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“You kind of don't have a choice.”
“Of course, this was going to happen; he's a catch. But it's only literally the first day, so I don't think there's any cause for alarm. Plus, how many days are left before the wedding? I say enjoy yourself, ignore your jealousy, and look forward to coming home. That's it. Don't overthink shit.”
“All of this is what I was trying to tell myself earlier, but here I am talking to you in the bathtub, drinking wine and eating chocolate alone after literally running from the scene.”
“Sounds tough,” she said dryly, and I was amused.
“Evelyn, I knew you were going to have problems with this, but I was hoping somewhat that your dislike of him for interfering with his sister's wedding so much would keep your emotions at bay. However, this doesn't seem to be the case.”
“That's because she's not completely mad at him. Sometimes she is when it hits her, and at other times, she seems to be just fine.”
“I understand,” Anna replied. “Anyway, back to your dilemma. Stop overthinking. Enjoy yourself, and yes, you're allowed to be slightly jealous. That's who you are. You're not the type to share partners, so, of course, you're going to immediately feel some kind of way. My advice is don't respond to it. And especially do not interrogate him. You both agreed on what this should be, right?”
“Right,” I nodded as I turned to stare at the stars once again. “We did, and he has the right to do whatever he wants.”
“Exactly, so as long as he's being safe, and you are too, tell yourself that you'll enjoy yourself when you're in the mood within the next few days and then come back home.”
“Sure,” I replied, and I could hear the smile in her voice as she ended the call. Afterward, I took her advice and tried to relax. What I was soon finding, however, was that despite how hard I tried, this just seemed all-around to be an extremely difficult feat.
Eventually, I fell asleep in the bathtub. A little while later, I was awakened by the sound of a little knock from the bedroom door, and it instantly startled me awake.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Drake
I had no clue when she had left, but I knew that after I finally noticed that she wouldn’t be staying behind with the rest of the younger guests for who knew how long, my interest instantly waned as well. So, I returned home, wishing that she was with me so that I could take her on a drive. I had a jet-black McLaren that I had been wanting to have a little fun with but hadn’t quite been able to work myself up to feeling excited about it until now. Now there were so many things that I wanted to do and watch her enjoy along with me. For instance, the beach. A few couples who were at the bonfire rehearsal dinner eventually went away from the crowd, and you could see them holding hands and walking by the waves.
It was a serene, beautiful sight, and even though I wasn't staying any longer I couldn't help but wish that she was available so we could do the same. There were a lot of questions I wanted to ask her, I realized.
I also realized that this desire was extremely inappropriate given the state of our relationship, but in the romance and nighttime, I didn't really give a fuck. I wanted to be speaking to her in low tones that no one else could hear between us too, and I wanted to see the fire dancing in her eyes. I already knew that it would be licking underneath her skin, and perhaps we would have even found a spot of our own where we could lie, perhaps on the sand, and be together. Whether that or we could just talk, either one would have been great.
These were what I couldn’t stop thinking about, and so even though I had tried to convince myself that her leaving was for the best, I eventually had given up battling with myself and headed back to the house. It was empty as the majority of the guests were still at the beach, and it was the perfect time for us to spend together.
My only hope as I knocked on her door was that she wouldn’t be asleep, but even if she was, I found that I truly didn't care. I wanted to see her, and I didn't have to be considerate about it given the nature of our current relations. It took a little while, but eventually, she answered the door, and my heart thundered in my chest as I watched the door come open.
I perused her appearance, and I was not disappointed. As I laid eyes on her, it was very clear to me that she had been asleep. Her hair was tousled, her eyes and cheeks slightly swollen, and it made me wonder then if she had simply left because of Lindsey or if she had simply just been tired.
This wasn’t a question, though, despite how tired I was, that I thought appropriate to ask. It was sure to open a can filled with worms, and if we were truly going by our earlier agreement, the foundation of which was nonchalance and all of this being casual, then there was no need for me to know.
“Can I come in?” I asked. For a long moment, she stared at me as though she wasn’t quite sure what she was seeing and couldn’t believe that I was here, at the door.
“Uh,” she started, and then eventually, when it seemed as though she heard a sudden noise from the staircase, she stepped back and ushered me in.
I was amused, the stark difference between her and Lindsey coming to mind. While the latter had tried her hardest to announce to everyone that there was some intimate connection or history between us, this one here was trying to hide ours as best as she could.
It was indeed our agreement, but I had to admit now to myself that I most certainly didn’t like it one bit.
She shut the door behind me while I looked around and assessed her room. It was much smaller than mine and quite earthy, which I loved. There was a lot of white and dark green, a pop of pink here and there. It was a good room, and I wondered if it was ok with her.
“Is this place okay?” I asked. “Do you feel comfortable here?”
She smiled at this then and started moving.
“It’s great. It looks better than most hotels, so I can't exactly complain, can I?”
Her words hit me in a different way from the way she had intended it.
“You can complain,” I told her. “About whatever you need to.”
