by Piper Rayne
“Can we just have dinner and talk about the engagement party? I have our list for you guys.” Mrs. Andrews wipes her hands on her apron and digs into a drawer, pulling out a piece of paper that she hands to me.
“We really don’t need a big party,” I say, starting the same fight I have with my parents.
“Nonsense, you two are so happy, we should celebrate it.” Mr. Andrews’ fake enthusiasm screams that he knows this is a farce.
But how? We’ve been acting like a real couple for weeks. The more he and my dad call us out, the more I wish our relationship was real just to rub it in their faces.
“Very happy, ecstatic.” Seth adds a couple more coals to the already raging fire. “But you and Mr. Erickson are fools for not doing the show.”
Why is he bringing that up right now? Can’t we at least do it after dinner?
“Not now, Seth,” Mrs. Andrews says, turning away from mashing the potatoes.
“If you think for one second I’m going to team up with an egotistical…” Mr. Andrews glances at me and stops himself, for which I’m thankful. It’s my dad he’s talking about.
“It’s national television. Your bagels on national television. Do you know what that could do for Andrews Bagel Company?” Seth sits up.
I tighten my hand on his thigh to calm him down.
“Andrews Bagel is fine. Trevor is coming back in two weeks and we’ll pick up where we left off. And since you don’t want anything to do with our business, you’ll be free and clear. I already talked to the lawyer today about taking your name off the ownership papers once Trevor returns.”
Seth sighs and sinks down in his chair. I don’t think he knew his brother was returning. “You’re being so stubborn about this. Trevor doesn’t want to run the shop any more than I do.”
Mr. Andrews only stays quiet for a minute before his irritation gets the best of him. “Not next to that man. Not so he can think that the recognition is only because of his cream cheese. When we owned The Bagel and Schmear Shop, he’d always say a bagel is plain and boring without cream cheese.”
“Just use him for this opportunity,” Seth says, exhaustion lacing his tone.
“And don’t speak for Trevor. I talked to him last night and he said he’s good to come back.”
Seth inhales a deep breath and exhales slowly. “Fine. Then do the show for Trevor. To give him and your company the best shot it can have.”
“Just stop. The answer is no!” Mr. Andrews’ voice holds deep authority and it silences the room.
“This is ridiculous. Here I thought you were a rational man.” Seth’s chair scrapes across the linoleum and he holds out his hand for me. “We’re leaving.”
“No!” Mrs. Andrews whips around and shakes her head, her eyes pleading with me.
But I can’t make this situation better. My being here is probably making it worse.
“Since this family seems to survive without me, we’re going to head out. And you better get used to Mr. Erickson because you’re going to be related soon.” Seth drags me out the door and I say a fleeting goodbye to both of them.
Although I want to remind Seth that even though our engagement feels real, it’s not, and Mr. Andrews won’t have to deal with my dad soon, it’s not the right time. Especially since we’re in Seth’s car and I have no idea where we’re headed, but it’s out of Cliffton Heights.
We end up in historic Hudson Valley for the Jack-O’-Lantern Blaze. I haven’t been here since high school. Seth parks, and although no one is here to play witness to our charade, he takes my hand. I don’t object because I’m growing used to holding his hand. It comforts me in ways it shouldn’t.
He’s yet to say anything. I assumed that after fifteen minutes of silence he’d make a funny joke and we’d end up at his place, having sex. Never did I think we’d end up at a place full of carved out pumpkins artfully designed for us to walk through.
“I want you to know that I never did hate you. I wanted to… I just couldn’t.” His voice is low as we walk a path surrounded by thousands of jack-o’-lanterns.
I give his hand a squeeze. “I know. I was the same for a long while. But I think I changed you in my head over the years. Convinced myself you were a horrible person.”
He chuckles. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” I think it’s rare for anyone to see Seth as he is right now. So low-key, emotional, and introspective. Something is bothering him and I’m sure it has to do with his family.
“Why did you switch lab partners sophomore year?”
I stop us for a moment and turn to face him. “What?”
“Science class. We were put together as lab partners and you asked to switch.”
How does he remember that? I barely do. We start walking again.
“Because I couldn’t work next to you.”
He stops us—again—and tugs me away from the strangers so we’re tucked in by a tree. “Why couldn’t you work next to me?”
I’m not sure what answer he’s expecting. We were supposed to hate one another. “How do you want me to answer that?”
He shakes his head. “Truthfully.” His hands slide into my palms.
“I… I knew we might become friends again and I already…”
“Say it, Evan,” he says.
“No.” I shake my head. “I have no idea what you think I should say.”
“Come on,” he pleads. “Tell me I’m not alone.”
“Does this have something to do with your parents and the fight just now?”
“Yes. Because I meant what I said to my dad. And I want to know if you changed lab partners because you couldn’t handle being next to me because of hatred or something else.”
“Something else?” My forehead wrinkles.
He blows out a breath, turning around and walking back toward the car. I follow him as he weaves through the throngs of families enjoying the show.
I grab his arm right before we reach his car. “What do you want me to say?”
He turns around so fast, I step back and almost fall to my ass. “I just want you to be honest with me.”
