CHAPTER 14
JAY
An hour after sunrise peeked through the blinds, Evelyn finally woke up with a wide smile on her face. My heart skipped a beat at how happy she looked. I knew I had to tell her about my phone call yesterday because I promised no more hiding, but I wanted nothing to ruin her happiness at the moment.
“Good morning.” Her hair fell over like a veil around my head as she pressed a soft kiss on my forehead.
“Morning, sweetheart.” I let my hands swim over the warmth of her curves.
Frowning, she peered at me with a narrowed gaze. “How long have you been awake?”
“Long enough.”
Her eyes narrowed further. “You didn’t sleep at all, did you?”
I sighed.
“Why?”
I shrugged, joking. “Because my girl made some promises last night, yet she didn’t keep them. ”
A flush of color heated her cheeks while she poked out her tongue. “What time is it?”
“I think around eight, but we should get going if we want to reach by sundown.”
She nodded. After a quick shower and some coffee for my girl, we were back in the car, cruising down the highway.
“You’re in a mood,” Evelyn commented. We were three hours in, letting the comfortable silence and one of her girl pop playlists wrap the car while her eyes glued to the scenery outside.
“I’m not,” I muttered, keeping my gaze focused on the road ahead, but I could feel her eyes on me.
“Don’t lie. You are.”
“I’m just tired.” I flashed a smile her way, but she still looked skeptical.
“Why didn’t you sleep?”
Fuck. “I couldn’t.”
“I know that, but why?”
“I just couldn’t. Maybe because of all the caffeine I had yesterday to make it through this drive. Only if someone knew how to drive.” I played it off nonchalantly to evade the real reason.
She didn’t say a thing.
My brows knotted as I peered at her, looking outside the window.
“No one taught me,” she said quietly after a beat. “I always thought it was a dad thing to do—teaching their daughters how to drive, and I don’t even know who my dad is.”
Now I felt like crap. My thumb smoothed over the back of her hand. “I would’ve taught you. ”
“I know.” She gave me a sad smile. “But I didn’t want to, or else I would’ve asked you.”
“Do you want to find out about him?”
She shook her head. “I used to, I think. Now, not so much. He didn’t want me anyway. They both didn’t, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have a family. I have the best family I could ask for, and I’m very blessed that you came into my life, Jay.”
I brought her hand to my mouth and placed a soft kiss. “I think it was inevitable. I love you, sweetheart.”
“Hmm, I know.”
Hours later, I pulled up around a curved driveway with nothing but plain fields for miles to see.
“Are you sure we’re in the right place?” I asked, fiddling with the GPS.
“Yes.” Evelyn nodded, pointing at a small gate with a Private Property sign. “It’s through there. We need to drive a bit until we get to the actual entrance. Will wanted to keep the farm’s location private.”
We drove for a bit before coming across a huge ranch gate that said “Sunnyhill Creek.” It was already wide open, embellished with wedding decor and hosts greeting the guests.
The driveway stretched farther upon massive lands of rolling fields and lush greenery with a massive ranch-style home in the middle.
I pulled up to the curb around the corner, which was already filled with several other trucks.
“When did you come here?” I cast a side-eye to Evelyn.
“A few years ago. ”
I hefted her heavy suitcase and my small one out of the trunk and walked up to where she was leaning over the rails, watching the horses run around the field with sparkly eyes.
“Why?”
“Why what?” she mumbled, her eyes fixed ahead.
“Why were you here?” I hated that she spent time here with him. I knew they were just friends, but thinking about him with her only brought me back to the day that ruined my life.
“I was visiting. Will wanted me to come for a long time, and I thought I’d go, have a break from the city and all.”
“Are you two close?”
A small smile lit up her face as she glanced at me. “Yeah. Will helped me a lot. I know what you think, but we kinda bonded in a way with the whole thing back in LA. He was hung up over his high school sweetheart, and I was hung up over mine, and I trusted him, you know. I never would’ve pretended if it wasn’t for him. Thinking back, she suggested I act with someone else. Who knows what the hell might’ve happened with me being in such a vulnerable state.”
