Page 34 of From You to Me

“I asked you a question,” Jay drawled out.

I shook my head, averting my gaze. The events of last night came to me in a clear picture, the mortification only escalating further. I had to get out of here.

I slowly wiggled my feet out from the covers. Thank God, I was wearing stockings that hid the ugly scars marring the skin on my knee.

I kept my head low as I scrambled out of the bed. My leg was killing me, but I powered through, fumbling as I searched for my shoes which were right next to him. Fuckity fuckity fuck. God loved me.

I dragged my eyes to him and gave him a jittery smile.

He nodded. “Go ahead.”

My wobbly feet made my way up to him. Just as I slipped on my shoes, my clumsy self faltered, and having no support, I lost my balance.

“Fuck,” he groaned, gripping my waist, catching me from imminent fall, and I ended up sprawling on his lap instead.

My heart thudded in my chest, begging to jump out as he peered at me with his gorgeous blue eyes. We were just a whisper away. Slowly, his pointer finger hooked on my chin, pulling me so close to him that I could feel his breath on my skin. The warmth from his bare skin burned through my dress.

“Don’t make me find you in an alley with another fucker, sweetheart. You won’t like the man I’ll become then,” he whispered against my lips.

My eyes widened as all the air left my lungs. I nodded. The tension in the air was unaliving me.

“Good, now leave.” And with that, he pulled back.

I scurried out of his lap like I was on fire and ran out the door without looking back.

I swear that man made butterflies flutter inside my stomach and at the same time had the capacity to punch a hole through my heart.

“Evy, I’m so sorry! Please forgive me!” Gabe cried out, hugging me from the side. “If I knew Marcus was a creep, I wouldn’t have left you with him!”

“No, I’m not forgiving you so fast. You need to grovel more.”

Gabe pouted, faking a wide-eyed, innocent look. “But I even painted your toenails pink.”

“Not enough.” I folded my arms and huffed out a breath.

“She’s right, you know. You need to grovel more for leaving her alone. If it wasn’t for my brother, he could have taken advantage of her,” Lily called out from the floor, where she was currently playing with Strawberry.

Guilt set in as I looked at her, my poor baby. I left her all alone last night. Thankfully, I filled her food bowl before leaving.

Gabe moaned, “But look on the bright side. J.J. showed up to save you, and you got to spend more time with him.”

“Actually, that’s one more reason I’m super mad at you. Do you know how much I embarrassed myself?” I groaned, slapping a hand across my face. “I was lying on the basement floor, Gabe! The basement floor!!”

“I’m pretty sure Emmie thought it was cute, Evy.” Lily smiled.

“I’m sure he thought anything but that.”

Gabe hugged me tighter, rocking me. “Evy, please don’t be mad. I hate it when you’re mad at me,” he said softly.

“Fine.” I relented but held up a finger. “Only if you paint my fingernails too and buy me food.”

“Duh.” He grinned.

“Mine too,” Lily exclaimed. “But I want black.”

I rolled my eyes. “Why is that not surprising?”

“I never say anything about your obsession with pink. And black is like the coolest color ever!”

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