When I Was Yours(43)

“Adam, for the hundredth time, call me Mick.” He chuckles. Then, his expression turns a little more serious. “Is everything okay? Because Evie came home in a less than happy mood earlier.”

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” Aside from my devil bitch of a mother turning up, and in my attempt to protect Evie from her, I ended up hurting her feelings.

I hold his steely gaze, my own giving nothing away.

He gives me a dubious look and then pushes the door open wider, standing aside, letting me in. “Evie’s in her room. And you know the rules. Door stays open.”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Taylor—I mean, Mick. Hey, Case.” I wave to her as I cut through the living room, heading for Evie’s room.

“Hey, Adam.” She lifts her head from her book, giving me a wave and a smile.

I walk down the short hall toward Evie’s bedroom. Stopping outside her door, I hear the angry sounds of Christina Aguilera’s “Fighter” coming from inside her room.

Definitely not a good sign.

Taking a deep breath, I knock on her door.

“I’m sleeping, Dad!” she yells. But her voice sounds off.

I open the door, letting myself in. She’s turned away from me, facing the wall her bed is set against.

“Hey, babe,” I say softly.

Her body stiffens at the sound of my voice. Her response to me makes me feel ill.

“Can I come in?”

“What are you asking me for? You’re already in my room without my permission.” She sits up and turns the music off. Then, she presses her back to the headboard, her knees bent, arms around them.

I examine her face. Her eyes are red. She’s been crying.

My heart twists painfully in my chest.

I move across the room, sitting beside her. “Evie.”

I reach for her, but she wards me off with her hands.

The rejection stings like a bitch.

“I don’t know what just happened back there, at your house, but I didn’t like it. Max told me a little, that your mom is a bitch—his words, not mine—”

“She is a bitch.”

“I know you’ve told me before that she’s not a good person. But you never talk about your family. All I know is that your mom is Ava Gunner, the movie actress, and your dad owns a movie studio that will be yours one day, but you don’t actually want it. And that’s all I know.

“Then, your mother turns up today, and I have never been more uncomfortable in my whole life. The way she talked to me—and worse, the things she said to you—it was awful, Adam. But what was worse was the way you treated me. You said that”—her eyes fill with tears again, her lip trembling—“I was nothing. A friend. Your friend, for God’s sake. Is what we’ve been doing what friends do? You told her that we’re not really seeing each other.

“So, what was that, Adam? Your way of blowing me off? Or…or are you…are you just ashamed of me because I don’t come from money, like your family?”

Tears openly run down her cheeks, and my chest feels like it’s cracking wide open.

“Fuck no. Jesus, Evie.” I take her face in my hands, not letting her push me away this time, forcing her eyes to meet mine. “I could never be ashamed of you. I love you.”

Her eyes go wide, blinking at me. “You…love me?”

I take a deep breath. “Yeah, I do. Not exactly the way I envisaged telling you, but it’s the truth. I love you. I’m in love with you. And the only people I’m ashamed of are me and my mother. I’m sorry I said those things, but you don’t understand. Ava wrecks everything she touches. She’s poison. And I don’t want you anywhere near her. I don’t want to lose you. I can’t lose you, Evie. You’re everything to me.”

I press my forehead to hers, my eyes closed, and I just breathe her in.

“You won’t lose me,” she says softly, her hands resting against my arms. “I’m in love with you, too, Adam. And I’m not going anywhere.”

Then, she kisses me.

And nothing has ever felt so good in my whole life as hearing Evie tell me that she loves me.

In this moment, I know that I’ll never recover from her, and I don’t ever want to.

This is it for me. She is it.





“You don’t have class today?” I ask Casey, not taking my eyes off the TV screen where Aria and Ezra are totally heating it up.

It’s my day off, and I’m spending it watching Pretty Little Liars.

I know my life is lame. People usually spend their days off with their friends or boyfriend, not in front of the TV with no other plans than that.

But I don’t have any friends here, except for Angie. And she’s not a close friend, just a work friend. As for a boyfriend—ha!

I’m currently in the middle of getting a divorce from the only man I ever loved…still love. But let’s not get into that right now.

Back to Ezra…

“Yeah, I’m heading out in a few.” Casey sits on the edge of the sofa, totally blocking my view of the TV.

Sighing, I look around her. Holding up the remote, I pause it.

“Where’s Dad?” she asks me.

“The library.”

“Again? Good to know he’s getting use out of the Kindle we got him for his birthday.”