Love and Relativity by Rachael Wade Read Free Book Online

you to make it sound like something life changing.”
    “Love stories are life changing.”
    He studied my face for a moment, then stretched and stood to his feet, offering me his hand. I accepted and stood to meet him, our fingers still linked. “Did you love that Chris guy?”
    “Love is like art.” I shrugged. “It’s relative.”
    “I don’t think so. I think it’s absolute. You know when you love someone.”
    “I don’t know. I think it’s only absolute when you both see love in the same light. You have to share a mutual definition of what love is to be in love. Clearly, Chris and I didn’t.”
    “Chris is an idiot.”
    “True.”
    “But I call bullshit on that.” He pulled on a piece of the hibiscus around us, tugging on the leaves. “That’s just a case of unrequited love. It doesn’t make your feelings for him any less real.”
    “I guess you’re right. But if I had to answer in black and white...I didn’t love him.”
    “How do you know?”
    I blinked and took a deep breath, the ache from the betrayal still tender, even after all this time. “Because when he dumped me, I was more upset over the loss of my future with him than I was over the loss of our relationship. I think I wanted it more than I wanted him.”
    “That still sounds like love to me.”
    “It was, I guess. A different kind.”
    “You can love the idea of loving someone. It sounds like you lost a dream, not love.”
    “Yeah,” I glanced down with a wry smile, “I guess I should look at it that way from now on. It might help me let my stupid grudge go.”
    My lashes fluttered when his fingers found my chin. He tipped it up to bring my gaze back to his. “You have a right to be angry for what he did to you. Don’t downplay that.”
    Our fingers locked tighter and my breath caught at the intensity that rained down from his stare. I stepped back. “We should get back.”
    “Yeah, God only knows where Whitney buried Ruben’s body by now.”
    “She’ll be after you next.”
    My fingers left his, and as I turned away to walk back to the pool, I could feel his stare burning holes into my back.
    ***
    My ears pounded as the music shook the hotel room walls. Who knew how long it’d be before someone reported the party. I weaved around random people and smiled.
    I could care less.
    This was exactly what I needed tonight. Loud music, laughter, and life. I took a sip of my water and scanned the suite’s crowd for Whitney. She’d promised me she’d be back after a quick dance with Enrique, but was nowhere in sight after witnessing Ruben and Kelly’s shameless grind session. Poor girl. Ruben really was an asshat.
    “Can I offer you something stronger?” A tall, blond surfer type approached me when I reached the end of the hallway.
    I looked down at my water bottle, then smiled up at him. “Nah, I’m good, thanks.”
    He bent down to bring his mouth closer to my ear. “You’re not dancing.”
    “You’re not either.”
    “You want to remedy that situation?”
    I scanned the room once more. Still no sight of Whitney. “Sure. Sounds good.”
    Extending his hand, he leaned in even further. “Brian. Nice to meet you. And you are?”
    “Emma,” I said, taking his hand. His grip was solid, firm.
    “After you.” He touched the small of my back and nudged me forward, and I took his hand to lead him into the crowd. We instantly fell in step with the music’s rhythm, Brian’s arms encasing my waist as I swung my hips from left to right. People pressed into us from every angle. A trickle of sweat rolled down my neck and back as we picked up the pace. Brian’s eyes roamed my body, taking in my halter’s plunging neckline, then settled over my shoulder, where I felt another warm body press against me from behind. He smiled and nodded, and I followed his gaze behind me to find another tall, athletic blond.
    “Emma, this is Jace,” he shouted.
    I drank Jace in over my shoulder, greeting him with a playful smile. Hell, he