A Prior Engagement (18 page)

He snapped out of it, startled. “Oh! Yes?”

She tapped the papers tucked under her computer and demanded in a playful tone, “Focus!”

“I’m focused . . . now.” Smirking at her, he poked her lightheartedly in the ribs, making her giggle.

A few hours later, they packed their bags, knowing they had overstayed the time the cost of their coffee warranted.

William’s phone rang when they got outside. “It’s my brother. Do you mind waiting a moment?”

Evie signaled for him to answer it as they stood on the busy sidewalk.

“Dallas, hey, what’s up?” William listened to him explain how Abby had broken up with him for a guy who went to Boston College. Dallas was upset and rambling.

“Uh huh.” He interjected when Dallas stopped for air. William doled out reassurances. “Abby was nice and I know you liked her, maybe even loved. She was the first girl you were with, but this is how things work.” He lowered his voice. “Most people don’t end up with the person they lose their virginity to. I know you don’t want to hear this from your older and much wiser brother, but I’m happy to oblige since you called me. There will be others, Dallas, trust me, and yes, you will have sex again.” William was trying to comfort his brother without downplaying his brothers’ feelings.

When he looked up, he saw Evie watching him. Keeping his eyes on her, he tried to wrap up the call. “You will find who you’re meant to be with.” William sat on a chair outside the coffee shop and finished his dating pep talk. “Abby was your first, not your last. Come on, dude, the girls are crazy about you. Enjoy being single for a while.”

Evie turned toward the busy street seeming to be lost in thought again.

“Give yourself a few days and the world will be golden again, Dallas, and come to the city. We’ll go out. You’re out of school and you can stay at my place for a few days.” The brothers said their good-byes and hung up.

William stood and joined Evie a few feet away. She smiled, but he could tell it was just for show. Her eyes gave her away. “Are you all right?”

“Do you really believe that?” Evie asked skeptically.

“What?”

“That no one ends up with the person they lose their virginity to?” She tilted her head and looked at him while she waited for his answer.

“I, uh . . .” He thought it was interesting she picked up on
that
part of the conversation. “Can I ask you something personal?”

She looked down to the ground, but then fixed her posture with her arms crossed in front of her body and looked back up. “Yes, you may.”

“Are you a virgin?” William was direct.

Evie’s face immediately turned red with embarrassment.

Not meaning to make her feel self-conscious, he grabbed her and pulled her against him.

She always felt protected in his arms, and whispered, “No.”

He smiled that she trusted him enough to share that kind of intimate detail. Lowering his head so he could see her, he said, “See, that proves my point.”

Her eyes closed and she inhaled his scent as the realization that he was right set in. One thing she knew for sure was that Tom was not her true love.

William felt victorious and on an Evie high, he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. Stepping back, he said, “I have to go to work. Will you meet me tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow is too far away, but yes, I’ll wait until tomorrow.”

Tilting her chin up, he kissed her on the mouth. With his lips still pressed against hers, he whispered, “Good-bye, my love.”

She stood stunned to the spot, as he turned and left. Her insides were in complete disarray at the word “love” being given so freely to her. Love had always come with a price . . . until now.

He glanced over his shoulder, and laughed at how cute it was that he could affect her so. She was always so controlled and yet there she was left reeling from a simple kiss. He liked that. A lot.

Lightheaded and happy, she took a cab to her favorite little park. Lying back on the small hillside, she enjoyed the feel of the cool grass beneath her, and the sunshine warming her skin all the while love swelled inside. Was William worth throwing everything away—her family, the comfort of money—and starting life over with him? She was starting to believe he was.

Chapter 15

Evie and William spent the next two weeks using their detective skills to uncover the true author of the two short stories. They had one week left and their campus library offered no substantial clues. William decided to throw out the road trip idea she once suggested. He looked at her sprawled out on the floor of his small studio surrounded by papers, and said, “I think our last hope is the Philly library.”

Considering the idea, she kept her eyes on the Kyd writing samples. “I can do Monday.”

“I can also do Monday.”

Evie sat up, crossing her legs, and rested her chin on her hands in front of her. She was careful with her words, hoping she wouldn’t offend him. “How about I buy the train tickets and you buy lunch.”

He knew what she was doing and as much as he wanted to pay for everything, he also knew the tickets to Philadelphia would strain his budget. “All right. Thank you.” She made it easy for him to accept the offer and he appreciated that.

The first couple of weeks of summer were easy for Everleigh. Tom and her family had been in the Hamptons most of that time since Tom’s associates were basing their work from there also. But Tom insisted on Everleigh joining them again this weekend, and out of obligation, she did. He hired a car to drive her and when she arrived, she could admit she was pleased to be there once again. She loved this house, the ocean, and always felt closest to her family here.

Tom’s family home was fifteen minutes away, which she also liked. He wasn’t staying at hers during the summer, so she had some privacy part of the time. As she carried her stuff down the upstairs hallway, she saw Audrey across the hall in her room listening to her MP3 player and reading a magazine.

Evie dropped her bags, stood in the doorway, and knocked loudly. “Miss me, little sis?”

Audrey’s head popped up and she smiled taking an ear bud out, “Actually, yes. It’s been kind of boring this summer. Are you here for the weekend?”

