by Nikki Paris
I’d show her as soon as we finished moving into our new apartment together.
◆◆◆
I watched as Sienna dug around in a few boxes, looking for paper plates. She finally gave up and collapsed on the floor of our new apartment with a slice of pizza. We didn’t have our kitchen table put together yet.
“Hey, pal. I’ve got a surprise for you.” I grinned at my beautiful girlfriend. Her ponytail was messy from a busy day of moving, and she looked exhausted.
Sienna raised an eyebrow at me and took a bite of her pizza. “It is your dick, dude? I mean, I’ll take it, but you have to know at this point that it’s not a surprise anymore.”
I laughed out loud and reached a hand down to help her stand. “It’s not my dick. This surprise is—and I can’t believe I’m saying this— better than my dick.”
Sienna gasped. “Blasphemy!” Then she burst out laughing and followed me as I led her out to the parking lot. “Evan, where the hell are you taking me right now? I actually do just want to curl up on our mattress, fuck you, and then go to sleep.”
“Baby, you’re not going to sleep on a mattress on the floor. I’m going to put our bed frame together first.” I grinned at her and unlocked my Camaro. We needed the classic beauty for this surprise.
Sienna groaned and collapsed into the passenger seat. “I’m so tired!” Then her eyes twinkled mischievously. “Hey, remember when you ate me out on the hood of this sexy car?”
“Oh, Sienna, I remember.” I took her free hand — she still held a slice of pizza in her other.
“Oh, shit.” She pulled her hand from my grasp and rolled down the window. Then she tossed her pizza out. “The hand-stitched upholstery! How could I have almost disrespected Screamer with pizza grease?” Sienna laughed and leaned her head back on the seat.
She fell asleep only minutes into the drive, but that was okay. She’d be even more surprised that way.
I pulled up to the bar and glanced over at my sleeping beauty. I leaned over and softly kissed her lips to wake her. Sienna’s gorgeous eyes fluttered open, and she smiled at me. “Hey, babe.”
I smiled back at her. “We’re here.”
She looked out the window at the bar. “Um, we have an entire unopened bottle of vodka at home. We can get trashed there, can’t we?”
I grinned and climbed out of the car. “Come on.” I opened her door and took her hand. When I pulled a keyring out of my pocket and unlocked the front door, she narrowed her eyes.
I pulled the door open and flipped on the lights. Sienna glanced around the empty bar and then frowned. “I don’t get it.”
My heart pounded in my chest, and I cleared my throat. “This is ours. I bought it with my portion of the life insurance and inheritance money that my dad left me.” I walked across the hardwood floor and ran my hand across the smooth, shiny bar. “It looks pretty standard right now, but I have a lot of good ideas for the place. I want it to have a classic car theme. And I thought this place was perfect for you, too because it has—”
“A stage.”
I turned away from the bar to see Sienna standing in front of the small stage with a huge smile. “Yeah.” I grinned. “You can play here every damn night if you want, or give new struggling artists a chance to shine.”
“Holy shit,” Sienna whispered. Then she turned to look at me with wide eyes. “This is amazing, Evan! Holy shit! Look at this place!” Her voice was growing louder with every word. “Oh my god! We can like cover the walls with gorgeous photos of classic cars, and even use old car parts as decor! The barstools could be made from old seats!”
I walked up behind her and wrapped her up in my arms. “You see it, too, then?” I asked and kissed her neck.
“Hell yes! I love it!” She turned to face me. “This is like the perfect tribute to your dad! It’s perfect for us, too, because I love to sing and you—”
“Love to drink.”
Sienna burst out laughing, “Well, I was going to say that you have a lot of great business ideas, but I mean, who doesn’t love drinking, too? It’s a win all the way around!”
I grinned at her and kissed her nose. “So you’re ready for this? It’s going to be tons of work, but I promise I’ll do most of it.”
Sienna smiled and shook her head. “We’ll do it together.” She walked around the room, and I could almost see the wheels turning in her head. Then Sienna hopped up to sit on the bar. She bit her lip and gave me a flirty smile. “I think I’m the first thing on your ‘To Do’ list, babe.”
