“I like spending time with you too, really like it,” I whisper. “I think going slow is a fantastic idea if you’re okay with that.” A huge grin spreads across his face, and I can’t help but grin back through my tears.
“I am very okay with that.” He strokes my face, wiping away another tear. He pulls me into his arms and holds me tight. My cheek is pressed into his linen shirt. He smells amazing. I want to stay like this forever, here in his arms. He lets me go and gazes down at me. “Do you want to go back to the house?”
“No, let’s stay down here a little longer.”
“Whatever you want.”
I walk up the beach a few feet towards the house then sit down. I sip my champagne and motion for Chase to come sit next to me. I lay my head on his shoulder as his arm snakes around my back, his hand on my waist. We sit like this for what seems like hours. I haven’t felt this comfortable in a long time.
After we finish our champagne, we get up. Chase hands me my flip-flops. I put them on, and we head back to the house. “I had a wonderful evening. Dinner was amazing.” I walk up the steps to the deck, Chase following right behind me. “It’s late. I should go.” I know if I stay any longer, I won’t be able to control my emotions or anything else for that matter.
“Can I see you tomorrow?” he asks. His eyes search mine for a response, but I don’t give anything away.
“I’m not sure what Brenda has planned for tomorrow.” I think for a moment. “If you want, you can come for breakfast. Bren has all this health food stuff coming over from the mainland in the morning.”
“Breakfast sounds great. I work out in the morning. I’ll come by after I’ve showered, say nine?” he asks.
Oh, I would love to see him after a workout, all sweaty. I close my eyes and compose myself.
“Okay,” I say. “I really enjoyed tonight, thanks.” He caresses my cheek down to my chin. He tilts my head up, hovering there for a second, asking permission. I nod and move closer, and his lips find mine. They are so soft and sweet. I am breathless.
“Let me walk you home” he says as he kisses me again. I nod my head, thrilled he wants to walk with me. We head down the steps and back across the beach to my deck. “I will see you in the morning.” Giving me another swift kiss on the lips, he watches me as I climb up the steps of my deck.
As I enter the sliding glass door, I see Brenda lying on the couch watching TV. “So, how was dinner?” she inquires.
“Amazing. He made chicken francaise and crème brûlée. French wine, French champagne, just amazing,” I say still smiling from his kiss on the deck.
“How was he?” she asks with a devilish smile.
“He is amazing too.” Her grin gets bigger. “Nothing happened. I’m still all banged up from this afternoon’s run in with Evan.”
“That asshole, I hope he gets sun poisoning,” she growls. I choose to ignore her comment.
“Anyway, Chase is coming for breakfast around nine tomorrow. I hope that’s okay.”
“I’ll have enough food here to feed an army by tomorrow, no thanks to you,” she grumbles.
“I’m exhausted. I’m going to turn in.” Brenda nods as I walk past.
I go through my nightly routine, change, and get into bed. Even though my body is screaming for dreamland, my mind won’t let me sleep. I lie awake and stare at the ceiling.
What a crazy day this has been. Psycho ex-boyfriend stalking me, drop dead sexy Harvard grad saving me then making my favorite dinner. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Brenda had a hand in his menu choices.
Chase is so beautiful, and I want to get to know him better but I need to talk to Evan and get him out of my system first. I can still see him standing in front of me begging me to take him back. I don’t understand. There must have been something wrong with our relationship, or why would he have cheated? I need to know why, and then I’ll be able to move past this. I drift off to sleep thinking about dances and soft kisses.
At nine on the button, there is a knock at the door. I’m the closest so I open it. There he stands. Oh. Fucking. My. Dressed to impress. He has on a button up light blue Brooks Brother’s shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a pair of blue and yellow plaid Tommy Hilfiger cargo shorts, topping it off with a pair of khaki Uggs flip-flops. I feel underdressed in a pair of denim shorts and a white tank top. Brenda rushes past both of us and out the door.
“I’ll be right back,” she says as she passes us. “My veggies and stuff arrived this morning. Going to get them.”
“Do you need help?” Chase asks as she’s running down the walk.