I nodded just a gentle breeze carried through the air, whispering over our skin as if washing away the painful memory. “Come on, let’s go.” I held out my hand.
She laced her fingers with mine as we entered the huge door with excited people milling about. No one even batted an eye at us. I guess Texas wasn’t really for rock stars.
“Evy.” An enthusiastic voice reached our ears.
My eyes almost bugged out of my head when Tay crashed into Evelyn, pulling her into a tight hug. The once-pierced and emo-looking bassist of the Crash Riders looked like a put-together Barbie with her shiny blond hair and flowy dress .
“So nice to see you, Tay,” Evelyn said as she pulled back from the hug.
Tay’s pale blue eyes met mine. “J.J., it’s been what? Five—six years?”
“Close,” I replied, greeting her with a half hug.
“Come on, Will has set you guys up on the second floor.”
We went deeper inside the house, and buzz and clatter were in full swing for the wedding tomorrow.
“Wow, this is amazing,” Evelyn exclaimed in awe, peering at the large room decked with warm wooden floorings and walls, a California king with soft yellow sheets, and a balcony overlooking the mountains and the fields outside.
“Yeah, I know. The view is something here.” Tay smiled. “I’ll leave you guys to it. The party starts at seven, so just come downstairs when you’re ready. If you need anything, give me a call. Will was sorry he couldn’t welcome you, but he’ll see you guys tonight.”
“He shouldn’t be. He’s getting married, so he should concentrate on that, but thanks, Tay,” Evy replied with a smile.
Tay waved us goodbye and softly shut the door behind her.
I crashed onto the bed and folded my arms behind my head. “Well, we have a few hours to kill. What do you say that we make the most of it?” I raised a suggestive brow.
She spun from gawking at the view and bracketed her hips. “Oh, what do you suggest, mister?”
“What do you think?” I had to catch my breath at how beautiful she looked, the disappearing sun casting a halo around her.
“Well, I have an idea. ”
I frowned as I watched her grin as she walked to the other side of the bed and stretched out on her back. “A far better one,” she said, propping her head on the pillow.
“What is that?” I asked, turning toward her.
“Come here.” She tapped on her chest.
“Gladly.” I draped myself over and seized her lips in a demanding kiss, but she pushed me away.
“Not this. Lie down here.” She forced my head to lie flush on her chest. “You need to sleep.”
“No, I don’t,” I moaned, but she held me down, tightening her small arms around me.
Something about listening to the sound of her heart, her soft fingers kneading my hair, and the warmth from her skin wrapped in her vanilla scent drifted me to sleep.
I woke up to the sound of the zipper cracking through the air. My glassy eyes landed on Evelyn, who had her hair up in a bunch of rollers and a silky robe clinging to her body.
“Sorry, did I wake you up?” She placed the dress bag on the nearest table and crouched beside me.
“Nope.” I grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her to me.
“Jay, don’t ruin my makeup. I spent hours on it, and I had no idea what I was doing.”
I laughed, brushing my lips softly across hers. “How long do we have?”
“Thirty minutes.” She sashayed off to her dress. “You have plenty of time. I think I will always be wildly jealous of men because they get ready in ten minutes but always look like they spent hours. ”
“Not as good as you,” I commented before hopping into the shower, more awake than ever. The sleep did do me good. My girl knew exactly what I wanted.
Minutes later, I was ready, rolling up the sleeves of my shirt.
“I think it’s time you quit being a rock star and become a country artist instead.” Evelyn’s voice was laced with conviction while her eyes swept over my plaid shirt, denim jeans, and cowboy boots.
“It’s a themed party, Evelyn. Not real life.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Her eyes were still glued to mine, looking adorable with her curly hair, pink fringe dress, and cowboy boots that matched mine. “You look hot, Jay. Very, very hot. Thank God no one in Texas actually cares who you are because if you wore that in New York, the girls would lose their minds.”
Chuckling, I held out my hand. “Come on, let’s go.”
“Fine,” she mumbled as we ventured downstairs.
