by King, Jayna
William shook his head as he pulled on his boxers. “I get it. It’s just that I really do miss hanging out with you, Evelyn. I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but there’s more to being together than just fucking.”
Evelyn stood up and stepped into her underwear. “I know. It’s just that it would feel awkward to explain it all now—especially after we’ve all been living together for a whole month.”
“Well, you could have been honest from the start, you know,” William pointed out.
“It’s too late for that now. Anyway, I don’t want our parents putting pressure on us about our relationship. They might try to break us up, or worse, they could think it’s a great idea and start planning our wedding.”
“Let me make sure I understand what you’re saying. Getting married would be worse than breaking up?”
“Right now it would be. I’m too young to be tied down.”
“Look, Evelyn, I don’t want to tie you down. I just want to spend some time with you. Is that such a terrible thing?”
“Of course not. I’m just saying we won’t know how our parents will react. Unless we want to risk losing what we have, then I think we should keep it quiet.”
“Do you really have projects for school, or were you just trying to wiggle out of going to the movies?”
“I could totally go, but Mom’s gonna watch some stupid chick flick.”
“What’s wrong with that? You’re a chick. She’s a chick.”
“Yeah, but I’d rather watch an action movie than some sappy romance that’s a foregone conclusion. I want something exciting.”
“Just tell Ella that.”
“I can’t. She still thinks of me as her little princess. If I told her I wanted blood and guts, she’d pass out cold.”
“You really don’t give her enough credit, you know. She’s far more open-minded than you realize.”
“Says you.”
“Well, I’ve been living here for a month. I’ve gotten to know Ella pretty well, and she’ll adjust—even if she finds out you’re not always the most ladylike young woman.”
Evelyn stood on her tiptoes and kissed William. “I think you like it when I’m less than ladylike.”
He slid his arms around her waist. “Absolutely.” He looked into her green eyes. “Evelyn, I’m serious, though. I want to spend some time with you.”
“Okay, okay. We can set something up. But right now, you need to get out of my room before someone realizes where you are.”
William kissed her again. “See you over breakfast, beautiful.”
As soon as William made sure the coast was clear and snuck out of her room, Evelyn flopped on her bed. She felt like everyone in her life was pressuring her in one way or another. Her mother wanted her to be the perfect lady and graduate with a business degree. And now William was pushing her to take their relationship to a new level. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about him. In fact, she suspected she might actually have fallen in love, but she didn’t want to be forced into something she wasn’t ready for. She did know William was right about needing to spend some time together in a more relaxed atmosphere—where they wouldn’t have to worry about their parents realizing what was going on.
When Evelyn came into the kitchen after taking a shower, she found Ella, Malcolm, and William all clustered around Ella’s iPad, laughing their fool heads off.
“What’s so funny?” Evelyn asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee.
“You should watch the trailer for this movie. Will showed it to us, and it’s hilarious.” Ella wiped a tear from her eye and held out her coffee cup for a refill.
Malcolm looked at Evelyn. “Too bad you’re stuck with all that schoolwork to do. We could go see this movie instead. I guess we can still do that this weekend, right?”
“Sure,” Evelyn answered, not exactly sure what to say. She was glad she’d gotten off the hook as far as the chick flick, but she felt like Will had meddled a bit.
“Well, it’s a family date, then,” Ella said brightly.
Evelyn choked on her coffee, and William started laughing as she managed not to spit it out.
“Malcolm, my car was making a funny noise yesterday on my way home. Do you mind taking a quick look at it before Evelyn and I leave for work?” Ella stood up and smoothed her suit. “I’d take it to the shop, but the last time I went in there, they charged me for a lot of things I don’t think were necessary.”
“Of course.” Malcolm picked up his briefcase. “I have a little time before I have to leave.”
Ella turned to Evelyn. “Make sure you’re ready to leave on time.”
“Good grief, Mom. When have I ever been late to work?” Evelyn sounded just as indignant as she felt.
“All the same, it’s important to be prompt,” Ella said, following Malcolm out the door.
“Jesus, I wonder if she even hears herself. She’s telling me to be on time. I’ve never been late to anything in my life. How could I be as the offspring of the incomparable Ella Caswell?”
“Hey, not to change the subject or anything, but I have killer news.”
“I guess I should really quit bitching about my mom, huh? What’s your news?”
“You.” William paused dramatically, pointing at her. “Me.” He pointed to himself. “Tomorrow night. A real date, complete with dinner out and … wait for it … two tickets to the MMA fight across town.”
Evelyn’s eyes widened. “No fucking way. You got tickets to the fight? I thought they were sold out.”
“They were. They are. But I tracked a couple down. Set me back three hundred dollars, but they’re great seats.”
“Oh, my God! I so wanted to go to the fight, but I’ve been trying to save money. I can’t believe you bought tickets.”
“So what’s your answer? You coming out with me on a real date?”
