Undone (36 page)

Midway through the day, Embry’s phone went off. She had long since removed Luke’s picture, but his name still flashed across the screen. Jeremy stared at it from across the table. Being Luke’s research assistant, it was no secret that he called her, but she could tell that Jeremy still thought something more was going on. She pressed ignore and continued working on her memo. The phone buzzed again a few minutes later. A text message. Jeremy’s eyes darted to the screen again, but Embry snatched up the phone.

I know you’re studying, but I need you for a minute. Call me?

She saved her work and left her computer on the table. “Be right back.” She put on a fake smile. Jeremy’s scrutiny made her uncomfortable. She walked out of the library and dialed Luke.

“Hey, beautiful.”

“Hey, yourself. What’s up?” She came off a bit more testy than she meant.

“Everything okay?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Embry dragged a hand through her hair, frustrated. She sat in the nearest chair and leaned her head back. “I’m fine. Just stressed, I guess.”

“Anything I can do?”

“We’re still on for tonight, right?” she asked, hopeful. Luke had agreed to cook her dinner at his place so that she could focus on studying.

“Of course.”

“Then that’s all I need,” she said, her tone softening. “So what were you calling about?”

“I’ll talk to you about it tonight. If you’re already stressing, I don’t want to add to it.”

She knew he was backpedaling for a reason, and she could guess what it was. “Out with it. Just tell me.”

“I filed your petition this morning.”

“And?”

“The judge issued a temporary order of protection, but there will have to be a hearing to finalize it. Jack will be notified, and I’m sure he’ll attend the hearing.”

Embry’s stomach rose into her throat. The thought of facing Jack again had her heart racing, and not in a good way. She was still freaked out about the fact that he would have her home address and know where she went to school. It was necessary for him to be able to comply with the restraining order, but that didn’t make her feel any better.

“You okay, Bree?”

“What does that mean for me?” she asked in a small voice.

“It means we’ll have him out of your life for two to five years. We took pictures of your bruises and I’m working on getting a court order for the phone records to show harassment.”

“But I’ll have to see him again?” The thought sent shivers down her spine.

“Yes. But I’ll be there with you every step of the way, okay?”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

Those two words were all she needed. She knew she sounded like a child, but it didn’t matter. Pulling back her sweater’s sleeve, she stared at the bruises on her wrist. She couldn’t do it alone.

Embry wore a path across Luke’s living room floor as she paced back and forth and recited her outline aloud. She’d realized that if she talked out the laws as if she were explaining them to someone else, she learned the material better.

“Easy, baby,” Luke called from the kitchen. “You’re going to wear a hole right through the floor.”

Embry stopped long enough to give him a pointed look then continued her pacing. “Modification of a contract,” she said, walking around the room. “There must be a voluntary agreement, the contract must not be fully performed by either side, and the circumstances prompting modification must be unanticipated by the parties.”

“You’re missing one,” Luke chimed in, walking into the room.

She hurled her outline at him. He snatched it out of the air and smiled at her.

“Stop interfering!” she said.

He held up his hands in mock surrender. “I’m just trying to help.” He set the outline down before walking over and wrapping her in his arms.

“I know, and I appreciate it, but you can’t.” She rested her forehead on his chest and took a deep breath, trying to focus.

He kissed the top of her head. “But I can. Let me help you.”

She glared up at him. “No, you can’t. You’re my professor.”

He smiled, clearly unfazed by her attitude. “No, I’m just your boyfriend helping you study.”

“My boyfriend who also happens to teach my contracts class. No one else in class has a professor helping them study.”

“Actually, you all do.”

“What?” she asked, perplexed.

“The review session tomorrow,” he answered.

Most of the professors had scheduled review classes in the days leading up to finals. Attendance was optional, but Embry had heard that sometimes they gave hints about what to expect during the exam.

“Not the same,” she said.

He shrugged. “Thought I’d try.”

“Fine. How about I let you tell me the fourth requirement for contract modification?”

His lips tipped into a small grin. “Fair and equitable.”

“Ah, I knew that!” she said, smacking her forehead into his chest.

“Come on.” He grabbed her hands and pulled her toward the kitchen. “Dinner’s almost ready. I’ll quiz you while we eat.”

Embry sat in front of the computer chewing on her bottom lip, her knee bouncing up and down.

“Will you stop?” Luke asked, placing a hand on her knee.

“I’m nervous,” she admitted.

He swept his lips across her cheek. “I can tell, but there’s no need.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that I am.”

“She’s four, baby.”

She glared at him. “Now you’re just making me feel stupid.”

Luke had a Skype date with his niece, and she wanted to “meet” Embry. He didn’t talk much about his family, but she knew he adored his niece. Mackayla meant the world to him, and Embry desperately wanted Mackayla to like her.

Luke pulled up Skype and hovered the mouse over the call button. He looked at Embry, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “You ready?”

