CHAPTER 14
EVY
The gray, gray clouds beckoned me. Gibran Alcocer’s “Idea 15” reverbed through my earphones, going straight to the happy cells in my brain. I couldn’t help the smile that curved up my lips as I watched the pearls of rain sliding down the car window.
A sight so melancholy that brought me nothing but immense joy. Fitting for the city that we coursed through. London—the land of Shakespeare and William Wordsworth, a land of great minds and a land that always rained.
And God, was it beautiful.
A flash of memory floated through my mind.
“Will you take me to London? I want to see the rain there!” I exclaimed, a joyful glee spilling from my lips.
He raised a brow. “You do realize that people go to London to see anything but rain, right?”
“I don’t care about other people. I want to see the rain.” I pouted.
I squealed when he lifted me in his arms and dashed out in the actual rain in front of us.
“Jay, what are you doing?” I shrieked against his hold.
He spun me to him in a heartbeat and cradled my face. “I might not be able to take you to Japan or London to show you the rain, but one day I will, I promise,” he said, pressing his forehead against mine.
My heart leaped at his words. We were drenched, soaking wet from the cold rain, but none of it mattered because it was just us again.
“I love you.”
We kissed as the rain thundered around us. We didn’t care—we kissed and kissed until there was no me, no him, just us.
I wondered if he remembered the cabin in the woods too.
Pinpricks of awareness shot through the back of my neck; I twisted my head to lock on a piercing gaze that was fixed on me. Almost as if he knew exactly what I was thinking.
My eyes drifted back to the blurring downpour outside, the pristine homes of London wet from the ringing rain.
In a way, he did keep his promise. He was the reason I got to see the rain in London.
It’d been a week since Rome, and things between us had remained strictly professional. The line had been drawn; I might still be the two-faced phony who missed a part of him, but I was also glad. It was a freeing feeling, almost like I was spinning in the air now that the truth was out there.
I’d been carrying that weighted burden for years, wanting to scream it out of my lungs to the one person I thought would care. But he didn’t.
We were so crumbled, destroyed, and dead beyond repair that it was almost impossible to go back to us now. And as bitter as it may be, I had to make amends with that fact. Maybe this was the closure I had been searching for the past six years.
The skid of the car through the gravel halted my thoughts.
The car drove down the twisted driveway, coming to a stop in front of wide modern glass doors. It reminded me of the private entrance in Blueline.
Tyler and I were the last ones to load our things and ascend the elevator.
The door opened to a massive open-floor penthouse apartment; it was so expansive that it looked like it could fit five of my apartments back in New York. My eyes immediately fixed on the curved glass windows that offered the stormy view of the London skyline.
This apartment hosted about ten bedrooms, and according to Lily, Jay actually owned this place. I guess when you made enough money to buy jet planes, it was also mandatory to own homes in London and New York.
“Evy, come on, we’re leaving now.” Lily poked her head through my bedroom door.
I sighed, sliding back against the headboard. “Do I really have to come?”
Lily lifted a shoulder while she gave me puppy dog eyes. “Please, Evy. This is my way of making it up to you.”
Another sigh drooped on my shoulders.
Although the issue of the supposed leak was unresolved, Lily profusely apologized for accusing me, admitting that it was wrong of her to assume that it was me. So now her way of making up for it was dragging me to a party tonight.
I didn’t realize that Lily had become a penchant for parties these days when I knew very well all she wanted to do was buy takeout and veg out on the couch. I wonder if a certain someone influenced her to make all these drastic decisions.
“Lily, if you really want to make it up to me, how about you don’t invite me to the party?” I raised a brow.
She stomped toward me like she was a child and gripped my hand, pulling me out of the bed. “But it’ll be so boring without you. I can’t hang out with Katy these days because she is in her manager mode twenty-four seven, and my brother is a broody ass.” She ticked off her finger. “And I have no idea what Lan is up to half the time. The only person I can actually talk to is Matt, but he’s always with Mikey,” she mumbled. “You’re the only person who can keep me company. Please, Evy.” She pouted, casting a doe-eyed look.
I sighed for the third time as I nodded. There went my plan to actually sleep.
I thought I did a great job of dressing up, but a hard knock of reality slammed right in my face when I stepped into Annabelle’s tonight.
Posh smiles. Glimmering eyes. And immaculate attires.
I felt like a crocodile in a pool of ducks. That was how jarring I was in this crowd. One thing that became apparent to me during this whole tour was while guys somehow blended into this top hierarchy, I stood out as an obvious outcast.
