“Instead, we’re going right to my place and jumping straight to the make-up sex.”
I giggled at his words as he lowered me into the back of the car. He held true to his promise the minute we stepped foot into his apartment.
With my eyes clamped shut against the onslaught of light streaming into the room, I rolled around on the super soft sheets. The intoxicating scent of Evan and sex hung heavy in the air enveloping me, evoking delicious memories from the past few days.
Smiling at those memories, I opened my eyes and glanced over to his side of the bed only to find it empty. Realization slammed me so hard in the chest, I bolted upright, clutching the sheet to my naked chest, gasping for breath. He was gone already, and he didn’t even say goodbye. I know we had agreed last night that this was how he was going to leave, but it still stung. Neither one of us considered it a goodbye, but more like he was just leaving for work and I would see him later. Much, much later. Like days later.
I kept trying to think of it as nothing more than a simple business trip, but that just was not working. Evan was off to Ibiza, which was a beautiful island in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain. From the pictures he showed me online the other day, it looked like a lover’s paradise; white sandy beaches, crystal clear blue-green water, and perfect, cloudless blue skies. He was on his way to this paradise and would shortly be walking along the edge of the water with a beautiful, exotic-looking woman wrapped around him.
He was off to do the ad campaign for Rafael’s new perfume, Simply For Her. It was the women’s version of the ever-popular men’s cologne, Simply Rafael. The very same cologne Evan had done the campaign for months ago.
Letting out a heavy sigh, I rolled out of bed, and grabbed the robe off the back of the bathroom door as I went. Making my way out to the kitchen, I could not help but smile at the little display that was left by Evan on the kitchen counter.
A Starbucks gift card was propped up against a reusable cup. Surrounding it, were pink Necco wafers in the shape of a heart with I love you spelled out in purple and white ones. After all this time, he remembered these were my favorites. Three Ziploc bags also sat on the counter each filled with an equal amount of pink, white, and purple wafers. The very sight of them had the tears rolling down my cheeks.
Gathering up the items, I placed them in my bag and headed into the bathroom to take a quick shower. It had been days since I had last been home and I was worried about Jake. He was obviously having issues with Lucina, and the last time he was like this over a girl he had gone on a drinking binge. Just thinking about how I might find him had me swamped with guilt over neglecting my best friend the last couple of days. I picked up the pace just thinking about it.
***
As soon as I opened our apartment door, the strong smell of alcohol slapped me hard in the face. Squeezing my eyes shut, I shook my head, praying that I would find him okay. Carefully, I peeked into his bedroom, and was surprised to find it immaculate and completely untouched.
As I rounded the corner into the great room, the first thing I noticed were all the empty beer and whisky bottles sitting on the kitchen counter. A pizza box and a few Chinese takeout containers were scattered around the room. A blanket was rumpled on the couch where Jake had obviously been spending his nights.
Sighing heavily, I placed my suitcase on the floor and lifted my hand to rub my forehead.
“Well, look who the fuck decided to show up.”
Jake’s angry, bitter tone had my head snapping up as I sucked in a breath. He was standing on the threshold of the great room with an angry scowl on his unshaven face. Deep, dark circles under his eyes made him look despondent and unhealthy. The pajama bottoms and t-shirt he was wearing were a wrinkled mess.
My cell phone in my pocketbook started buzzing against my ribs. Given how angry Jake seemed to be at me for not being around, I chose to ignore it for now.
“Jake, I’m sorry I haven’t been around. If you needed me-“
“If I needed you? Ember, you knew something was up between Lucina and I. How about as my best fucking friend, you took the time to check in on me to see if I needed you instead of me having to reach out to you,” he said angrily, making his way across the room and sagging down into the couch.
“You’re right. I’m a suck ass friend.” My cell phone vibrated against my ribs again. “I’m sorry, Jake. I put my own happiness before you. I should’ve checked on you.” Placing my pocketbook down, I walked over to the couch.
