Page 96 of No Summer Hotter than You

“W-we don’t have to get this specific lot. And we don’t have to get it right now. Not until we’re ready,” I murmured into the spot behind her ear. I inhaled her sweet scent and she shuddered against me. “Even if we don’t build a home here, I will always want it all with you.”

She pulled away just far enough to look up at me. Her brown eyes were intensely bright, making me smile harder. I reached out and smoothed my fingers against her silky skin.

She lazily craned into it and hummed, practically purring. “Me too, gorgeous.”

“Let’s go home. I don’t want to go back to that stupid party,” I said.

I pulled her back into me and grazed my teeth against her earlobe, causing her to let out a light gasp. “Anthony.”

“All I want to do is spend time alone with you. Like we always do during summer nights,” I whispered.

She let out a muffled laugh into my chest. “You mean watch Scream or Jurassic Park while gorging on a box of popsicles with bowls of chips and popcorn?”

I tightened my hold around her as she laughed again—the sweetest sound. “Lame, I know.”

“Sounds perfect to me. But I thought you were going to suggest something else.”

Suddenly, I felt her teeth through my shirt as she lightly nipped my nipple. I groaned, shamelessly. Another laugh slipped out of her lips, and I laughed with her. I pulled away to find her face flushed a deep crimson red.

“We can do that too, baby. But first, I just want to spend quality time alone with you.” I kissed her temple and pulled her back into a tight hug. “We haven’t had that at all these last few days, and I’m tired of seeing everyone.”

“Fine,” she said and laughed.

We walked back to my parents’ place in a comfortable silence. I was ready to pull Shoua into the house to tell my parents we were leaving, but I noticed Sai’s sports car parked haphazardly in my parents’ driveway, and I knew something was wrong.

As far as I was aware, he wasn’t here earlier. We walked to the front door and saw Sai in the living room with Jonathan, Kelvin, and Evelyn. His brows were creased deeply together as his lips moved in a rapid fire.

“What’s going on?” I demanded as I pushed the front door open.

The loud chattering and music from the backyard party probably drowned out most of their conversation, which was clearly heated. Sai’s face was red as he rolled his eyes childishly. Jonathan turned to me.

“Sai’s demanding Evelyn explain herself,” he said with a frown. He looked back at Sai. “To be honest, man, you should just let it go. It’s obvious she only wanted a fling, not a relationship like I told you back at the lake house.”

I glanced at Kelvin and Evelyn, who quickly averted their eyes. Sai let out a frustrated groan.

“You don’t understand! Evelyn told me after we had sex that first night at the lake house that we could work it out! She said she wanted a long-distance relationship,” he exclaimed with a scowl. He looked her in the eyes. I expected him to start yelling, but instead his voice lowered and he sounded defeated. “Why did you lie to me? You made me believe we can be something great together.”

Evelyn’s mouth opened and closed, and her brows furrowed deeply as she frowned. Her eyes were watery and they never wavered from his. “I-I’m sorry, Sai,” she said. “I-I?—”

“Just say it,” he demanded angrily. “Say whatever you have to say to me.”

She started crying, her bottom lip quivering.

“Sai, you need to stop. You’re making her cry,” I said.

“No, Anthony, it’s okay.” She sniffed. “He’s right. I should’ve been honest.”

Sai’s jaw tensed as his lips pursed into a thin line. “Well?”

“I’m sorry. I care a lot about you, Sai, but I can’t be with you under the circumstances we’re in. My mom would oppose our relationship,” Evelyn explained through her sniffles and cries. She quickly glanced to me. “She wants me to marry Anthony, who she thinks is a better fit for me.”

Sai nodded stiffly as his head hung low. “Is it because I’m not good enough?” he asked.

“You’re good enough for me,” Evelyn said softly.

Sai grimaced as his lips pulled into a frown. “Do you like me or Anthony then?” he asked.

“Of course it’s you,” she said tearfully. She glanced at Shoua and me with trembling lips. “I’m sorry for being such an annoying bitch to you two this whole time, Anthony and Shoua. My mom’s been pressuring me to break you two up every day since we’ve arrived, which was why I’ve been horrible to you both. I’m so sorry for every single thing I’ve done. My mom thought that you two were faking your relationship and that’s why I’ve behaved the way I did and said all that mean shit to you both. I’ve known from the beginning that wasn’t true.”

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