Evie jerked slightly. “Yeah, we did talk about it. And as I told you then, I don’t do drugs! Brock, I will admit I have…crutches for difficult times, but…!”
“Damn it, Evie! Why?” he snapped, turning his back on her, one hand fisted on his lean hip and the other rubbing his forehead.
She shook her head slightly, trying to figure out why he was so upset. “But Brock it’s not a problem. I have it under control!”
He shook his head, his eyes on fire. “My mother died of a drug overdose, Evie,” he said, his voice soft but shaking with fury. “She couldn’t control herself. She couldn’t stop!” He breathed in heavily, then slowly let the air out. “Drugs are a no go for me. You knew that Evie. This whole time, you knew that.”
Evie couldn’t believe that he would do this! Hadn’t he learned anything about her over the past several months? They’d been together almost non-stop! She slept in his arms every night. He made love to her until she was screaming with pleasure and Evie was one hundred percent sure that he felt the same.
Damn it, she loved him! She hadn’t wanted to love him, but it was true. She felt things for him that…that she shouldn’t feel! And he was about to walk out of her life?
With horrified eyes, she watched as Brock stormed out of her house, slamming the door behind him. “I don’t do drugs!” she whispered, but it was too late. He was already gone.
For a long moment, she didn’t move, the pain in her chest too much for any sort of movement. But slowly, her heart hammering behind her ribs, she turned around and walked over to the cabinet that held her secret shame. But before she could open it, she turned away, closing her eyes and whispering, “Don’t do it!”
Evie turned and looked at the front door, firmly closed against all of her dreams. Silly dreams that she’d woven into elaborate fantasies of a long life with Brock. Children. Vacations. Working together. Having a family! Growing old with him by her side.
She turned and ran for the basement. But after a half hour of boxing, she still felt as if her heart was going to break in half. Turning, she stared at the stairway that would lead back up to her stash. Her secret shame. Her crutch!
“Don’t do it!” she told herself. Getting into the shower, she scrubbed herself clean, washing off the sweat and tears.
After she dried off, Evie pulled on a pair of soft, cotton pants and a sweatshirt, then looked around once again. “I can resist!” she vowed.
Walking up the stairs, she felt better. More confident.
Then she entered the kitchen and saw the food that Brock had brought in and…abandoned. Just as he’d abandoned her.
“Oh, forget it!” she hissed and turned to glare at the cabinet. Walking over to it, she opened the door and looked inside with a sigh. It was there. Her secret, shameful stash that was so bad for her body and her health. But at this moment, she didn’t care!
With shaking fingers, she pulled the packages down and laid them all on the coffee table. Chocolate bars of all shapes and sizes, potato chips, Doritos, cheese puffs…ooh, she loved cheese puffs! Tearing open the bag of cheese puffs, she walked over to the fridge and pulled out a diet coke. Nothing tastes better with cheese puffs than a diet coke, she thought, settling on the couch. With her last clean finger, she pressed the button that turned on the television. Selecting a mystery, she tugged the blanket off of the back of her sofa to cover her legs and grabbed a chocolate bar. With one hand holding the chocolate, she alternated eating the chocolate and the cheese puffs. When those were gone, she grabbed the bag of potato chips. But that still wasn’t enough. She could still feel the pain in her chest so she grabbed the chocolate and peanut butter candies, quickly unwrapping one after another and popping them into her mouth. When she couldn’t take the sugar any longer, she grabbed the chips again.
Yes, this was her secret shame. Apparently, Evie didn’t have it under control. Brock was right. Under the right circumstances, she fell right back into her old crutch, relying on the numbing qualities of carbs and sugar. By the time the sun set, she couldn’t feel the pain in her chest because she was so sick from the sugar and fried junk food. This. This was her drug of choice. She closed her eyes, tilting off to the side as she cried herself to sleep.
Chapter 12
Three days.
