Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Esteban
The second I step inside The Honey Tavern, the smell of fried food and beer hits me like a wave, familiar and weirdly comforting. Austin and Violet walk a few steps ahead, and I trail behind them, tugging my beanie off and running a hand through my hair.
Noah’s standing near the bar with Josy, his hand casually resting on her lower back as they talk to a group I can’t really see. They’re in the way, blocking most of the booth. I glance around the place, it’s packed tonight, and follow Austin as he heads toward our usual spot.
That’s when I hear it.
“Eva.”
Austin says her name like it’s nothing, like it’s just part of the conversation. But it stops me in my tracks for half a second.
Eva Ross.
I blink, making sure I heard that right. She’s back? After all these years?
I honestly thought she’d stay gone. Florida seemed to fit her or at least it looked like it from the photos she used to post. Noah and Beth talk about her all the time, how proud they are, how much they miss her. Now she’s here?
I keep walking, trying to play it cool, but my chest tightens a little. Not in a bad way, just in that holy shit kind of way. It’s been years since I’ve seen her in person. But when Josy shifts to the side and I finally get a glimpse of the booth, my feet nearly stop moving again.
Holy fuck.
That is not the same girl.
Eva stands to greet Violet, and when she turns just enough for me to really see her, my brain blanks out for a second.
Her hair is long and dark, so straight it looks like silk.
It brushes against the curve of her waist when she moves.
Those green eyes? Still the same, but sharper now, more striking, framed by thick lashes that make them even more impossible to ignore.
Her skin glows, smooth and golden, and her lips—Jesus—plump and naturally pink, the kind of mouth you can’t stop looking at.
And her body?
Yeah. There’s no ignoring it. She’s wearing dark jeans that hug her hips perfectly and a soft, flowy blouse that dips just low enough to make my brain short-circuit. Curvy in all the right places, the kind of woman who owns the space she stands in without even trying.
Fuck.
When did Eva Ross become… this?
Swallowing hard, I’m suddenly hyper-aware that I’ve been standing there staring like a complete idiot.
She turns toward me now, smiling politely, like she doesn’t know I’m silently panicking.
Austin finishes introducing Violet, and before I can mentally prepare myself, it’s my turn.