Chapter Sixteen
Evie
I put my palms flat on the mattress and pushed myself into a sitting position, causing my head to swim. I fought another wave of nausea and prayed I wouldn’t lose the soup I’d eaten last night. It was the only thing giving me life at this point. Well that and the small sips of water I’d had each time I’d vomited.
Ugh. I’d thrown up, in front of the world’s most gorgeous man, at least a dozen times. I turned around at the sound of a soft snore, expecting to see Ollie. But no, Nicky was on his side, his arm reaching out like he was searching for me in his sleep. When had he gotten in bed? Every other time I’d woken up he’d been across the room in a chair, or coming out of the bathroom with a rag in his hand.
I grabbed my cell, reading through some of my messages. The only person I’d contacted when Nicky basically told me he was holding me hostage was Maykin.
Maykin: Where you at bae?
Maykin: I’m not worried about you, because you’re E fucking James, but I’d like to know where the hell you are.
Evie: Crashed at a friend’s, be home tonight. Why are you so obsessed with me?
I ignored Chasity’s texts. I didn’t give two shits what she had to say. I’d see her when I saw her. And she wouldn’t give me any crap about not returning her texts because she wouldn’t want to come across as the needy brat she was.
Collin: I can’t believe you left like that. Do you have any idea how many girls would drop to their knees in front of me at the snap of my fingers?
Leaving him at that party seemed like it’d happened a week ago. I’d barely been lucid for the last thirty-six hours; time was somewhat relative at the moment. I needed to wake up, fast.
Collin: Whatever, I’ll be discrete. Don’t forget we have brunch on Sunday with my parents. Dress accordingly.
Sunday was now, today. Fucking lovely. I had to pull myself together enough to be around fifty of Collin’s parents shit friends.
Collin: Chasity said you didn’t sleep at the house last night. The same rules apply to you as they do to me princess.
Collin: Answer me. NOW.
The last one had been sent an hour ago. The clock on my cell told me I had two hours to get home, get showered and changed before Collin would be at my room to pick me up.
Evie: I’ll be ready when you get here.
His reply was almost immediate, like he’d been about to fire off another demanding message.
Collin: You better fucking be.
I stood as slowly as I could, not wanting to wake Nicky. He’d never understand why I had to go. He’d want me to stay. He’d want to keep taking care of me. But I wasn’t his problem. I’d heard him mumbling those words at least ten times in the past couple of days.
And he was right. I wasn’t his. I was my own. I made my own choices, and I was the only one who was going to suffer the consequences. I’d go to brunch. I’d play the dutiful girlfriend to get what I needed from that prick.
Ollie lifted her head when I got to my feet. I put my finger to my lips, begging her to be quiet, and thankfully she laid back down and rested her chin at Nicky’s feet.
I grabbed my purse and messaged for a driver. The sorority used an exclusive car service, and we paid out the ass for it. I grabbed my shoes from the floor, pausing to write a note for Nicky.
Nicky,
Once again, thank you.
All my love, but not in a clingy way.
Evie
PS: I’m really glad you got a dog.
I knew that my words were more than lacking this time. But I didn’t know how to express what I needed to say. He’d saved me; he’d taken care of me. He’d been kinder than I deserved, for the second time in two years. Nick…shit. Had I still not asked him his last name? Ugh. I was the worst. And he was the best man I knew—and that was saying something because I’d grown up surrounded by some stellar males. Tears pricked the back of my eyes. If only my dad could see me now, huh?
I picked up my shorts and quietly slipped out of the apartment, Nicky’s shirt hanging like a dress to my knees. Not exactly the walk of shame, but pretty damn close.
***
“You look beautiful, princess.” Collin put his hand on my elbow and then leaned in to kiss my cheek.
“Thank you.” It’d taken all of the two hours and a small miracle to make me appear healthy and in control. Plus two Adderall and three meal bars. I was in a long, flowy sundress, the print the perfect mix between summer chic and hippie chick. Collin’s parents liked when I toed the line between rock royalty and future lawyer’s wife. It gave them a story to tell their friends, and a hopeful gleam in their eye. Yeah, fat fucking chance, Metcalf family.
I’d chosen to meet Collin downstairs, surrounded by people. That way, the only chance he’d get to yell at me would be in the car. There wasn’t too much damage he could do while he was driving. We held hands as we walked down the front lawn, and he opened my door with a smile on his face. His expensive Wayfarers hid the anger behind his eyes.
Collin made his way to the driver’s side, and then sat, careful not to wrinkle his pressed khaki shorts or his button-down Southern Marsh dress shirt. His watch gleamed when the sunlight hit it through the windshield, and his Land Cruiser roared to life.
“You want to tell me where the fuck you were yesterday? I know you didn’t sleep at the house this weekend.” His eyes were on the road, his expression relaxed but his tone dripping with venom.
“Stayed with a friend of mine. I needed a break from living with twenty bratty chicks.” I slid my aviators further up my nose. If I kept losing weight like this I was going to need to take them in to be adjusted again. “Not that it’s really any of your fucking business.” Our relationship didn’t run like that. We weren’t honest and forthcoming. We weren’t anything that leaned toward healthy.
He scoffed. “Don’t give me that bullshit. You moved in there five days ago; if you’re already sick of all your sisters then you should have gotten a house off campus like I told you to.”
Demanded. He’d demanded I get a house off campus, so he could have a place to escape Greek life as well. Which was the main reason I refused to do it. And the girls I lived with currently weren’t my sisters. I had real sisters and they never made me want to cut off my own ears so I couldn’t hear their incessant whining. “Yeah, well, hindsight’s twenty-twenty.” Ya douche canoe.
“Were you careful?”
“I didn’t fuck him.” I should have. I wanted to. Nicky had only grown more gorgeous over the last two years. His tattoos made my mouth water and those green eyes of his made me want to melt into a pile of goo at his feet.
He reached over and took my hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing my knuckles. “That’s my girl.”
Never in a million years.
“I hooked up with some random freshman. She’s not even in a sorority. I doubt we’ll ever see her again.” He spoke like cheating on me was a normal conversation topic. It annoyed me because it spoke to how arrogant he was, not because I loved him. I didn’t like Collin. See? I couldn’t even muster up enough thought to hate the guy.
“I don’t care who you fucked as long as no one saw you.” I really didn’t care who he banged when I wasn’t around. In fact, if he wanted to only sleep with other people, and never me, I’d be okay with that too. Collin and I always used protection. Basically, I wrapped the jerk in Saran Wrap before I even kissed him. And I fucked him as little as possible. But I was Evie James, and it wouldn’t look good if my boyfriend got away with cheating on me.
We drove the rest of the short distance in silence. Before long, we were at his parents’ large Highland Park home. He thought he was hot shit growing up in the monstrosity, and I let him. His parents’ money could never touch the kind of fortune the Devil’s Share, and then RiffRaff Records, had accrued. My trust fund was bigger than what he would make in a decade at his father’s law firm.
But power was important to Collin; he thrived on it. So, it was much easier to let his small mind think what it wanted. I was with Collin for one reason and one reason only.
“Here you go, princess.” He held out his palm, showing me half a pill. “It’ll give you a little boost. You seem tired today.”
I took the pill and swallowed it dry. It was most likely Ritalin, something to give me extra life to make it through this boring brunch.
Judging from all the expensive cars lining the drive, I was about to be put on display.