Page 29 of Sure, Pal

I wondered why he even bothered getting a job or why he rented an apartment for only a few months. Was something going on with his family? I opened my mouth to ask, and then my phone rang.

Ava.

Shit.

I hadn’t seen her for a few weeks. I’d honestly been avoiding her because I didn’t want to tell her that I’d been playing shows. And as of last night, I was also avoiding telling her that Evan was in town. I was a shit best friend.

“Do you need to answer that?” Evan asked, taking another bite.

I smiled and shook my head, silencing the call. “It’s Ava. I’ll call her later.”

Evan sighed. “Is she still a huge part of your life? Am I going to have to see her again?”

I bit my lip. “She is. Is that a… dealbreaker?”

Evan’s eyes turned serious. “No. Is that a dealbreaker for you?”

It should have been. “No. I don’t want to think about that right now, though.”

Evan smiled. “Fair enough.”

“Are you feeling better from your hangover now?” I asked.

Evan laughed. “A little. Food helps.” He lifted his glass. “And water.”

“Absolutely!” I laughed.

“Damn, I missed your laugh.” Evan reached across the table and took my hand in his. He lifted it to his lips, pressing a small kiss against my fingers. It sent butterflies rushing through my stomach. “It feels too perfect that I ran into you again last night. You’re exactly what I need right now.”

“I guess that makes us pretty lucky.” My voice was soft, and I ran my fingers along his palm and down his wrist.

Evan sighed and said. “Sienna fucking Black.” Then his phone rang, startling us out of our moment. “Sorry, it’s my mom. Do you mind if I take this?”

“Not at all.”

Evan released my hand and walked a few paces away from me to answer the call. His easy expression immediately turned stressed, and I wondered again if something was going on with his family.

When he returned to the table, he wore a tight, fake smile. “My family thing got moved up. I’m so sorry, Sienna. Can I still come to your show tonight?”

“Yeah! Is everything okay?” I asked.

“Uh, yeah.” He turned to walk away, and I was confused by his cold body language after all the flirty sexually-charged things we’d just been saying.

Evan stopped and headed back toward me, shaking his head. “I’m an idiot.” He pulled me to a standing position and gently brushed his lips against mine. Then he pulled my body up against his and parted his lips slightly before kissing me nearly breathless. Then he rested his forehead against mine, brushing my cheeks with his thumbs. “I’ll see you tonight, yeah?”

I nodded and watched him walk away with my head spinning. I reached up and touched my lips with a soft smile. I was sure that half of the people in the restaurant were now staring at me, but I didn’t even care.

My first kiss with Evan had completely blown me away, like I always knew it would.

Maybe this was finally our chance. Were the stars finally fucking aligning and giving me everything I’d ever wanted?

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