Brock had been staring out the window for three freaking days! He’d been drinking thirty year old scotch, not sleeping, and barely eating. He went into the editing studio during the day and tortured himself by watching clips of Evie as he directed the editors on how to put the film together. The more he watched, the more he hurt. And yet, he couldn’t seem to pull himself away. She was so damn beautiful and every moment of her portrayal of Lucy made him realize more and more what an incredible actress she truly was.
He’d tried drinking to ease the pain, but it hadn’t worked. He could still feel the ache. He could still feel the loss of Evie every time he breathed.
He wanted her back. And just now, he didn’t even care about…!
His eyes caught on the television screen. He’d had the stupid thing on for days because it helped him to feel a bit less alone. He hadn’t really paid much attention to whatever was on the screen. But now he was! Evie! She was in sweat pants and a tee shirt, huge sunglasses and a big, floppy hat. Obviously, she was trying to disguise her identity. But the paparazzi were good at their jobs.
That was definitely Evie trying to sneak into the store, but the aggressive photographers swarmed her! She practically had to wade out of the store and was clutching the fabric bag filled with groceries to her chest.
Why was she even trying to sneak around the city right now? The movie industry was big, but everyone gossiped. And rumors were flying about the movie she’d starred in. Brock had kept the details minimal, wanting to build up curiosity and interest over time.
Speaking of time….
Brock checked the time on his cell phone. Or more specifically, the date. The pictures surfacing on the television set had been taken yesterday! She’d been in danger and he’d been…he muttered a curse and turned, grabbing his keys. Evie had been scared and in danger and he’d been hiding, wallowing in his anger and frustration.
“Enough!” He started his car and drove to her house.
Ringing the doorbell, he peered in through the side window and saw her sitting on the couch. He could barely see the top of her head, but he could tell that she was watching a movie. She was there! “Evie, open the door!”
“Go away!” she yelled without even looking around.
“I’m not going away, Evie. Open the door. I can help you!” And damn it, he was going to help her. He…he loved her!
As he stood there, stunned for a long moment, he thought about that word. Love. What the hell? Love? He loved Evie?
Yes, he loved her. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back, waiting for the pain to hit him. Love was always painful. No, not painful, scary. Yeah, he was a coward. He was afraid of admitting that he loved Evie! The evidence had been there all along, but Brock had been ignoring the clues and denying it. He’d pushed everything aside because…because he didn’t want to feel the pain of losing Evie.
But the reality was he was in pain without her.
“Brock?” Evie whispered.
He opened his eyes and realized that she’d opened the door and was watching him worriedly.
“What’s wrong?” she demanded, taking his hand and…he almost laughed when she pressed her thumb against his wrist. The adorable woman was taking his pulse! “Come inside, Brock. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“I’m not hurt, Evie,” he said, but followed her into the house. “I just realized that….” He froze and stared at the normally pristine family room. The sofa and coffee table were covered with candy wrappers and chips, dips, and…cupcakes? What the hell?
Evie crossed her arms over her chest and he blinked, noticing a small smear of…was that chocolate on her cheek, almost under her ear? How had she gotten chocolate all the way over there? Around her mou
th, he could understand. But on her cheek?
“Honey, what’s going on? Why are you eating all of this junk food?”
She stiffened and stepped back. “Don’t call me that!”
He was mystified. “Don’t call you what?”
“Honey! You don’t have the right to call me honey! And how dare you judge me! You accused me of doing drugs and…” tears slipped down her cheeks and she swiped at them angrily, leaving streaks of orange in their wake. He glanced behind her and saw the bag of cheese puffs on the table. Ah. The orange fingers made sense now.
And then he realized something else. “Your crutch…” he murmured, comprehension dawning finally. “Your crutch isn’t drugs, is it?” There was silence for a long moment, and he looked down at her. “Your crutch is junk food.”
“Yes. But if you judge me, I’ll…!”
He scooped her into his arms and spun around. “Evie, I’m so sorry! Can you ever forgive me?”
“NO!” she grumbled, but he felt her arms go around his neck. Brock buried his face against her warm skin, chuckling because she smelled like chocolate. Had she bathed in the stuff?
