Page 37 of Sure, Pal

17

Sienna

Ava looped her arm through his as we walked to the restaurant. He pulled away immediately, but it brought back so many painful memories of watching them together.

Was I crazy to think that Evan and I could ever have our moment? Maybe that was all the last couple of weeks had been— one single perfect moment. The thought that Evan could actually be mine was too good to be true.

Evan turned to look at me, his blue eyes pleading with me. What for? Did he want me to believe he didn’t have any feelings for Ava? Did he want me to tell her about our steamy sleepover and Camaro sex? What?

I bit my lip and looked away.

“Aw, you guys!” Ava laughed. “It is so good to have the old gang back together!” Rob was going to meet us at the restaurant — a trendy sushi place that Ava insisted on— so the old gang really would be back together.

Ava looped her arm through mine now and rested her head on my shoulder as we walked. “Um, and seriously, Si, you were amazing tonight! You should be playing on bigger stages, girl. I can help make that happen! I know a guy!”

I snorted. “Did you sleep with this guy?”

Ava rolled her eyes and glanced over at Evan. “Just once.” Her eyes lingered on his lips. He stared straight ahead.

I cleared my throat. “I’m good, Aves. I don’t like performing for tons of people. It’s too much right now.”

Ava laughed her perfect tinkling laugh. “But crowds and fans mean more money. You could make so much money, girl!”

My smile was tight. I was getting tired of Ava always trying to pressure me to “build my following.” And I was still pissed that she’d tagged me in the photo. I said, “I’m good, Aves.”

“Your apartment is shit, Sienna. And I know you don’t like your job. Let me help you!”

Evan scoffed. “Ava, she said, ‘no.’ Let it go.”

Ava tossed her hair over her shoulder and let out her counterfeit tinkling laugh. Beauty blogger Ava Mills didn’t throw her head back and belly laugh. That was my best friend who did that, and tonight, she was clearly #AvaMillsOfficial.

“Evan,” Ava put her hand on his arm, and I saw his muscles tense. “I want to help.” She sighed and looped her arm through his again. “I’m sorry I was a bitch in high school. You deserved so much better.”

Evan pulled away. “We all did,” he said and glanced over at me.

#AvaMillsOfficial laughed again as we arrived at the restaurant and then said, “Okay, let me go tell Jaelyn that we’re here!” Ava strolled over to the entrance, hips swaying.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Evan turned to me. “Why the hell are you still friends with her?” He crossed his arms over his broad chest and furrowed his brow in anger.

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. “I’ve been through everything with Ava! And yeah, she’s bossy and spoiled, but she’s been there for me when I had no one, Evan! Did you know I lived with her parents for my first year of college, too? They practically adopted me and supported me so I only had to worry about tuition costs!”

Evan nodded and rubbed his jaw. He still looked angry. “Okay, so it’s Ava’s parents that were there for you. They have you feeling like you need to hang on to the friendship with her.”

I did feel indebted to Ava’s parents. They were better to me than mine ever were, but Ava had so many great qualities, too. I shook my head. “Ava’s listened to me cry, encouraged my dreams, held my hair back while I puked… She’s, she’s my best friend. I’m not going to turn my back on her and throw that all away just because she got a little full of herself.”

Evan laughed. “That didn’t recently happen, Sienna.” Then he shook his head. “Look, I don’t like Ava, but I’m crazy about you, so I will deal with having to see her every once in a while if it means I can see you all the time.”

He paused and looked down at the pavement before meeting my gaze. “But fucking don’t let her bulldoze you, Sienna. You asked her not to tag you in the photo, and she did it anyway. She crossed a boundary, and I’m not okay with people treating you like that.”

“I know.” I nodded. “She’s even more of a bulldozer now that she’s had a taste of fame. I need to be more firm with her.”

Evan nodded. “You have to be firm with her, or I will.” He ran his hands through his hair and said, “I’m trying to be patient here, Sienna, and let you figure out what you want to say to her.” Evan lowered his voice and almost growled, “But if it weren’t for her, I’d have ripped that sexy dress off of you in a bathroom stall already.”

My pussy throbbed, and I bit my lip. “Fuck, Evan,” I whispered.

“Hey, guys!” Rob’s voice behind us made me jump. Had he heard any of that conversation?

“Dude!” Evan and Rob exchanged a bro hug.

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