The party was to be held in a makeshift barn at the property. The clatter and the excitement were loud. Just as we entered, a hostess took down our names and gave us our own personalized cowboy hats. Evelyn lost her shit when hers had pink fringe on them.
“Jay, can you believe this? I’m never taking this off!”
“Of course, you’re not,” I muttered as I led her.
The inside was packed. It felt like I had stepped into a twilight zone of cowboys and cowgirls.
“Oh, I see Will and Bekah there.” Evelyn pointed her finger toward the happy couple greeting guests at a table in the center .
“Will,” Evelyn squealed, hugging him tight, and I had to stifle the urge to peel his hands when they closed around my girl, mumbling something that made her laugh.
“All of this looks incredible,” she said before embracing the smiling blond next to him. “You look beautiful, Bekah. Congratulations!”
“Thanks, Evy. So do you!”
“Jay.” Evelyn came up to my side. “Meet Bekah.”
I gave her a curt nod and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, and congratulations on your wedding.”
A flush marred Bekah’s cheeks. “Thank you,” she whispered softly with rounded eyes. “I’m a huge fan.”
Will’s arm closed around her. “You’re supposed to be my fan, remember?”
Bekah rolled her eyes. “Shut up.”
He planted a kiss on her cheek and turned to me with a cool stare. “J.J.”
“Will.” I matched his tone and sighed when Evelyn elbowed my ribs. “Congratulations.” I forced out of my mouth.
“Thank you. You’re still on my shit list, but as long as you treat our girl right, I’ll let it slide,” Will said in a serious tone.
“ Mine , not ours.” I gathered Evelyn close to me, narrowing my eyes. “ My girl. And I know how to take care of her.”
A serious second passed before they all started laughing.
“Fuck, man, you should see your face.” Will shook his head. “It’s all good.”
Just then, the singer on the makeshift stage interrupted us. “I hope y’all are having a blast this evening! A huge congratulations to Will and Bekah, who are tying the knot tomorrow.” A round of loud cheers echoed through the room. “ Now, get your boots ready ’cause we’re going to have some actual fun!”
It was well past one o’clock when I half-carried Evelyn upstairs. After bouts of heavy drinks and line dancing to her heart’s content, she was done for, yet the smile didn’t vanish from her face. This was how I always wanted her to look.
“Jay, wasn’t it so much fun?”
“Yes, baby.” I carefully tucked her inside the sheets. I threw her boots off, then went for her hat.
“Jay, no! I’m not taking this off.”
“You’ll be uncomfortable. You can lay it by the side and wear it tomorrow. How does that sound?”
“Okay,” she mumbled.
I gently placed it on a pillow and gathered her in my arms.
“Sleep now.” But she was already out.
“Mmm, these pancakes are so good!” Evelyn moaned, licking the maple syrup from her fingers, and a sharp inhale left my lips at that sight. She looked adorable wearing her cowboy hat, which she hadn’t taken off since she woke up.
“It’s good to see you have breakfast for once.”
“It’s not like I’m against breakfast. They just get a bit boring,” she said, cutting her pancakes into tiny pieces and dunking them in syrup. “You know Monday eggs, Tuesday eggs again till Friday, and then Sunday turns up you get either pancakes or waffles, and then there’s cereal, which I consider dessert. ”
“You know you just offended half the earth while you drink the same coffee on an empty stomach every single day like it’s any healthier.”
She glared, pointing a finger at me. “Don’t you dare say anything about coffee!”
I shook my head, smiling as I shifted my gaze to the field. We were on the outside porch, getting some late breakfast while the crew buzzed with the wedding prep.
“Finished,” Evelyn declared, leaning back on the chair and rubbing her tummy.
“Great.” I rose to my feet and extended my hand. “Let’s go.”
She scrunched her nose. “Where? The wedding isn’t until tonight.”
“I have something planned.” My lips curved, knowing how giddy she was going to get when she found out.
“Okay.” She smiled, and I led her away from the house and toward the barn. “Oh, are we going to see the animals?”
“Kinda,” I replied. The clatter from the house became nonexistent as we ventured farther with only the sound of the silent fields and airy breeze.
