Chapter Nineteen
LILY
“Iwas looking for Blue. She’s not home. I thought she might be visiting you.”
“Sorry, Evie. She’s not here” I’m ready to say goodbye and get back to Apollo when I notice Evie’s red eyes and puffy cheeks. She’s been crying. Me being me, unable to resist helping anyone in need, I invite Evie in asking her, “Is there something I can help you with?”
Apollo clears his throat, deeply and unmistakably masculine, from around the corner.
Evie startles. Then, looking me up and down, taking in the fact I’m only wearing a robe, her eyes widen. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you had company.” She turns to leave.
Grabbing her arm, I say loud enough for Apollo to hear, so he’ll mind his own business, “It’s fine.” He may want me to help myself tonight but that’s just not how my life works. He needs to get used to it.
But why? It’s not like we can be anything serious. He doesn’t belong here any more than I belong in Hollywood. What we’re doing… Maybe we shouldn’t. But I can’t think about that right now. Evie needs me. I’ll help her, then deal with my own problems.
“Tell me what’s wrong, Evie, hunny.”
“It’s embarrassing. You’re like… a mom. I kind of need a friend.”
“I’m a sister first and I don’t judge. My baby sister had a drunken one-night stand that got her knocked up. Then she fell in love with a man almost twice her age. Even though we had words about it, it’s all water under the bridge now. So, whatever you’ve got, I can handle it.”
Evie nods and sits for a moment reminding me of Blue sitting in the same seat working up her courage to tell me she was pregnant. Maybe I don’t want to hear this. Not sure I’m ready to deal with another teen pregnancy already.
I’m already in too deep, so I just brace myself when Evie starts to spill her guts. “I told my friend I love him.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Ah, good. Something easy for once.
A tear rolls down her cheek. “He doesn’t love me back.” Then the shaking and sobbing start as she spills the rest of it. “I just blurted it out. I thought he felt the same way. He would cuddle with me and hold my hand and turn down dates with his girlfriend to spend more time with me.”
“He’s dating someone else?” Okay… Not as easy as I thought.
Crap.
“I know. I’m such an idiot.”
“No, you’re not. You were brave to tell him how you feel. To find out how he really feels. Now you get to move on. Most people don’t find their own way out of the friend zone. Or are too afraid to leave it. You forced him to tell you how he feels and now he doesn’t get to string you along anymore. His loss.” Applause comes from the hallway.
Evie and I can’t help giggling.
“He seems like a nice guy,” Evie says with a deep pink blush filling her cheeks.
“He sure seems to think so,” I tease.
When we hear Apollo snort trying not to laugh, we both break out laughing again.
As Evie settles, I ask her, “Are you going to be okay?”
“Yeah. I think so. Thanks, Lily.” Evie lifts out of her chair to put her arms around me. “I’ll get out of your way now.”
“You stop by anytime you need someone to talk to. I’m not kidding,” I tell her meaning every word.
She thanks me with another squeeze around my shoulders before heading to the door. I follow her closing and locking the door behind her.
“Coast is clear,” I call to Apollo who comes out of the hallway, still shirtless.
“Is there anything you can’t do?” He asks coyly.
I shrug. “When you’ve been taking care of other people as long as I have, it kind of becomes second nature, I guess.”
