Hatred With Benefits

E I G H T Y - T H R E E

EMERSON.

A frown takes over my face. "It's you. "

I leave the door open and turn back into the house with Jaxon's voice echoing behind me. "That's so

rude of you, dude. I thought you'd be happier to see me. "

"You aren't exactly the face I was expecting. " I tell him as I drop on the couch. But again, she was

determined to break up with me that night, why the hell would she show up now? You truly love to get

your hopes up, Emerson.

"And let me guess the face you were expecting. " Jaxon's voice pulls me out of my thoughts and he's

settling next to me. "Blue eyes and quite different hair. "

"Shut up. " I tell him and he laughs before he says, "Are things better between the two of you now?"

"Not quite. They're far from being better. " I say and he lifts a brow, "Why not? I thought you said your

brother was going to help with it?"

"I said he was going to help with the father's issue. I didn't say he was going to help with the girlfriend

issue. " I explain and he nods, "So the other issue is solved?"

"Let's just say the problem between me and Eva right now is more important. "

"Is that why you're not showing up at school yet?" He asks and I hum as I sink back against the couch.

"I don't think school is the right choice at the moment. "

There's a moment of silence between us before Jaxon says, "Do you need my help with anything? "

I turn my head to him and smile, slapping a hand on his shoulder. "No, man. Thank you for offering,

though. "

He nods and I watch as his eyes move down my body. When he raises his head, he says, "You look

like you lost weight. "

I remove my hand from his shoulder and look down at myself, "Do I? "

"You do. This love shit is really hard, isn't it?" He says and I chuckle, "It isn't always. "

"Well, I've seen enough to know I wouldn't want to fall into one. " He declares and I lift my gaze to him,

"Everyone says that, until they eventually fall into it without realizing. "

"Nah, man. I think the love I have for myself is enough to last me through my lifetime. " He states firmly

and I snort at his words, "You never fail to say the stupidest things. "

"There are no other truer words from men than mine. " He winks and then breaks into a laugh himself

and I merely shake my head as I hold a cushion to my chest.

"Will you be fine?" I meet his eyes at the sudden change in tone to serious and when I smile, he adds,

"I'm serious. I know you said you can handle it, but I also know when you try to hide your pain. "

"I'll be fine. " I assure him and when he narrows his eyes at me, I say, "Promise. "

"Good. " He mumbles before he proceeds to say, "I'd be laughing my ass off if you turn out to not be as

strong as you always claim. " He jokes and I hit his shoulder, earning a laugh from him.

"Do you want me to move in with you till your girl comes back? I can think of many different ways that

we could have fun. " Jaxon throws his legs over my lap and I look at the legs before I throw him an

irritated look, "Fuck no. And get your dirty legs off me. "

I throw his legs off, only for him to shift closer to my side. "I think I'll be a pretty better boyfriend; you'll

forget about—"

"Say one more word and I'll be throwing you out of here. " I glare at him and he rolls his eyes as he

moves back to his space. "Reject me, man. I wouldn't want to leave those pretty boobs either. "

"You're insane. " I tell him and he smiles as he throws a leg over me again. "Why do you think I'm your

friend?"

√THREE DAYS LATER.

"Fuck, I miss you. " I groan into the pillow as I fall on Eva's bed, spreading my arms across the sheets

and wishing I had her here to wrap them around instead. I've been trying to get to her, but all she does

is ignore me or tell me to leave her alone. Not that I don't deserve it, but I badly need her here.

Standing by her window every night in hope of her opening up to me is starting to wear me out.

The vibration of my phone makes me lift my hand to retrieve the device, and I'm quick to sit up on the

bed at the sight of her name on the screen.

She's calling me. Eva is calling me. She's fucking—

"Eva. " I'm quick to glue the phone to my ear with a heart that beats too fast than normal, only to pull it

back a bit at the loud sound that echoes through.

Furrowing my brows, I recheck to ensure it's her name across the screen before I press it back to my

ear. "Eva?"

"Emerson!" Her loud voice finally comes through, and the sound mixed with the cheerfulness with

which she calls my name both calms my heart and makes it races.

"Eva? Where are you? Why's it so loud there?" I ask her and there are some giggles, and unfamiliar

voices before she speaks again, "Emerson! I'm at the club and I'm having so much fun!"

I move to my feet, tossing the pillow to the side, "The club? What the fuck are you doing at the club?"

She ignores my question and says, "A club. Do you want to come? Should I let you— get your hands

off me!" Panic rushes through me at the change in her voice and I open my mouth again, "Eva? Eva?"

