in shock at her question. “Fallon,” she let out exasperated, “what do you mean why am I marrying him?”

“I think the question is pretty straightforward, Country.” She dropped her hand from Emily’s shoulder, her voice low. “Why are you marrying him when you’re in love with Gavin?”

Bewildered by the breakneck pace of the conversation, Emily figured she would answer as truthfully as she could. “I think the answer’s pretty straightforward, Fallon. I’m marrying the man who loves me. I’ll talk to you later,” she said, setting off at a brisk pace toward the door.

“Emily, wait!” Fallon called out.

Emily held up a silencing hand, and reached for the door.

As she opened it to leave, her breath caught when Gavin’s brilliant blue eyes locked on hers. Shock rushed through every limb in her body, settling like heavy steel in her chest. She stared at him as he leaned against his car, uncaring of the cold rain pelting down around him. With his arms crossed, Gavin’s eyes raked over her from head to toe, and if Emily wasn’t mistaken, they showed something akin to anger. Momentarily, confusion crossed her features, but it quickly faded as anger of her own set in. Though she didn’t want to deal with any bullshit excuse he was about to spew out of his mouth, there was no hiding this time. She needed to face this—face him. Pulling in a quick breath, she gathered her nerve, composed herself, and stepped out onto the sidewalk.

“Ah, there she is. The girl who’s smashed my heart to pieces,” he said, his voice loud and menacing over the rain. “Was that your sole purpose in all of this—breaking my heart? Because if so, you’ve thoroughly accomplished that. “

“How dare you say that to me!” she yelled, her anger welling, bubbling deeper now.

“How dare I say that? I was nothing but a fucking reprieve for you while he was gone!” Uncrossing his arms, he stepped forward, flinging his hands aloft in complete surrender. “Is this some kind of fucking joke?” he laughed with no hint of amusement in his voice. “I took that pretty face for many things, but I have to admit a sick little player wasn’t one of them.”

Emily’s mouth hung agape. The frigid rain had nothing on the tenacity he had showing up and accusing her of being a player. That alone had her nearly frozen in disbelief. However, she decided to remain quiet. If he wanted to play games, she would allow him, but she would win at the end. Something inside her screamed to let him bury himself. She crossed her arms as defiance shimmered in her eyes, inviting him to his own funeral.

And Gavin would take the bait because that look in her eyes nearly drove him mad.

Though she ripped his soul from within his body, not touching her wasn’t an option. Not kissing her was impossible. He had to kiss her right there as the rain fell around them. Gavin moved to her with the fluency of a tiger attacking its prey. Before Emily could stumble back a few steps, he captured her by the waist and brutally crashed his lips over hers, his tongue parting them while she tried to push him away. For a second, she could taste his anger, aggravation, and possessiveness—and, damn him, if it didn’t confuse and piss her off more. As he sucked the rain clear off her bottom lip, lightening flashed above, its booming sound cracking to the earth in the distance.

“Are you fucking crazy, Gavin?” she hissed, jerking her head back as she tried to wiggle her way out of his hold.

“Am I crazy? Like a fool, I had faith in you—in us!” he growled, his voice rising, barely controlled, as he gripped her waist. He looked into her eyes, watching the beads of water trickle along her lashes and down her cheeks. “When did you take him back, Emily? Answer me that fucking question!”

Puddles pooled around their feet, and rain-soaked commuters dashed past them.

She stared at him, her heart pounding in her chest, with mutiny bold in her eyes. “I took him back about an hour after you left my apartment!” she hissed, her voice malicious in her attempt to cut every piece of him to shreds. She tried to pull away, but he held her firmly in place. “I took him back an hour after you brazenly hovered over my body and told me that you loved me!”

Glaring at her viciously, his hand came around the nape of her neck as he pulled her face within inches of his, their noses brushing. She felt his hot breath fan over her cold cheeks as her chest rose and fell. “You were awake when I was there?”

“Oh, I was awake and very well as a matter of fact,” she laughed maniacally, her words dripping with rage.

Gavin couldn’t believe what he was hearing or seeing. Surely, this wasn’t the same woman he was with only a few nights before. He’d heard of people being deemed temporarily insane, and in this very moment, he was completely ready to drive her straight to the nearest psychiatric ward.

No. Questions. Asked.

“How seriously twisted can you be?” he growled, his expression thunderous. She went to speak, but he cut her off. “Did you fuck him last night, Emily?” Her breath hitched, and her body heated as he tilted her neck back, his hand fisting the back of her hair. He grazed his lips over the corner of her mouth. He then slowly slid them to her ear, the slight stubble on his face brushing against her flesh, his voice a hot whisper. “And if you did fuck him last night, did he feel as good inside that beautiful pussy as I did? Was he able to make you beg for more the way I can?” He gently nipped her earlobe, nearly melting her right there. “And one final question for you, doll. Did you come as hard with him as you came for me?”

As the fierce downpour assaulted the pavement, her eyes narrowed on him, her heart exploding with grief and anger all at once. He loomed over her with their drenched clothing clinging against their bodies, their breathing heavy. “He made me come harder!” At this, he looked shocked—hurt even—but it didn’t stop her. “He felt just as awesome inside of me as your dick felt buried inside of Gina!”

With furrowed brows, Gavin reared back. “What are you talking about?”

“Gina,” she clarified slowly, her voice venomous. “I came to surprise you yesterday morning with breakfast, and it turned out the surprise was on me. Looked like you already ate. Your bed sheets were still warm from the two of us, and she opened your door practically naked. Give me a fucking break!” she screamed, watching as his expression shifted to one of unease.