“No, but thanks, I have the cart. I’ll be back in ten minutes.” And she’s gone.
“Well don’t just stand there,” I say. “Come in.” He steps in, and I close the door behind him. “While we wait for Bren to get back, we can get a head start.”
He follows me into the kitchen, I’m sure not knowing what I’m talking about. I reach into the refrigerator and pull out a pitcher of orange juice. He gives me a questioning look. “Mimosas¸” I announce with a giggle.
He smiles his jaw-dropping beautiful smile that makes my heart melt and takes a seat at the counter. I grab the bottle of Andre’s behind me. You can’t use a good bottle of champagne for Mimosas. I grab an empty pitcher and pour in the entire bottle of champagne. I add just enough color with the orange juice to make the mixture very light yellow. “I like my Mimosas strong. If you want to add more OJ, I’ll leave room in your glass.”
“No, I prefer it the same way.” He cocks his head to one side, stroking his lower lip between his thumb and index finger. It’s very distracting. I turn back to the task at hand. I grab two champagne glasses and pour.
“Here’s to another gorgeous day,” I declare.
“Yes. Gorgeous,” he purrs. His gaze is steady on me, and his sexy smile is amused, like he has a secret. And right on cue, I blush scarlet. He takes a sip, his eyes never leaving mine.
We sit and stare at each other, sipping our Mimosas.
“Can someone give me a hand?” a voice yells from outside. That was quick. I get up to peek out the front door to see the damage she has done. Jeez, look at all of that food! There’s enough food to feed us for weeks. That’s what I get for not paying attention to Brenda when she was ordering. Chase and I go outside to help unload the cart, which is overflowing.
We bring all the bags into the kitchen and start unloading the obscene amount of food that Bren purchased. “I don’t think there’s enough room in the fridge,” I say sarcastically.
“Well, I guess we’ll have to remove the beer,” she quips back.
I roll my eyes at her. “No, I’ll make room,” I mutter under my breath. Shaking my head in disapproval, I start to rearrange the refrigerator. Chase stands over me trying very hard not to laugh. He fails miserably, as I can see the corners of his mouth turning up into a smile. “Could you pour Brenda a Mimosa? I know she needs one after this.”
He nods and grabs the empty glass I have on the counter.
We finish unpacking all of the bags, and there are vegetables I have never even seen before. Brenda grabs the frying pan and the eggs. “Omelets okay?”
“I don’t know. What are you putting in them?”
“Oh, stop it. Just eat what I put in front of you. Christ, you’re like a child. You’ll like it.” She grins.
“Fine. Doesn’t matter what I say anyway,” I grumble. Wow, I am like a child.
“I’m sure whatever you make, it will be delicious,” Chase smiles at Brenda, all the while not taking his eyes off me. I narrow my eyes at him, and his smile gets bigger. I shake my head.
“Yes, whatever you make will be delicious.” I am resigned.
“Did you decide what you’re doing later?” he asks me.
“I’m not sure yet.” I look over at Brenda, and she’s in her own little culinary world. Mixing and chopping. I can smell bacon frying. Ugh, those eggs look awfully green. “Maybe drinks at the Casino after dinner. There are s
ome things I need to do around here this afternoon.” I had planned on listening to my voicemails today and maybe calling Evan. I take a long sip of my champagne until I can see the bottom of the glass. “Need a refill?” I ask.
“Sure.”
I go into the kitchen to get us a refill, and Brenda is just about done with breakfast. Omelets with lots of green leafy veggies inside, bacon, whole wheat toast, and fruit. “I’ll set the table,” I offer.
“Great, just about done here.”
I get the placemats and silverware and place them on the table. Grabbing the two champagne glasses I just refilled, I place them next to the flatware. “Do you need plates or are you plating in the kitchen?”
“I’ll plate here. There’s plenty more if anyone wants seconds.” She grabs some plates and starts to portion out the eggs.
I motion over to Chase to sit. I go back into the kitchen and make myself a Belgian Chocolate coffee from the Keurig. “Anyone want coffee?”