The distance that it created stood ominous. Even glancing at the price of one drink in this establishment brought me back memories of starving myself because all I had was a dollar to my name.
Although I’d made it past that stage in my life, it was a time I’d never forget.
“Here,” I mumbled under my breath as I handed Jay a hot toddy. Though I was off-duty at the moment, it had kind of become a bespoken rule for me to get him anything he needed over the past few weeks.
His intent blues locked on mine, but I quickly averted my gaze and slid in beside Lily, who was getting boozier by the hour.
The clatter around the room was refined and the music tasteful. I guess with exclusivity came a polished lifestyle.
I ignored the flush on my chest from someone’s gaze. As much as it was distracting, I refused to relent. I steeled my wooden spine to even bother to spare a glance his way.
He hurt me in ways he could never understand. I would’ve blindly trusted every word out of his mouth, but that laugh and sneer he gave me when I told him just about destroyed me.
I didn’t want to dwell on it anymore because it was apparent that I was nothing to him.
“I’m going to get a drink,” I whispered in Lily’s ear as I trotted to the bar. My knee was finally back to normal—well as normal as it can be. The flare-up completely disappeared after a day of rest and some OTC meds.
“It’s such a shame that your man left you alone by the bar.” A tingle spread down the side of my neck as a low British accent slipped through my ears. “Because if you were mine, I’m never letting you out of my sight, luv.”
A thud shuddered my heart as I turned to a pair of pale blue eyes. And my eyes widened at the sight in front of me.
Sharp eyes. Dirty blond hair. Six four.
“Hmm, I don’t have a man,” I fumbled out an answer. An instant heat blazed my cheeks, I was sure they were tinted pink.
A grin tugged the corner of his mouth. “Splendid. You wouldn’t mind if I buy you a drink then?”
My head shook on its own accord.
I won’t deny that I’ve been hit on several times over the past, but they were all mostly drunk college guys or indecent creeps like Marcus.
They weren’t anything like the man standing in front of me.
With the aristocratic slant in his nose, pert lips, and strong jawline, he belonged to a godlike category with men like Jay.
Unattainable and sexy.
I mumbled a thanks as he slid my Cosmo in front of me.
“So what’s a beautiful lady like you doing alone here?”
And before I could formulate an answer, heat closed in on my back. A familiar heat.
“Leo, I didn’t realize that you were getting acquainted with my assistant.” Jay’s cool, calm voice echoed in from behind me.
I bit my molars as a tinge of irritation sizzled up the back of my head. What the fuck was he doing?
“Assistant, uh?” Leo grinned, lifting a brow.
“Yes,” Jay replied, flatly sliding his arm over my shoulders.
That’s it.
I spun around on my feet, brushing off his arm. “What are you doing?” I bit under my breath.
His blues lowered to my lips. “Nothing.” He shrugged.
I fisted my palms. “Well, if it’s nothing, you can leave. I was having a conversation with Leo here.” I gestured to him, plastering a sweet smile.
Leo glanced at us both with an amused look on his face. “Yes, J.J., you wouldn’t mind if I borrowed your assistant for tonight. She’s too gorgeous to be left alone.” His warm hand grasped around my waist, bringing me to his side.
A sharp inhale left me as high points of my cheeks painted red.
A thundering expression clouded Jay’s face. In a lighting flash, his hand clasped mine and pulled me into his arms. “Actually, my assistant, Evelyn,” he enunciated my name as if he was proving a point, “is very busy tonight.”
Annoyance ticked up my throat. “Actually, I’m very free tonight.” I wiggled against his hold, but he only tightened his grip.
“Feels like Evelyn here is more than just an assistant.” Leo chuckled as he watched us.
“No, she’s not.”
“No, I’m not.” We both said at the same time, which only made Leo chuckle harder.
Leo dragged his Tom Collin up to his lips, shaking his head. “A shame, but maybe some other time, luv.” He winked, his eyes dancing with mirth. “It seems like you both have unresolved…” He pauses as if searching for the right word. “Issues? But I’ll be here when J.J. fucks this up.”
“He already has,” I mumbled, but Leo was already halfway down the bar. Jay’s arms immediately loosened around me.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I pushed against his chest, glaring at him.
He regarded me with a bemused look on his face, that only made my annoyance skyrocket. “I told you, nothing.”
I chewed the flesh inside my cheek. “Fine. Now, excuse me, I’m going to find better company.”
