As I reach for the shelf where the glasses are, I’m hit with strong déjà vu, remembering Evan towering over me, touching my waist, his breath hot on my neck. The way I could feel his eyes lingering on my almost naked body. His strong, hot hand holding me, steadying me.
“Do you want me to get that for you?”
I turn around and Miles is behind me, placing the bowls into the sink. I realise that I must have been frozen on my way up to get the glass and he tilts his head to the side curiously. I blink at him a few times, trying to get the image of Evan out of my head.
“I'm okay,” I say, jumping slightly to reach it. I almost miss it, but I end up getting it anyway, triumphant as I move to the fridge to fill up the glass with the water dispenser. I'm ready to make my escape back to my seat, but Miles grips onto my elbow, pulling me back into the kitchen. “Can I help you, Davis?”
“Actually, you can,” he says cheerfully. “Do you think you could possibly, maybe, definitely be friends with Evan again?”
“What?” I almost laugh.
Miles and I’s relationship isn’t as close as it could be, so I don’t know why he’s asking me. He's dating my best friend. I hear him fucking her more often than I’d like and he’s annoyingly good to her. He likes to irritate me and call everyone stupid nicknames. And he talks too much, too. I guess we’re alike in that department.
“I know what he did was fucked up, but he cares about you, Scarlett. I've never seen him cry the way he did when he came back that night,” he says thickly, and it feels like a punch to the stomach.
“Are you trying to make me feel even worse than I do, Davis?” I ask, looking to the ground and then back up at him. He's watching me, trying to figure me out.
“You feel bad?” he asks, genuinely shocked.
“Of course, I do. I know I shouldn't because he’s the one that hurt me, but I know that he’s never had a malicious bone in his body. I know he’s been waiting formeto look up and notice him, but I’ve been too stubborn and scared to admit that he’s not actually a bad person. He’s done countless nice things for me to make up for it and I was too frightened to let him.”
Miles’ mouth hangs open in an ‘O’ shape as if I just told him Victoria’s secret. I don't know what he and Evan have been talking about, but he looks like he’s seen a ghost.
“Then tell him that,” he says,exasperated.
“What?” I laugh.
“Go and tell him that. He’s been making himself sick over you, Scar, and his bad mood is bringing down the vibes. Go and tell him that you’re sorry, that you love him so we can all move on with our lives already.”
“I never said I love him,” I say defensively.
“You didn’t have to,” Miles mutters. What the hell….Wren better gets her man in check because he’s seriously confusing me right now. “I’m not trying to force you, obviously. That will come on your own time, but it sounds to me that you understand each other more than you realise, and I can't take him looking like a sad puppy all day. Honestly, I think he’d prefer you to scream at him rather than this silence.”
“Do you really think so?” I ask quietly.
“Oh, I know so, Scarely,” he replies, grinning. He really surprised me with that analysis of our relationship. I don’t know when he started to sound so wise. I knew him back when I dated Jake, and I’ve never heard him talk like this. But he's back to being annoying. Great.
“Stop calling me that, you dork,” I say, laughing.
“Not until you and Evan become frenemies again,” he challenges.
“Since when were you two besties?” I ask, genuinely curious. “Last I heard, he said you guys weren’t even friends.”
Miles clutches his chest dramatically. “Okay, ouch. He was in denial. We’ve come to a truce.”
“Right…” I drag out, eying him suspiciously.
“All I'm saying is, when you’re ready, put him out of his misery. His bad vibes make me queasy.” He shudders for extra effect.
“You make me queasy,” I mutter as I walk past him, back into the living room.
Maybe I do need to talk to him. I've had time to reflect, and I don't want a good thing to go to waste because I'm scared. Watching Wren and Miles cuddle while we watch the show, they make it seem so easy. Almost dangerously easy.
37
Evan
She’s wearing the dress.