“No,” from both sides.
Okay, more for me. I can’t function without at least two cups of coffee in the morning.
“Chase, you don’t drink coffee?” I inquire.
“No, I do. I already had a cup before I worked out this morning.”
Oh, the image of him working out, all sweaty and glistening. I shake my head and grab the milk. I come back to the table, and Brenda has put down our plates. It looks delicious, even the green eggs. “What Bren, no ham?” I tease.
“Oh, c’mon,” she rolls her eyes at me. “The eggs aren’t that green. You need to eat healthier.”
“I’m just teasing,” I laugh. Chase is staring at both of us like we’re bat shit crazy. “Didn’t you ever read Dr. Seuss?” I ask him. He tilts his head, a confused look on his face. “Green Eggs and Ham?” I ask. I can see the light bulb pop over his head as a lazy grin spreads over his face, his eyes twinkling.
“Yes, I have. You’re quite funny,” he teases back. He turns to Brenda. “The omelet, by the way, is delicious. What did you put in it?”
“If I tell you, Liv won’t eat it,” she teases.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I glower at her.
She laughs. “Nothing too bad. Tomatoes, spinach, yellow peppers, spinach, onions, garlic, spinach . . .” she trails off. I guess it’s the spinach that makes it so green.
“I can live with that. I had spinach last night too. I can eat healthy,” I say with a smile, knowing I’m about to be railroaded.
“Chicken Francaise and creamed spinach aren’t healthy, Liv,” she admonishes. “They are the opposite of healthy.”
“At least I’m eating.” As soon as the words come out of my mouth, I regret them.
Chase turns to Brenda with a look of bewilderment. “Evan,” she mouths. His smile fades.
“But I’m better now, see? Fork in mouth.” I give Chase a forced smile, but I know he can see right through me. Brenda changes the subject.
“How long do you plan on staying in Davis, Chase?” she asks.
“Till next Thursday. We rented the house for two weeks.”
“Who’s we?” I ask. I haven’t been introduced to his friends.
“Just my friends from school and their girls.” He sounds irked. His mood changes in a split second. What the hell. “Anyway, my friends will be back later this afternoon, so if you want I’ll meet you at the Casino around seven.” He finishes his breakfast and gets up to take his plate into the kitchen. I finish my eggs and get up to follow. He heads toward the door and turns to me. “Thank you for breakfast,” he whispers.
“Any time,” I reply a bit confused. He strokes the side of my face, turns, and walks out the front door. Holy crap. What the hell just happened? I look at Brenda, but she has no idea either. I shake it off and help clean up the mess that is the kitchen.
After Brenda heads down to the beach, I take a deep breath. Today is the day I am going to listen to my phone messages. All of them, and there are quite a few. I plop myself on the couch with my cell phone. I take another deep breath and dial my voicemail.
The first five messages are from my mom. “Olivia, it’s Mom. Wanted to see what you were doing before you head off to the beach. Maybe we can have lunch. Call me.”
“Olivia, I haven’t heard from you in a few days. Call me.”
“Olivia, it’s your mother. Why haven’t you called me? I miss you.”
“Where are you? Call me.”
“This is not like you, not answering me. Are you all right? Please call me.”
The next is from Evan’s sister Taylor. “Hey Liv. I know you and Evan split up and you told him not to call you. He’s a mess and really misses you. Please give him a call.” Is she kidding me?
The odd message is from Evan’s mom. We were close, but I never expected her to call on his behalf. “Olivia, it’s Rachael. I know my son has been a total ass and made a mess of things. I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive him and work things out. I miss seeing you around the house. Please call him.” Wow. She knows how to tug on my heartstrings. I miss her too, but I don’t know if I can ever get past this.
Another three messages from my mom. “Olivia, I just spoke to Rachael. Please call me.” Crap. Rachael must have called my mom to find out where I was. I wanted to deal with this shit in person when I came home.
“You shouldn’t be handling this alone, you need to call me.”
“Call me.”
A few of Evan’s friends called, each saying the same thing. Call him.
Another message from my mom. “If you don’t call me, I will take the next ferry to the beach!”
