Evans #2
“I don’t remember agreeing to any of this.
I don’t even remember saying I was coming upstate with you.
” Scrubbing my face, I sigh. How did I keep ending up here?
Why wasn’t I able to cut myself out of this cycle.
My alpha nature is restless, feeling caged in.
“In fact, I distinctly remember saying I would let you know.”
She gives me a pointed look as she shuffles to the edge of the bed. “And then you didn’t say no.”
“That’s not a yes either!”
She reaches out and takes my hand in both of hers, smiling up at me softly.
“Look, I know things have been strained between us recently but that’s because we’re both just trying to finish our final year.
Babe, is it the sex stuff? Because I am fine.
I mean, plenty of men get stressed and their sex drive just drops. There’s no pressure from me.”
My alpha wants to snarl in protest. My sex drive hadn’t vanished, my attraction to her had. When I thought about Percy and Hunter fucking, it gave me an instant hard on.
When I thought about how Hunter helped me before the art class, all the filthy things he whispered in my ear or the way his teeth felt when they sunk into my shoulder, my cock was dripping.
It wasn’t a sex drive problem. It was a Sadie problem.
“Our parents are really happy that we’re finally taking this step, babe. It’s way over due.” She pats my hand. I think it’s supposed to be comforting but it makes my skin crawl.
“I’ve never even met your parents.” Shrugging her off, I know I must seem like a sullen teenager but I’ve been avoiding her parents since we started hooking up. It always felt like a step too far, a sign that our fling was becoming serious and I never wanted to give her that message.
“Which is why we’re spending spring break at the country club with my family.
It’s the perfect time—you can play golf with my father, and win over my mother and all of her little friends.
” She sits back, slapping her hands softly on her thighs.
“Then when we see them again at the charity gala in Crest Haven next month, it will be less awkward. Everyone will be there, the tabloids, your family, my family. It’s the perfect opportunity to announce our engagement. ”
She stretches and gets to her feet, pulling on her underwear.
Running a hand though her hair, teasing out some of the knots she turns to me with a smile.
“You know, I heard that they’d even manage to book Patchwork as the band for the evening.
Have you been following Macsen social media?
I wonder how long it took for him to have all those tattoos done? ”
When she’d arrived this morning, she’d brought two suitcases and a travel bag with her. I think the plan was that we’d leave from here, so she could make sure that I’d definitely go.
“Do you think people with tattoos think about how permanent they are when they get them done? Look at Hunter. What kind of respectable life is he going to have covered in ink like that? It’s just an expensive mistake.”
“Don’t talk about him like that,” I growl, my jaw clenching. I liked Hunter's tattoos.
“Oh look, there you go again.” She arches a perfect brow, looking down at me, her gaze colder.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You. Defending Hunter Ashbourne. You’re like a little puppy whose ears perk up every time its master is mentioned.
” She places her hands on her hips, her lip curling as her face morphs into annoyance.
“You know, if you paid half as much attention to planning our wedding, it would already be done. And I wouldn’t be stuck here stressing about peonies or lilies. ”
Inhaling, I try not to yell. Even though I want to. I want to scream ‘Who gives a fuck aout flowers?” but I don’t. Instead, I force myself to push down my anger, the rage that’s been slowly simmering inside me for a while now.
Biting the inside of my cheek until I taste blood, I finally say, “Sadie… did I ask you to marry me?”
“Well, no.” She scoffs with a small laugh, waving me off. “But that’s not how things are done in our world is it?”
She’s right. In our world, where money and power are the only things that matter, this sort of thing is decided in boardrooms and backroom deals, but only for as long as we let it happen like that.
“I don’t want to go along with what my father wants. I don’t think that’s good enough for me anymore.” I shake my head, watching as Hunter and Blake come back inside the house. He was almost ready to leave me.
“What are you talking about? Nevermind.” She makes a small ‘tsch’ noise, grabbing a towel and some toiletries from her travel bag.
“Look, the towncar will be here in a little over an hour. I’m almost ready to go, so I'm going to take a shower and finish up. By the time I’m done you need to be packed. ”
With that, she leaves.
Feeling nauseous, I just sit there. Thinking about how I fix the mess I’ve made with my life. The lingering scents in my room make my stomach clench.
My heartbeat picks up, and I can feel sweat beading on my skin as I glance out of the window again. I want to crawl out of my skin, it feels too tight for me right now. Like this body isn’t my own. Like this life isn’t my own.
What if I just left?
What if I didn’t go upstate to Sadie‘s parents for spring break?
What if I didn’t go and look at venues I had no interest in booking. For a wedding I was being pushed into.
What if?
What if?
What if…
Grabbing my backpack, I quickly shove some clothes inside, not even checking what and before I can second guess myself again, I open my window and climb out.
If I walked out, I’d have to go past the bathroom and knowing my luck, Sadie would know. She’d see me or scent my guilt or something. There was no escaping her when she was locked on,
As I clamber out onto the eave under my window and climb down the drain pipe, I pray to the goddess that it holds under my weight. When I land in the bushes below, I wipe the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.
Crouching low, on hyper alert, I scuttle across the lawn. I have no idea where Hunter is, probably in the house loading his pockets up with snacks like he usuals does before a long drive.
When I get to his car, I try to stay down. Testing the boot, I almost cry in relief when it pops opens. Without a second's hesitation, I climb inside, closing it behind me.