"Oh, hi Emerson. " She responds and I let out a breath of relief. "Eva, tell me which club you are in. "

"Why should I do that?" She chuckles and I say, "Because I want you to. "

"But I don't want to. " She argues and I pace across the room. "I want you to. Eva, please tell me the

name. "

"I'll think about it. " She says and I rub my forehead in frustration. "Eva! Tell me which club it is. "

"Will you beg me for it?" She asks and I nod, "Of course. Of course, I will ba— Eva. Please. I want to

know which it is. "

She hums. "Not enough. " Oh fucking God.

Closing my hand to calm the raging emotions inside me, I let out my next words in my softest tone.

"Please, baby. Tell me the name. "

There's nothing from her end before she finally answers. "Echostage. " And that's all I need to grab my

keys and rush out of the house.

~

I hurry out of the car, slamming the door behind me as I stride inside the club. My vision is blurred by NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

the lights that shine through every corner and I can barely hear a thing from the loud noises, but it isn't

long before I find her; her ash blonde hair standing out among the rest.

Finding her comes both as a relief and anger, and my hands form into fists, my teeth grinding against

each other as I watch her dance with a strange guy in a short skirt and a quite revealing top. His

hands... He has his hands on her fucking waist. He's touching her. And she's there. Seeming to enjoy

his presence.

I don't waste another second before I march towards her, moving his hand off her with a firm grip and

his wide eyes meets mine as he snaps his head to my view.

"Who the fuck are you?" He dares to ask me when all I want to do is throw my fist into his face.

"You have three seconds to run out of there. " I growl out and he looks back at Eva who's still standing

before he looks back at me, "Again, who the fuck are you to tell me what to—"

"One. " I let out, slowly twisting his hand in mine and I watch his face morph into one of pain. "Two. "

"Okay, fine fine! I'll go, you fucker. Let go of my hand!" He cries out and I release my grip on him. He

hisses out and throws me a glare before he turns around and walks away.

My chest falls in a sigh as I watch his frame disappear through the crowd before I take my eyes to the

dancing girl in front of me.

I step to her side and grab her hand. When our eyes meet, I stagger backwards a bit at the look of pure

excitement on her face; one I haven't seen in a very long time.

"You're here. I didn't think you would be here so fast. " She shouts over the music, turning her body to

me as she begins to move against mine and I swallow down my throat to calm myself before I pull her

along with me towards the exit without a word, despite her protests behind me.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" She frowns as I let go of her when we're away from the crowd and I

say, "You tell me what the fuck is wrong with you? Why the hell were you dancing with that guy?"

"I can dance with whoever the fuck I want to dance with! It's none of your fucking business!" She

snaps, her breath falling in short pants and I step forward till my face is in hers. "Yes, it is. You're mine.

Do you get that, Carson? You belong to me, and only I have the right to touch you that way. "

She holds my gaze for a while, blinking severally before she looks away, mumbling something under

her breath.

"What did you say?" I ask her and she lifts her head. "I said I'm not yours. "

"Oh, yes you are. " I tell her with a smile. "You always were and you always will be, and the next time I

catch another guy's hands on you; you won't like the outcome, Carson. "

"Fuck you. " She seethes and I chuckle, "So we're back to this game now? I can remember it didn't end

so well for you last time. "

"Fuck off. " She says again, taking a step back, only to almost trip on her feet and my hands shoot out

to grab her, my grip staying on her waist as I steady her. She raises her head to me, and the echoes of

my heart ringing in my chest are loud in my ears at the shift in the air between us. My eyes move over

her features before it drops to her lips, and they look so fucking enticing than I remember.

My head is moving closer, or maybe it's hers, or maybe it's the two of us. I don't know and I don't care

to know as the gap between us slowly becomes invisible and I'm this close to taking her plumps lips in

mine, only for her to hiccup.

I close my eyes and let out a sigh before I pull back and when I open my eyes, she hiccups again.

"How much did you drink?" I ask her and she giggles as she closes a hand over her mouth. "Eva, how

many glasses did you have?" I ask her again and she says, "I don't know. I wasn't counting and you

spoiled the fun. "

"Why are you here alone? How about your friend?" I lift a brow and she giggles again, "My friend? Do

you mean Aliya? I don't know. She isn't speaking to me. "

My heart hurts as I watch her try to steady her feet again, hiccuping and giggling several times.

Outside, she looks happy and seems to be having the best time of her life, but I know she's really

hurting inside. Beneath all the excitement lies sadness and distress.

Just as she's about to trip again, I slide my hand around her waist and she rests against me.