“Why did you leave me?” she asked, her voice muffled.
“Because…” he stopped, his arms tightening around her. He took a long breath, then started again. “I was scared, Evie.”
“Of me?”
He closed his eyes, steeling himself, and nodded. “Yeah. You…you make me feel things, Evie. Things I don’t want to feel.”
She jerked out of his arms, glaring up at him. “I don’t make you feel anything!”
He sighed, nodding his agreement. “You’re right. But…here’s the thing. When I saw you acting so excited after…whatever happened between you and that red-head, I wasn’t thinking rationally.” He walked over to the window, looking out because he couldn’t face her right now. “I thought…” he bowed his head. “I thought she gave you drugs, Evie. You were so secretive. Plus, you were so excited!”
Evie walked over to the kitchen and poured herself a big glass of water. “So, since I didn’t confide in you, you jumped to the conclusion that I was on drugs.”
He nodded, still with his back to her. “Yes. I’m sorry.”
She stared at his back, so stiff and formal, even while she could see the defeat in his shoulders. “Why?” she demanded. When Brock turned, she could see the anguish in his eyes as well. “Why would you automatically jump to that conclusion? After I tested negative at the studio, after I told you repeatedly that I have never touched an illegal drug in my life…after all that, you still assumed I was on drugs. Why?”
He rubbed a hand over his face. “Because of my mother, Evie. She died of an overdose. I came home from college one weekend and found her in the bathroom. She was just lying there in her own vomit, Evie.”
“Oh Brock!” she whispered horrified. “I’m so sorry!”
“It was a long time ago.”
She gazed up at him, tightening her arms around his waist. “A mother’s death can never be far enough in the past. Especially when you find her like that.”
He leaned into her and she felt him relax just enough to accept her comfort. It changed the way he held her, the way he leaned against her. She rubbed her hands up and down his back, needing to ease the anger inside of him.
“I don’t do drugs, Brock,” she told him. “I eat my way through my feelings.” She sighed. “Well, sometimes I control my emotions through boxing. But when things get really bad, I eat. Anything and everything. If it has any nutritional value, I avoid it and find something that is…really bad for me.”
She felt his arms tighten around her and, for some reason, she felt as if she’d won.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
“Are you expecting someone?” he asked in surprise.
“Are you kidding?” she yelped, sweeping an arm towards the mess in her family room. “Will you help me clear this up? Just in case it’s someone that might leak it to the press?”
He nodded and they hurried over to the table. Brock grabbed the grocery bag that had been dumped on the floor and just stuffed everything into it.
“Evie, this is…,” he paused, shaking his head in shock.
“Don’t say it!” she warned him, hurriedly shoving things into another bag. “Don’t judge me. I know this is disgusting. Just…please help me.”
The doorbell rang again and Evie groaned. “Hurry!”
A moment later, they had everything cleared away. She shoved her bag at Brock, silently pleading with him to hide the evidence, then headed for the door.
“Evie, wait,” he called out and grabbed her arm, swinging her around with her own momentum.
“I have to…!” She stopped when his finger slid along her cheek. The touch was so sensuously delicious, it stole her breath away. Staring up at him, she wondered how she’d gone for three whole days without him.
“There was some chocolate on your cheek.”
“Oh,” she gasped, then pulled back. Gazing up at him, she wondered if…the doorbell rang again and she turned to answer it.
When she looked through the side window, Evie saw Frankie and hurriedly reached for the door. “Oh god, Brock, this is…” She didn’t finish her statement but, instead, swung the door open. “Tell me!” she yelped excitedly, then gasped when she saw the three tall men standing behind the tiny redhead. Even as she looked, a brunette peered around one of the men and beamed. Then another woman with slightly lighter brown hair!
Frankie cleared her throat importantly as the man Evie had seen several weeks ago wrapped an arm around Frankie’s waist. “Evie Munroe, I’d like to introduce you to your brothers,” she announced with an excited grin. “This is my husband, Kade Wilson. And the big guy behind Kade is,” she stepped aside so that Janus could shake Evie’s hand, “Janus Meyers. You might know him from…!”