My heart raced as my eyes scanned her sexy as hell body. “Absolutely you are.” I crossed the room and pressed myself into her. I was already hard. I gripped her hip with one hand and slid the elastic out of her hair with the other. Then I buried both hands in her hair and tugged her head back so I could kiss her neck.
Sienna gasped. She enjoyed my tongue on her neck almost as much as she liked it on her clit. She wrapped her legs around me and started grinding against my erection while she worked the buttons on my shirt.
We were both moaning and gasping for air as we tore at each other’s clothes and bodies. Sienna pulled herself up to kneel on the bar and slid her jeans down. “Fuck!” She yelled. “Why didn’t I wear a skirt?”
I laughed and sucked on her nipples while she struggled to get her pants off.
“Ha! Got ‘em!” Sienna sank back down and spread her legs wide, pressing her bare pussy against my cock. “Fuck me now, baby.”
I nipped at her neck and then grabbed her hips, driving into her until she was moaning out her pleasure, and my knees were weak from mine.
When I pulled out of her, Sienna laughed out loud. “That was hot sex. But as new business owners, we should probably not make a habit of fucking on the surfaces where food and drink will be served.”
I laughed and bent to pick up our clothes. “That’s a good call. But, we needed to break the place in, right?” I tossed her clothes to her with a grin.
“Obviously.” Sienna slid off the counter and pulled her clothes back on. “We still need to break in our new apartment, too.”
I smiled and slapped her ass. “You’re not too tired for that?”
Sienna laughed. “I was exhausted, but you and this place gave me a sudden burst of energy.”
30
Sienna
Early Saturday morning, I sat in bed and stared at my phone in shock. “Babe.” I nudged Evan with my elbow.
“Hmm?” He gave me a confused and sleepy look. God, it was adorable. It made me want to fuck him before breakfast. But then again, I did that every day.
“Ava liked my last three posts. Two of them were about my music, but one of them was a photo with you.”
Evan yawned. “Which pic? Was it a cute one?”
I laughed and shoved his shoulder. “The one at the smoothie shop.”
“Yep.” Evan grinned at me. “That one’s adorable.”
“That’s all you’re going to say? Ava liked it! What the hell does that mean? I’ve had zero interaction with her for like seven or eight months! Don’t you think this is weird?” I still stared at the notification on my phone. Ava Mills Official liked your photo.
Evan shrugged. “I don’t give a shit about what Ava is up to or what Ava thinks. I’m still pissed about the way she treated you when you told her about us. I don’t ever want to see you swept up in her manipulative bullshit again.”
“Ava’s not…” I began.
Evan propped himself up on his elbows and raised a single eyebrow at me. His blue eyes burned into me, daring me to defend his ex-girlfriend and my ex-best friend.
I sighed. “Yeah. She’s manipulative and selfish. But she wasn’t always that way. I miss the loud, silly girl that stepped on my hand in middle school.” I set my phone on the bedside table and lay back on the pillows.
“Come here.” Evan held out his arms to me, and I settled into him. “I know you miss her. I won’t tell you not to. I don’t want to see any shitty people in your life tha
t will take advantage of how good and kind you are.”
“I love you.” I burrowed into his chest. “I’m not going to start hanging out with her again. I hate the way things ended.”
Evan nodded and kissed the top of my head. “If you want to talk to her again for some kind of closure, I get it. I won’t try to stop you. I will freak out if she tries to get you to break up with me, though.”
I laughed out loud. “I couldn’t ever do that. I’m yours, remember?”
Evan laughed and wrapped his arms more tightly around me. “That’s right. I think we should make it a little more official, though.”
A torrent of butterflies rushed through my stomach. “Oh yeah?” I sounded breathless.
“Yep. Been thinking about it for a while. If I were you, I would make sure the next few Sundays are free and dress up nice just in case.”
I looked into his deep blue eyes and smiled. “So, like every Sunday I should dress up and wait around for you?”