I dip my head back and look at the sky, the stars sparkling. Fine. Let’s do this.
I right my head and lock gazes with him. “I changed lab partners because I liked you. I was supposed to hate you, but I was still drawn to you like when we were kids, only it was different. We were older and I was drawn to you in a different way. And if I had to sit next to you, work alongside you, I would’ve crumbled, and my family was already in distress. Not to mention it’s not like you felt the same—”
I’m cut off as Seth’s lips land on mine in a claiming kiss. Our tongues slide together, and he spins us around so I’m pressed to his car.
“I had this whole plan back then. To ask you out. And bring you here. And then you switched partners and a younger, more immature version of me wrote you off. But I liked you so damn much.”
I gasp, but he presses his body to mine, and I find that I can’t get close enough to him.
“Come home with me,” he whispers.
I nod, and he opens the door for me to slide into his car. On the way home, Seth is back to being handsy and flirty and we don’t talk about the fact we had crushes on each other in high school. I knew feelings were developing and our relationship was shifting, but the last thing Seth is, is easy to read.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Seth
“Don’t wake up.” Evan kisses me then rolls toward the edge of the bed. “I gotta go to work.”
I pull her arm and yank her down, rolling so I’m over her. “I’m not letting you go.” I kiss her long and slow as though she’s got the time for me to really cherish her body.
“I wish I could stay, but The Bagel Place calls.” She wiggles out of my hold.
I stretch out on the bed. She picks up her bag on the floor and I sit up, squinting at the clock to see that it’s three in the morning. “I was thinking… you need to start figuring out what
you wanna do after the show premieres and you gain your freedom.”
Sadness dims the sparkle in her eyes. “I’m not even sure there will be a show. Our dads—”
“Hey.” I rise out of bed and place my hand along her cheek. “They’ll get there. I promise. We’ll talk to our moms. How about that?”
“Oh, that reminds me. We have to meet with my sister today.”
I nod. “I’ll be there.”
Actually, after the fight with my dad and me turning into an emotional basket case last night where I demanded that Evan tell me she liked me in high school, I forgot about Elsie’s demand we see her today. What is happening to me?
“From the sounds of last night, you’re already free, what with your brother coming back.” She pauses. “It’s okay if you want to drop this whole thing, you know.”
Her words hit me like a fist in the chest, but I don’t want to examine why too closely. “You think just because Trevor is returning that I’d leave you high and dry? Not happening.”
She smiles and leans forward, kissing me briefly. She doesn’t answer what I said though. I’m going to have to prove to her that I’m not leaving her. At least until the show airs.
“I’ll see you later,” I say and open my bedroom door to walk her out.
Knox is just coming in wearing his street clothes, but his duffle bag says he worked last night and the bags under his eyes say it was a long shift. “Fuck, Andrews, I’m all for nudity but I do not need to see your dick this early in the morning. Especially after the shift I just had.” He turns away. “Morning, Evan.”
I look down, and sure as shit, I’m naked. But whatever, because I’ve seen Knox’s ass more times than I care to. He loves public sex, or Leilani did maybe. I’m not sure, but those two were naked all the time.
“Go back to bed,” Evan says to me.
“At least put some pants on,” Knox says, dropping his duffle by his door and heading to the kitchen, where he buries his head in the fridge.
I say goodbye to Evan and head back into my room to throw on a pair of pants. I could use some food to get my stamina back.
Knox clicks on the television and sits in the recliner, eating the leftover pizza from Pizza Pies Evan and I picked up last night. “So sleepovers, huh? That’s all part of the arrangement?”
I knew Knox wouldn’t let it go. Usually he barely sees Evan because he’s working, and Evan leaves so early.
“We have an agreement.” I shrug and take a seat on the couch.
He nods, but his expression says I’ve lost the battle already and should just surrender. Part of me feels like he’s right, especially after my embarrassing episode last night. All I do is think of Evan all day long, and I know that’s bad.
Very, very bad.
“Stop with the looks,” I tell him.
“What looks? I mean, you were done for when you first saw her with Brock Floyd.”
“What are you talking about?” My eyes narrow.
Knox chomps down on another piece of pizza. He lowers the volume on the television, swivels his recliner my way, and sets his gaze on me. “Listen. I’m not Jax. I understand love and I recognize when I see it. And I see it with both of you. But I also don’t believe in all that unicorns, rainbows, and sparkles shit either since Leilani, so the last thing I’m gonna tell you to do is pursue her. Although I’m over Leilani, it fucking hurts thinking of her out there somewhere with God knows who after I felt like we shared something.”
Maybe I should point out that he’s not really free of Leilani yet. Not by a long shot.
“So love sucks and that’s my advice, but stop being blind. Stop trying to deflect the seriousness of the situation you and Evan have put yourselves in. Because it might’ve started as a business proposition, a way to get both of you out of your families’ bagel businesses, but it’s transformed into something different and neither of you are just going to walk away after the show ends. Not without lasting effects. And if you’re smart, you’d recognize that now because you’re going to have a fight on your hands. You two against your fathers.” He swivels back around and ups the volume on the television, grabbing another cold slice of pizza.
