CHAPTER 24
I started my new job this Monday. I was officially a blog writer for a small publishing company based in NYC. And the pay was really good for entry-level standards.
But the best part of it was that it was online, so I worked from home.
After years of running around with my bad knee, this truly felt like a blessing.
Though I didn’t like the fact that I only got this job because of Jay, I was grateful for the opportunity to prove myself and focus on my book.
“So what’s going on between you and my brother?” Lily sprawled on the couch opposite me, yawning as she asked.
“Nothing, we’re just friends,” I mumbled.
We were currently huddled up in Jay’s TV room while we waited for the boys to get us food.
She yawned once again as she slid over to her side. “I don’t believe that.”
A frown marred its way up my forehead. “Are you tired? How’s the internship going?”
“Yeah,” she muttered. “I’m exhausted, and it’s only been two days. So far, it’s going okay. They’ve put us in teams and assigned the work. I’m really excited, though. The show we’ll be working on is a rom-com action-adventure anime. As interns, we don’t get the major parts, only the backgrounds, fillers, or fixing line works, but I can’t wait to learn.”
“So you’ll be working on an actual anime?”
“Yeah.” Her lips curved up. “Grisha is a subsidiary of a major anime studio in Japan. Honestly, I’m so lucky, though. It’s super hard to get into because they are the only company in America that works with mainstream anime.”
“Well, you deserve it. I’ve seen some of your sketches, and you’re truly amazing, Lily.”
A blush coated her cheeks. “I’m not that great,” she murmured, then pointed a finger at me. “Don’t try to change the subject. What’s going on between you and my brother?”
I sighed. “I swear nothing is going on between Jay and me. I’ll admit that we were intimate a few times, but then our past kept coming back to haunt us. So we decided not to talk about it and just be friends, kinda like a fresh start.”
Tension crept between her brows. “Do you think that’s healthy? You guys being friends when you haven’t worked out your issues?”
I shook my head as I fiddled with my fingers. “No, we’re walking on thin ice. I know it’s only a matter of time before it’s all going to come crashing down. Until then, friends, it is.”
Lily squeezed her eyes as she drew out an exhale. “I just hope you guys would fix everything and go back to being Evy and Jay. I miss you guys together.”
“I miss that too.” My voice carried a forlorn tone that hung strained in the air.
“Food is here,” Mikey announced and slid onto the empty loveseat with Matt while Jay slid in beside me.
“Hey.” He kissed the side of my head.
“Hi,” I muttered, blushing. Fuck, he needed to stop. I was going crazy with all his crazy mixed signals.
“Here.” He handed me my rice bowl and a bottle of water.
“Thank you.” A smile tugged the corner of my lips.
“E,” Mikey called out. “I was the one who got you the food. Why are you thanking that fucker?”
And before I could say anything Lily bit out, “So does that mean you got my food too, Mikey?”
The gleam in Mikey’s eyes slid off as he turned his icy eyes at her. “Never, little mouse.” His voice was so unlike him. Gone was the goofy guy and in his place was a man who didn’t have a heart.
Because the expression on Lily’s face broke my heart, I felt Jay stiffen beside me at their interaction, but he didn’t say a thing as he forked through his noodles.
“Right,” Lily mumbled. “I’m actually going to eat this at home. I’m tired.” She rose and shot out of the room before I could even call out to her.
I sighed. As much as I loved Mikey, I hated that he treated Lily like a stranger. Almost as if he hated her when all she had ever done was like him.
Was that a crime?
I had a feeling Mikey liked her too.
But then who was I to say anything when my love life was literally in shambles.
A thick tension silenced the room for a while before Mikey started his jabs once again and they started bantering like little kids. No one would believe these grown men were reputable rock stars.
Jay completely slid me over to his side and wrapped his arm around me. I was almost on his lap at this point.
He did this a lot, keeping his hands on me all the time.
But like a stupid girl, I went with it too as I leaned my head against his chest, listening to the sound of his heart while we talked.
After what seemed like an hour, I pulled back.
“I’m going to get myself a popsicle,” I mumbled as I got up.
“I can go get it for you.” Jay immediately got up to his feet.
I rolled my eyes as I grabbed his shoulder, pushing him down. “Stay. I’m highly capable of getting it myself.”
He smiled as he watched me leave.
My bare feet stepped through the empty hallway as I headed to the kitchen. I hummed one of my favorite songs, doing a happy dance as my fingers closed around the cold handle. I slid the freezer drawer open, peering inside for my favorite berry-lemon flavor.
“I hoped it wasn’t true.”
The crunch of the plastic slithered over the air as my fingers stalled on the wrapper.
An invisible tremble ran through my spine, settling as a heavy boulder.
I knew that voice.
I would recognize it anywhere.
It was the one that jarred through one of my worst nightmares.
I inhaled sharply as I spun around, trying to calm the roaring pulse that was leaking to my ears. My fingers squeezed around the frozen dessert.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I bellowed, coldly.
A smirk snaked its way up her injected lips. The pristine clinical white of her tight vest and her platinum-ironed hair stuck out like needles smearing the air with venom.