A strong hand closed in on my wrist and yanked me to him. A huff of breath left me as I braced my palms on his chest.
“If by company, you mean Leo, you don’t want to go down that avenue,” his steel voice informed me.
I scoffed, trying to escape from his grasp to no avail. “You’ve got no right to decide whom I keep company with.”
“Trust me, Leo is not the company you need.”
I cocked a brow. “Actually, Leo is a perfect gentleman unlike you.”
“I never called myself a gentleman, sweetheart.” His breath danced on my face.
My heart did a cartwheel inside my ribs. He called me sweetheart. I blinked back the surge of familiar feelings . Don’t go there, Evy. It’s a lost case, remember?
“I’m well aware that you’re not a gentleman, Jay. But I was having a perfectly good time with Leo before you came and ruined it.” I leaned in to whisper in his ear, “This attitude is very unbecoming of you. You might want to tone it down. Your jealousy is showing.”
He stiffened. His fingers slid up the back of my neck, tilting my head toward him.
The clatter around the bar became a low buzz as his nose touched mine. “Your smart mouth is going to get you into a lot of trouble, Evelyn.”
I suppressed the heat coating my panties. “I actually like trouble.” I stalled. “When it doesn’t involve you.” My lips almost touched his nose.
His brow raised a fraction as a glint covered his eyes, almost as if he liked to challenge what I just said.
A sudden flash interrupted us, and Jay immediately pulled away from me.
My eyes darted to Mikey, holding a camera aimed at our face. “Go ahead.” He waved a hand. “Don’t stop on my account.”
“Delete it now, you fucker,” Jay hissed.
“What!” Mikey pulled the camera to his chest. “I need to document my favorite couple getting back together. Go on, continue whatever tease game you guys were playing.”
I rolled my eyes, huffing out a breath. This scene took me right back to Auntie M. I recalled how she used to sneak in pictures of Jay and me all the time.
A jolt shot up through my body, rooting my thoughts.
Auntie M.
I completely forgot about her.
A sad feeling gripped my heart. With my weary days filled with skipping cities and exhausted nights spent with Jay, she never once crossed my mind.
Guilt swam through the pits of my belly.
“What’s wrong?” Jay’s deep voice, subdued with a hint of concern, reached my ears.
“Nothing,” I mumbled, brushing him off. I grasped my drink and headed to our table.
Lily was instantly in my face. “What’s going on between you and my brother? With the way he stormed off, I thought he was going to piss on you or something.”
I shrugged, shaking my head. My earlier revelation lodged a clog up my throat.
Katy narrowed her eyes, rolling her teeth between her lips.
My mood had certainly dissipated. How could I forget her?
Jay and Mikey joined us a few moments later. And their rowdy banter soon filled the table.
I tried to smile and respond to Lily’s questions but failed miserably.
Jay watched me like a hawk, a frown marring his forehead. I wondered if he could sense the distress radiating off me.
I was so glad when the elevator finally touched our floor. Not even ten minutes after returning to our table, Jay announced we were leaving.
Even though he wasn’t my favorite person at the moment, I was grateful he picked up on my desire to leave that bar.
I bid good night to Lily and dashed to my room. That night, I had the most disturbing sleep, tossing and turning in my sheets as I tried to get some shut-eye.
A stiff neck greeted me the following morning when I woke up, and I groaned as I slid out of bed. I tried to stretch out the ache, with my one hand massaging my neck.
The same heavy feeling from last night sat on my chest. Auntie M would’ve wanted me to enjoy my life, and although I felt guilty that she hadn’t popped into my mind these past few weeks, it wasn’t like I had completely forgotten her.
So why was it still nagging my head?
I blew out a breath as I checked the notification on my phone.
Gabe–Hey, chica. I hope you’re doing okay. Strawberry and I just came back from the park. I know you’re having a hard time, especially since it’s that time of the year and you’re not here. But I’m sending you lots of love. I’m sure she’ll understand, I love you xx
That time of the year?
My eyes glided to the date on the screen, and my heart stopped.
My entire world came to a halt when the realization dawned on me.
It was Auntie M’s sixth-year death anniversary.
And I wasn’t there with her.
A sob spilled out my lips as I shot off the bed. A thud echoed through the room as my phone dropped, but I didn’t care as I rushed out.
A daze of dizzying spell hit me as all the air left my lungs. I gasped as I clutched the door and dashed inside.
I had to get there now.