Chapter 45
EvanAnn
Chase shows up on Friday wearing a knee brace in an obvious foul mood. He doesn’t even look at me during class. The guys were in a great mood when they came home to me last night. They weren’t quick and took me through so many layers of pleasure, but we were still asleep at a decent enough hour.
The day goes smoothly and without rehearsal after school, we plan to go to dinner and a movie as soon as they finish their practice. I’ve had enough of football games.
When we’re at dinner, Mia texts me that Chase is stuck on the sidelines due to his injury.
“Chase is out of football this week. Something about his knee.” I look up from my phone in time to see Damon smile. It’s a curious smile, because it’s smug like he caused this.
Cam coughs and takes a drink of his soda.
“You want to see the new Conjuring movie?” Hawk looks at me like he wants to get into a heavy discussion about the horror genre.
I don’t know what they’re keeping from me, but I let Hawk lead me into a discussion about modern horror and films because I don’t want to spoil our date night.
It’s been an awesome week, but there’s this countdown happening in my mind.
We haven’t really talked about the future.
Cam, Hawk, Damon, and I. We’re living in the present, but our present has a deadline.
The end of school means the end of us unless we make plans.
Plans that will change our futures if we want to stay together.
And while we have time, admission deadlines are fast approaching.
Adam and Mom still don’t know about us. Or that I’ve officially broken up with Chase. I don’t know why I’m hesitant to tell them about Chase. It’s not like Mom cares who I date. She would understand if we broke up.
I could always claim Hawk as my boyfriend. It feels wrong to not acknowledge the other guys in my life. To pretend I’m not in love with Cam and Damon. It might make my mom more comfortable leaving things the way they are.
So I don’t say anything to her about it. Eventually, I’ll have to, but I just want to enjoy this time with them.
Today is Chase’s dad’s birthday party. The guys had a bye week for hockey, so no scrimmage this weekend. The party is this afternoon. We took our time getting out of bed and getting ready for today.
Cam and Hawk left early so Adam wouldn’t know they spent the night.
Again. It’s almost like they take turns creeping in to sleep with Damon and me.
I wish we didn’t need to sneak around at all.
But I don’t think Mom would be cool with me sleeping with any of my boyfriends let alone all three of them.
While Damon got ready, I put on a simple dress that goes down to my knees.
Makeup covers the little love bites littered across my collarbone, but I know they’re there.
The marks the Devil’s trio leave on me. Claiming me as theirs.
Now, Damon sits on my bed in nice dress slacks and a black collared shirt, propped up on his hands as he watches me put jewelry on.
Even after everything we’ve done, awareness of his cocky grin spins my insides like a carnival ride, leaving me dizzy and aching for him in the same breath. Will I ever get enough of him?
“Did you find the movie list?” he asks.
“It’s in the box in my closet.” I gesture with my elbow. We’re all planning on watching a movie from the list tonight over at Hawk’s so we have some privacy. He also has a movie theater room I haven’t seen yet. I can’t wait.
Damon stands and stretches, showing off his lean muscles before going into my closet. He brings out the box and sets it on the bed. I put on my other earring and go over as he opens the box.
When he picks up the list, he offers it to me. Smiling, I read over the movies. I haven’t really looked it over in the past eight years. Some of the more recent ones I’ve seen, like Get Out and The Quiet Place.
“There’s a few I can cross off.” The list is still long, with movies spanning almost four decades of cinema.
“What’s this?” He holds up a small jewelry box and opens it. I glance over at him and give the jewelry a wistful smile.
“It’s a necklace my dad gave me for my tenth birthday.” I watch the chain slip through Damon’s fingers. “It broke a few years ago, and I didn’t want to risk losing it.”
I don’t add that I couldn’t afford to get it fixed and didn’t have the time to do it myself.
It’s a small gold heart pendant on a delicate chain.
Damon returns it to the case and sets it in the box.
There are a few other things in there. Cocking an eyebrow, he holds up a stuffed bear that has seen better days.
Dad gave it to me when I was five, and I slept with it every night until he passed away.
I shrug. “I was ten.”
He finishes shifting through the box and then closes it to put away. I check the mirror again. I’m going with Mom, Adam, and Damon to Tom’s birthday. Unfortunately, now would be the best time to tell our parents Chase and I broke up, but I still haven’t.
I don’t want to fuck things up by telling them. This week has been really nice. Even dinner on Wednesday with Mom, Adam, and Damon was pleasant. I’m definitely not ready to tell them I’m technically dating Hawk, Cam, and Damon. So I’ve done nothing, and that might bite me in the ass today.
I walk downstairs with Damon to join our parents.
“You look so pretty, Evan.” Mom touches my blond curls.
“Thanks.” I lower my eyes and step away from Damon.
“Are we ready to go?” Adam opens the door.
Damon and I follow our parents out to the car and get into the backseat, sitting far from each other. The drive doesn’t take long and Adam has music on, so we’re not expected to converse.
When we walk up to the house, I fall into step beside my mother so I don’t accidentally take Damon’s hand. One of these times I’m going to forget and lean into him for a kiss. It’s so easy at school.
The attention on us there hasn’t really waned, but I’m loving having three boyfriends and getting to claim them as mine.
In a school that caters to art students, the teachers don’t really raise an eyebrow at unusual pairings or groups like ours.
As long as we don’t become disruptive, we can do whatever we want.
We stick to their table at lunch with a few guys from the hockey team. Mia joined us with Fletcher and Liam on Friday. It was nice, but I can’t get over the girls watching us, whispering to each other. It’s not like any of them were dating my guys before me.