I sulk, leaning back into the couch and pondering everything he said. Fuck, he’s right.
“I hate you,” I murmur, heading back to bed and hoping this was a nightmare I’ll forget when I rewake at a decent hour.
At ten o’clock, I walk into The Bagel Place, and Elsie and Evan are talking at the counter. Evan glances up and her smile at the sight of me is quick and wide. Tell me how I can ignore that? I can’t, but Knox’s words ring back at me. Love sucks and only brings heartbreak.
“What’s up, double Es?” I ask and Evan hands me an empty cup.
“Ew, gross.” Elsie walks into the back.
“Hey.” I lean over the counter with puckered lips. Evan places her hand over my face and pushes me back. “What was that for?” I pick up the cup she gave me and head over to the machine to fill it with pop.
“I don’t know. I just felt like giving you a hard time.” She laughs.
I leave my pop by the machine. Since the place is empty, I round the corner, wrap my arms around her waist, and lay her out on the counter, falling on her and kissing the hell out of her, leaving her breathless.
“Come on. I have a hangover and that’s not helping.” Elsie returns with a bagel and cream cheese.
Evan slides her now-limp body off the counter and smiles at me. Best look in the world.
“Come on, Els, spit it out. What did you have to tell us?” I ask.
“It’s Elsie,” she says.
“Not to me. Not anymore.” I put a lid on my cup and a straw, then sip my pop.
She looks at Evan like “is this guy for real?” My girl shrugs because she knows me well. Elsie lets it go and glances out the window. Evan and I both follow her gaze. Holy shit, here comes my mom and Jenny Erickson, walking along the sidewalk together.
“I just had to get you guys here. Sorry, not sorry. If it makes you feel any better, I have to handle the customers while they talk to you.” She points at both of us. “But if Mr. Tettlebaum comes in, I’m not helping him. He’s a mean old fart.” She stomps off into the back.
Talk about three siblings with different personalities.
Evan walks over to my side and my arm wraps around her waist, my fingers searching for the bare strip of skin above her pants to glide my fingers across. Evan leans in closer and I enjoy that we’ve grown comfortable with public affection.
“Any idea what the hell is going on?” I ask.
“None.”
We wait for them to open the door.
“Mom?” we say at the same time.
“Jinx,” I say, but Evan shakes her head. “That was your chance to earn another sexual favor. You could’ve shut me up until I ate you out,” I say in a low voice.
She whispers, “I think you’ll go down on me anyway.”
“Am I that transparent?”
Our moms wave us over to the first booth as though we’re in a crowded restaurant and they don’t want to disturb anyone. We sit across from them, and my hand lands on Evan’s thigh. My fingers push into the space where her legs are crossed, and she sits comfortably while I imagine what I could do if she was wearing a dress.
“What’s up, you two?” Evan asks.
“We wanted to let you know we’re willing to help you get your fathers on board. We’ll get them to agree to the collaborating Food Channel show,” Mrs. Erickson says.
A wave of relief washes through me, but it’s clear they have more to say.
“And?” I ask.
“Well, we want you to do something for us then,” my mom says, making eye contact with us both.
Shit. This cannot be good.
“What do you want?” Evan asks, her voice laced with skepticism.
“We want you to promise us that you won’t run away from this wedding.”
Evan’s body sinks back into the booth a
nd I know it’s because of guilt. I need to stop this conversation before she outs us. Everything is going perfectly right now. Our moms will get the show to go ahead. We’ll each have our freedom. It’s exactly what we wanted. I feel the guilt every time I look at my mom and see her hopeful expression, but we need to stay the course.
“Why would we run?” I ask.
My mom glances at Mrs. Erickson, and she nods. “Once your fathers find out the love between you is real, it’s going to be horrible. For all of us. And you two.” She says two but her eyes are on me. I’m the runner, after all. I just did it last night. “They still think you guys are faking, and when they realize that isn’t the case, they won’t want to deal with it. And your first inkling might be to run away because it will be hard. We’ll help you if you promise not to run away when the big blowup comes.”
“I don’t understand,” Evan says. “How come you two can be fine and they just continue to hate one another?”
My mom smiles and grabs Mrs. Erickson’s hand. “Your mom and I never stopped being friends.”
“What?” I ask, my voice low.
“We remained friends behind your fathers’ backs,” Mrs. Erickson says.
“But… you forbade me.”
Evan’s accusatory tone strips Mrs. Erickson’s smile. “Because we didn’t want to rock the boat. We’re happy for you two, but you two falling in love has put a crimp in our friendship. Your dads are on high alert. We used to be able to sneak out and meet. That’s becoming impossible.”
“When?” I ask.
“Book club.”
“Book club?” Evan says.
“It’s not actually a book club. It’s just the two of us meeting in Peekskill.” Mrs. Erickson smiles.
“Except we did read that Fifty Shades book, what with all the hype around it,” my mom says, though I wish she hadn’t.
I shake my head. This is crazy. They’ve hidden their friendship for twenty years?
“Now is it a deal?” my mom asks and puts out her hand across the table.
Evan looks at me and opens her mouth to respond, but I beat her to the punch. “Deal.”