Evelyn looked toward the front door to make sure the coast was clear. She kissed him quickly. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Chapter Seven
It was the middle of the afternoon before Evelyn realized she and William hadn’t planned a cover story—how to explain to their parents they were both going out. She figured she could just tell Ella she had to work on a group project for school, but she wondered if their parents would get suspicious if both she and Will left at the same time. And would they have to take two cars?
Evelyn was in the middle of cleaning a guest room when she pulled her phone from the pocket of her shapeless burgundy dress.
Hey, what are we going to tell our parents a/b tonite?
Knowing William was at work and might not be able to reply for a while, she slipped the phone back into her pocket and resumed stripping the bed. As she gathered up the sheets, trying desperately not to think about what activities might have taken place on top of them, she mused over a much more serious topic than simply getting out of the house to watch an MMA fight.
Evelyn had made an appointment with her academic advisor for the following week, and she planned to ask about changing her major. So far, Evelyn hadn’t breathed a word about her decision to anyone, but she planned to talk it over with William on their date. She knew he’d support her, and she was hoping he could help her figure out a way to break the news to her mother.
Her phone vibrated, pulling her out of her thoughts.
Let’s tell them we’re hanging out together. Simple.
Evelyn stared at her phone. She knew William was probably right—that if they just acted like hanging out was no big deal, their parents wouldn’t even question it. She felt apprehensive, though, wondering if William would be able to play it cool. She knew he wanted things out in the open, and she worried that he’d out them if given the chance.
She also knew she couldn’t waste her energy worrying about what he might or might not do, though. She had too much to do, and too much on her mind.
K
She was going to hope the evening worked out okay.
Her floors finished for
the day, Evelyn texted her mother.
Heading out on the bus. Have some school work to do.
When Evelyn got home, she made a half-hearted attempt to study for her accounting quiz, but she ended up spending the afternoon looking into physical therapist programs. As she did more research, she realized that for the first time in maybe her entire life, she was genuinely excited about her future. She felt like she’d made an adult decision that made sense for her and would capitalize on her strengths.
She also realized the direction William had been pushing her—toward being more honest with her mother—was the right one. While she didn’t plan to dump everything on Ella at once, she decided she’d have the meeting with her advisor, and she’d come clean about her career plans. Knowing Ella as well as she did, Evelyn planned to have hard information to show Ella—details on average salaries and hiring rates for graduates in the field she was considering. Her mother might not be happy with her, but if she argued her position, Ella would at least listen before unleashing the torrent of criticism. After that storm subsided, Evelyn could move on to confiding in her mother about her MMA interests and her relationship with William.
Evelyn stood up from her bed and felt invigorated, like she finally had a plan all her own. The most immediate part of that plan included getting gorgeous for her date with William. She showered and pulled on jeans that fit her curves to perfection, along with a stretchy green shirt that brought out her green eyes. She left her hair down, finger styling it into sexy, tousled waves, and as she slid her feet into strappy heels and looked at her reflection, she felt focused, sexy, and strong.
She giggled as she realized she was going out to meet her date … who lived in the same house, but she couldn’t wait for William to get a look at her.
“Oh. My. God.”
William’s reaction as she walked into the kitchen was everything she’d hoped for.
“So I just threw on any old thing. Hope you don’t mind.” She lifted her eyebrows, awaiting his response.
“A vision of perfection. I only wish we didn’t have to come home and sleep in separate bedrooms tonight.”
“Depends on if our parents are still awake when we get home,” Evelyn said with a smile. “What did you tell your dad?”
“I just told him you and I were going to hang out.”
“And did he ask any questions?”
“Nope.”
“Well, good. Maybe if we let them see us hang out from time to time, we can kinda ease them into the idea of our sleeping together. Who knows? A year from now, we could all be one big, happy family, with you and me sharing a bedroom.”
“A year from now?” William looked taken aback.
“Well, it’ll take a while to get them used to the idea, don’t you think?”
Before William could answer, the front door opened, and Ella’s voice rang out.
“Evelyn? Are you ready?”
“Mom? What are you doing here? Ready for what?”
“Didn’t you get my text? We need you back at the hotel. One of the banquet staff called out, and we have that huge reception for the mayor’s wife’s charitable foundation tonight. You’ll make some extra money, and you’ll get major brownie points for coming to the rescue.” Ella came into the kitchen and looked at Evelyn, then William, and back to her daughter. “What’s going on? You’re not dressed for work.”
“I didn’t see your text,” Evelyn explained. “Will and I were going to go hang out.”
“Well, plans have changed. You and Will can hang out anytime.” Ella waved her hands to hurry her daughter up. “Let’s go. I have to be back in fifteen minutes.”
“Mom, I have plans.”
“Dressed like that? Looks like you’re planning on going out with your stepbrother and picking up guys who like prostitutes. Go change. We need to leave. I promised I’d take care of this situation, so it’s my professional reputation on the line.”
“Ella, can’t anyone else cover it? Evelyn and I actually have dinner reservations.” William looked at Evelyn, as if he was willing her to stand up to her mother.
“Of course I can find someone else to cover it, Will, but it’s not like you have a hot date. You can find one of your buddies to hang out with, right?”
