Jude (Beautiful Mine #2) (19 page)

EVIE

Three months later…

“I’m baaaack!” I announced as I entered my parents’ house. I shook the snow off my boots and inhaled the cinnamon fragrance wafting through he air. Christmastime was in full effect at the Cawthorn house, warming me inside and out.

“Hello, hello,” my dad called from down the hall.

“Evie, so good to see you,” my mother said as she hurried to the entryway and wrapped me in a hug. “We missed you so much.”

“We got your postcards,” my dad said. “Your mother has them plastered all over the refrigerator.”

“Internet cafés are expensive,” I chuckled.

“Is it just me, Maureen, or does she look older?” my dad observed.

My mom swatted at his arm. “He means it in a good way.”

I smiled. “I know.”

“Alexa should be home from college tomorrow,” my dad said. “I know she’s anxious to see you.”

I followed them to the living room, where we cozied up by the Christmas tree. I filled them in on how I saw Prince Harry in London with his security entourage, described in full detail how the pastries at the French bistros tasted, and how it felt to read a book lying in the grass by the Eiffel Tower. I told them about how I tried authentic paella for the first time in Majorca, and I rambled on about how small the Mona Lisa was in person.

I whipped out my phone and began swiping through picture after picture, narrating each one. My mom beamed as she lived vicariously through my adventures and my dad nodded, listening intently. In their forty-some years, neither of them had ever left the country.

“I’m so proud of you,” my mom gushed. “My little girl is all grown up.”

“I think she grew up the day she got married,” my dad said.

“Did you ever think our sweet little homebody, Evie, was capable of traveling Europe all by herself?” my mom mused.

“I was with a group,” I reminded them.

“Still,” my mom said, “it takes a lot of courage to step outside your comfort zone like that. You forget, you never even wanted to go to summer camp as a child.”

“I’d like to take us all on a family vacation sometime soon,” I said. “Maybe Hawaii.”

“Evie, that’s very generous of you,” my mom said. “But you need to save your money.”

They still had no idea about the size of my bank account. They all assumed I was living off some life insurance policy I’d cashed in when Julian died.

“It’s fine. I want to do this,” I insisted. “How’s March sound? We can go during Alexa’s spring break.”

***

I slipped my key into the apartment lock back in L.A. I’d left that place over three months ago, fully unaware of when I’d be returning.

“Hello?” I called out. “Carys?”

Nothing.

I’d wanted to surprise her, but I knew I was taking my chances. I typed out a text to her, letting her know I was home as I wheeled my luggage back to my room. I threw myself on my bed, slapping the comforter and watching as dust specks floated through the air. That was what three months of being untouched did to a place. It was as if a ghost had been living there.

After traveling all day, the last thing I wanted to do was clean, but I had no other choice. A whirring in my stomach at the thought of seeing Jude again forced me to go running into the arms of a distraction. I had to keep busy. I had to keep myself from throwing myself at him like a complete idiot.

I’d tried not to think of him as I lay awake at night, staring out the window of my Parisian hotel. I’d forced him out of my mind when I strolled the busy London sidewalks, wishing he was by my side. I’d refused to mention him when the elderly couple in my travel group asked if I had a boyfriend back home. In Europe, Jude didn’t exist. He wasn’t relevant. But back on the sandy soils of southern California, knowing he was a ten-minute walk from me, sent me reeling with anticipation. It was only a matter of time before I’d see him again.

I ripped my comforter from my bed and shoved it into the washing machine in the hall closet. I slipped off my clothes and drew a hot bath, filling it with capful after capful of lavender-scented bubbles. I eased myself inch-by-inch into the sudsy hot water and stayed until it turned cold and my fingers and toes were shriveled beyond recognition.

As I toweled off and wrapped myself in a fluffy robe from the back of the door, I heard a rustling from the front door. Carys was home.

“Evie?” I heard her yell.

“In here!” I yelled back, popping the lock on the door and swinging it open.

“Hey, girl,” she said, barely containing her excitement and staring at me as if I were some sort of stranger she barely recognized anymore. Our entire friendship, we’d never gone this long without talking or seeing each other.

I wrapped my hair into a turban and slinked out to the hall and down to my room, Carys in tow.

“How was it?” she asked, plopping on my bed.

I tossed her my phone. “Pictures.”

She thumbed through my photos, lingering on some longer than others. “Did you ever get lonely all those months by yourself?”

“I wasn’t alone,” I replied, though in many ways I was, especially come nighttime. Everyone in the group seemed to have some kind of travel buddy but me.

A glint of something on her finger caught the light that trickled in through my bedroom window, causing me to spin around. “What’s that? On your hand?”

Carys bit her lip, smiling sheepishly.

“Carys,” I said sternly. “Let me see.”

As if she were going to burst at any moment, a smile filled her face and she held out her left hand. A dazzling diamond solitaire, the biggest I’d ever seen, damn near took up her entire ring finger.

