Chapter 6
Evangeline
I shrug his suit coat off of my shoulders and hang it on the back of the door. Peeling off that stupid bodysuit, I toss it in a pile on the other side of the room. I take a quick shower, way too exhausted to fully appreciate the state-of-the-art shower jets and pull Raphael’s T-shirt over my head. My stomach knots up at the musky scent of the fabric. It smells like him. Masculine and potent. Dizzying.
I grab my phone out of the coat pocket and scan my messages as I approach the bed. Four missed calls and two text messages from Annaleigh. She wants details about the top-secret fashion show I told her I was doing tonight. God – I hate lying to her.
She’s my best friend. Always has been. And when my big brother Prescott got the bright idea of marrying her a few months ago, she became my sister-in-law. She is hands-down one of my favorite people in the world. But I can’t tell her what’s really going on. I’d never be able to face her again.
She thinks I live this luxurious life. As far as she knows, I own a breathtaking condo overlooking Reyfield River, I jet-set around the world, my face shows up in popular magazines, I have it made. Her assumptions are so far away from reality.
I push back the comforter and climb into the soft, warm bed, thumbing through my phone.
Annaleigh: Why aren’t you answering your phone? At fashion show?
Annaleigh: Call me, ok! :)
Smiling to myself, I pull up my video-calling app and dial up my bestie’s number. She answers almost immediately.
"Hey, what's going on, girlie?" She settles in on her couch and pushes her black, overlong bangs aside. I spy the soda and bag of chips under her arm.
Just seeing her face makes me feel so much better already. "Nothing much," I say. "I see you still haven't trimmed your hair."
She rakes her fingers through her strands. "Ugh! No time. So busy with work. And when I get home, my husband seems to think that I should be cleaning and doing laundry all night." The bitterness in her voice is amusing as she pops open her cola and takes a long swallow. It's no secret that Annaleigh is the world’s most outrageous slob.
My brother's face pops up over her shoulder. "Ignore her," he tells me. "She makes it sound like I'm running a labor camp over here. I'm just trying to maintain basic hygiene so that we don’t end up bunking with rodents. Is that so unreasonable?"
She glances up at him with a teasing smile. "I put an ad in the paper for a cleaning lady." She shoves a handful of chips down her throat.
He rolls his eyes. "Didn't I tell you not to do that? I don't feel comfortable with a stranger coming in here twice a week."
Annaleigh bats her lashes innocently. "Baby, if we hire a cleaner we'll have more time for us. I'd rather spend my free time making you happy than spend it scrubbing the toilet."
From the glint in his eye, I can tell that 'making you happy' is code for something I definitely don't want details about.
He leans over and rubs his nose against hers. "I was starting to think I might need to punish you for that but baby, I like the way you think.”
She mewls as she pulls him down on top of her. "Oh baby, you punish me so good. I get in trouble just so you can spank–"
"Okay, okay," I erupt. "I get the point. You're newly-weds. Every argument devolves into a sex fest. I don't wanna witness it, though. And if I hear either of you say ‘baby’ one more time, I’m hanging up."
Both of them snap back to the screen with unapologetic smiles on their faces.
"Sorry," Annaleigh snorts. "Forgot we had an audience."
Prescott's eyes narrow and he leans closer to the screen. "Wait – where are you?"
I swallow hard, readjusting the pillow behind my back. "In New York," I offer simply, not wanting to lie. My brother always knows when I'm lying.
"Are you at Mr. Silver’s place? That looks like his guest bedroom. I stayed there a few times when I was in New York on business. Great mattress. Memory foam."
I run my tongue over my teeth. "It's Mr. Silver's guest bedroom." I add nothing more. If my brother wants the whole story, he's gonna have to pry it out of me 'cause I ain't volunteerin' nothin'.
Just when I fear he's about to put those hard-won courthouse cross-examination skills to work on me, he tilts his head and sniffs at the air like a dog. "Do I smell chicken nuggets?"
"Oh shit!" Annaleigh cries out. "Can you get those out of the oven for me?"
Prescott hustles off in the direction of the kitchen as his wife resumes her chip-munching. "Would it kill you to make your husband a home-cooked meal for once? Goddamn. We subscribe to Food Network, for crying out loud!"
I chortle as he hurries away.
"It’s all these cravings, baby," Annaleigh calls after him. “These hormones are turning me into a whole different person. Remember what the doctor said.”
Wait…What?
She turns her attention back to me. “Oh, by the way – I’m pregnant!”
“What the hell? Why am I only now hearing about this?”
She shrugs. “We just found out. I’ve been trying to reach you all day.”
I’m in utter shock. My bestie’s having a baby. With my brother. I’m going to be an auntie!
“Okay, okay! I need details!”
With a giggle, Annaleigh proceeds to catch me up on the happenings with the tiny human growing inside of her. I start musing about the list of things I’m going to teach my future niece or nephew and how much fun (s)he is going to have with Auntie Eva. Annaleigh groans as she tells me about my mother and her over-enthusiasm at the news. I laugh. I know my mom is going to drive her and Prescott crazy. We all are. I can’t help the tears of excitement streaming down my face.
“Wow – you’re more emotional about this than I am.” She hitches a brow as she wipes her tears away with her fingers.
“The novelty’s worn off for you,” I laugh. “I’m still adjusting to the idea.”
"Okay, let’s talk about something else before I start crying again.” Her voice takes on a low mischievous tone and she waggles her eyebrows at the screen. “So, what are you doing at Mr. Silver’s place?"
My stomach goes tight. "Don't you start!" I warn her.
She laughs manically. "Just kidding, hun. Mr. Silver’s kind of hot in a rugged, old rich guy kind of way but the idea of you with your dad's best friend is just absurd." Quickly dismissing the idea, she snuggles against a throw pillow and changes the subject again. "Now tell me about that fashion show." She shoves another chip into her mouth and licks her fingers one by one, waiting for the scoop.
Feeling guilty as sin, I make up this bullshit story about opening for some up and coming designer from the Bronx. Annaleigh totally eats up my lies and half an hour later, we hang up.
I close my eyes and breathe out a heavy sigh. I’m so thankful that Raphael was there at that auction. He’s someone I trust. Someone who’s always been in my life. Now that I’m here with him, I’m a little less worried, less afraid.
Madame Gwendolyn and her partners will take their cut of the auction price – 50% of the purchase price plus a finder’s fee, food and accommodation costs, and other expenses – then the balance will be deposited into my account. Even with those extortionate, inflated, made-up deductions, I’ll have enough money left over to pay off Simon and get him out of my life. That’s all I care about. I’ll figure out the next steps from there.
“Everything will be all right…” I whisper as I pull the blankets up to my chin.
My eyes flutter shut under the weight of my fatigue. Just as I’m about to let sleep pull me under, I hear my phone vibrating on the table next to me.
“What is it now, Annaleigh?” I whisper into the darkness.
Unthinkingly, I grab it and tap at the screen.
My heart jumps at the words I read.
Simon: contact me the minute that money hits ur bank account. Or else, I will find u wherever u are and come pick it up
Simon: and i won't be happy
“Fuck…” I mutter under my breath.
I can’t let my guard down just yet.