Leo's Chance(26)

I pull onto the street. I need to make sure Evie is perfectly clear about Gwen, too. "I want you to listen to me about last night."

She glances over at me, biting the inside of her cheek. Her tell.

"Gwen's father is the CFO of my father's company. And when I say 'my father's company,' I really mean to say 'my company,' because that's what it is now, but that's a transition my brain is still working on." I didn’t even realize that was true until I just said it, but it is.

"Anyway, I've known Gwen and her father for a long time and over the years Gwen and I have spent some time together here and there, although I always made it clear to her that I wasn't interested in anything more than what we had, and what we had was very little. Gwen made it clear that she was interested in more, and Gwen was raised to believe that she is entitled to what she wants and that eventually, if she whines enough, she'll get it."

She’s quiet, just listening and I go on, "When I moved here, I tried to be a friend to her because, despite the fact that Gwen is a superficial bitch, I treated her disrespectfully over the years and in part that was because a side benefit of screwing Gwen was screwing my father, who was embarrassed at my treatment of a colleague's daughter."

I cringe internally, still ashamed of all the stupid shit I did over the years, but knowing why I did it. After a minute, I go on.

"I had arranged the event last night with Gwen months ago and I couldn't get out of it. It's a cause that is important to me and I didn't think it was any real skin off my teeth to bring Gwen as I'd planned. Three seconds in and I realized that I was mistaken on that front, and that was even before I saw you there."

She’s silent for a second, frowning. "Gwen made it sound like things were very current with you," she says, staring straight ahead.

Oh, I’m sure she did. I never did find out exactly what Gwen said to Evie in the bathroom, but I’m pretty sure I can figure out that it was something to the effect of, he’s mine and you’re less than dirt.

"That's because Gwen saw the way I looked at you, she saw your beauty, and Gwen did what she thought would work to keep you away from me.

"I know that Gwen made you feel less-than because that is what Gwen does best, but, Evie, you could be wearing a gunny sack, rolling around in mud, and you would have more class in your little pinky than Gwen has in her whole designer-clad body. And Gwen knows that. And she hates that. And that is why she went out of her way to make you feel that way.

"It was killing me not to bust into that kitchen and pin you down and explain the situation to you, but you were working and I wasn't gonna make things worse for you."

She’s quiet for a good minute and I see her looking around the inside of my car and then glance down at her uniform and I know exactly what she’s thinking. She’s letting Gwen’s venom infect her and she’s thinking that maybe she is less-than. After I just told her how amazing she is, she’s letting the memory of Gwen’s words take over. It pisses me off.

"Jake," she starts, quietly, "I might not be–"

I pull into a parking space, shut the car off and turn to her. "No, Evie. Whatever you're about to say, consider whether it goes in direct contrast to everything I've just said to you in the past half an hour and if it does, just throw it out, okay?"

She stares at me again and then closes her mouth and quietly says, "Okay."

I grin at her. That’s my girl. "Good answer."

As I’m walking around my car to let her out, I make a decision. She’s mine. I need to start making that very, very clear. This type of stupid misunderstanding will not happen again. "I'm picking you up at six thirty tonight and I'm making you dinner. Do you eat steak?"

"Yes," she whispers.

Her eyes warm and she sways toward me, igniting a fierce possessiveness. "Do you work tomorrow?"

"No, day off."

I walk her to her door and she stands staring at me, and so I take her keys from her, open her outside door, and give her a little push inside. "See you tonight. And, Evie, pack an overnight bag." Very, very, very clear.

"What!–" she sputters, but I let the door close behind me, not allowing her to argue.





CHAPTER 14


Dr. Fox is sitting beside my bed in his usual spot, leaned back, one foot on his opposite knee, notepad in hand. He repeats the question he asked me minutes ago, that I still haven’t answered. I’m staring out the window, anger simmering in my brain.

"Can we talk about Lauren?"

His voice snaps me back to myself and I realize I’m clenching my jaw against my will.

"There’s nothing to talk about."

"I think we both know that’s not true."

"Alright, then, that subject is off limits."

"You need to talk about this, son."

"I don’t talk about her. Ever. She doesn’t exist to me."

"Saying it doesn’t make it true. I think you already know that."

A cloud of rage has settled in my head now, and I’m fighting against the images that assault me, one by one by f*cking one. I feel like I’m about to combust, my hands fisting in my lap, my entire body tense.

"Why is it that you won’t talk about her?"