Jake leaned forward and placed his head in his hands with his elbows resting on his knees. Kneeling down before him, I put my hands on his arms, urging him to look at me. When he finally lifted his eyes to mine, my heart broke. For the first time I noticed how bloodshot and red rimmed his eyes were like he had been crying. Getting up on my knees, I forced my way between his legs and hugged him hard. Burying his head in my neck, he held on to me tightly.
“What happened, Jake? Talk to me, please,” I begged.
Pulling away he looked at me with tears in his eyes. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the phone rang.
“Ignore it,” I told him, pushing him back down on the couch when he tried to stand.
“What if it’s Lucina?” he asked, sounding hopeful.
“Has she been calling a lot?”
Sighing heavily, he shook his head no. Moving up onto the couch next to him, I took his hand in mine and squeezed, encouraging him to talk.
“She’s the one,” he said softly. “She’s the one and I totally pushed her the fuck away.”
Stunned at what he just admitted, I stared at him for a moment. “Don’t look at me like that,” he grumbled.
Dropping his hand, I launched myself into his lap and hugged him tightly. Wrapping his arms around me, his chest rumbled with laughter.
“You’ll get her back, Jake. I know you. You’ll win her back.”
Pulling back to look at me once again, he smiled a devilish smile. “I’ve sent her a dozen roses morning, noon, and night for the last few days.”
“There’s no way a girl can resist that,” I said, chuckling. “She’ll be coming around in no time,” I said, just as the doorbell rang.
Jake jumped up so quickly he nearly tossed me on the floor. “Sorry,” he said over his shoulder as he dashed for the door.
Grabbing my pocketbook from the floor, I dug out my cell phone. Ten missed calls from Evan. What could he possibly want that was so important?
“Hi Ember.” Lucina’s voice brought my attention up to her. Jake had his arm wrapped around her waist and was all smiles. I was happy for him, but unable to smile, puzzled over why I had so many missed calls from Evan.
Jake’s face fell as soon as his eyes met mine. Leaving Lucina’s side, he rushed over to me.
“What is it? What’s happened?” he asked, taking my phone from my hands. His eyes were full of questions when he looked back up to me. “Ten missed calls?” Unable to speak, I just shrugged at him.
“I’m so sorry, Ember,” Lucina’s voice, full of pity, had my frowning up at her. “I saw the picture on the internet before I headed over here.”
My entire body went cold as my stomach sank down to my toes. Jake turned around to look at Lucina.
“What picture?” he asked her slowly, carefully.
Her face paled. “I’m sorry. I thought you knew.”
“What picture?” Jake asked, sounding a bit more demanding, causing her to jump.
Tears started to prick my eyes as I shook my head back and forth slowly. I knew what she was going to say before she even spoke it, but it still sent a flash of pain through my chest as I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces.
“The picture of Evan with that girl at the airport from this morning,” she said, softly.
“Fuck,” Jake yelled, springing up from the floor and heading over to the computer.
Wrapping my arms around my middle, I rocked back and forth on the couch. The first of many tears started to run down my cheeks as
I gasped for breath.
I did not even realize I was mumbling until I felt Jake’s strong arms around me, stopping me from rocking. “Shhh, Em. It’s going to be all right. Shhh,” he kept saying over and over.
After several minutes, I pushed him away. “I need to see it,” I said around the huge lump in my throat.
“Em,” Jake said, trying to keep me on the couch. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Fuck you, Jake,” I yelled, pushing him away. “I need to fucking see it.”
Running over to the desk, I moved the mouse to wake the computer up. Slowly, the picture of Evan snuggling up to a beautiful brunette filled the screen. They were sitting in a booth at a restaurant in the airport. With an arm around her shoulders, he was leaning into her, whispering something into her ear that had placed a huge smile on her face.
Stumbling back from the computer, my entire body began to shake. The picture of them before me began to blur as the tears streamed down my cheeks. How could he? We spent the night last night wrapped around each other, professing our love to one another both verbally and physically.