“Mom, I kinda want to go with Will.” Evelyn braced herself for Ella’s response.
“You can’t miss this opportunity to show your dedication, Evelyn. You could even work yourself into a promotion, you know.”
“So it’s up to you, Evelyn,” Will said, arms out, palms upturned. “You can choose. Work or me.”
“How is that even a question?” Ella said, turning to her daughter. “Let’s go.”
Evelyn could feel her shoulders slump as she realized she was going to cave to her mother’s demands.
“No way, Evelyn,” Will said, seeing her body language. “You know how much I spent on those tickets.”
“I’m sorry, Will.”
“No way,” he repeated. “When are you going to grow up and start standing up for yourself?”
“What is he talking about?” Ella asked, standing up straighter and putting her shoulders back, donning her cold, professional demeanor.
“We had plans,” Evelyn explained half-heartedly.
“Plans change, especially when duty calls,” Ella said. “I’m not going to tell you again. Go change.”
Evelyn took a step toward leaving the kitchen, and William reached out and grabbed her arm.
“Evelyn, this has gone on long enough. If you’re not going to do it, I will.”
He pulled her to him and bent to kiss her, holding her in place, despite her attempt to step back. He crushed her mouth with his, letting his hand drift to her ass, pulling her even closer. Evelyn couldn’t do anything, helpless to break free, part of her responding to his touch and craving more. William let her go, and they stood still, looking at one another, neither able to speak for a few seconds.
Evelyn turned to her mother. Ella stood, mouth hanging open, shock evident on her face.
When neither of the women in the room could manage to say a word, William shook his head in disgust.
He grabbed his jacket. “I’m out of here. You’ve made your choice, Evelyn. I hope you’re happy with it.”
It was the slam of the front door that brought Evelyn back to her senses. Though she never would have guessed it, the second William had walked out, she felt an overwhelming sense of loss—like she’d given up something that was more important to her than she’d ever realized. She looked at her mother, opened her mouth, realized she couldn’t string together a coherent sentence, and fled the room as her eyes started to fill with tears. Finding the safety of her bedroom, Evelyn slammed the door and threw herself on her bed, sobbing like she hadn’t since her father’s funeral.
She wasn’t sure how long she’d been there by the time she heard a knock on the door.
“Yeah?” Evelyn managed, reaching for a tissue.
She was surprised to see her mother open the door.
“You’re still here?” Evelyn asked, nose all stopped up.
“I called Paul, and he said he’d handle everything.”
Evelyn sat up. “You called out of work? You’ve never done that as long as I’ve known you.”
“I did.” Ella walked over to the desk and turned the chair to face the bed. “Mind if I sit?”
“Of course not.” She blew her nose, feeling like nothing in her life was ever going to be right again. “Why’d you stay home?”
Ella sat down. “Because my daughter needs me,” she answered, as if it had been the only logical choice.
“What?”
“Well, clearly, there are some things going on we need to talk about, don’t you think?”
Evelyn’s face flushed remembering the kiss she and William had shared. “I guess.”
“I can tell when something’s bothering you, you know.”
Evelyn laughed, a hollow, cheerless sound. “Oh, really?” she asked, th
inking about all the questions she’d struggled with—things she’d gone to great lengths to conceal from her mother. She didn’t think Ella had any idea what she was in for.
“I can tell that something’s wrong right now.” Though Ella’s posture was upright, as always, her voice was soft, betraying a tenderness she typically concealed.
Evelyn was frustrated. “Only because Will had to go and spill it.”
“Evelyn, are you and Will seeing one another?”
“Yes.”
Ella paused, as if she required a little time to process the news. “Are you sleeping with each other?”
“Yes.”
Ella’s voice wavered slightly, as if she was trying to conceal her reaction to Evelyn’s news. “Are you using protection?”
“Jesus Fucking Christ, Mom, yes. You took me to the doctor for birth control pills, remember?”
Ella’s eyes widened. “Of course. But that was a couple of years ago. I just wanted to make sure you were still being careful. It seems you’re more skilled than I realized at keeping secrets from me, after all.” Ella paused. “And you should watch your language.”
“Me keeping secrets from you? Are you fucking kidding me? I found out you were getting married two weeks before the big day.”
Ella winced at the second f-bomb. “Is that what this is about? Are you mad at me for getting remarried?”
“God, no.” Evelyn was starting to feel increasingly irritated by the calm, even tone of her mother’s voice. Couldn’t the woman ever show emotion?
“Do you dislike Malcolm?”
“You know I like Malcolm, Mom. I’m just saying you didn’t feel the need to keep me informed about your personal life. You shouldn’t be surprised that my life isn’t exactly an open book to you.”
Ella studied her daughter. “I guess that’s fair.” She didn’t say anything about the slightly petulant tone of her daughter’s voice.
Silence stretched out between them.
Ella finally broke it. “How long have you been seeing William?”
“A little over a year. We started hanging out after we met at the Hillford’s holiday party.” She started to relax just the tiniest bit.