Evan grinned back at me and nodded. “Yep. I can’t completely give it away. All you need to know is that I will ask you to marry me, and it will be soon.”
“Is there anything you need to know?” I asked as I traced his kissable lips with my fingers.
“That you’ll say yes.” Evan slid his hands up the back of my t-shirt and kissed my neck.
Of course, I was going to say yes. Of course, I was going to marry Evan. But I sighed and said, “I can’t completely give it away.”
Evan stopped kissing my neck and stared at me with narrowed eyes. I laughed and pulled his face back down to my neck. “Don’t stop. It makes me want to marry you when you kiss my neck like that.”
◆◆◆
One week later, I got a private message from Ava. Hey, girl. Want to meet for coffee? I just want to talk.
I stared at the message for a solid twenty minutes. Did I want to meet for coffee? Was closure with Ava even possible after everything that had happened? We were both wrong. We both hurt each other in irreparable ways. Would meeting up and talking hurt even more?
As I considered my options, three little dots appeared in my messaging app. Ava was typing something again.
I promise I won’t throw anything at you.
I smiled, despite everything, and replied, Noon today? At Toni’s?
See you soon, Si.
My stomach twisted into knots. This was a terrible idea, wasn’t it?
But I got ready and headed over to the coffee shop anyway. When I arrived, Ava was already seated at a table in the back corner. She gripped a coffee cup and stared out the window. Ava wasn’t glued to her phone or laptop this time.
She was the very image of beauty and perfection in a flowy white top and a black fedora. Her long blonde hair fell in gorgeous beachy waves around her shoulders. It was longer than I’d ever seen it. Ava usually got too impatient to let her hair grow past her shoulders.
I took a deep breath and approached my ex-best friend. I cleared my throat when I reached her. “Hi.”
Ava’s big blue eyes flashed up to meet mine. She stood and reached out her arms like she was going to hug me, then dropped them back to her side. “Hey.” Ava sat again. “Um, I was going to order you something, but I didn’t know what to get. You change your favorite drink like every other day.” A hint of a smile passed her lips.
I offered a hesitant smile in return. “I do. I’m on a matcha kick lately, but it’s almost feeling like a pumpkin spice day. I’ll go order and be right back.”
I approached the counter, and I could feel Ava’s eyes on my back. Toni looked up at me with a warm smile. “Sienna! You going to give us an impromptu matinee?”
I laughed and shook my head. “Nope. I’m meeting a friend, but we’re definitely still on for Friday.” The bar Evan bought wasn’t quite ready to open yet, so I kept up my weekend gigs at all my regular places. I figured even after our bar was open, I’d still play at Toni’s
Toni made me a pumpkin spice latte and rolled her eyes when I tried to pay. “How many damn times do I need to tell you that you get free coffee here?”
I rolled my eyes back at her. “Every damn time, Toni!” I laughed and headed back over to Ava.
I sat across from her. No one spoke. We both sipped our coffee and stared out the window.
Finally, Ava blurted out, “I’m sorry! I was awful to you!” Tears welled up in her big blue eyes. “I… I was irrational and crazy. I threw shit at you like a goddamn toddler having a tantrum! Um, but the worst part was the post I made about you. I basically destroyed your music career. At the time, it seemed completely reasonable, but that was a shit awful thing to do.” Ava gripped her coffee so tight that I thought the lid was going to pop off.
She took a deep breath and continued, “Um, like, Evan told me a million times that it was over between us, but I didn’t want to hear it. I loved him like a fucking psycho, and I wouldn’t let go. God, he probably hates me now.” Ava shook her head and stared out the window. “But I didn’t ask you to come to talk about him.” She turned back to me. “I’m so sorry, Si.”
I nodded and took a sip of my latte. “Uh, yeah. You threw shit at me. That wasn’t cool. And the very public post you made was beyond shitty. I got death threats after that, Ava. I got fucking death threats!”
Ava bit her trembling lower lip and stared at her hands.
