Chapter Thirty-Three Scarlett
I’ve spent more time at Evan’s place than I have at my own in the last few weeks. Every time I think I’m going to stay at my apartment, I end up coming back here. Mostly because I get unlimited food and sex. And also because Evan lets me watch him practice.
There’s something so attractive about watching him play piano. I already knew that, but seeing him at home, comfortable, and playing for nobody other than the two of us, it feels special.
There’s a strange intensity with the way he practices.
Sometimes he’s sitting here for hours, trying to perfect a certain piece, and all I can do is watch and listen.
He doesn’t yell when he gets frustrated, and sometimes I’m waiting for him to, but he’s too patient.
He just sits back, takes a deep breath, and continues.
If he ever gets too irritated or overwhelmed with it, he closes the piano and goes for a run, or we watch a movie together.
Honestly, it’s amazing just watching him exist. All the little things he does, all the little things that make him Evan, just make me love him even more.
“Scarlett,” Evan groans out, shaking his head. He looks up at me from where he’s sitting on his bench in front of the piano. “I don’t think I can do this.”
I tilt my head to the side. “You’re not a quitter, Evan, are you?”
He cracks his knuckles one at a time. “Well . . . no.”
I smile. “Then you can do it,” I say, moving around to sit down beside him on the bench. “Scooch. Let me show you how it’s done.”
“Be my guest,” Evan says, chuckling as he crosses his arms.
My fingers hover over the keys, and I try to remember which one is what.
It’s been a while since I’ve played on a piano that didn’t have those sticky tabs with the notes on them.
I play the first few keys wrong before I get the gist of what I’m doing and perform a spectacularly terrible version of ‘Heart and Soul.’
Evan tries to keep his composure, but when I start moving down the piano and freestyling, he bursts out laughing. “Okay, okay, stop. My neighbors are going to file a complaint,” he wheezes out, gripping on to my hands to stop me. “I think we’ve finally found something you’re not good at.”
I scoff, holding my chin up. “I’m just a little rusty. I stopped taking lessons in fourth grade.”
“Uh-huh, sure,” he says, shaking his head at me. I can’t help but smile at him like an idiot, and he smooths his thumbs over my knuckles. “Let me help you.”
I give him a blank look. “Are you really going to help me, or are you just going to tell me how good it is when you know it’s terrible?”
He laughs. “I promise I’ll tell you the truth.”
Evan shifts closer, pressing his leg against mine as he repositions my hands on the piano keys. His fingers glide effortlessly over mine, aligning them perfectly with the right keys. “Relax, Scar. You’re too tense.”
I try, but it’s hard to focus when he’s so close, his body warm against me as he leans in to guide my hands. His touch is gentle, deliberate, and my pulse quickens at the sensations.
“Now,” he says softly, his voice almost a whisper, “press this one.”
I do, and a soft note hums through the room. I glance up at him, grinning. “Okay, that wasn’t terrible.”
“See?” he teases, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Not so bad after all.”
We go through a few more keys, Evan correcting me every time I press the wrong one, but instead of getting frustrated it just makes me laugh.
And the more we laugh, the less serious the lesson becomes.
Before I know it, we’re playfully fighting over the keys, my hands slapping away his as he tries to take control.
“Hey, you’re ruining my song.” I giggle, pushing his shoulder when he leans in close, making me mess up on purpose.
“Scarlett, sweetheart, this isn’t a song. It’s a cry for help,” he teases.
I nudge him again, but this time he doesn’t move back. Instead, he just stares at me, his eyes boring into mine, and the laughter fades into something deeper. My heart skips a beat as the space between us disappears. His hand comes up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing softly against my skin.
“You know you’re it for me, right?”
“I know.” I smile, melting into his touch. “No one else would be willing to put up with you.”
I don’t wait for his response. I just lean in, closing the gap.
Our lips meet in a soft kiss, and everything else fades away.
It’s slow at first, sweet, and then it deepens as his other hand curls around my waist, pulling me closer.
My fingers tangle in his hair, and the warmth of him seeps into me, making my heart race.
When we finally pull back, breathless and smiling, his forehead rests against mine. “You’re getting pretty good at that,” he murmurs, his voice low and teasing.
“At what? Kissing you? I mean, I’d hope so. I’ve been doing it for months.”
