Fever Dream (Emerald Lake, #1)(107)

One week left of this terrible charade.

One week left before Emmett and I can take this unspoken step forward.

It’s like we’re both waiting for that final shoe to drop so that we can be free. With Romance Ranch behind us, we’ll be able to start fresh. To try this thing out for real. Without Richard breathing down our necks.

Of course, there’s still the fact that we’ll need to keep it secret for an entire year. Something I can’t currently bring myself to face.

I sidestep all my worries. I lean on a skill that I’ve honed quite well over the past couple years: avoiding my problems by engaging in extreme productivity.

Which is why I’ve arrived to the set early.

“Good morning,” I singsong as I march into the production trailer with a box of donuts for the crew. “I come bearing goodies to make Monday morning a little more bearable.”

I plunk them down in front of Ben, and he turns to me with glee on his face. “Thank you, but this morning is already off to a great start.”

“Why is that?” I swipe a donut for myself, taking a bite before I prop a hip on the desk, glancing down at his large monitor.

“Because it would appear our bachelor was very busy last night.”

He clicks play, and I stop chewing.

The donut turns to sawdust in my mouth. My stomach drops hard and fast. The sick lurching takes over every synapse as I watch Evelyn’s silhouetted figure creeping up the front steps of Emmett’s cottage.

“Emmett, it’s me,” she murmurs.

I expect her advances to prove fruitless, but the front door swings open, and a darkened male figure fills the entryway.

I swallow but the donut lodges in my throat, making me feel like I’m choking.

It’s too dark to pick up any detail on the grainy security cameras, but the microphones picked up everything.

“Thank god you’re here,” Emmett responds.

My entire body feels like it’s on fire and my temples throb with betrayal.

“I told you I’d be able to sneak off.”

“Good girl. I’ve been dreaming of this,” Emmett says, low and full of lust.

I swallow again, but the donut is still stuck in my throat, and tears spring to my eyes.

I feel like I’m having an out-of-body experience.

He breaks hearts.

He gets around.

He’s just not a one-woman guy.

“Get your ass in here. I can’t wait any longer,” he rumbles before pulling her into the shadows. It’s hard to make out much unless it’s highlighted by the exterior lights. I see hands and hair as he fists her chocolate tresses and tips her head back for a kiss.

From there, they stumble back into the house and shut the door. What follows is a series of thumps, moans, and grunts.

Muffled exclamations follow over several minutes.

“Yes, Emmett!”

“Please, Emmett!”

“More, Emmett!”

I feel like I’m going to throw up the bite of donut that I just forced down. This is exactly what my brother warned me about less than twelve hours ago.

“Fucking perfect, right?” Ben says, eyes shining with pride.

“Yeah,” I say, trying not to sound out of breath even though my lungs are seizing in my chest and I’m finding it hard to breathe. “So great.”

I swallow as nausea builds.

He breaks hearts.

He gets around.

He’s just not a one-woman guy.

“I’ll be right back,” I say weakly, swallowing my saliva quickly over and over again, attempting to calm my stomach.

I hustle out of the trailer, clamping my lips together as a stray tear slips down my cheek. It’s hot enough out that the saltwater dries against my skin almost instantly. But seconds later, it’s replaced by another.

When I get behind one of the farthest trailers in the field, I press a hand against the metal wall, bend over, and empty my stomach into the grass.

My body shakes as I stare down at the remnants of my breakfast and get my bearings.

I feel dizzy and entirely unlike myself. Without thinking, I pull out my cell phone and fire off a text to Emmett. My trembling thumbs type out the only thing running through my head right now.

How could you?





I send it and watch as it shows up delivered. It’s a text message I never thought I’d have to send him. I feel disconnected from my body, my limbs numb.

I don’t even know what to do with myself. Everything feels watery and pointless.

There’s no way I can head back into the production trailer, and I have to wonder if I’m even fit to finish out the final week of work. I walked onto the set feeling so fucking positive about where this was all going.

It never once crossed my mind that Emmett would betray me like this. Theo has always warned me about him, but all I’ve learned over the past couple of months is that Theo was wrong.

But what if he wasn’t?

I feel duped in the worst way, and that’s what has me reeling.

I knew his reputation, but with us… it felt different. I know it was. Or maybe I only wanted to believe that.

Until now, he’s been nothing but honorable. This doesn’t fit. At all.

The strangest part? He’s been nothing but repulsed by Evelyn and her behavior. Hell, he called her Evilyn.