Page 42 of In Your Wildest Dreams
As we settle back on the couch, Ev picks up her phone. “Speaking of Ty. He wants to know if we need anything? I swear he thinks I’m helpless without him.
“Pepperoni pizza, two bottles of wine, and a gallon of ice cream,” she says aloud as she types what I assume are those very words to her brother.
“We should watch The Holiday next,” Grace says.
Ev nods, still looking at her phone. “Yeah, I love that one. Bridget?”
“Sure,” I say and then ask, “Is he really going to bring you those things?”
“No.” She shakes her head. “I’m just messing with him.”
“He would if she was serious,” Grace clarifies. “Ty is the sweetest. Although not as sweet as Declan.”
“Declan?”
“One of my brother’s teammates.”
“Oh, did you used to date him or something?”
“No. He just used to look out for me a lot.” Everly looks to me. “I came to live with Tyler the second semester of my high school senior year after being expelled.” Her face feigns innocence over what I’m guessing is a very interesting story.
“They all looked out for you,” Grace says. “Still do, you just make it harder for them.”
“Like you’re any better with your dad.”
“My dad thinks I’m an angel who never has and never will date or kiss boys. He’s completely delusional about me growing up. At least Tyler and his teammates let you be you.”
“Let me be me?” Ev scoffs. “Do you remember the time they rolled up into theater practice and threatened Jacob Matthews that he’d better be nice to me and spread the word?”
I don’t cover my laugh in time. “Tyler did that?”
“All of them. Ty, Declan, Jack, and Ash.”
My heart flutters at his name. True to Everly’s word, she hasn’t mentioned Ash or tried to play matchmaker since I moved in. Not that I’ve given her a lot of opportunities.
“It was so great. Hands down the coolest moment of senior year.” Grace beams at the memory.
“I was mortified.” Ev looks at me as she speaks. “It was bad enough being the new kid, but once people found out Ty was my brother and I was living with Ash, it was mayhem.”
My brain snags on the last part of that sentence. “You lived with Ash?”
“Mhmm.” She smiles and nods. “When I came to live with Tyler, he had this tiny little one-bedroom apartment and Ash offered to let us move in with him.”
“That’s really nice.”
“It was. Ash is great.”
Grace’s phone starts ringing. “That’s Lane. Five minutes. Don’t start the movie without me.” She hurries down the hallway as she answers.
A comfortable silence falls between me and Everly.
I break the quiet first. “Thank you for inviting me to hang tonight.”
“Are you kidding? We’re so glad you finally said yes.”
“Really? I was afraid you were only asking because you felt like you should. It’s been a while since I had roommates, or friends for that matter. I was dating this guy and sort of lost touch with all my girlfriends.”
“Ah, yeah. Easy to do when you’re in love.”
