Chapter 31 - Evania #2
"Physically? Maybe. Although the bleached blonde hair and stick-like physique might not be as interesting as you thought. Not to mention you have the emotional depth of a pebble whose only purpose in life is to be thrown into the ocean, never to be seen again."
Christina opened her mouth. Closed it. Then grabbed her bag stiffly. “I don’t believe my services are required here anymore.”
I smiled politely. “You’re absolutely right.”
The sound of the door slamming echoed down the hallway, leaving a strange quiet in its wake. I sat there for a moment, staring at the empty doorway where she had stood seconds earlier. I probably should have felt bad.
I had given her every opportunity to admit where she went wrong and to take responsibility for what she had said earlier. She hadn’t. Instead, she’d doubled down. So no. I didn’t feel guilty.
Three hours was a long time to sit around doing nothing, and I wasn’t in the mood to replay my argument with Christina in my head. My eyes drifted to the book sitting beside my phone. Emily’s latest release.
I had been saving it for when I had a quiet moment.
I picked up the book, turning it over in my hands before opening it to the page where I had left off earlier. The familiar comfort of printed pages and Emily’s elegant writing style wrapped around me almost immediately.
I settled deeper into my chair and started reading. Minutes slipped by without me noticing, and before I realized what was happening, my vision blurred. A tear slipped down my cheek.
I blinked. Then another tear followed.
“Oh no,” I whispered softly.
I kept reading anyway.
Because stopping wasn’t an option. The moment the chapter ended, I dropped the book onto the table and pressed the heel of my hand against my eyes.
I was crying.
Not just a little either.
My chest shook slightly as I tried to calm down, but it was impossible. Emily had absolutely destroyed me emotionally with that chapter, and I couldn’t even be mad about it because it was written so well.
I sniffed and reached for my phone.
If anyone deserved to deal with the consequences of this emotional trauma, it was the author herself. I opened my contacts and pressed the video call button next to Emily’s name. The call barely rang once before the screen lit up with her beautiful face.
The second she saw me, her expression shifted. Concern replaced the casual smile she had answered with.
“Evania?” she said quickly. “Why are you crying?”
Before I could answer, her eyebrows pulled together.
“Did Callahan do something stupid?”
I shook my head quickly.
“No,” I said, still sniffling slightly.
Instead of explaining, I picked up the book and held it up so she could see the cover. Then I tilted it so the open pages were visible. Emily leaned closer to her screen. Her eyes scanned the page number. Then she visibly cringed.
“Oh.” She let out a nervous laugh. “This is exactly why you shouldn’t meet your idols.”
I just blinked at her. Then the ridiculousness of the situation finally hit me. I burst out laughing. The sudden shift from crying to laughing was so abrupt that it made my eyes water even more, but this time from amusement instead of heartbreak.
I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand and leaned back in my chair again.
“I promise I wasn’t calling to complain,” I said.
“Oh?” she asked. “Then why were you calling?”
I lifted the book slightly before setting it back down.
“I wanted to know if the next book in the series will be available for pre-order soon.”
A slow smile spread across her face.
“Actually,” she said, leaning back in her chair, “that’s funny you ask. I was actually going to invite you over so you could look at the first draft.”
The excitement that rushed through me was instant and impossible to contain.
“Oh my God,” I breathed. A huge smile spread across my face. “I would love that.”
Emily laughed softly. “I figured you might.”
One and a half hours later, I pushed open the café door and stepped inside.
My eyes immediately landed on Elena, who was sitting at one of the small tables near the window, her hands wrapped around a cup like she needed something to hold on to. The moment she saw me, she stood.
“There you are,” she said softly.
Before I could even set my bag down, she walked over and pulled me into a hug.
I hugged her back automatically, squeezing her tightly. Elena had always been affectionate, but something about the way she held on felt different. When we pulled apart, I studied her face—and my chest tightened.
She looked sad.
“What’s wrong?” I asked gently.
She immediately shook her head. “Nothing.”
“Elena.”
“I’m fine.”
I raised an eyebrow.
She sighed softly, glancing down at the floor like she already knew she’d been caught.
“Okay,” she admitted reluctantly. “Maybe not fine.”
I took her hand and led her back to the table so we could sit.
“What happened?” I asked.
For a moment, she didn’t answer. Her fingers tightened around her cup, and she stared down at it like the coffee somehow held the answer. “I found out something today.”
I waited. Her voice dropped slightly. “Grayson is getting married.”
The words hit me like a punch to the chest. For a second, I couldn’t even react. Grayson. Her former best friend. The only man Elena had ever loved.
I felt my throat tighten immediately. Tears threatened to escape before I could stop them, because I knew how much he meant to her. I knew how long she had carried those feelings.
“Elena…” I whispered.
She gave a small, sad smile.
“It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine.”
“It is,” she insisted quietly.
I reached across the table and pulled her into another hug before the tears in my own eyes could betray me. She clung to me for a moment, and I felt her take a slow breath against my shoulder.
“He rejected me years ago,” she murmured softly. “So this shouldn’t even surprise me.”
My chest ached hearing her say it so plainly. “Elena—”
She pulled back quickly and wiped under her eyes before anything could actually fall. “Please don’t make a big deal out of it."
“Am I at least allowed to hate him a little?”
She let out a quiet laugh. “That part I won’t stop you from.”