Jake's voice was insistent as he asked, "Where'd you crash last night?"
"None of your business," Emma retorted, her tone icy.
Jake thought, 'Emma has plenty of friends, sure, but she is fiercely independent. The only person she'll lean on without a second thought is Ivy, and they aren't exactly on speaking terms anymore. So where did she go? A hotel? Or did she end up with some random guy?'
Anger flared in his chest, but the harsher his thoughts, the softer his demeanor became.
He stepped closer, wrapping Emma in a hug. "Babe, I know you were pretty steamed last night."
Emma recoiled, shoving him away and stepping back, feeling sick to her stomach.
Jake followed, his voice softening. "But Sera's just a kid. She's gotta deal with all the gossip from her classmates every day. It's doin
