Shattered Girl (Emmy) novel Chapter 86

Chapter 86 

Is there anywhere we can look that is a little more secluded but still close enough to the university and city to make it manageable for everyone?” The guys all stopped talking to consider my question. 

“We aren’t going to find the type of seclusion we have here, but there are several areas we could check out that are only a twenty- to twenty–five- minute drive to the city and university,” Patrick said, typing into his phone. Here, this is what I was talking about.” Patrick slid his phone across the table to me, and I looked at the sight he had loaded onto his phone. 

The information he had pulled up showed a smaller town, only a twenty–minute drive from the university. The houses that were listed for sale were all Large enough to our needs, and almost all of them had some amount of land, so while there were neighbors, they wouldn’t be on top of us like in the city. 

“I like this idea, are there more places like this that could work? I slid Patrick’s phone back to him, and Jake leaned over to take a look. 

“Yeah, I like that area; it’s close to school but has plenty of privacy. Josh nodded his head in agreement. 

Our discussion was interupted by the waitress returning with our food. We dug into our food, my moan of pleasure causing the guys to all stop and look at me. “What? It’s good,” I grumbled, ignoring Josh’s short and focusing on my burger. 

After we finished eating, we decided to walk around town and explore a little more before heading home to swim. We were wandering down a tree–lined street a couple of blocks from the diner when I spotted a small second–hand store. When I stopped to look in the window, I saw that the space had been divided into small rooms, and each area held something different. The space that held my attention, though, was set up to look like a home library, and I fell in love instantly. Ducking into the store, I went straight to that section, running my hand along the books that lined the shelves, and stroking the soft pillows that decorated the cozy reading chairs. 

was so focused on exploring the space, lost in my own head, that I didn’t even notice when someone walked up behind me. It wasn’t until I had leaned over to pull a book from a lower shelf to examine it and a hand connected with a loud crack on my ass that I realized I wasn’t alone. I spun around to find a grumpy Josh, muscular arms crossed over his chest and his eyebrow cocked. 

“Baby girl, you cannot disappear on us like that. You made all of us worry, and I thought poor Jamie was going to burst a blood vessel. He is following us everywhere for a reason, and he can’t guard your body if you vanish without saying anything.” Josh scolded, making me duck my head my heart feeling heavy in my chest. I became very interested in the patterned carpet covering the floor where I was standing Guilt and embarrassment made tears threaten to spill from my eyes, but I bit the inside of my cheek, fighting to hold them hack. I was tracing the lines of the carpet with my eyes, when Josh reached out, cupping my chin and moving my head up until my eyes were on him, 

“Im sorry,” I whispered exhaling a shakey voice around the lump that had formed in my throat when he began scolding me. When he saw my tear–filled eyes and trembling lip, he pulled me into a tight hug, pressing a kiss onto the top of my head. I wrapped my hands around his trim waist, holding fistfuls of his soft t–shirt in my trembling hands 

“Oh baby girl, what am I going to do with you?” Josh said wrapping me in a tight hug, and then running his hand up and down my back in a soothing 

motion. 

don’t be mad at me; I didn’t mean to make everyone worry or to upset Jamie.” I whispered into his shirt. 

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“I’m not mad; I was scared, baby,” Josh murmured against my hair as he pressed another kiss to the top of my head. I shook my head in understanding, then Josh was lifting my chin again until he could look me in the eyes 

“But baby girl, if you ever do something like this again, I will take you to the first private place I can find and spank that little ass of yours until you have learned your lesson. Do you understand? Josh still had his eyebrow cocked so 1 knew he wasn’t playing around. 

“Yes sir, I promise I won’t do it again.” I tried to duck my head again but Josh’s hand cupping my face stopped me. 

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“Good girl,” he whispered before kissing my lips. Taking 

g my hand in this, he led me out of the store to my group of waiting guys. 

When I stepped outside with Josh, I heard several relieved sighs, and I saw Jamie visibly relax, now that he had eyes on all of us again. 

02:59 

Josh gave my hand a squeeze, and when I looked at him, he nodded his head in Jamie’s direction. Releasing my hand and giving my butt a gentle pat, I knew he wanted me to apologize to Jamle,