Page 35 of Forever Wild
“Oh.” He pulls his phone back and glances from me to Ev and then back. “Yeah, sure.”
He stands and pockets his phone.
“Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow,” he says to her.
“I’m not paying you to ask out my house guests.”
A flush creeps into his cheeks. “Of course not. Sorry, Jack.”
He murmurs anice to meet youandgoodbyeto Everly, and then I walk him back into the house to make sure he doesn’t take another detour and ask out my house plants.
As I open the door for him, I say, “Don’t bother coming back tomorrow.”
He opens his mouth to protest, but then thinks better of it. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out. Give me a call if you change your mind.”
I let out a sigh of relief that he’s gone, but it’s short-lived when I get back outside and see Everly packing up as well.
“You don’t have to go,” I say.
“You don’t seem like you’re in a very good mood for company.”
“He asked you out,” I say as if that explains it.
“Yeah. So?” Her arms cross over her chest, pushing up her tits unintentionally. Or fuck, maybe it’s intentional. If so, she’s doing a fantastic job of pushing me toward the breaking point.
“It was unprofessional and rude.”
“I get the unprofessional part, but how exactly was it rude?”
“You’re my guest and he could have made you uncomfortable.”
She stares at me, disbelieving.
“Or fuck, maybe not. You can probably still catch him if you want to grab some sushi and listen to him talk about himself. Knock yourself out.”
She’s quiet as she studies me for so long I want to squirm under her scrutiny. No one makes me squirm. I go up against the fastest, biggest, meanest guys in the league. Yet, something about Everly’s gaze has my pulse kicking up a notch.
“As if you are going to let me go out with him,” she says with amusement lacing her tone.
“I don’t care who you go out with.” Lies.
“Right.” She laughs this time, and her pouty mouth pulls into a grin that sees right through me. “I get it. Ty isn’t here so you have to go all big brother on me.”
Wait. What? Did she just refer to me as her brother?
“It’s fine,” she says in a way that sounds like maybe it isn’t fine at all. “Knowing my track record, things would end weird, and then I’d have to worry about seeing him any time I want to come over and use your pool.”
Not anymore since he’s never coming back. I stay quiet as she slides her sunglasses onto the top of her head.
“Well, thanks for letting me hang by the pool today,” she says. “I guess I’ll see you around.”
Does that mean she’s coming back tomorrow? It’s been a few days since she invaded my space, and it isn’t that I missed her because that would be weird. I just want to know when she’ll be here. I like havinga plan.
The uncertainty has me doing something I would never do. Not with her, anyway.
I clear my throat and say, “If you don’t have plans, we could grab dinner.”
The surprise plays over her face like a slideshow. Mouth agape, eyes wide, cheeks flushed.
