Drawn to You — Volume Two Read Online Free PDF Page A

could take it all back, I would. At least if it meant she wouldn’t react this way toward me.
    “Alex said you would leave after you got what you needed from us. I guess I was just the cherry on top.”
    “It wasn’t like that…”
    “Emily!”
    We both turn at the sound of a voice coming from behind us. A young man with brown hair and a wide smile slips between us and slides up next to Emily. She turns and pulls him into an intimate embrace. I try my best to restrain myself at the sight of it. A streak of jealousy washes over me as Emily smiles at the handsome stranger. What I wouldn’t give to have that same reaction from me. It used to be that way before I went and fucked up everything good.
    “I was looking all over for you, Em,” he says. “I had to park two blocks down.”
    “Sorry, my brother was acting like a fool in front of the paparazzi.”
    Emily’s gaze slips to mine and then turns back to the stranger beside her. Before she has a chance to introduce us, he steps forward and extends me his hand to me.
    “Hi, I’m Augustine Andrews.”
    “Tristan Knight. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I say, gripping his hand. “How do you know Emily?”
    I know my question is intrusive, but I don’t care. I have to admit I never thought about the day that I would have to deal with Emily having someone else in her life.
    “He’s my boyfriend,” Emily blurts.
    My heart catapults as she intertwines her hand into Augustine’s hand. I swallow the lump in my throat as I try my best to feign my happiness for the couple. Despite my bias against any man for Emily, and the fact that it kills me to admit—Augustine seems surprisingly nice.
    “Yes, we’ve been together for almost a year now,” he adds suddenly.
    An awkward silence thickens between us as we wait for Nicholas to return to the hotel lobby.
    “We should go,” Emily says, piping up.
    “Right, we were actually on our way to a party,” Augustine says, shaking my hand. “It was nice meeting you.”
    “I’ll get your brother home,” I add.
    Emily stops for a moment and looks at me as if she’s going to thank me, but it isn’t long before she quietly turns and follows Augustine out one of the side doors of the Somerset Hotel. I watch them run across the street and down the way, as an unsettling emotion carves its way into my chest.
    Perhaps, after all this time, she was able to forget me… I can’t say the same.
     
     

SIX
    EMILY
     
    I CAN FEEL Augie’s eyes burning into the back of my skull as we head toward the party at NYU. Memories of Tristan taking me on the stairs back home flashes in front of me as we weave our way through traffic. I’ll never forget the way Tristan felt inside of me or the pressure of his cock pressing against my stomach. I’ve seen my fair share of nude men since, but none of them could compare to him. Losing my virginity to Tristan was not how I imagined it would go, but here I am, reminiscing about the man who used me and then left.
    “So… are you going to tell me why you introduced me as your boyfriend?” Augie asks.
    “Probably not.”
    I try my best to avoid his inquisitive gaze as we drive further away from the Somerset Hotel. It just so happens, seeing Tristan again is the last thing I want to talk about. I can’t believe I’ve been fawning after the memory of him for the past four years. Pathetic much? Feminists everywhere would be turning their noses at me in disgust.
    “Is Tristan that guy who used to live with you guys?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Hmmm… there’s something you’re not telling me.”
    “Nope.”
    Augie turns to me as we come to a full stop at a red light. Much like Ceci, he’s relentless with his interrogations. I’m not in favor of lying to my friends, but this is one secret I’ve lived with for the past four years. If my brother or father ever found out, I’m not sure what they would do. Having your father as one of the most powerful men in the city isn’t always a good thing.