"Come on. I'll take you home. " I tell her and she tries to move out of my grip, "No. I don't want to go

with you. "

"Don't be stubborn, Eva. We're leaving here. " I insist and when she keeps struggling, I lift my hand to

her face and turn her head to me. "You called me here for a reason, didn't you?"

She remains still after those words and I take that as my cue as I lead her to where my car is parked. I

carry her inside and carefully settle her on her seat before I close the door and climb in through the

other.

I move over the divider to fasten her seatbelt and my heart skips a beat when she suddenly turns her

head to me. God, she's fucking breathtaking.

"Why are you so close?" She mumbles, pressing her hand to my chest and I clear my throat before I

move back to my seat. "Did you bring a purse with you?"

"Yes. Here. " She shows me the small purse attached to her skirt and I check for her phone before I

start the car.

"Where are you taking me?" She murmurs after a while and I take a glance at her to see she's leaning

against the window before I look back to the front. "Home. "

"No. " She says and when I look at her again, her gaze is turned to me.

"Why not? You need to go home. " I tell her and she says, "No, don't take me there. I don't want to go

there. "

"Eva—"

"I don't want to go there. " She insists in a firmer voice and I sigh, using both hands on the steering

wheel. "I don't know where else to take you other than there. I'd ask you to come to the apartment, but I

know you don't want to so—"

"Take me there. " She interrupts me before I can finish and I turn my head to her in surprise. "Uh? What

did you say?"

"The apartment. Take me there. " She repeats her words, meeting my eyes before she turns her head

back to the window and a small smile touches my lips at that confirmation from her as I lean one hand

arm against the side and press a finger to my lips.

~

"We're here. " I notify Eva as I stop the car in front of the house, and she raises her head, staring at the

view in front of us without making a move.

I look between her and the house before I let out the words that hurt my throat to speak, "You don't

have to come in if you don't want to. "

She doesn't give me a response as she climbs out of the car, and I smile before I remove the key and

follow after her, staying behind her in case she trips.

"Are you okay?" I ask Eva as we successfully get inside the house, and when I turn around to her view;

she pulls me by the front of my shirt and yanks me towards her.

"What do you think you're—" I start to speak but the rest of my words are silenced by her mouth on

mine and my eyes widen by the startling action with my hands hanging in the air by her sides. She

grips my shirt tighter as she tilts her head to the side to deepen the kiss, and the feel of her mouth on

mine again sparks a need within me. The feel of her taste almost makes everything else non-existent—

including the situation we're in but I manage to catch onto myself.

Pulling back from the kiss, I let my hands fall on her shoulders and say, "Eva, what are you doing?"

A tiny smile rests on her face and she looks me down as she swipes her tongue over her bottom lip

before pulling it between her teeth, and Fuck— she's got to be doing this intentionally.

"Eva. " I let out a groan of her name, the sound painful to my ears and she hums as her hands slide

down my chest to the front of my pants. She hooks her fingers around the waistband before she meets

my eyes and says, "I want you. "

Three simple words that fucks with my entire senses and have me shaking on the damn spot. My chest

thumps wildly in my chest, and the need for her within me intensifies at the sound of those words falling

from her mouth after such a long time. How long has it been? A week or more? It feels like a damn

year.

However... "No, you don't mean that. You're drunk. " I tell her, knowing she's in fact drunk and this is

just the alcohol speaking. Sober Eva wouldn't say those words to me. Not with what we have going on.

She shakes her head, stepping forward as her thumb caresses the front of my pants and I hiss at the

immediate reaction to her touch. Eva keeps her eyes fixed on me as she repeats the action before she

leans on her toes to reach my ears, her breath hot against the skin as she whispers, "I want you,

Emerson. "

I don't know if it's because of the lack of touch from her for a while, or because she's being extra

seductive in this way, but this dangerous game she's playing is making me burn in all the wrong places,

and I'm watching my control slip off with each second that passes. Each second brings me closer to

ignoring everything else, and giving into what she asks of me— even when I know there'll be

consequences when she's sober and aware of what took place the next morning.

"You don't. " It takes every struggle in me to get those words out and Eva doesn't help when she draws

back and shifts her gaze to my lips. They suddenly burn under her intense gaze, and I need her to take

the fire out. I need her lips on... Fuck, no, Emerson. You'll not think about that.

"You're drunk and you need to—" I'm unable to finish my words when Eva suddenly swats my hands off

her and takes a step away from me, taking with her, her warmth and everything else that excites my

nerves.

Then she dares to look into my eyes and say, "Emerson. It's either you fuck me, or I walk out of this

place and find someone who will. And something just tells me I have a lot of options to choose from. "