“Horses.” Her browns widened as she gaped.
Colt, the stable hand, nodded. “J.J., she’s ready, man.” He gestured to the beauty decked out in her saddle.
“Thank you,” I replied, stepping forward slowly. “Hey there, girl, remember me?” Her curious eyes swept across me, and I let her sniff me before stroking her silky brown coat.
I twisted to Evelyn, who was still gaping at me, her feet rooted to the same spot.
“Evelyn, come here.”
“No, I am not. ”
Chuckling, I waved a hand. “She won’t bite.”
“How do you know?”
“I met her this morning.”
“Is that where you disappeared to? I knew you smelled like horses,” she accused.
“Evelyn, stop stalling and come here.”
“Okay.” She took tentative steps until she landed next to me.
“Here, hold out your hands like this and let her sniff your scent.”
“Like this?” Evelyn held out her shaky fingers, palms facing forward as she gently brought them to the mare’s muzzle.
“Her name is Astrid,” I said, stroking her coat and gesturing for her to do the same.
Evelyn brought her soft hand to match my strokes. Smiling, I walked to the side. “You ready?” I asked as I checked the saddle before I propped my feet on the stirrup and hauled myself onto her with ease.
The smile left Evelyn’s face, and panic clouded. “You’re not serious.”
“I am. Come on.” I eyed Colt. “She’s good for a second rider, right?”
“Yes, sir.” Colt directed his gaze to Evelyn. “Go ahead, ma’am. She’s gentle,” he reassured.
She nodded, stopping short to my left. “Jay, she’s very tall.”
“That’s only because you’re tiny,” I said, leaning forward as I held out my hand. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall.”
Biting her lip, she clutched my hand with one leg up on the stirrup, and with a huff, I lifted her, settling her in front of me.
Evelyn yelped when the horse moved forward. “Jay, do you even know how to do this? ”
“Yeah, I learned it for a commercial.”
“A commercial?” she shrieked.
“I took serious lessons, Evelyn.”
“Why the hell did you make me eat breakfast, Jay? I could feel it stirring inside my stomach.” She held a white-knuckled grip on the lapels of my jacket.
“You’ll be fine, just hold on.”
Her grip tightened, and a scream ripped from her as we rode forward.
It took her a few minutes to get used to the high, but when she laughed, the wind whipped her hair and the sun glowed on her skin.
“I love this!”
I loved her.
“Jay, we should do this more often.” Evelyn’s excitement didn’t fade a bit when we jumped off Astral later that day.
“Okay, sweetheart.”
We spent the next hour at the barn, feeding and petting all the horses till Evelyn was satisfied before we left to get ready for tonight.
The wedding was beautiful, with twinkling lights and ropes of lilies everywhere, which Evelyn informed me were Bekah’s favorite flowers.
She shed a few tears while the happy couple said yes, and the whole time, all I could think of was her and how I couldn’t wait to make her mine, forever and permanently . She should’ve already been, but soon , I promised myself.
“My date is the most handsome man in the room,” Evelyn whispered, her eyes glinting under the lights.
“I know. ”
“Arrogant.”
“Confident,” I countered, noticing the pained grimace on her face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head. “I think I’m finally feeling the repercussions of this morning. Who knew horse riding could make your thighs so sore?”
Chuckling, I led her away from the dance floor as the song ended. “Here,” I handed her a thick envelope I had dug out from my jacket.
“What’s this?” Confusion painted her eyes.
“Have an open mind,” I suggested. “But this is a wedding gift to the happy couple.”
She shook her head. “But I didn’t…”
“Shush.” I placed a soft finger on her pouty lips. “I know you felt bad you couldn’t get them anything nice, so I purchased a small cabin up in Aspen, and before you say anything, he was kind enough to help you pay off your hospital bills, Evelyn and I’m grateful for that, but no one else takes care of my girl, I do . So go and give him this because what’s mine is yours and you don’t have to owe anyone anything.”
Surprisingly without arguing, she nodded, mumbling a thanks as she smiled. I waited by the side as I watched her walk up to them. They talked for a few minutes before she handed them the envelope.
