"Oh, you caught that did you?"

"Yeah. So...?"

Rafael looked uncomfortable with the conversation but I wasn't one to stop prying just because the other person didn't particularly enjoy the topic, I was stubborn that way.

He sighed and swirled the straw in his milkshake that the waitress had dropped off on her way to take our food orders to the kitchen.

"A few years ago, Emmett was on his way to the NFL and his agent was wanting him to get acquainted with the owner of the team that was recruiting him, which was my father."

"Wow. Okay, what team was that?"

"The Seattle Seahawks. At first everything was fine, we went out to a few clubs and partied together for a while and honestly he was a really good friend, until his girlfriend got involved."

"His girlfriend? The one that cheated on him?"

"I guess so. Apparently she didn't want him going pro so soon and wanted him to stay in college ball while she was still going through school so they could be together. When word got back to the recruiter that his star player was wanting to delay his acceptance to the Seahawks he withdrew his recruitment and that was when he called me out of his mind and we met up at the club that night to talk. It wasn't pretty..."

It was hard to tell if everything Rafael was saying was the actual truth considering I had a really bad radar when it came to liars, case in point my lying cheating ex fiancee.

"What happened at the club?"

"He showed up drunk and tried to fight me, threatening me to get him back on the team. Then his girlfriend showed up and they got into a fight right in front of me and they broke up and I realize how bad this is going to sound on my part but she went home with me that night."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I had no idea you two even knew each other."

"It's okay, it doesn't surprise me honestly, his attitude towards me has been very hot and cold since I moved in a few days ago."

I thought back to the sensitive and sweet Emmett from the club and the tender moment we shared when he motivated me to go back to school and face Layla.

But then I thought back to him being callous and straight up disgusting towards me and I realized I had no idea who Emmett Scott really was, and no matter how hard I tried to see the good in people, the more my mind kept reminding me that there was no good in Nate and I imagined it all myself.

I didn't need to imagine the good in Emmett either, especially if there was none.

"A few days? So what was it exactly that made you move out and in a house with your brother and two other guys?"

I laughed, clearing my throat to prepare myself to tell the story.

"Well, I was actually engaged. He cheated with my best friend and I caught them at his work. The apartment was in his name and I'm not on the best terms with the rest of my family because of some stuff in the past and so my brother was pretty much my last option."

"And you just recently found out he cheated? How are you even functioning right now?"

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, wondering if he meant that I should've been dissolved in a puddle of tears on my bedroom floor just because my ex had cheated.

"Well, I kind of knew the relationship was over for a long time but didn't want to admit it to myself. I was in denial that he was actually a good guy when to tell the truth I wasn't all that surprised when I found out what he'd been doing to me."

"I've never been cheated on, but I can only imagine the pain that must've caused. You're so strong to have come out of that relationship in such a good place."

"Thank you. So, tell me about you, what you do at your job and why you're in town, stuff like that."

I found out that he was an overseer of his father's company and would take over the reigns when he passed the company down to him in a year because of his dad's growing age.

He was in town for a business meeting with the Dallas Cowboy's owner as Rafael was in charge of the NFL team that his father owned.

He was twenty-nine and had only been in one serious relationship but it didn't work out because she couldn't commit to marrying him like he wanted.

His brown eyes pierced into mine and goosebumps rose up on my arms from the intensity of his gaze.

It was a scrutinizing look that he gave me, one that made it seem as if he were trying to figure me out, but all it did was unnerve me...in a good way.

I squirmed in my seat as he continued talking and picked at my food like a bird. I downed my milkshake, playing with the straw as I listened intently to his life story.

He was born in the U.S. but his parents were born in Venezuela and had immigrated to the U.S. for a better life for their family and because of this he had a very strong work ethic.

The date didn't really follow first date conversation guidelines as the stories we told were more than personal and the way he spoke made it seem like he was making an effort to really get to know me and vice versus.

The conversation was one of the most alluring and attractive situations I'd ever been in, and he hadn't even touched me yet.

I was about to ask where we were going next but he beat me to it, explaining that he was taking me back home.

At first I was disappointed but then I thought that it probably wasn't a good idea to jump into something so soon after separating from Nate.

All too soon we were pulled up to my house and we sat quietly in the driveway, no more scintillating conversation to distract us, just the chirping of crickets and croaking frogs in the distance to aid the ambient noise in the idling car.

I reached for the door handle but his hand on top of mine stopped me.

Shivers raced down my spine at his touch. Our gazes connected and the heat in his almond shaped eyes stripped me bare down to my core, a burning trail of chills revealing myself to him.

We both leaned in at the same time and our lips connected in a simple yet searing first kiss.

It was chaste at first, and I pulled back expecting him to walk me to the front door but his hand caught me around the back of my neck and pulled me to him gently once again, except this kiss was different.

The passion in his touch was palpable as our lips moved in synchronization with each other, and although I wanted it to last forever it was over far too soon and we were out of the car and walking to the front door.

I was about to put my key in and say goodbye when the door opened by itself and standing there before me was Emmett with the girl that he'd left me for at the club standing in the entryway, angry looks on both of their faces.

"What's all this about?"

Lydia's face was flushed and her lips were engorged and the look would have been the sexiest thing I'd ever seen in my entire life had it not meant that she had been kissing the monster standing before me.

The smirk on his face was enough to tell me that he hadn't changed and wanted nothing more than to throw a punch across his cocky face.

"I was just about to ask Rafael the same thing. You remember Marnie, right?"

Lydia rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest. Rafael had clearly already tried to tell his side of the story before she could learn the actual truth from me, which was most definitely a completely different story than the one Rafael was trying to spin to her for his own benefit.

"Emmett, Rafael already told me what happened between you guys a few years ago. It's been so long, shouldn't this just be water under the bridge?"

My eyes about popped out of my head at her words. He put his hand on her back and rubbed his hand in a circle and she leaned back like she was relishing his touch. Was I too late? Had he already gone too far with her?

"I'm sure he told you a story, just not the story. Marnie?"

She began to speak, thankfully taking the attention off of me. Hopefully she would believe her over Rafael.

"I don't know what he told you but I'm pretty sure it's all lies. Rafael is a womanizer and treats everyone he comes into contact with like absolute shit. He-"

"Alright, that's enough with the slander. Lydia, I had a wonderful evening and I would have loved to continue it but unfortunately your friends had other plans. I hope to be hearing from you soon."

He turned to her and brought her hand up to his lips in a kiss and I wanted to throw up with how cheesy it was, especially coming from someone as vile as him.

Once he was gone, Lydia stormed past us into the house and I started to go after her but Marnie stopped me.

"I'm gonna go."

"What? You haven't even told her your side of the story though! She has to know what she's getting into!"

"I'm leaving because it's obvious you're just using me to keep her away from him just so you can have her. That's not what I wanted. I wanted a chance to be closer to you to show you that I'd changed but clearly you don't care about me, that much is obvious. You want her. So I'm gonna go, feel free to tell her my side of the story if you want. Bye Emmett."

"But-"

She was already walking out the door, leaving me standing there like an idiot with Lydia slamming her bedroom door in my face.