Chapter 26 The Ties That Bind
THE TIES THAT BIND
“This was a bad idea,” Zoey said, trying to fit another case of beer into our small apartment fridge.
“It’ll be fine.” Callie took out the meat and cheese tray, along with the fruit. “Voila.”
“We really didn’t need to do this. We could have gone out for dinner.” Zoey frowned at the overcrowded fridge.
“What fun would that have been?” I took down our special glasses. The six that matched. Our dishware was a mix of hand-me-downs and travel souvenirs. We weren’t to the part of adulthood with matching furniture or glasses.
“Lots. We wouldn’t have to do dishes.” Zoey shut the fridge. “But I’m glad. I needed this.”
“We know.” Callie took the plastic cover off the meat tray. “Okay, I need your guys’ honest opinion. Do I look okay?” Callie looked down at her jeans and low-cut, dark green sweater. Her blonde hair fell in loose curls down her back and shoulders.
“You look fine.” I frowned in confusion, setting the glasses on the island. “Why?”
Callie groaned. “Just fine? Fuck, Zoey, do you have something I could borrow?”
“Seriously, Callie?” Zoey cocked her head. “You’re, like, a D cup, and I’m, like, a negative A. Ask Ev.”
“She has no style,” Callie complained.
“Hey.” I looked down at what I was wearing. A pair of black shorts, tights, and an oversized gray sweater. It was Tyler, Tristan, and Craig coming over. “What’s wrong with what I have on?”
“Nothing for you.” Callie half hugged me. “It’s just, I’m worried. You didn’t tell me that Craig is, like, a serious chef. He’s won awards. Cooked all over the world. Plus, he has that hot Middle Eastern thing going for him. He might be out of my league.”
“Craig?” I looked at her. That was not the Craig I knew. I mean, the hot Middle Eastern thing I saw, but not a serious chef. “That’s not Craig. He’s not serious about anything.”
“And you have that hot Nordic thing going,” Zoey reminded her.
“Yeah, and if you get Zoey drunk enough, she’ll decide if your and Craig’s kids will be pretty,” I teased.
“That was one night.” Zoey tossed a towel at me.
“Well, she’s right.” Callie poured a glass of wine. “Can you imagine Tristan’s bone structure mixed with yours? Plus, his eye color. Speaking of Prince Tristan, how are you two?”
“Prince? I thought he was a sex god?” Zoey asked.
“We are fine.” We had made it two weeks, and everything was still okay.
We were doing all the things couples did.
The things Ian and I never did like meeting for lunch and sleepovers.
Ian kept his life very separate from mine.
While Tristan left pieces of his life in my room and scattered throughout the apartment.
Zoey thought it was cute that she would find his belt on the floor by the couch. Or a ring on the bathroom sink.
“Prince like the singer?” Zoey asked. “Tristan is a singer?”
Thankfully, the buzzer rang. Callie looked at me in a panic. “Seriously, do you think he will like me?”
I rolled my eyes as I walked over to the intercom. I pushed the button. “Yes?”
“It’s me, Tyler, and some tall dude named Craig.”
I pushed the button, buzzing them in. “Callie, Craig will love you. Trust me.”
“But why are we calling Tristan Prince now?” Zoey looked between us.
“Don’t,” I warned Callie, who had been in my office Monday morning after she learned that I had slept with Tristan.
I had told her all about his piercing and how it had made sex so much better.
All in the name of research, of course. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to title her article “The Benefit of a Prince Albert Piercing” or “Sex, Tattoos, and Piercing: A Woman’s Guide to Dating. ”
“Not a word, Callie.” I opened the door to find Tyler, who normally looked tall, but standing next to Craig, looked short.
“The Evan.” Craig pulled me into a hug. The two bottles of champagne were cold on my back. “I brought champagne and a dairy-free cheesecake.” He nodded to the plate Tyler was holding.
“Perfect.” I took the bottles. “Where’s Tristan?”
