Chapter 42
Sleep was sporadic and fitful. I spent the night tossing and turning in West’s guest bed. By the time the sunlight began to shine through the windows, I was itching to go home.
I needed my own bed. My clothes, my kitchen, my privacy.
When I couldn’t take it anymore, I got up and padded to the kitchen to make coffee. Everyone else was still asleep, and I welcomed the moment alone to collect my thoughts.
I knew West would protest when I said I was going home, but I didn’t care. He couldn’t keep me locked up here forever, even if it was for my own protection. I had to live my life. I had to let the studio know what was going on. I needed to find my phone. My agent was probably blowing it up.
And I needed to fix my fucking hair!
I touched it gingerly, and my heart broke all over again. I might have seemed vain to others, but my hair was part of my identity. That very same identity that I wrestled with daily. Half fake, and half genuine. Half lies and half truth. Whatever side of me I decided to present to the world.
The fact that she’d taken it, hacked it away without my consent, was a violation that I knew I wouldn’t get over soon.
Anger coursed through my veins. I wanted to find some semblance of peace to hang onto, just for a moment of relief. But I was exhausted, on edge, and completely frustrated over having my life suddenly turned upside down.
If only Theo and I hadn’t been so young, maybe we would have made a better decision. Maybe everything wouldn’t have turned out so terribly. Maybe me being a victim would have been enough to explain what we’d done.
But we’d never know.
And now, we were paying for it. Still, after all these years.
Luckily, we were going to end this bullshit tonight. I was on edge about Theo going to meet with her, but if he could get to the bottom of this once and for all, and stay safe, then how could I tell him no?
I turned to the sound of footsteps behind me. Theo stood in the kitchen, wearing only a pair of jeans, silently watching me. Sunshine streamed down from the skylight above him, bathing his bare skin in a golden glow that took my breath away. His body was a masterpiece that he’d spent years sculpting. His rippling muscles created shadows that I longed to explore with my fingers. My eyes darted down, drawn by the outline of his bulge straining against the denim.
A flash of Theo kneeling between my legs invaded my thoughts. I quickly blinked the image away.
“Morning,” he mumbled, running a hand through his long hair. He looked like a fucking god standing there and all I could think about is what it felt like to be wrapped up in his arms.
“Hi,” I whispered, frozen in place, suddenly looking everywhere except at him. “I made coffee. Help yourself.”
“Thanks, Ev.” He turned and poured himself a cup. I turned to watch, shamelessly drinking in the sight of his bare back. In my head, my fingers trailed down it slowly, my nails deliciously scraping his skin…
I saw myself wrapping my arms around him, gently kissing the back of his shoulder. I saw him turning around and pulling me into his arms, his loving eyes staring down at me as he sank to his knees, his mouth finding just the right spot….
“Everleigh.”
His voice pulled me out of the fantasy. I snapped my eyes up to see him staring at me. His gaze was hot and heavy as he peered into my eyes.
I sighed, knowing I couldn’t be in the same room with him for long without touching him.
Not today. I was too weak, too needy.
“I want to go home,” I said. “I couldn’t sleep. I need my own bed.”
“I understand.” He nodded, slowly raking his eyes over me, igniting a spark that I was trying so hard to snuff out. I watched him sip his coffee, his lips pressing against the ceramic of the cup. I swallowed hard, biting my lip.
“West won’t want you to be alone.” His voice was low and gruff, and seemed to cut right through me.
“No,” I whispered, the tension between us thickening. I pulled my gaze from his lips, but it only landed on his flexing forearm as he held the cup to his lips. “Charlie will be there,” I replied, barely getting the words out.
“West fired him.” His words made me feel terrible. That was my fault and my responsibility to fix.
“Then I’ll hire him back. I lied to him.”
He nodded, slowly sipping his coffee. His gaze stayed glued to me, his eyes seductive, and dark, and hypnotizing. He knew what he was doing, looking at me like that. How could he not? My nipples were diamonds under the t-shirt I’d borrowed from Kaylee, my pussy soaked.
I wondered if this is what it would be like from now on around Theo. I was sure I’d never be able to keep my hands off of him, which meant we’d have a whole different secret to deal with.
How would we ever be able to survive being in the same room together?
“Might take a while for him to come back,” he quipped, with a shrug.
I sighed, trying to fight off all the feelings swirling around inside of me.
Theo was making it hard to draw breath. I wanted to insist he put on a shirt, but then he’d know for sure how he was making me feel this morning. Maybe he already did. Maybe that’s why his shirt was missing in the first place.
We stood there, sparring wordlessly, like each of us were daring the other to take a step closer. If the kitchen island hadn’t been between us, I may have caved and thrown myself into his arms. Begged him to take me right there on West’s custom cut Italian marble counter.
“I don’t care how long it takes. I gotta get out of here, soon,” I muttered.
He smirked, then raked his eyes down to my chest and back up quickly. “Right,” he said, with a knowing wink.
When I heard West and Kaylee coming down the hall, I sighed with relief for a distraction.
Kaylee ran over and gave me a hug. West flashed me a tentative smile. He looked a little less stressed today, and I was grateful for that.
“Good morning,” he said, barely looking at Theo. I wondered if they’d talked last night. The tension was still thick between them. I knew West was upset about Theo keeping our secret. He was going to have to find a way to forgive him, though. They were practically brothers. They couldn’t go on like this.
“You doing okay?” Kaylee asked me.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just can’t sleep in your bed, West. I’m going to go home so I can rest in my own bed.”
“Everleigh, I don’t think that’s a good —.”
“—I’ll take her,” Theo interrupted.
All eyes snapped over to him and he lifted his chin confidently.
I didn’t dare utter a word. What was he up to? Part of the reason I wanted to go home was to get away from him. And yet, my pussy spasmed at his words, and the idea of being alone with him.
“She shouldn’t be alone, obviously,” Theo went on. “And Charlie isn’t there. We can keep in touch, and I’ll let you know as soon as I get any more info from whoever this asshole is.”
West and Kaylee exchanged a glance. West shrugged. “I guess that’s okay. But I really don’t want her alone, not for a minute. And Everleigh, promise you won’t run off again by yourself?”
“I promise,” I muttered, confused as to how I suddenly was assigned to being alone with Theo all day now. How was I supposed to breathe around him? I couldn’t. I would probably die from oxygen deprivation.
I was definitely going to insist he wear a fucking shirt.
“Great, it’s settled,” Theo said, with a satisfied, shit-eating grin. “I’ll go get dressed.”
I flashed him a fake smile that told him I knew what he was up to. “Yeah, you do that.”
“Is that coffee I smell?” Kaylee asked. “Let’s make breakfast before you leave.”
“Sure is,” I said, still glaring at Theo. All of a sudden, he wouldn’t meet my gaze.
As he walked out of the room, I bit the inside of my cheek. I really did want to be alone to get some sleep. But now that I knew Theo was coming home with me, my plans started to shift to something much more enticing.