“I head back Sunday afternoon.”

She turned to go to her room, but Audrey quickly asked, “Do you think you might want to hang out this weekend, maybe go to a party or two together?”

Evie smiled. “Sure.”

Two hours later, Everleigh was lying by the pool with Audrey when Tom arrived. She heard him before she saw him.

“There’s my favorite girl,” he said, coming through the back door of the house. As both girls turned and looked at him, Everleigh felt her heart race, but didn’t know why –
fear, love, or just plain confusion
? She watched him from behind her large sunglasses and could still see traces of the attractive man he was—his sandy blond hair even lighter from summer and his brown eyes happy, more carefree than usual. He seemed different to her and she hoped he was sincere this time.

Audrey slammed her magazine on the ground capturing Everleigh’s attention and stood up. “I’m going inside.”

Lowering her sunglasses from the top of her head, Audrey walked past Tom as if he didn’t exist. He smirked at her and felt the need to comment. “Oh, to be opinionated, moody, and to know everything. I’d almost forgotten what it was like to be a teenager.”

Audrey ignored him and continued inside.

Tom took the abandoned chair next to Everleigh and smiled. “It’s good to see you.” Picking her hand up, he ran his thumb over the large engagement ring on her left finger, feeling pride as he admired it. “I missed you, Everleigh.” Leaning forward, he kissed her on the lips.

She didn’t respond, as she knew she should. “It’s nice to be here for the weekend.”

He pulled her forward by both hands, hugging her tight. “Everleigh, my darling. My Everleigh. I love you so much that it hurts sometimes. Your rejection hurts me.” His voice was kind and sounded loving, but pained.

She had never heard him talk like this. This was her chance and she took the opportunity to be honest. “You’ve hurt me. I don’t feel whole because of what—”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I have no excuse.” He gripped her tighter as if she would disappear if he didn’t. He often worried she would leave him and the thought was unbearable.

She had never heard him apologize and closed her eyes letting his words sink in.

“I love you so much. I don’t want to lose you. I can’t . . .” His voice trembled on the last words as they trailed off, and his hands trailed down her bikini-clad body. They stopped on her hips and he nudged her head with his, exposing her neck and resting his forehead on her shoulder. He was apologetic and appeared defeated.

Her hands had been strategically placed on his ribs to keep him at a distance, but with him openly showing his feelings, she slid them around to his back and embraced him.

Tom smiled as he lifted his head up and kissed her. She was responsive to his kindness and the love he was showing her, having her tender Tom back. He pulled away, though, and then took her left hand into his right. “Come with me.” He led her to the pool house, around the billiards table, and into the bedroom.

Evie’s body and mind were starting a small battle in her heart with each step she took. Her heart was winning. She couldn’t do this, she shouldn’t do this, but her mind moved her forward and into his arms. That was the logical thing to do. The thing she had done so many times before that there was a small sense of comfort in the habit, even if it was a bad habit.

As they sat there on the bed, he took her sunglasses off and his eyes smoldered. A look that used to send tingles down her spine in desire, now only confused her conflicting soul.

When he stood up, he lifted his shirt over his head then took his pants off revealing his boxers. Everleigh took a deep breath, willing herself to relax.

Tom crawled back onto the bed and she stiffened, paralyzed by her thoughts. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t do this to William. She didn’t love Tom, but he was being everything she used to love about him—kind and sweet—attentive, gentle. Maybe, maybe she should. Maybe he could be everything she needed again.

Evie closed her eyes trying to figure out what she needed to do versus what she wanted to do. She felt his lips on her chest as he kissed his way up toward her neck. Could she do this anymore? Could she shut her eyes and let sweet, kind, attentive, and gentle Tom make love to her?

She snuck a peek at him, but clamped her eyes shut tight. Maybe she should pretend this was William? Even after all the years she had invested her heart, mind, and soul into Tom, she couldn’t stop thinking about William.

Her heart raced and her breathing became shallow, quickening unnaturally. She opened her mouth and gasped for air.

“Are you okay, Everleigh?”

Her eyes flashed open and she bolted upright to a sitting position.

Startled, Tom leaned back. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“No. No,” she said, shaking her head, her hand hovering over her heart. She couldn’t do this. With reminders of the responsibilities to her family and commitments she made years earlier swarming her thoughts, William stood out above all else. She stood abruptly. “I’m feeling lightheaded. I think it’s from being in the sun too long. I should eat something.”

With a look of concern, Tom stood and started to getting dressed. “I’ll take you to lunch then.”

While sitting at Dan’s Grill, her favorite restaurant in Montauk, Everleigh stared out at the water lost in her thoughts. She felt twisted inside and disgusted with herself.
What am I doing?

The couple sat quietly together drinking Cape Cods on the outside deck of the restaurant. Her mind wandered back to her current predicament and when she turned to look at Tom, and he said, “I think you’re pushing yourself too hard. You’re so close to getting your degree and all of this work is catching up with you.”

Underneath any faux concern he showed, his smug expression gave him away. He was gloating. He knew she was stressed and although some of it had been school and her final exams, he didn’t know the other half, the part that made her life better, happier. So as she sat there trying to figure out what twisted game Tom was playing with her, it finally occurred to her. He was nice to gain her trust again, to trick her into sleeping with him even.