“Ah, running late.” Craig stepped into the room.
“Oh.” I took the cake from Tyler. The last Tristan and I spoke he was riding with Craig so his car wouldn’t be parked on the street overnight. “Um… Craig, this is Callie and Zoey. You’ve met Tyler.”
“Callie.” Craig looked her up and down. “The Evan didn’t tell me you were fucking hot.”
“Yes, I did. Tyler, can I take your jacket?” Tyler always dressed in the latest fashion. Tonight was no different. He had on jeans and a designer hoodie with Vans. His dark hair had been artfully arranged to look messy. He and Zoey made a very fashionable couple.
“Evan, why don’t you show me around?” Craig nodded to the hall.
“Okay?” We stepped into the hallway that led to the bathroom and my bedroom. I opened the door. Craig stepped in and closed it. “Um… what’s going on?” Did he not like Callie? Everyone liked Callie; she was gorgeous.
“Noah called.” Craig ran his hands through his hair. “I tried to stop him.”
By him, he meant Tristan. “He left, didn’t he.” It wasn’t a question because I knew he had.
“I don’t know. He called to tell me he didn’t think he was going to make it tonight. I’m sorry, Ev. I tried. But that fucking asshole loses his mind when that kid calls.”
I sat down on the bed, letting the news sink in. “It’s not your fault. It was a matter of time before it happened.” I could hear Callie and Zoey laughing in the other room.
Craig’s cell rang. “Tris, where the fuck are you?” Craig looked at me.
“Yeah. No, she’s fucking ecstatic because now she can run off with me.
” Craig closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“No. Fuck you. You come here and tell her. No. I’m not cleaning up this mess.
No. Get your ass here, Fuckup.” Craig hung up his phone.
“Do you want me to go kick his scrawny ass? Because I will.”
“It’s fine, really.” I tried not to let the old familiar fear worm its way into this new life. But it was hard not to.
“He said he’d stop by and talk to you.” Craig pressed a finger to the spot between his eyes.
“I’ve known that fucker for almost nine years.
And all he could talk about was you. Every girl he tried to date wasn’t you.
Everything he did was for you. And now the fucker drops everything and runs after him. ”
“Is Noah okay?” If I had to guess, James was involved. Tristan wouldn’t have run off if it were anything or anyone else.
“I don’t know. The kid’s, like, twenty-one. Tris needs to cut the cord.” Craig took a deep breath and let it out.
“How much do you know about Tristan’s past?”
“I knew he had a shitty childhood. He doesn’t talk about it a lot.”
“Shitty is putting it mildly.” Tristan’s love for Noah was the one thing that would always draw him back. Noah was Tristan’s flame. Not me. “Let’s go and celebrate and…”
“Oh, Ev, I’m sorry he’s such a dumbass.” He pulled me into his embrace.
“I wish I could stop loving him.”
“Yeah, I know the feeling.”
“Ev?” Callie knocked on the door and stepped in. “Oh, sorry.”
“Hey. Uh… Craig and I were… um…” I stepped away, smoothing the wrinkles from my shorts.
“I was telling her that as beautiful, smart, and perfect as she is—because you are—” he said, ducking to meet my gaze, “I can’t run off with her. I’m more into blondes.” Craig turned and winked at Callie.
“Okay?” Callie looked at me with confusion.
“I’ll go open the champagne,” Craig said as he stepped by her.
Callie waited for Craig to leave. “If there’s something going on between you two, you just say—”
“No. It’s Tristan. He’s not going to make it. Something’s come up.”
“Ev, I’m sorry.” Callie touched my hand.
“It’s okay. This is about Zoey and making sure she doesn’t lose her shit in Nebraska.” I smiled sadly. “So, what do you think of Craig?”
“He is a beautiful man. I might have to change my research paper.” She winked, linking arms with mine.
I forced a smile because this wasn’t about me. It never was.