“Are you engaged?!”

“Mm hm,” she said, nodding vigorously.

“You guys have only been dating a few months!” I said. As much as it surprised me, it shouldn’t have. This was Carys Harrison, a whimsical free-spirit who never had a rhyme or reason for anything she did in life. Jax was the same way.

“I know it seems kind of crazy,” she said hesitantly. “But when you know, you know, right?”

“Was this a mutual decision, or did he pop the question out of the blue?”

“Completely unexpected, Evie,” she sighed, dreamily recalling her proposal. “He took me to Palm Springs to celebrate a gig I’d booked. We spent all weekend at this beautiful spa hotel getting massages and eating five-star dinners. That last night, we went on a walk outside under the stars, and he asked me.”

“Wow,” I said. I grabbed her hand and pulled it closer, trying to get a better look at her rock. It sparkled and shimmered from every angle, throwing prisms on the walls as I turned her hand. “It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she said, pulling it out of my grasp and clasping it over her chest. “I’m so happy, Evie.”

Carys glowed. No—she radiated from head to toe. Every ounce of her spilled and leaked that happy, giddy, new-love only the lucky ones ever got to experience.

“When’s the wedding?” I asked.

“May seventh,” she said. “Which reminds me…”

“Yes, I’ll be your maid of honor,” I said, recalling our childhood pact. Though, to be honest, I’d never thought Carys would get married. Her parents’ divorce left her with a jaded perception of what the definition of “forever” meant.

She stood up and wrapped her arms around me. “Also, just so you know, Jude is Jax’s best man.” She squeezed her eyes tight, wincing.

“That’s fine,” I said.

“You sure?” she asked again. “You’ll be spending a lot of time with him during the week of the wedding.”

“We’re adults,” I said with a shrug. “Not a big deal.”

“Jax and I are moving into our own place,” Carys announced, watching for my reaction.

“That’s cool,” I said, genuinely happy for her. “I just hope it’s close by!”

Carys stared at me as if there was something she wanted to tell me.

“What are you not saying?” I asked. I knew her well.

“Aren’t you curious at all about Jude?” she asked, studying my face. “You haven’t asked about him once.”

“You’ve been home all of ten minutes,” I replied.

“Did you miss him?” she asked.

“Whose side are you on?”

“It’s not about sides, Evie,” she said.

“Why are you trying to feel me out?” I asked.

Carys averted her eyes to the tan carpet under her feet.

“What are you not telling me?” I demanded. “What, does he have a girlfriend now, or something?”

Her eyes slowly made their way back to mine and she shrugged one shoulder. “Sort of.”

Her words were like a punch to the gut, sudden and unexpected. Sure, I’d told him not to wait for me, but I never thought he’d move on so quickly. It felt intentional, a slap in the face. But I had no one to blame but myself.

“What’s her name?” I asked.

“Samantha,” she said. “Samantha Angelico.”

“How’d he meet her?” I had to know everything. I had to know who this woman was that suddenly made me look like chopped liver.

“Her dad is buying out J-Corp,” Carys said. “She was learning the business from Jude. They were spending a lot of time together. And to be honest, Evie, I don’t think he really likes her. I think she’s just a placeholder.”

It felt good to hear that, but still. “That’s a shitty thing to do. What does she look like?” I couldn’t help myself.

“Like you,” Carys said with a sigh, “if you were Italian and had longer hair and lash extensions and spray-tanned and wore Louboutins.”

I laughed, trying to picture her in my mind. “Is he happy?”

“I don’t know. He’s happy enough. He was really hurt when you left,” Carys said delicately. “You did a number on him.”

“He did a number on me,” I snorted. “Why are you making me feel like I’m the bad guy here?”

“Evie, I’m not,” Carys said, her words jerking me to attention. “No one said anyone’s a bad guy. I’m just telling you. You told him to move on. He moved on. I just wanted you to be prepared.”

“Fair enough,” I sighed, tension ripe in my shoulders as all my pent up excitement flooded out of me. I’d been looking forward to seeing him again, but not anymore.

“Were you expecting to get back together when you returned?” Carys asked. “Had you given any thought to it while you were gone?”

My lips curled into a bittersweet smile, my head hung low as I unraveled the towel from around my hair. “I’d forgiven him. I was going to tell him when I got back.”

JUDE

“Good morning,” Samantha moaned as she stretched her arms above her head, her body wrapped in my bedsheets. She leaned over, placing a quick kiss on my cheek before slipping out. “I’m going to jump into the shower. I’ve got an appointment with my facialist in an hour.”

She sauntered to my bathroom, shutting the door behind her, and I sunk back into my pillow, wondering how the fuck I got here. She wasn’t my girlfriend, but I’d allowed her to insta-girlfriend herself right into my life. Long days working together turned into drinks down the street, the occasional dinner, and the occasional movie. Dinners with Jax and Carys and the occasional, “Will you be my date for so-and-so’s wedding next Saturday?”