Will’s eyes met mine, and I nodded with a small smile. I was grateful he was there for her when no one else was, but it was my responsibility from now on.
After chatting for a few, we retired earlier for the night .
Despite my protests, Evelyn wanted to shower separately because she felt like she was getting her period. I have seen every version of that woman, yet she still gets shy with me.
Thirty minutes later, she came out with the steam floating behind her, dressed in one of my soft T-shirts that came up to her knees. “All done,” she announced, smiling softly.
“Love you.” I scratched her hair, stealing a kiss as I padded to the bathroom.
Washing away the day, I sighed heavily, thinking about all the mess in the outside world that was waiting to ruin our mood. I had to tell Evelyn about the photograph tomorrow, and I had no idea how she would take it. I knew she was in a better place now, and I knew she wasn’t going to spiral, but there was no telling how that shit would affect her.
By the time I left the shower, I barely had any tension stitching my muscles, but the air in the room said otherwise.
My brows knotted as my gaze fell on Evelyn, staring holes at me, stiff with her arms folded and a thin line across her lips.
If I had read the room correctly, I would have said that she was mad at me, but I had no clue why.
“What’s wrong?”
“You tell me what’s wrong,” she gritted through her teeth, throwing my phone at me, and it landed at my feet.
Frowning, I picked it up from the floor and saw a notification from Cece waiting for me. “You went through my phone?” I accused.
That fired her up, and her usual soft browns blazed with rage. “Oh, you think I went through your phone. It just popped up. Tell me, Jay, why the fuck is White texting you, ‘ hope you take care of it by the end of this week’?” she screamed.
I huffed out a breath. I didn’t want to have this conversation today. Fucking Cece. “It’s not what you think.”
“Then tell me.”
I thumbed through the phone till I found the wretched pictures. “Look, before I show you this, it isn’t what you think, and I’ll explain everything, okay?”
“Fine.” She held out her hand. I hesitated but gave it to her anyway, and instead of getting teary and sad like I expected her to, she went batshit crazy.
“Are you fucking kidding me, Jay?” she shouted so loud that it echoed through my ears. In a moment, she was in my face. “Is this real?”
“Yes, but listen, okay?” I ran a hand through my hair. “It happened years ago. I didn’t tell you I went out with her because I knew how much it would hurt you and how much you didn’t like her. I saw no good in telling you anything. I went out like two times with her. I don’t even fucking remember that happening until she sent it to me, but I swear to you that nothing else happened. With her or anyone else.”
With each passing second, the silence screamed louder, and Evelyn’s jaw clenched while she peered at me with narrowed eyes.
“Just like you swore you would never lie to me,” she said in a cold tone.
“I didn’t lie. I said we weren’t together, and we never were. I said I wasn’t innocent, and I wasn’t, but I didn’t fuck anyone. ”
“So now, what? You’re twisting the semantics with your words, Jay? From what I see, it’s clear that something happened. You’re fucking laughing with her. So tell me, Jay, did you fuck her too after your sweet date?” she shouted.
My jaw ticked. “Nothing happened, Evelyn. And no, I didn’t fuck her or anyone. It doesn’t matter how many times I say it, it won’t change,” I firmed.
“You don’t even remember the kiss happening, Jay.” She waved a frantic finger at me. “Then how the hell would you remember if anything else happened?”
I leaned lower, and I glared. “I would know if I fucked anyone, Evelyn.” My voice rose at her ridiculous question.
“Fine, but then what would you say about hiding this from me?”
“I wasn’t hiding. I was the one who told you, remember? I only knew of it the day before, and I wanted to wait for this wedding to be over because I didn’t want to ruin your mood.”
“But you ruined it anyway,” she yelled.
“Evelyn.” I wanted to shake her at this point. “It’s not my fucking fault, okay? I am trying here. I’m trying everything I can in my power to fix this. Don’t let your jealousy cloud this into something it’s not.”
“Now you’re saying it’s my fault, Jay? You have no fucking right.” Her little fist punched my chest. “When you’re the one who keeps ruining us all the time.”