She nodded and sat waiting for the chat to connect.

“Uncle Lukey?” Mackayla’s high-pitched voice came through the speakers before the video connected.

“I’m here, sweet pea,” he answered.

The video caught up to the audio, and Mackayla’s smiling face filled the screen. She had white-blond hair pulled into French braids on either side of her head and big brown eyes. “Hi!”

“Hey, how’s my girl?” Luke asked with a huge smile.

“Uncle Luke?” she responded, ignoring his question. Embry couldn’t get over her cuteness.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“Who is that pretty lady?” she said, pointing at the screen.

“That’s my friend Embry. Remember we talked about her?”

Embry loved the way his tone softened when he spoke to his niece. As if her boyfriend weren’t swoony enough already.

“Embry, meet Mac. Mackie, this is Embry,” Luke said.

“Hey, Mac.” Embry waved into the camera.

“Nice to meet you, Embee!” she said, mispronouncing Embry’s name in that adorable way only a toddler can.

“Nice to meet you too, sweetheart.”

“Are you going to come see the big Christmas tree with us?”

“Um …” Embry glanced at Luke. “I’m not sure.”

“Uncle Luke said when we come visit, he’s gonna take me to see a big tree in the rock-ee-fella center.”

Embry giggled. “That’s a great idea. You’re going to love it!”

“Uncle Luke?” Mackayla asked, batting her long blond eyelashes. She clearly knew she had her uncle wrapped around her finger.

“Yeah, Mackie?” he answered.

“Can Embee come to the tree with me?”

“Sure, I—” Embry started, but she was interrupted by Luke.

“I think she’s gonna be busy, sweetheart.”

Embry’s mouth fell open, but she recovered quickly and nodded to agree with Luke.
What the hell
? Stunned, Embry sat next to him while he continued to chat with his niece. She responded to Mackayla and kept a smile plastered on her face, but she was stuck in her head, worrying over why Luke was once again being shady about his family.

She’d thought it was a fluke when he hadn’t told her about his visit to Georgia last month. But this time, not only had he failed to mention that his family was coming up for the holidays, he’d actually made it clear that Embry wouldn’t be there. She was baffled. He wasn’t shy about telling his mother about her, or even having her on speakerphone, but maybe he wasn’t ready to have his family meet her. Was he ashamed of her? Then why let her Skype with his niece?

Her mind spun, trying to make sense of his behavior. It was giving her a headache. She told Luke she was tired, said good night to Mackayla, and went to bed. She lay awake studying her outline, but when she heard Luke leaving his office, she shut off the light and pretended to be asleep. She didn’t want to talk to him yet. Not until she could get her emotions straight. She was pissed off. Hurt. Confused. Her heart raced with anxiety when she heard him walk in. She heard his clothes fall to the floor and felt the bed shift as his naked body pressed up against hers.

“You awake, baby?” he asked, snaking his arm around her waist and nuzzling her neck.

“Hmm?” Embry answered, pretending to be half asleep.

“I know you’re awake.” His lips brushed her jaw. “I saw the light turn off not even a minute ago. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She desperately fought her body’s desire to respond to his touch. Mad or not, she couldn’t help it when his mouth was on her skin.

He pulled at her arm, rolling her over to face him in the dark. “Talk to me.”

Embry shook her head, not trusting herself to talk. She didn’t want him to hear how upset she was.

“Please?” He swept kisses across her cheek.

“Tomorrow,” she said softly. “Can we just talk tomorrow?”

“All right, baby.” She rolled back to her original position, and he pulled her against his chest as he said, “Love you.”

“I know,” she whispered. And she did know. She just couldn’t shake the feeling that Luke was still hiding something. Why else would he not want her around his family?

“Okay, enough,” Luke said, startling Embry as she poured her coffee into a travel mug.

She had avoided him all morning, only speaking when he spoke first. She thought that if she slept on it, she’d wake up and have the answer to the mystery that was Luke. Instead, she was up half the night. The little sleep she got was marred by nightmares about Luke and finals and Jack and anything else her mind could come up with to freak her out.

“What?” Embry said harshly as she faced him.

“Enough with the silent treatment. Talk to me.”

“Fine.” Embry slammed the mug on the counter. “Why did you tell your niece that I would be busy when you take her to see the tree?”

“Seriously?” he asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.

His response pissed her off even further. “Yes, seriously. Did you even think to tell me your family was coming to visit? Being that I don’t know what my plans are for the holidays, I’d love to know how you know that I’ll be busy.”

“Embry,” Luke said in a warning tone.

“No, Luke, I don’t understand. Are you ashamed of me? Because I feel like I’m your dirty little secret.”

Luke’s eyes went wide. “Dirty little secret? You wanted this. We both wanted this. We knew full well what it meant when we decided to be together. No one knows about us except for Morgan, and that couldn’t be helped.”