Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
E VAN
“You said you wanted maroon. It’s maroon.”
“I know, but it’s not exactly the right shade of maroon, darling,” Vada sighed, standing back to admire the paint sample on the wall.
I tried not to sigh with irritation, especially when she turned to me with a wide smile.
“Could you please run to the shop and pick up some more samples? It has to be perfect, baby,” she whined, and I closed my eyes before slamming my pen down on the table, making her jump.
“Vada, you know I’ve got to mark this up ready for Monday. I can’t keep on making trips to B&Q searching for the right colour scheme for the hallway. Why don’t you go?”
Vada pouted and walked over to me, leaning in to kiss my throat slowly.
“But I’ve got such bad period pains.”
“Fine. I’ll go. Maroon, but not maroon, right?” I snapped, eager to get out of the house and away from her.
It was the most pointless relationship I’d ever been in, but it was effortless. But the problem with that was the boredom.
Vada was a pretty girl, for sure. She had wanted me for so long, and when I finally gave in, she began planning our wedding. Before I knew it, we had been together for four years.
Four. Years.
I slammed the door behind me, hearing her call out for chocolate before I left. I felt like a servant, and it was beginning to grind on my nerves. Everything had to be on her terms, and I was getting tired of it. I drove to the store, stomping my way in as I stared at the samples. Maroon was there, but she already had that one. I grabbed a few surrounding samples before turning to walk away. I stopped in my tracks when I heard a laugh I’d not heard in many years. I glanced around me, unsure of where it had come from.
Then I heard it again.
“I had no idea there were so many different fittings. I’ll just take that one and hope for the best.” The musical voice laughed, and I found myself drawn to her. She must’ve been on the aisle beside mine, coming from the direction of her voice. Maybe it wasn’t her. Perhaps I imagined it...
But then I turned the corner, and there she was.
Jain.
JAIN
Why were there so many different lightbulb fittings? My mum had simply asked for a bulb, and despite having a university-level degree, I suddenly felt foolish.
“That’s the more common one, so I guess it should fit most.”
I froze, the husky tone bringing back memories of him whispering my name as he dragged his lips across my body...
“Evan?”
I turned slowly, finding the man standing before me that had stolen my heart. His hair was shorter now, but he looked every inch as handsome as he had then. He held paint samples in his hands, and I knew they weren’t a colour a man would necessarily choose.
“Jain,” Evan whispered, his eyes meeting mine as I swallowed.
His eyes skirted to my finger, which I immediately glanced down at too. The diamond that sparkled there seemed suddenly brighter, more ferocious than usual.
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks, are you well? Still living locally?” I swallowed, praying my eyes wouldn’t keep skimming over his broad chest.
“Same house.”
I nodded, a smile on my face as I remembered the beautiful house I spent many hours creating happy memories.
“On your own?” I asked, staring at his lips before forcing myself to gaze at the lampshades for sale behind him.
“No,” he said, his eyes crinkling with awkwardness as my stomach twisted in jealousy. “Are you living back here?”
“No, just visiting my mum for the holidays. I’m working in York now.”
He raised his eyebrows before pulling out his phone.
“Doing what?”
“Teaching children with special needs.” I smiled proudly, his head snapping back to me with surprise.
“You’re a teacher?”
I nodded, biting my lip as his eyes darkened .
“Are you free for a coffee?”
“What, now?” I laughed, and he stared at me with the look that only he could give me.
I felt like my insides were on fire.
“Yes, now.”
“Uh, yeah, I guess I could. Where do you want me to meet you?”
He shook his head, his fingers moving forward to brush the hair out of my face.
“I can drive us. Drop you back here after if you want?”
The charge between us was electric. My skin burned from his touch, and my face turned into his fingers as I saw the confusion in his eyes.
“Okay.” I nodded, pushing the lightbulb back onto the side.
He did the same with the pots of paint, and I went to follow him out of the store.
“I just need the loo, one sec.” I managed to gasp out before hurling myself at the door to the ladies.
I felt like I would be sick with nerves, and I headed straight for one of the empty cubicles. I didn’t realise Evan was behind me until he slammed the door shut, his mouth on mine before I could respond. I moaned when he pushed my dress up, wrapping my legs around his waist as I gasped into his mouth.
“Why did you leave me, Jain?”
I heard his zip open, and I arched my back as his fingers slid my underwear aside, moaning when they entered me roughly.
“I’m sorry—”
“So fucking wet,” he grunted, “I’ve missed you.”
We kissed frantically, my hands grabbing at his clothes to get to his hard body beneath them. I didn’t care who he was with or who I was with. I just wanted him, like I had done every night since I had ended everything.
“Oh, Evan, I’ve missed you too.”
His cock rubbed against my slick lips, and I kissed him harder, praying he would just enter me already.
“Fuck.” Evan growled as he entered me, stretching the walls of my core as I sucked in a breath, my arms wrapped around his neck as he began to move me up and down, ripples of passion searing through me as my mouth found his again.
“Oh my god...”
“I know,” he murmured into my neck before dropping me to the floor and slamming the lid down on the toilet. He sat down, tugging me back onto his lap forcefully as I cried out with ecstasy. I rolled my hips as we kissed, his fingers dancing against my clit throughout. I shuddered, unable to move when my orgasm ripped through me, more powerful than any I’d ever had before.
“Almost there, Jain...” Evan grunted and used his hands to slam me back down repeatedly against him.
My mouth met his as he exploded into me, his cock kissing my womb as he drove it into me deeply, wrapping his arms around me desperately as we moaned each other’s names, still kissing like teenagers.
We stayed like that, breathless and stunned, for a good five minutes.
“What have we done?” I whispered as I slid off him, wincing when he pulled out of me.
He stared at me, cleaning himself up as I did the same, rearranging my dress before leaving the cubicle. I stood at the mirror, gazing at my cheating self with disgust.
But then he wrapped his arms around me from behind and kissed my shoulder softly as our fingers laced together.
“Don’t regret it... please . ”
I spun around, my eyes searching his when I spoke.
“I don’t.”
“Don’t marry him. Whoever he is, he’s not me.”
“I have to go.” I gulped, shaking with the realisation of what we had done. Evan gazed at me as I shook my head.
“Don’t follow me, Evan, please,” I begged him, but he grabbed my hands, tugging me towards him.
“Why?”
“Please...” I whispered, my head falling against his chest. I could almost hear his heart breaking, and it just made it even worse.
“No.”
“I’m marrying someone else. I can’t do this with you, Evan.”
“Who? Who are you marrying that you clearly don’t love as much as me?” Evan snapped, and I stepped back, refusing to answer him.
I took one look at him before I left, my heart hammering in my chest when he stepped towards me again.
“Goodbye, Evan.”