He shakes his head against mine, laughing quietly. “No, playing piano.”
“Maybe I just needed the right teacher,” I whisper back, my fingers tracing the line of his jaw.
He chuckles, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead before reluctantly pulling away. “As much as I’d love to keep going, we need to get ready.”
“Do we?” I ask, batting my eyelashes at him.
I don’t know who I’m kidding. I knew as soon as my parents asked me and Evan to come over for dinner it would become a whole thing.
My parents have never met any of my boyfriends before, and I’ve been trying to convince myself and Evan that this isn’t a big deal.
“Yes,” he says, pressing his forehead against mine. “It’s going to be fine. You’ve already done the hard part and told them that you’re dating your arch-nemesis.”
“Arch-nemesis?” I echo, laughing. “Is that what you think you are?”
“Aren’t I?”
I shake my head. “More like enemies with benefits.”
“I like the sound of that.”
I’ve had more phone calls with my parents than I’ve ever had in my entire life over the past few weeks.
They’ve been checking in every couple of days just to see if I’m breathing.
I had wondered what life would be like after Christmas, but us playing a happy family and having weekly brunches and dinners was never in my vision.
We’ve never been that kind of family. Mom and Dad have always been too busy for it, and I got used to just spending time with my siblings and being a mom to all of them at times.
Now walking into my house with a boyfriend and all my siblings, even Alex, feels like I’m in an episode of The Twilight Zone.
Alex flew back from London last week and is planning on staying here for a couple of weeks for some conferences.
I know the real reason he came back was to check in with me, but after I told him my plan to apply for Lina Brown’s mentoring program, he eased off a bit.
That’s probably why it feels so out of character for Dad to trap Evan in a hug the second he walks through the door. I almost yell at him to get off, but Evan’s engulfed way too quickly, and my dad is at least twice his size.
“It’s so nice to meet you,” my dad says. I flash my mom a look to where she is standing behind him with her hands clasped together.
She steps up and rubs my dad on the back. “Okay, let him go, Gio. You’re going to suffocate the poor kid.”
He finally lets go, looking down at Evan.
I immediately stand beside him again, but I don’t go to hold his hand.
I know he’s probably freaking out in that tidy puzzle brain of his, and I don’t want to make him any more uncomfortable than he already is.
His cheeks are a little pink, and the tips of his ears are red. He looks fucking adorable.
“Thank you. It’s really great to meet you too,” Evan says, straightening out his shirt. He gives me a small smile before looking at my parents, who are staring at him like he’s a rare animal in a cage at the zoo. “Scarlett has said nothing but nice things about you both.”
I exchange a look with my parents, and we all burst out laughing.
This poor, sweet, innocent boy. I try to catch the air in my lungs, but I can’t stop the tears from falling.
“You don’t have to lie to us,” Mom says.
She reaches out to take Evan’s hands in hers like she always does to me, but when she notices the way he keeps pressing his thumb to each of his fingers, she holds back.
“I bet some of the things she’s said about us have been nothing short of mean. ”
“Which is completely justified,” my dad adds, offering me a sad smile. “But we’re trying to do better. We want to do better.”
He holds my gaze for a beat, and I can tell he means it.
There’s a softness in his eyes, a sincerity that I’ve never seen before.
If he’s going to try to make the effort to make things better between all of us, I’m going to have to meet him halfway.
I’ve had to remind myself that things can get better if you let them.
It also means I have to put in the work, and I’m willing to try.
I take in a deep breath. “Okay. Enough of whatever that was.” I gesture for Evan to follow me into the main living room where all four of my brothers are.
With the amount of noise they make, you’d think a football team is living here.
I point to Leo and Junior, who are playing a sports game that’s loaded up on the flatscreen.
“That’s Leo and Junior. They probably won’t acknowledge your existence until dinner. ”
“Perfect,” Evan says, sighing as he watches them yell at the screen. “It’s just like being at home with Miles and Xavier.”
I laugh, walking behind the couch and toward the bar where Alex is. He must have supersonic hearing or something because he turns immediately, shutting his laptop and sliding off the stool. “Scarlett! You’re here early.”
I shrug casually. “I’m always early.”
“You’re not,” Evan and Alex say at the same time. They slowly turn to each other, and my smile widens.
Evan holds out his hand to him. “Evan Branson. It’s nice to meet you.”