A click escaped her lips. A cocky smile danced on her lips as she slowly sauntered toward me, tracing her pointer finger along the edges of the marble island.
It was a clear act of intimidation.
But I refused to be intimidated this time.
I steeled my spine and met her gaze head-on, which only deepened her smirk.
“I see things have very well changed.” She folded her arms, jutting her hips against the counter.
I forced a smile through the simmering fury waiting to burst out of me.
“Yes, they have, White. This time, I’m staying. In fact”—I waved my hands around—“there’s no place I’d rather be.”
“Evelyn.” Her shrill laughter cut through the room. “I see you’ve gotten confident.” She tsked, tapping her long nail on her folded arm. “But now that I’m back, I’ll send you packing by the end of the week.”
I couldn’t control the chuckle that spurt out of my mouth. “Oh, White.” I took a step toward her. “You think I’m scared of you this time? Do you think you can hold something over my head and play with me?” Her eyes flickered a bit but returned to her condescending stare in a second. “I think the tables have turned now, and it’s actually you who should be scared. Because there is nothing you can do anymore. Your time is over.”
“Evelyn. God, how gullible!” A wry grin curved her lips. “I’m not sure how you sneaked your way back from whichever hole you were. But it’s been six years since you’ve been gone and a lot has happened in that time. I don’t know what tale you spun to be back in his life again, but trust me, I have him hooked under my spell. Emmie isn’t going to believe a word out of your mouth. I’ve kicked you out once, and I can do it again.”
Whatever cool face that I put on blinked away as I felt the anger jumping in my blood. I hated that she was right. Jay didn’t believe anything I’d said. “But you’re not together. Nothing happened between the two of you in these six years. Jay and you will never be together. He will never love you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, maybe love wasn’t in the cards.” She twirled her finger on her pin-straight hair while a smug smile coated her lips. “But did he mention the other things that happened?”
A heavy hand plummeted my heart to my gut. My brain was telling me not to listen to a word she uttered, but my heart was a different matter.
Her smile grew, catching on to the expression on my face that I was trying so hard not to give away.
Fuck, Evy.
“Like this one time in Rio, after a show, when he slipped inside my hotel room late at night, wanting some comfort like the many other times that I gave him when you weren’t there. Oh, he fucked me so good that night. In fact, till the next afternoon. Boy, that man has some stamina. Trust me, I could keep up with him.”
I gritted my teeth as rage blinded my vision. I hurled the popsicle at her.
Her eyes widened as it hit her right in the face, falling to a thud on the floor. “Ouch,” she hissed.
But I didn’t stop there. “You fucking bitch,” I roared as I swung my curled fist before she even had time to react. Her shocked eyes flew to mine before my knuckles landed straight on her plastic nose.
I could hear the crunch before it even happened. The sound was like the hook of the melody to my favorite song that I would listen to over and over again.
She screamed in agony as her trembling fingers closed in around her nose as she wheezed.
Two rivers of blood red flooded out her nostrils, draining the white of her shirt.
She shrieked as she tumbled to the ground, dropping flat on her back.
All the pent-up anger stored in from all the years scrambled out of me. “You fucking bitch. You ruined my life. You hear me? You fucking ruined my life.” I lowered to the ground and repeatedly thrashed her face. I didn’t care if I was going to end up in jail for murder.
The adrenaline spiked up my blood, the burning pain in my hands, and my thundering heartbeat as I repeatedly slapped her across her face.
“You fucking bitch.”
She mewled in pain as she tried to push me away. But it was like white noise to me.
“Fuck, E.” A strong pair of arms pulled me away from her.
I twisted against his hold. “Let me go,” I shouted, pointing a finger at her. “She fucking ruined my life. I hate her. You fucking bitch, you hear me? I’m going to fucking destroy you.”
“Fuck, E. Calm the fuck down,” Mikey whispered struggling to hold me down.
A panic-eyed Jay gathered her in his arms as he pressed something on her bloody nose.
A different kind of heaviness swept all over my body as I watched him care for her. My gut lurched to my throat as a deep sense of betrayal clouded me, and all the fight left from my body.
He went to her.
Not to me.
Tears spilled out my eyes as I dropped over Mikey, who held me tight, whispering for me to calm down.
Through the opaque dots, I watched as Jay muttered something low to her while she cried in his arms, the blood soaking his shirt.
“Emmie,” she stammered. “Look what she did to me. What did I do to deserve this?”
Her silent cries and my ragged breath echoed through the air.
“You ruined my life,” I repeated in a low, harsh whisper.
“Mikey, take her away from here. I’ll deal with this.” Jay’s unwavering gaze locked in on mine, giving nothing away.
I inhaled the sob waiting to burst out of me.
“Now, Mikey,” Jay thundered.
“Fuck, fine,” Mikey cursed under his breath as he literally carried me out of there.
Jay’s eyes never left mine till I disappeared down the hallway.
The burning agony of seeing him with her was unlike anything.
It hurt a whole lot worse than I’d imagined.
It was then I knew I was a fucking loser.