My hands clasped her shoulders. “I know, and I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry I treated you like shit when we met again. I’m sorry I went out of my way to push you away. I’m sorry I didn’t fucking believe you when you told me the truth. But, Evelyn, I was fucking hurt too. I believed the woman I gave everything to didn’t fucking want me. I’m trying every single day to make it up to you and to make sure you never feel like that again. Because I fucking love you. I love you more than anything in this world. Why the hell can’t you see that?”
“But, Jay, you hid this from me.” Her eyes burned as she shouted, “You went out with her .” Punch. “You laughed with her .” Punch . “You kissed her .” Punch.
I felt nothing while she wailed her fists at my chest. It didn’t matter how much she screamed, I fucking loved her.
“You did this!” Her tired arms fell on me, but the fury didn’t fade from her eyes.
Lowering, I captured her mouth in araging kiss.
She gasped, caught off guard while my tongue swept deep into her mouth, devouring her in a savage kiss. Seconds later, she kissed me back with the same enthusiasm, her hands roaming all over my hard body. A guttural moan ripped out of my throat as I dug my hands into her ass, lifting her in one swoop and crashing us onto the bed.
A huff escaped through her lips, but we didn’t stop kissing. Her legs opened for me, and I ground my hard, throbbing cock over her pulsing clit, feeling the wetness soaking her thin lace panties.
“I’m going to feed my cock into your hungry cunt, Evelyn. Cunt that is fucking made for me,” I promised, biting her lips so hard that I was sure I drew some blood. Pulling her panties aside, I took out my cock and drove it deep inside her aching pussy.
“Fuck,” she screamed, this time in pleasure, clawing my neck while I thrust my hips into her in hard, rough strokes .
Her hips raised to match my animalistic pace as I continued ramming into her. Her wet, soaking pussy gripped me like a vice, strangling my cock.
My hand gripped around her neck, choking her slightly. “You want this, don’t you, sweetheart?” I grunted.
Sweat glided down my back, our breathless moans filling the air as I fucked her raw. She dragged her fingers over my drenched locks, almost tearing them off their roots.
I couldn’t last long; a jolt went up my body while her heels dug into my hips. “Are you close?” I commanded.
She nodded, her lids falling over her eyes as the pleasure coursed.
I stopped and demanded, “Look at me.”
A low whine left her lips as her eyes flew open and landed on mine. In an instant, I thrust hard and fast. “Come now,” I growled, looking right into her eyes.
And she did, letting go to me.
Every cell of my body unwound inside her, feeling like I was free-falling into the depths of heaven. Another moan spilled out of her lips when I shot my cum deep inside her, and my entire weight crashed down on her.
My mind couldn’t even connect how we ended up here because all I felt was pure bliss.
After a while, the fire in my lungs started to calm, and I shifted my weight to the side, staring at the ceiling.
Only the sound of her labored breaths filled the air. “This still isn’t going to fix anything,” she rasped.
I sighed but didn’t say another word as we both drifted off to a restless slumber .
“Are you still going to give me the silent treatment?” I narrowed my eyes at Evelyn while she sat across me on the jet, tapping her impatient finger on her thigh. I knew she was itching to ask me why we weren’t driving back, but she hadn’t spoken a word since morning, and I wasn’t about to drive for thirty fucking hours when she was like this.
A scurry of motion in front of the aircraft made her spin, and a woof sounded through the air before Strawberry jumped on her lap, licking her face in excitement.
“What’s Strawberry doing here?” Evelyn raised a brow. Ah, no longer the silent treatment, I see.
“We’re going home.” I had Tyler pick her up. Bellevue was no longer safe, given how weird the shit outside was getting, and my mind would be at ease if we were back in New York.
“Why?”
“Because it’s time out from paradise and time to face the real world,” I said flatly while Strawberry left her mother and settled herself on my lap—a glutton for attention. I petted her soft fur, holding her tight as the jet departed, cutting through the clouds.
“I’m still mad at you,” Evelyn declared.
“Fine.” I was mad too—mad that she still couldn’t understand how much I fucking loved her.