Unbroken

day—when the rest of his classmates are wandering around in PJs and raggedy jeans—he’s cleanly-shaven and dressed in a button-down Oxford shirt and preppy pants.
    I breathe him in, the familiar clean scent of citrus and aftershave, and just like that, Cedar Cove recedes way to the back of my mind.
    I don’t know what I was thinking, wanting to tell him about Emerson. I wasn’t thinking at all. I’d have to be crazy to fuck things up with a man like this. A good man who loves me—not the bastard who broke my heart.
    “Jules?”
    I blink. Daniel is staring down at me. He releases me from his embrace, and frowns. “I asked when you’re going back? Hey, are you OK?” He looks at me quizzically.
    “Fine!” I answer quickly. “Just, tired, from the drive.” I catch my breath. “I’m not sure when I’ll go back. It’s so much work. Maybe it’d be better to get a packing service in,” I add, “The realtor said she knew some people.”
    “I thought you wanted the time to study.” Daniel takes my hand in his and starts walking. I don’t need to ask where we’re going: he always takes his lunch break at a sandwich shop down the street. Roast turkey on wholegrain, mustard, no pickle. “You said it’d be easier to focus out there, with no distractions.”
    Focus? Ha. There’s no way I’m getting any study done in that house, not with Emerson ready to come sweep me off my feet and slam me up against the porch door.
    “I don’t know,” I give a vague shrug. “That house… there are too many memories.”
    Memories of what, I don’t tell him.
    Daniel gives my hand a sympathetic squeeze. “Whatever you want, babe. Maybe you should wait until after finals,” he suggests, sounding enthusiastic. “Then we could both go down together. Take a couple of weeks, have a real vacation. Pack up while we’re there.”
    My blood freezes. Daniel and Emerson in the same five mile radius? Hell no!
    “No!” I yelp. “I mean, dad wants to sell now. Like, in the next month. It’s sweet of you to offer,” I tell him quickly, “But it’s my problem. I’ll figure it out.”
    “Sure you will.” Daniel smiles at me. “Hey, that reminds me. Your sister invited us to dinner with her and Alexander tonight. I said you were out of town, but I’ll let her know we can make it now.”
    I stop. Just the mention of my sister is enough to make me tense. “Dinner? Really? I kind of just wanted to chill with you tonight.”
    “Come on, it’ll be fun,” Daniel urges me. “And we have to go. You’ve been blowing off her invites for months now.”
    “That’s because I don’t want to go.” I mutter darkly.
    Daniel laughs. “She’s your sister, it’ll be fine. I’ll drive, so you can even have a glass of wine.”
    Try the whole damn bottle, I silently add.
    “So, I’ll call her,” Daniel smiles, hugging me. I want to argue, but I know, family is important to Daniel. He talks to his older brother all the time, and calls his parents every Sunday like clock-work. Back when we started dating, I didn’t want him knowing how fucked up my folks are, so I acted like we were just regular people: distant, but fine. Instead of leaving things be, now he acts like it’s his duty to bring us all back together any opportunity he gets.
    I look up at him. Daniel seems so expectant, and I feel so guilty, that I sigh and nod. “Fine, we’ll go.
    “Great.” Daniel looks satisfied: one more step in his ‘reunite the family’ plan accomplished. “I’ve got a review session at one, but you good to meet later?”
    I nod again.
    He smiles. “I’m glad you’re back. I missed you.” Daniel pulls me closer and kisses me, soft and slow on my lips. I sink into his embrace, trying to block out all my guilty thoughts, but when I close my eyes, it’s not Daniel’s face I see, or his lips I feel pressing against mine.
    Emerson.
    I pull away. “You better get going if you don’t want to be late!” I exclaim brightly.
    Daniel checks his watch. “Shit, you’re right. See you at my apartment later?” His hands slide around my waist and squeeze suggestively. “I really missed you,” he adds with a meaningful grin.
    My heart catches in my throat. “Me too!” I squark, backing away. “Later!”
    Daniel heads off across campus. I take a breath. I’m surprised he can’t tell everything just from looking at my face. My skin is prickling with a guilty blush, and my heart is racing like I just robbed a bank.
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