Those first few weeks after my fall-out with Ava were hell. The hell would have stretched on and on, too, if it weren’t for Evan. We kept each other afloat.
I sighed and played with a napkin. “But, you didn’t destroy my music career. Your followers weren’t my followers. I’m building things back up the right way, with people that actually like my music. They don’t come to my shows because Ava Mills told them to.”
Ava nodded. “Good. That’s good.” Her voice cracked. She dabbed at her tears with a napkin, trying to keep her make-up perfect. We sat in silence for a moment before she finally said, “You know I was always super jealous of you growing up, right? You were — are— gorgeous and so funny and smart and deep.”
I raised a single eyebrow at her. “I bet it was nothing compared to the jealousy I harbored for you.”
“I don’t know about that. I mean, yeah, I had the guy you loved, but he was never really mine, was he?”
I stared at the shiny table and ran my finger along its edge. Evan had always wanted me. “I guess not.” I sighed. “I always thought you had such a perfect life. You had the guy I wanted, and the parents I wanted, and then eventually, the fame I wanted.” I looked right into Ava’s eyes. “I think our friendship was fucked the second we started loving the same guy, but honestly, I think jealousy is what ruined us.”
Ava let out a dry laugh and wiped another tear away. “See? You’re so smart and deep. I’ve missed your voice of reason in my life. I’m surrounded by people that adore me and tell me what I want to hear. It was amazing at first, but now, it’s getting kind of old.” Ava sighed. “I think I was only ever my true self around you.”
Ava met my gaze with tear-filled eyes. “I’m sorry, Sienna.”
I gazed across the table at the girl I’d spent so much of my life with. She defined my high school and college experience, and she brought me a perfect mix of joy and pain. Ava Mills. “I forgive you, Ava. And I hope you can forgive me, too. I should have told you about Evan and me as soon as it happened. I should have told you I had feelings for him before you guys even started dating.”
Ava scoffed. “I wouldn’t have cared. I would have gone after him anyway. I’m selfish like that.” She shrugged. “But, I do forgive you. You guys look genuinely happy together, and I was always jealous of the way you could make him laugh. You and Evan are pretty much perfect together. I mean, there’s a reason I loved you both so much.”
I let out a breath that I felt like I’d been holding for eight months. I’d made my choice, and I didn’t regret it for a second. Evan was it, but I couldn’t help but hope that someday Ava wouldn’t hate me.
/> “So,” Ava smiled at me. “What do you think? Friends?”
I grinned at her and shrugged. “I don’t know about friends, but at least we don’t have to be mortal enemies.”
Ava burst out laughing. Back in high school, I’d told her about my first impression of her, and the way I was sure I’d just met my new mortal enemy. She reached over to shake my hand. “Deal.”
After I left the coffee shop, I sent a text to Evan. The talk with Ava was good. We aren’t “besties” again or anything, but it was a good honest talk, and she doesn’t hate me anymore. I don’t hate her, either.
He responded immediately. I’m glad. I love you.
31
Evan
I walked around the bar, admiring all of our hard work over the last few months. We’d named it ’69, after the year of my Camaro (and one of our favorite sex positions). It was almost ready for opening night.
I straightened the photo of me and Sienna that hung behind the bar and headed over to my mom’s for a family dinner. Sienna had her usual Friday night gig at Toni’s coffee shop, so she wouldn’t be joining us for dinner tonight.
I was absolutely going to ask Sienna to marry me — I already had the ring— but for some reason, I was stalling. Two Sundays had already passed, and they’d been almost perfect. I could have popped the question and been wildly happy, but it hadn’t felt just right yet. Something was missing.
I walked into my mom’s house and found her and my sisters in the kitchen. Bea didn’t have her daughter with her tonight, and she was in tears with Charlie’s arms wrapped around her.
Bea and Jack were getting divorced. He cheated, but Bea was willing to forgive that and work on their marriage. But he just hadn’t been there for her when dad died. He wasn’t willing to fight for their marriage.
Again, it was crystal clear to me how lucky I was to have Sienna standing patiently by my side while I waded through my grief.
