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He covers his mouth and fake-coughs what are clearly the words, “and she was naked.”
I swallow the rage building inside me, willing my body to calm the fuck down. I roll my neck on my shoulders and exhale roughly.
“Let me get this straight,” I drawl. “Eve called you while alone, drunk, and naked?”
“She was eating Chinese, too,” he blurts. My hands ball into shaky, tight fists at my sides.
“Any reason for that, or did she just need a late-night chat?” With you. The words almost slip out, but I catch myself.
“She was scared,” he mutters. Fuck. That hurts. It shouldn’t. I know it shouldn’t, but fuck. “She thought someone was in the backyard breaking in.”
And she called Chase.
Not me.
“Where the fuck was Isaac?” I growl.
“The conference.”
Right.
Of course he was.
Couldn’t stick around, even for his do-over kid. His golden child.
“Anyway,” he continues, oblivious to the war I’m internally waging. “She was scared, drunk, and didn’t know who to call, but it all worked out. Ended up being Oli on one of her wild outings. She roped Eve into a rescue mission to save feeder mice. Shit went wrong, and chaos erupted.”
He huffs a laugh, his face taking on that look of pure love and adoration he gets whenever he talks about his little sister. It’s a look I understand. Though, I’m not sure the expression on my face shows it right now.
The thought of Eve, my Eve, alone, scared, drunk and fucking naked, brings on many goddamned thoughts. None of them sisterly and all of them bitter and painful.
“Paul, my cousin, showed up and vouched for Oli and Eve, but called me to fill me in on what went down. Eve called me the next day to let me know what story she spun about the mice to make sure we’re on the same page.”
“Glad it worked out.” Swallowing, I turn toward the lockers, pretending like everything he just told me doesn’t have any effect on me at all. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
“Hell yes!” He quickly packs up his shit and chases after me. “Party time, bro.”
Fuck. Partying is the last thing I want to do right now.
Bracing my forearms on the metal railing, I flick the lighter open, then shut. Over and over, open and closed. The flame dances for only a moment before it’s snuffed, then it’s back, just as bright and hot as before.
The dull thud of the bass rattles my chest as I watch the partygoers below. Some are standing against walls talking. A few found spots on couches or chairs to make out. There’s a group of frat dudes playing beer pong on the polished oak dining table. Most are grinding on each other like they’re fucking in the center of my living room.
I don’t really give a shit who fucks where, but the buck-naked trio to the right is currently fucking where I eat my FruitLoops.
I cringe, already calculating the cost of having our place deep-cleaned tomorrow. Fuck it. I’ll make Chase foot the bill. This was his idea, anyway.
Smirking, I stare down at the crowd from my perch on the floating loft, watching them like I’m a dark God, and they’re nothing more than my entertainment.
It’s an illusion.
I just want this party to be over with. I want my house empty and silent. I want peace. But it’s barely one, and Chase is known for his parties lasting until the sun comes up. I’m a long way away from the quiet I desperately crave.
I suppose I could just leave. But then I risk the chance of my bedroom becoming the next cum-dumpster, and that’s not something I’m willing to risk.
Since Chase told me about his phone call with Eve, I haven’t been able to get her out of my head. Truthfully, I haven’t been able to get her out of my fucking head since the day she toddled into my life. Her smile and blue eyes were too kind to be coming from a two-year-old. She lit up my dark world at a time when I should have fallen apart.
Without knowing it, Evelyn Meyer and her family saved me when my mother died.
