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TYSON
Iwas pacing around my Santa Monica condo, not even paying attention to the ocean outside my window. Normally, the view would calm me and take me out of the tailspin I was currently in, but it wasn’t working this time.
I was too riled up, just thinking about her.
“I told you, she’ll be there,” Greg said, sounding exasperated, but this shit was too important to get wrong.
“She actually said that?” I pushed, demanding he tell me exactly what she had said to him. “Greg, Eve said she would come tonight? You’re sure?”
He breathed into the phone, loud and annoyed. “Why are you doing this to me? I need to get ready, and you’re making me sweaty.”
“Just tell me what she said. Does she know I’m coming?”
“How would she know you’re coming? We didn’t talk about you,” he shouted, his voice going up a full octave. He had no idea about my and Eve’s past. “Listen, Tyson, Eve said she would come. But not for long. I could only convince her to stay for, like, an hour, so whatever shit you’re planning on pulling during my beautiful and perfect party, you’d better get here early to do it.”
Rubbing my hand down my face, I pulled the phone from my ear and wanted to scream. Getting to the party early was definitely going to be a problem. It was going to take me at least two hours to drive out there with traffic, and I hadn’t even started getting dressed yet.
My face makeup alone was going to take more than an hour. It needed to be perfect, mysterious and not at all revealing. Eve couldn’t know it was me underneath the mask and makeup. If she did, she’d leave. I pictured it all in my head—her putting the pieces together and bailing as quick as her legs would take her. There was zero chance she’d let me explain anything to her… not after all this time. Everything had to be just right in order for this to work.
“Hello? Tyson? Are you listening?” Greg’s voice interrupted the scene playing out in my head.
“What?” I snapped.
“I saiiiid”—he dragged out the word, irritated—“Eve is a visionary genius, and if you make her hate me, I’ll never forgive you.”
My girl was a visionary genius. Hell, I’d already known that. Known it the moment I met her in the library on campus. She was sitting at a desk, surrounded by swatches of colors and shapes of all sizes. When I asked her what she was doing, she gathered them all up into a pile and told me to mind my business.
I refused to leave her side after that. Sat my happy ass down right next to her and begged her to tell me everything. She took more than a little coercing, her eyes pulling together like she didn’t trust me or my motives. My good looks and charm didn’t seem to work on her, and that only made me more intrigued. It sounded shitty, but I was used to girls falling at my feet. All I had to do was smile, and they practically threw me their panties.
But not Eve. She closed her lips tight, refusing to speak or tell me anything until I promised to buy and bring her Starbucks anytime she asked without question, no matter what time of day or night it was. I agreed all too willingly, dying to get a peek inside her head and hear her thoughts. It was in that moment that I knew this girl was different. That I’d do anything she asked me to.
It was that quick.
For two hours, she tried to explain how she saw things coming together in her mind. Eve could see an entire home decorated for an event from the front door to the back, all without drawing it out or using a computer. Everything was in her “mind’s eye,” as she liked to call it, and while she was in her head, designing, it was all she saw. I wasn’t sitting next to her. There was no library. There was only her, colors, and a theme.
I had been fascinated.
I still was.
The fact that she was doing this for work now didn’t surprise me in the least. It made me proud as hell.
“You’re not listening. I’m hanging up. I hate you,” Greg said before adding, “Do not ruin my party tonight.”
He ended the call, and my mind started spinning. Eve and I would be in the same place later tonight, breathing the same air. For the first time in seven years, I’d be close enough to touch her. Close enough to apologize for all the ways in which I had ruined the best thing to ever happen to me. I’d messed up all those years ago by walking away, but I’d never once stopped thinking about her.
The worst part was, my missing her didn’t seem to be going anywhere. If anything, it had only gotten stronger with time. The feeling was almost unbearable, which was why I couldn’t wait anymore. I needed to see her and make things right. I’d bet my condo here that my girl was still mad at me. I couldn’t even blame her.
I’d wasted so much time.
What reason would ever be good enough to explain seven years of waiting to try and make things right?
“SNIPS”
EVE
Greg had snatched me away the second I walked through the front door and only recently let me out of his sight. Apparently, he was dressed like Taylor Swift inCats. I’d never seen the play or the movie, but I believed him. He also approved of my costume even though he had no clue who I was supposed to be. He was the only one though. I’d actually gotten more compliments than I could have imagined.
I’d been introduced to so many people by this point that I’d lost count. All I wanted was a little peace and quiet, so I headed out back into the spooky but stillchicgraveyard. A two-person bench that overlooked his private boat dock sat in a corner of the yard. I knew that most people wouldn’t know it was even there, so I silently crept that way and blew out a thankful breath when I saw it was empty. The fog machine currently spitting out ambiance helped keep the seat hidden until it was practically in front of you.
