“Oh my God,” she exclaims. “Did you pack the face masks? Because I didn’t get any. I mean, it’s LA, we can find some anywhere but still. Do you think the room will-’’
I cut her off with my hand on her shoulder. “Actually, I’m sharing a room with Evan.” He turns around now, the satisfied smirk on his face. Wren and Miles are caught up in their own world as she lists things to him, making sure he packed them while he kisses all of her face, leaving her in giggles.
“What?” she screeches. “Did he bribe you?”
“No, Kennedy. We’ve been, sort of, definitelydating.”
Wren and Miles still don’t turn around to that. I was sure it would set off some trigger in her brain, but she’s too caught up. He’s still kissing all over her face and she’s letting him.
Yep.
It’s their world and we’re just living in it.
“It’s about time that you two broke,” Kennedy says, beaming. “It was getting sickening watching you guys pretend to compete with each other.”
“Oh, we still do,” Evan says.
“Yeah,” I add. “The sex is better that way.”
When the plane finally arrives, I take my seat next to Evan as everyone else gets comfortable to sleep for the two hour flight. I don’t think I could sleep if I tried. I’m constantly hyper-aware of him. Our seats are the normal distance apart, but with his heavy hand on my thigh, it feels like every part of us is touching.
“You know what, Branson?” I ask into the comfortable silence, the second the thought pops into my head. “I think you’re good for me.”
“Finally,” he groans. “I’ve been telling you that for ages.”
“I know,” I giggle.I giggle?What the fuck is wrong with me? I shrug, trying to play it off. “I don’t know. I think you challenge me, push me to go that extra mile and I do. The same way I challenge you, but not in a way that means you’re trying to do or be better than me. I like that about us.”
“Yeah?” I nod, looking up at him. He places his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. “I’m on your team, Scar. I always have been. I always play by your rules. If you want to hate me, fine. If you want to hate-kiss me or beat me up, fine. I’d give you the world if you let me. God, I’d give you anything you want.”
“I don’t want the world, Ev.”
“Tell me what you want, Angel, and I’ll give it to you.”
“Right now? I think I just want you,” I admit. “Just you.”
“I’m yours.”
* * *
By the time we get down to the lobby, the party is raging outside while people dance around with champagne flutes, the music carrying from the lobby right outside. I hold onto Evan’s arm as we walk through the crowd, feeling claustrophobic and at home all at the same time. I’ve been to parties before. I’ve been to millions of them over the last few years but for some reason, this feels special. Different. Agooddifferent.
Because I have a job in the company that I’ve been dying to get for years. My friends are here, enjoying themselves and best of all, I have Evan Branson on my arm. Just thinking about that sentence makes me want to throw up a little. I never thought I’d end up here, actually enjoying his presence, it being the thing that comforts me. In a way, part of me knows that it was inevitable.
“Do you think they’ve seen us yet?” I whisper to him, glancing down towards the pool where my parents stand. My dad’s being greeted by one of our partners, while my mom links her arm in his, most likely drowning out their boring conversation.
“We just walked out the door, so probably not,” he whispers back, leaning down to me. I twist us in the opposite direction, finding a corner to the side of the building to hide behind. When we’re out of view, I push his back up against the wall. “We’ve been here two minutes and you already want to rip my clothes off. This is new, even for you.”
“Oh, shut up,” I murmur angrily, but he grins. I start to smooth out his tuxedo. It looks perfect. He looks perfect. His bow tie is actually tied, but I’m just nervous. “Do you know what you’re going to say?”
He shrugs. “Talk about how amazing I am?” I frown. He places his hands over mine, my blue ribbon still tied around his wrist. I take in a breath. “Just relax, sweetheart. I’ve already met your mom and I’ve halfway won your dad over.”
“Ican’trelax,” I say back. “My mom is easy to please, but my dad…I’ve never had a boyfriend before. Not a real one, anyway. He’s either going to hate you or love you. There’ll be no in between.”
“Do I make you happy?”
“What?”
“Do I make you happy? Do I constantly try to make sure you’re comfortable, happy, safe, and satisfied?” I nod. He said he would be the best boyfriend I ever had if I let him, and he is. “That’s all a dad would want for their daughter. I’d want the same thing for my kid if I had one.”