Her once-annoying personality began to grow on me, and soon I found myself tolerating her more and more. In three months, I’d be selling J-Corp to her father, who was mistakenly under the impression that we were dating. We weren’t dating. We hadn’t even fucked. We were filling voids and playing house, a couple of kids playing roles with no intention of ever fulfilling them. But to the outside world, we appeared to be together.

Most nights, I’d listen to her breathe and feel the warmth of her body under the covers next to mine and pretend she was Evie. If I squinted hard enough, and with a little help of the early morning sun, her black hair became brown. The curve of her hips matched Evie’s, and sometimes I’d rest my hand there as we watched movies in bed. There was never any love. There were never any feelings.

Samantha filled the gaping void left by Evie, and in return, I filled her need to feel worthy of a man’s attention. She dragged me along as her date to weddings and parties, and judging by the sheer amount of her friends moving on to the next phase in life, I began to understand why some girls tried to insta-girlfriend themselves into guys’ lives. Watching the way she longingly looked at her friends on their special days almost made me feel sad for her.

I pulled the covers off my legs and shuffled down to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. I hadn’t been a coffee drinker until the sleepless nights caught up with me, and then it became an endless cycle. Coffee all day. Toss and turn all night. Rinse and repeat. I hadn’t had a restful sleep in months.

“Hey,” Jax said as he stacked boxes by the front door. The time had come. He and Carys had recently become engaged and had signed a lease on a place of their own.

“Ah,” I said. “Forgot you were moving today. Let me get cleaned up. I’ll help you. Where’s Carys?”

“We took the first load down earlier this morning,” he said. “She’s already unpacking at the new place.”

“You go ahead,” I said. “Leave some boxes here for me to take. I’ll meet you down there in about an hour.”

Samantha traipsed out, her long dark hair piled into a mess on top of her head and her generous breasts practically spilling out of her paper-thin tank top. Tiny shorts barely covered her ass as she bent over to slip her shoes on.

“Moving day, huh, Jax?” she observed. “Can’t wait to see the new place.”

“You’re welcome by anytime, Sam,” he said. They’d become well acquainted over the last few months, getting along famously. Even Carys liked Sam, though I suspected she kept her at arm’s length for Evie’s sake.

“Bye, babe,” Sam said, planting a dry kiss on my lips as she walked out. We were always going through the motions, like an amusement park ride that wasn’t going to stop until one of us spoke up.

***

An hour later, I carried three cardboard boxes up two flights of stairs to Carys and Jax’s new place. The cool December breeze made for perfect moving day weather.

“23B,” I said to myself, scanning the hall for their door. Jax said it’d be open, so I helped myself, barging in with my armful of their shit. I placed it gently on the floor by my feet. I stood up to brush the cardboard dust from my hands and found myself suddenly greeted with the prettiest blue eyes I’d seen in months.

“Evie.”

“Hi, Jude,” she said coyly, elbow-deep in a box of dishes.

“When did you get back?” Just as I’d caught my breath from climbing up the stairs, I’d lost it again.

“Yesterday,” she answered. “I was going to call you, but…”

“It’s okay,” I said, trying my best to play it cool. “How was Europe?”

“Beautiful,” she said with a dreamy sigh. It pained me to make small talk with her when we’d always been so deep. We didn’t always see eye to eye, but we always saw soul to soul. That was gone, and all that was left was this awkward exchange and formal pleasantries. Fuck that.

“Oh, Jude, that box can go in the bedroom,” Carys said, coming in from the other room. “Thanks!”

I carried it off, feeling Evie’s eyes on me the entire time.

“I’m going to grab another load from my car,” I announced, passing back through the living room.

Evie popped up, following me down to the parking lot. “I’ll help you.”

We walked in silence. There were so many words unspoken, and each of us was lost in our own thoughts. I popped my trunk and leaned in, grabbing the smallest box I could find and handing it to her, our hands brushing as I passed it off.

“I can take more than this,” she said with a laugh.

“It’s all right,” I said, stacking three large boxes and hoisting them up. “So, you’ve been back a day?”

“Yep,” she said. “I was going to come by and see you, but…” Her eyes fell to the ground as our shoes shuffled along the gravel pitted concrete.

“But what?”

“Carys said you had a girlfriend,” she muttered.

I laughed. Of course she did. “Sort of.”

“What do you mean, sort of?” Evie whipped her face my way.

“You wanna hang out tonight? Just us?” I asked. “We can talk.”

“You? Want to talk?” she said, shaking her head as we climbed the stairs to the second floor.

“With you? Yeah.”

“Hey,” Carys said as we entered the apartment once more. “Jax and I are taking everyone out to dinner tonight at Blue Wave. Hope you don’t mind, Jax invited Sam.”

I went to give Evie a look, but her eyes refused to meet mine.