Adam hands the keys to the car to the valet. The party is around the pool in the back, so we walk through the house. We follow Adam to Tom and Jessica. I itch to step closer and grab Damon’s hand as my stomach churns. This could be the end of the lies.
What did Chase tell them about our breakup? Did he tell them I cheated on him? Will they hate me? What if they ask me to leave? Damon wouldn’t hesitate to take me out of here.
They don’t look like they hate me as they smile at us. Is it fake?
“We’re so glad you could make it!” Jessica kisses Adam’s cheeks, then my mom’s, then mine, but when she reaches for Damon, he steps away. Not missing a beat, she laughs and touches his arm. “So good to see you.”
“It feels like it’s been forever since we’ve seen you, EvanAnn.” Tom shakes his head. “I’m sorry we had to ground Chase this past week, but that party should have never happened last weekend. He should have known having a few friends over would get out of control.”
I smile and nod. Maybe Chase hasn’t told his parents either? Why wouldn’t he though? Oh, right, I’m his little trophy. Fucker. As long as he’s dating me, he gets free rein.
“Chase,” Tom says, looking over my shoulder. I tense.
Chase touches my waist, and I flinch. “I’ve been waiting for you, EvanAnn.”
Damon’s lips flatten, but he can’t do anything about this. Not if we don’t want to blow up everything. And everything’s been going so well.
“Hey.” I turn and give Chase my plastic smile. “Can we talk for a sec? You don’t mind, do you, Mom?”
“Of course not.” Mom smiles.
“Don’t stay away too long.” Tom nods toward a group of people standing off to the side of the pool. “I haven’t forgotten. I need to introduce you to my friends.”
Smiling, I nod at Tom, trying not to let my gaze stray to the director he promised to introduce me to when I was dating his son.
“Show me the bathroom,” Damon says to Chase. Chase nods.
I let Chase lead me toward the house. Damon isn’t far behind. I still don’t want to be anywhere alone with Chase.
We walk inside and down a hallway away from the party. I shift from Chase’s touch, closer to Damon, but not touching him in case someone comes after us. We can still hear the low murmur of voices and soft music from the party.
“What are you playing at, Chadwick?” Damon’s words are a harsh whisper. He balls his hands into fists.
Chase laughs and leans against the wall.
He doesn’t have the brace on his knee, but I noticed a slight limp when he walked.
“I figured you wouldn’t be in a hurry to tell your parents about the two of you banging.
And while EvanAnn has three boyfriends at school, I doubt your mom would approve.
It was a calculated risk. You didn’t tell your mom I left you out in the woods either.
So I guessed you don’t want your parents to know we’ve broken up because they might look a little too closely at what’s going on in their house. ”
I release my breath. He’s not wrong, but he has his reasons too. “It’s not like you’re going to tell your parents you’ve broken up with me and lose your free pass.”
Chase shrugs with a cocky smile. “What I propose is you act like my girlfriend at this party so you can meet your favorite director and the people who can help you get into that long list of colleges you’ve applied to. A few of the faculty are here from your top choices.”
“What do you get out of this?” Damon demands.
“The pleasure of her company.” Chase smirks and looks me up and down like he’s asking to fuck me and not just pretend to be my boyfriend for an hour.
When Damon jerks forward, I put a hand on his chest to keep him from decking the asshole.
Stepping between them, I wait for Damon to give me his attention.
He shifts his gaze to me reluctantly. He doesn’t want me to do this, but it’s in public.
Chase can’t do much to me at his father’s birthday party.
“It makes sense,” I say softly. Logically, Damon has to know that.
“Yeah, lover boy. It makes sense.” Fuck, Chase is begging for Damon to kick his ass. Or maybe I’ll kick his ass.
“Shut the fuck up, Chase.” I keep my voice low. “Or I’ll go out there and tell your parents exactly how you treated me as your girlfriend.”
He doesn’t make a noise, so I don’t turn to look at him, keeping my focus on Damon.
“Fine.” Damon backs off. He touches my jaw and grinds his teeth. His sharp blue eyes lock on Chase. “Touch her and I’ll end you.”
“It’s a part.” Chase chuckles softly and shakes his head. “What happens when EvanAnn gets a part in a play or movie, and she has to kiss some other guy onstage? Are you going to go mental on him? Or is it just me? Am I an actual threat?”
Damon chews on that. “No, you’re just an asshole.”
I don’t know if we’ll ever be in that situation of me playing a part, but Chase is kind of right, even if he’s also absolutely wrong.
This is about trust. That I’m not easily swayed away from Damon.
Because nothing would make me go back to Chase after the shit he’s pulled.
Even if I didn’t have the Devil’s trio, I do have some self-respect.
“You trust me, right?” I cup Damon’s jaw to get him to look at me. When his gaze meets mine, I search his blue eyes. “Damon, you trust me.”
He takes in a breath. “Yes, little devil. I trust you.”
I release the breath I was holding. “Good.”
When I turn to Chase, I glare up at him. “If you touch me and I don’t like it, I will knee you in your balls so hard you’ll be tasting them at Thanksgiving with your turkey. And I’ll tell your parents about your cheating and the woods.”
“Understood.” Chase glances at Damon and winks. “Does that make her hotter for you too?”
“Stop taunting Damon.” I shake my head. “He’s not the one who will destroy you. I will.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Chase gives me a cocky smile.
This is going to be a disaster. But it’s just a part.