The next message is from Brandi, my whore of a roommate. “Liv, I know you don’t want to talk to me. I’m really sorry, we didn’t plan it. He loves you. I’m sorry.” She has some set on her to think that I will ever forgive her.
The last message is my mom, threatening to drag me home by my hair if I don’t call her. Ugh.
Even though I told Evan not to call me, I’m surprised that he hasn’t. I mean, he shows up here all apologetic. All the years we spent together and now he decides to actually listen to me. Do I call him, do I see him? I need him to know that it’s over, and I’m not getting back with him. I decide to call him. If he’s available, I can quickly meet him at the docks where the ferry pulls in. Have a civil conversation. I can do it in between ferries if he meets me in time. Worst-case scenario, I can take a ferry to the mainland and make the return trip to Davis before seven. It’s only ten thirty now so I have plenty of time. I dial Evan’s number and listen to it ring.
“Liv, is that you?” he answers. I can tell he’s confused.
“Yes, it’s me.”
“I didn’t think you would call me after yesterday.”
“I wasn’t sure I would either. Can you meet me? We need to talk.” I keep my voice dispassionate.
“Of course.” He sounds optimistic. “Where and when?”
“I can be at the ferry terminal by eleven fifteen. Can you get there?” I ask impassively. I have to make this quick. If Brenda knew what I was up to, she’d drown me.
“Yes, of course. I’ll see you in a few.”
“Okay,” I say and hang up. Shit. I grab my shoes and my bag and sprint toward the ferry. I have ten minutes to get there. Otherwise, I will need to wait until twelve fifteen. The quicker I go and come back, the less likely it is that Brenda will catch me. She won’t understand.
I run down Trustee Walk and just make it onto the ferry without anyone being the wiser. I go up to the top deck and find a seat. There aren’t many people going back to the mainland at this hour. They are all coming over so there’s plenty of room. I think about what I’m going to say to Evan. Crap, who am I kidding? I have no idea. I have no clue how he’s going to react. From what I can see, he wants me back. I am not in the mood for a fight. I just hope this goes well, and I don’t wind up regretting meeting him.
I arrive in Patchogue, where the ferry terminal is stationed, in exactly twen
ty minutes. That gives me ten minutes to think about what I want to say to Evan. At least I think it does. Of course, he’s here already, standing on the other side of the gates. He looks apprehensive. As he should. He is pale in comparison to Mr.-Sex-on-Legs back at Davis. He sees me and waves. I walk over to him. His look is warm but guarded. “Hi,” he says.
“Hi,” I say back. “Let’s go someplace where we can talk in private.”
“My car is over here.” He motions to the back of the parking lot.
“No, let’s walk down to the end of the dock. We can sit on the bench at the end.”
“Okay.” He is still apprehensive. The dock is at the other side of the parking lot. There’s a playground in the center, and at the very end is the “L” dock, which is named for it’s shape. I walk all the way to the very end and take a seat on the bench.
I think carefully about what I am about to say. Mostly, I want to know the why. Why did he have sex with my roommate? Why would he want to have sex with anyone besides me? I didn’t think we were in trouble, yet here we are. I keep my face impassive as I look at him. “I’m not even sure why I’m here,” I begin. “I still don’t understand what happened. Why? Why did you do it?”
He looks at me at a loss. He starts to speak, but nothing comes out. He looks down at the ground. “I don’t know,” he murmurs almost under his breath. “I came to see you but you were in class. Brandi told me to wait, that you’d be back soon . . .” he trails off. He looks up at me, despondent. “It just happened.” His voice is barely a whisper.
“What do you mean ‘it just happened?” How do your clothes just fall off? What did I do for you to turn to her?” I ask almost tearful. “I don’t understand.”
“You didn’t do anything.” It’s a mournful plea.
“I must have done something for you to have even thought of being with someone else, and there you were acting on it.”
“You’ve been so distracted with school and work, I never see you anymore. I was lonely, I guess.” Tears are rolling down his face. “I never meant to hurt you.”
Drawn to You Page 6
