Evermore - Alyson Noel [57]
He looks at me, his deep dark eyes obscured by a rim of lush lashes, his lean, sinuous body wrapped in a towel. And when he moves toward me, his step is so light and sure, he’s as graceful as any jungle cat. “This is my fault,” he finally says, shaking his head as he sits down beside me, folding my hands into his, but then dropping them just as quickly. “I’m not sure how much . . .” he starts, and when he finally looks at me, his eyes are sadder than I ever could’ve imagined. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this,” he finally says.
“Are you—are you breaking up with me?” I whisper, the wind rushing right out of me, like an ill-fated balloon. All my suspicions confirmed: Drina, the beach, all of it. Everything.
“No, I just . . .” He turns away, leaving both the sentence, and me, to dangle.
And when it’s clear he has no plans to continue I say, “You know, it would really be nice if you’d stop talking in code, finish a sentence, and tell me what the heck is going on. Because all I know is that Evangeline is dead, Haven’s wrist is a red oozing mess, you ditched me at the beach because I wouldn’t go all the way, and now you’re breaking up with me.” I glare at him, waiting for some confirmation that these seemingly random events are easily explained and not at all related. Even though my gut says otherwise.
He’s silent for a while, staring at the pool, but when he finally looks at me he says, “None of it’s related.”
Though he hesitated for so long I’m not sure I believe him. Then he takes a deep breath and continues. “They found Evangeline’s body in Malibu canyon. I was on my way here when I heard it on the radio,” he says, his voice becoming sure, steady, as he visibly relaxes and regains control. “And yes, Haven’s wrist does appear to be infected, but sometimes those things happen.” He breaks my gaze and I suck in my breath, waiting for the rest, the part about me. Then he grabs my hand and covers it with his, flipping it over and tracing the lines on my palm as he says, “Drina can be charismatic, charming—and Haven’s a bit of a lost soul. I’m sure she just likes the attention. I thought you’d be glad she transferred her affections to Drina from me.” He squeezes my fingers and smiles. “Now there’s no one standing between us.”
“But maybe there’s something standing between us?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper. Knowing I should be more concerned with Haven’s wrist and Evangeline’s death, but unable to focus on anything other than the planes of his face, his smooth dark skin, his deep narrowed eyes, and the way my heart surges, my blood rushes, and my lips swell in anticipation of his.
“Ever, I didn’t ditch you today. And I’d never push you to do anything you weren’t ready for. Believe me.” He smiles, cradling my face in the palms of his hands as his lips part against mine. “I know how to wait.”
twenty-two
Even though Haven refused to answer our calls, we managed to get ahold of Miles. And after convincing him to stop by after rehearsals, he showed up with Eric, and the four of us spent a really fun night eating and swimming and watching bad scary movies. And it was so nice to hang out with my friends in such a nice relaxed way, that it almost made me forget about Riley, Haven, Evangeline, Drina, the beach—and all of that afternoon’s drama.
Almost made me oblivious to the faraway look Damen got whenever he thought no one was looking.
Almost made me ignore the undercurrent of worry bubbling just under the surface.
Almost. But not quite.
And even though I made it perfectly clear that Sabine was out of town and Damen was more than welcome to stay, he stayed just long enough for me to fall asleep, then he quietly let himself out.
So the next morning, when he shows up on my doorstep with coffee, muffins, and a smile, I can’t help but feel a little relieved.
We try to call Haven again,