Brock stepped up behind Evie, interrupting the introduction. “Owner and former quarterback for the Seattle Badgers!” Brock’s arm was securely around Evie’s waist, but he reached out, eagerly shaking Janus’ hand. “I’m a huge fan.”
Evie rolled her eyes and elbowed Brock in the ribs. “Ignore him,” she said, staring up at the man who had eyes exactly like hers.
“Evie, it’s great to finally meet you,” Janus replied, his dimple appearing on the left cheek. Just like hers.
Frankie chuckled. “And this guy,” she continued, waving forward the third man, who was just as tall, but leaner, although he came across as just as powerful, but in a more intelligent way. “This is Lincoln Meyers.”
Evie gasped. “Lincoln Meyers? Aren’t you the guy who invented that thing that makes cars more fuel efficient?”
The man nodded. “That’s me. And it’s a huge pleasure to meet you, Evie.”
Brock leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Why don’t you invite them inside?”
“Oh!” she gasped, literally bouncing with excitement. “Please! Come in! Come in!” she stepped back and they all poured into her house.
“Sorry to show up on your doorstep like this,” Frankie explained. “But when I told my husband that the DNA confirmed that you were his sister, he demanded that he come with me to meet you. And he was on the phone with Lincoln and mentioned you. So Linc called Janus and…well, they jumped into a plane, with their wives, and here we are!”
Evie clapped her hands, her cheeks starting to hurt from grinning so happily. But she just couldn’t stop. “I’m so glad that you did! I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to have brothers!”
Frankie finished the introductions. “This is Kinsley. She’s married to Lincoln. And the brown-haired beauty in the back,” Janus pulled her so that she was in front of him instead of to the side, “is Stevie. She’s married to Janus.”
They all laughed. “A sister was pretty unexpected,” Lincoln replied.
Evie led the way to the patio. “Please, have a seat. Will you…tell me about yourselves?”
Brock watched Evie, unaware that his
feelings for her were shining through in his eyes. He was amused at her reaction, but utterly thrilled for her. As an only child himself, he knew that it could be unbearably lonely at times. Walking into her kitchen, he surveyed the contents of her fridge. But Evie didn’t have much available. He pulled out his cell phone and called his assistant.
“Helen, I need you to hit the grocery store and get beer, wine, some soft drinks, prepared appetizers, and anything else you can think of. Bring it all here to Evie’s house. Then call Bernie’s,” he said, referring to the famous Italian restaurant, “and get Bernie himself to make a dinner for eight…” he glanced out through the windows at the large men, and chuckled, “better make that twelve people. It needs to be here fast.”
“You got it, boss,” Helen replied. “I’ll be there in a half hour.”
“Make it twenty. This is important.”
“I’m on it,” she said with her usual efficiency.
Twenty-five minutes later, Helen arrived with bags filled with drinks and foods. Brock was waiting for her at the door so that Evie could stay and talk with her new-found brothers. Brock knew Evie’s kitchen well enough so he was able to find a platter and lay out the snacks. Helen carried out the beers, in a bucket of ice.
Brock handed Evie her customary glass of ice water, his hand trailing along her shoulder. He wasn’t sure what the gesture meant. He just knew that he needed to touch her, to let her know that he was here for her.
She turned her head and beamed up at him, then turned back to the conversation. Brock sat down next to her, also drinking water. He wasn’t really listening to the conversation, but was more just sitting there, reveling in his stupidity. To think that Evie would do something as stupid as drugs…he shook his head. Over the past several weeks, he’d had ample evidence that she didn’t take drugs. That she knew that her health was important. But at the first sign of secrecy, he’d gone down that route. Instead of asking her to clear up the issue…okay, he’d done so the other day when he’d seen Frankie leaving. Still, he should have trusted her.
An Unexpected Affair Page 11