As my back made contact with the wall behind me, I slid down until I was sitting on the floor. Wrapping my arms around my legs, I just let the grief take over as I began to sob uncontrollably.
Through the haze of my despair, I suddenly heard Jake yelling angrily. Glancing up, I wiped my face clean of tears and saw him pacing the living room floor with a cell phone to his ear. It took me a minute to realize it was my cell phone he was holding.
“Listen to me, you fucking bastard. She’s catatonic on the floor, crying uncontrollably…….I don’t give a shit about your bullshit excuses…..You forget you ever knew her….No, don’t try to come around here, don’t call her, don’t contact her or I’ll rearrange that pretty little fucking face of yours. You fucking hear me?” Jake hung up before Evan could answer him, throwing my phone onto the couch with such force it bounced several times before it finally landed on the floor.
Sitting up against the wall sniffling and hiccupping, I watched as Jake talked quietly with Lucina. The woman, who Jake was so head over heels for, was here and had obviously forgiven him. I suddenly felt like I was ruining their lovely reunion by being a pathetic mess on the floor. Besides, watching them give each other loving looks was a little more than I could stomach right now.
Attempting to stand, my legs, shaky and weak, gave out from under me, sending me back down onto the floor hard. A deep ache within my core radiated through my abdomen reminding me of where Evan had been just hours ago, which caused the tears to start all over again. Jake was by my side in an instant.
“Where ya going, Em?”
“Don’t want to…bother you….and Lucina. Just wanna….go to…my room,” I said between sobs.
A shadow passed over Jake’s face. “I can’t do that, Ember, and you know it.”
Jake was afraid to leave me alone after what happened the last time I had gotten my heart broken. There was no point in arguing with him either since his resolve was so clearly written on his face and evident in his tone of voice. I simply nodded at him.
Helping me up off the floor, he led me over to the couch. Urging me to sit down next to him, I curled into his side. Lucina stood before us looking awkward and helpless, not quite sure what to do with herself. The pity in her eyes as she looked at me made my stomach turn, causing me to lean into Jake’s side a little heavier. There was something about his strength and protectiveness and the way he was comforting me that had me losing it all over again. Feeling secure in Jake’s embrace, I easily allowed the grief to wash over me and drag me under.
Two weeks passed since that photo of Evan snuggling up to that model appeared, and I still have not left the apartment. The photo was everywhere with every major media outlet reporting that the hottest male model was now off the market. Little did they know, he had been off the market for weeks. Suddenly my need to keep our relationship quiet seemed both stupid and smart. Stupid because people would have known he was already in a relationship with me. But it was also smart, because now I did not look like the girlfriend who just got cheated on.
The first few days it was difficult to get out of bed, but Jake was always there, forcing me to get up and making sure I had something to eat. He fielded calls from potential clients and rescheduled appointments I was physically unable to attend. Jake even powered off my cell phone to stop the constant stream of calls and texts coming in from Evan, keeping his own phone on silent when Evan started blowing up his.
But the one thing Jake could not save me from were my thoughts when I was alone at night lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. I missed the feel of Evan’s heavy arms wrapped tightly around me. The warmth of his naked body pressed up against mine under the covers. The sense of security I felt just from knowing he was there. Some nights I swore I could even smell him, feel him, and taste him. Then my mind would conjure up that image of Evan with that model. The searing pain in my chest that would steal my breath and radiate throughout my body easily wiped out every ache my body felt from missing him. But no sooner after falling asleep the dreams would start.
Every night Evan was the star of my dreams and every night the dream had the same heartbreaking ending. Sometimes I would wake up screaming, which would cause Jake to come charging into my room. Without a word, he would wrap himself around me and hold on tightly until I calmed down, staying with me until I drifted back to sleep. And every time, Jake refused to allow me to feel guilty for ripping him away from Lucina, who he left in his bed alone every time he came to comfort me.
