Free Bad Fighter Stepbrother (Book 2) by Michelle Black Page A

she felt. Her mom would be so disappointed in her. “Nothing happened,” she said after a pregnant pause.
    Julia cocked an eyebrow at her, and Emma shook her head. “Honest. I took him home, washed out a cut, and then went to bed. When I got up, extremely hung over, I might add, he was gone.”
    The look Julia gave her made it clear that she didn’t believe it. Of all the people who would accept her and Aiden having a relationship, it was Julia. She didn’t see them as stepsiblings and knew about Emma’s crush long before they became siblings. Relationship? She didn’t even know if she wanted a relationship, and it was clear that Aiden didn’t want one. After all, why the hell had he run if he did?
    He wouldn’t have. Aiden was a fighter and he wasn’t scared of anything. He wouldn’t turn tail and run at the first sign of a relationship...or maybe he would. After all, he’d had lots of relationships over the years, she knew that from the various reports from his dad.
    Julia glanced at her before she looked back at the mare. The handler was leading the mare back towards the stables and Emma found herself watching the horse, as well. “I have to say,” Julia broke the silence between them, “when I watched him defend your honor, I was so hot. I was ready to show him my gratitude right then and there.”
    Emma laughed and shook her head. “Yeah right, you’ve never liked him, Julia. I can’t see you wanting to sleep with him.” Besides, you are head over heels in love with my brother, she silently added. “Anyway, don’t you hate fighters?”
    Julia’s expression turned serious and her eyes welled with some unknown emotion. “I only hated him because of how he treated you, considering that you were head over heels for him,” she said bluntly. “And you still are.”
    Emma’s mouth dropped and she stared at her friend. “Look, I know you’re lying,” Julia continued. “You may not want to admit it, but something happened between you and Aiden that night. But you are too pigheaded to admit it and while I never took him for a coward, he has been scared off by something.”
    Julia turned towards the stables and began to follow the mare in. Emma followed behind her, completely in shock. Was she that transparent? How could Julia know? “I’m not saying it will be easy if you do pursue something, but everyone will come to accept it. You owe it to yourself to see where those feelings you and Aiden have can go.”
    Emma fell into step beside her friend and placed a hand on her arm, stopping her. “I don’t think Aiden has any feelings towards me.”It was the most vulnerable thing she’d ever said to her friend because it hinted at all the emotions she wasn’t ready to admit to.
    Julia patted her hand and shook her head. “He is as silly as you are. You may not have seen anything other than how he was dancing with other women, but he was watching you the entire time you were at the club. He couldn’t take his eyes off of you, actually.”
    Shaking her head, Emma said, “No, I don’t think so. I saw him. He was always busy with one girl or another hanging all over him.”
    “Yeah, that’s what he tried to make it look like, but his attention was on you a hundred percent.” She sighed and said, “Look, Emma, I know you don’t see a way for your two to work, but don’t be a dumbass like I was...if you are, you will regret it every day of your life. Take the chance and pursue him.”
    With that, Julia walked away and Emma watched her go. She knew whom Julia was talking about, but she couldn’t see any way to help her friend. And as optimistic as Julia was about her relationship with Aiden, she couldn’t be. For starters, how could she pursue anyone who wasn’t here?

Chapter Two
    “Damn it,” Emma cursed at the large therapy tub. It had been out of commission for a week now and the service people still hadn’t come to fix it. She was out of patience and had tried to get it working again on