Page 75 of For Eva

“I do,” he said, the corners of his mouth turning upward as I leaned in to kiss him.

I pulled away and ran my hand along his chest. “I should go put them in water.”

“Wait.” He gently tugged me back to him. “I want you to open your present first.”

I narrowed my eyes, a smile creeping across my face. “Is it that good?”

“Open it and see.”

I picked up the gift, my eyes flicking back and forth between it and Aaron as I peeled off the silver foil wrapping paper to reveal a black velvet box. I flipped open the top and saw a stringof white beads resting on a silky cushion, along with a pair of matching earrings pinned in the middle.

Pearls? He got me pearls?

Heat traveled from my chest to my cheeks as I tried to think of what to say.

I’ve never worn pearls in my life.

Needles pricked at my body, but I managed to lift my head and fake a smile. “They’re…I don’t know what to say. They’re so…pretty.”

Aaron grinned. “I figured you could wear them next weekend.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Next weekend?”

“My parents decided to come into town. I want you to meet them.”

I blinked, and my false smile turned sincere. “You do?”

He nodded. “I do.”

I snapped the box shut and set it on the table, then steepled my hands over my mouth. “Are you sure?”

He laughed and folded me into his arms. “Yes, I’m sure.”

My heart and stomach fluttered, and I leaned into his chest, feeling his breath on my hair as he held me close. “I saw the pearls and thought they’d look beautiful on you. Every classic woman should have them.”

“Thank you.” I pulled back and gazed into his eyes. The gift may not have been my style,but he wanted me to meet his parents.I’d known things were getting serious, but this was a huge step. One I was ready to take, even if it meant wearing pearls. Aaron made me feel safe. Stable. Secure. He was everything Danny wasn’t. “And I’d love to meet your parents.”

“Good,” he said. “I’d love it, too. Because I loveyou, Eva.”

I gasped, air catching in my throat. We’d danced around the words for what felt like forever but hadn’t said them…until now.

I finally forced the air into my lungs and swallowed. “I love you, too.” I chuckled as I wiped at a tear that trickled down my cheek. “So, why am I crying?”

He laughed and pulled me close again. “Because you’re crazy, Eva Holloway. And that’s one of the things I love so much about you.”

THIRTY-SEVEN

Eva

September 1990

Isqueezed my way onto the “L”, grasping one of the silver poles as the train pulled away from its stop. Rush hour was never fun, but after a year of being back in Chicago, I was used to being crammed shoulder to shoulder with every other person leaving downtown at six o’clock.

I reached into my satchel and pulled out my Walkman, placing the headphones on before pressing play. I’d picked up Eric’s new album the night before at the record store around the corner from my apartment but had only been able to make it halfway through before Aaron had come over.

The songs I’d heard so far were amazing, a few of them deeper and darker than those he’d written with Counting Backward, and the music fit them perfectly. With Danny’s influence gone, they were less guitar-driven but still heavy in all the right places.

As sound streamed through the headphones, I closed my eyes, letting Eric’s powerful voice envelop me. I was so immersed in the music that the lyrics didn’t quite register, theway it often was when I listened to a new album. It always took a few times through before they really sank in. Something about a rooftop…a late night talk…

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