But today was the day I had really been dreading since that photo surfaced. Tonight was the gallery showing of the Soft Caress lingerie campaign, Soft Caresses. All the models that were involved with the shoot were going to be there, which, much to my dismay, included Evan. I was certain this is why Evan had backed off on contacting me. As soon as Eli got in touch with us concerning all the details about the show, Evan knew he was going to be seeing me. My not showing up to this gala was not an option. So when Eli asked if I would accompany him to the gala, I did not hesitate to accept, because not only would I be seeing Evan, but also the showing was taking place at Daniel’s gallery, Hugh of Color.
Rolling over I glanced at the clock on the night table. It was just after ten in the morning. Groaning at the thought of how difficult tonight was going to be, I rolled out of bed and headed to the kitchen. Coffee. I desperately needed coffee.
Lucina was sitting at the kitchen island, drinking a glass of juice. She was so engrossed in something on her Kindle that she did not hear me approach. So when I grumbled out my good morning to her, she jumped so high she nearly fell off the stool.
“Lucina, hon, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” I said, grabbing onto her arm to steady her.
Clutching her reading device to her chest, she blew out a breath. “You’re fine, Em.”
Walking over to the fridge to grab a bottle of water, I pointed to the device still clutched to her chest and said, “Whatever it is you’re reading it must be good.”
Placing the device down on the breakfast bar, she gave me this dreamy look. Right away I knew it had to be some romance novel she was engrossed in and that was the last thing I wanted to hear about.
“Nevermind,” I said quickly, waving my hand at her. “I’ll let the look on your face speak for itself.” I tried to smile, but I’m sure it came across more as a grimace.
Just as Lucina was about to say something, Jake came around the corner and into the living area. He had a huge smile on his face as he carried a large, white box into the room, placing it on the couch. Without a word, he walked up to me, engulfing me in one of his signature bear hugs that had me genuinely smiling for the first time in days. Setting me down, he cupped my face in his large hands and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.
“That’s the smile I’ve been waiting to see,” he said against the skin of my forehead.
Reaching up,
I wrapped my hands around his wrists and gave a little squeeze as I mouthed, “I love you.” With a wink, he pulled away.
“So, I’ve got some news,” Jake said casually, leaning a hip into the counter. I raised my eyebrows at him, waiting. “That model that Evan was photographed with?” He gave me a careful look.
“What about her?” I asked, breathing through the pain that seared my chest.
“Seems the media has given up on the speculation that the hottest male model is now off the market.”
My breath left my lungs in a rush. “What do you mean?” I asked, frowning.
“She was caught straddling another man’s lap in the VIP section of a nightclub in Los Angeles the other night.”
My knees grew weak as I stumbled back into the counter. I should have felt some relief at this news, but I didn’t. Jake rushed over to me, placing a hand on my arm to steady me.
“You all right, Em?” Nodding at him, I pushed his hand away. He crouched down to look me directly in the eye. “Talk to me. What are you thinking?”
Feeling the overwhelming urge to move, I started pacing around the breakfast bar. “This means two things.” Holding my index finger up, I said, “One. Evan won’t be showing up at the gallery tonight with this bitch draped on his arm.” Jake and Lucina nodded in agreement. “But I have no idea who he’ll show up with now. I think I almost liked knowing whom he would be there with. Not knowing I think hurts more.” Jake reached out for me as I walked by, but I pushed his hand away. “Two. Obviously Evan didn’t mean much to this girl. I should be happy with the fact that she did what she did to him. You know?”
“Payback’s a bitch,” Lucina said.
Glancing over at her, I said, “Right?” She nodded in agreement. I continued walking. “But how could he do it? How could he throw away all that we had for what? Something that was only going to last a day or two? Did I mean that little to him?”
My eyes began to sting with unshed tears. Before I could stop them, they were running down my cheeks. That all too familiar pain stabbed my heart, leaving me gasping for breath. I stopped walking and grabbed hold of the counter. Immediately I felt Jake’s warm body wrap around from behind me just as my legs gave out.
Picture Perfect Page 20
