Page 27 of Sure, Pal

12

Sienna

Iwoke up to a text notification at half past noon. When I saw Evan’s name on my phone, a warm feeling spread through my entire body. I would never forget the lightning that struck when I looked out from the stage and saw him standing there, smiling at me. What were the chances?

I read his text with a smile on my face. How are you feeling? I already threw up, and my head is full of cement.

I laughed out loud and replied, I’m fine, dude. You need to learn how to hold your liquor.

Sienna… you only had seven drinks. I fucking doubled that.

I grinned. That was a stupid thing to do.

It was. Can I see you today? Even though I feel like shit, I’m still thinking about your smile.

Butterflies rushed through my stomach. Evan and I were flirting hard last night, but we were both half-drunk. Now, he was sober and hung-over and still flirting with me. It was a bad idea to see him again, wasn’t it? Ava, my best friend, still occasionally referred to him as the love of her life.

But Ava could have any guy she wanted. She did have any guy she wanted. She always had some gorgeous model-looking guy hanging all over her. She couldn’t possibly still want Evan. Could I maybe, just maybe, have him now? Had enough time passed that it would be okay for me to act on my intense feelings for him?

Fuck it. I’d already played the role of perfect, stupidly loyal best friend in high school. Now, I deserved to be happy, and Evan made me so crazy happy. Ava would understand. We were all adults now.

I replied to Evan’s text. Are you flirting with me, Evan Cox?

His reply made me blush. Was I not completely obvious last night? I was laying it on pretty thick, Sienna. I was in to you in high school. I thought about you all through college, and I am actively pursuing you now. Is that clear?

I bit my lip and grinned. Yes, you can see me today. What time?

Is right now too soon? Could we meet for lunch?

I might have let out a stupid, girly Ava-worthy squeal before jumping out of bed and rushing to get ready.

Evan and I agreed to meet at a little café close to my apartment. I got there first and secured a shaded table for us out on the patio.

I swear to God, my mouth started watering when Evan walked into the restaurant. He looked so damn sexy in a light blue polo that stretched across his broad chest and dark gray shorts that showed off his soccer player calves. He wore sunglasses— probably to curb his hangover headache— but they fantastically tied his look together. He was a full-on fucking man now.

“Hey!” I stood and waved as he approached.

Evan smiled and wrapped me in a tight hug. “You look beautiful.”

I laughed out loud. “Do I? I got ready in twenty minutes because I was so excited to see you!”

Evan shook his head with a smile, and we both sat. He slid off his sunglasses, and his deep blue eyes traveled up and down my body. “Sienna, you don’t even have to try to look beautiful.”

I bit my lip. “Well, thank you. You look good, too.”

He reached across the table and took my hand. “I’m glad you wanted to see me. I was afraid my text was too forward.”

“Not at all.”

Evan smiled, and then his smile melted away as he asked, “Does Ava know I’m in town?”

I shook my head, pushing away the guilt that tried to sneak up on me. “I kind of want to be a little selfish and keep you all to myself for a minute.”

Evan grinned. “It’s about damn time you were a little selfish, Sienna.”

It was, wasn’t it? I’d always tried to play the good daughter, good student, good friend. It landed me a mediocre life, full of hardly anything that I actually wanted.

Then there was Ava, my fantastically selfish best friend that had everything she wanted. Ava was able to drop out of college halfway through our sophomore year because her beauty channel was exploding. Now, she made enough money for a gorgeous house right on Lake Washington and had a new swoon-worthy boyfriend every other week.

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