Page 8 of Duress
“That part!” Serena waves her hand vaguely at the hamburger/humanoid’s head.
“It’s a stud muffin! His head is clearly a muffin, and he’s a stud. I pointed to myself; you should’ve gotten that!” Kai throws up his hands in exasperation, and Everly doubles over in laughter, half collapsing on top of me. I’m not even a little mad about her proximity. She and Serena made quick work of the wine she brought over, then she switched to drinking ciders, and she has become progressively more comfortable touching me as the amount of alcohol coursing through her veins has increased. I should feel guilty for wanting to be this closeto my brother’s wife, but I have a hard time making myself care. I’m just enjoying being near her. I make a mental note that I’ll need to drive her home when it’s time to leave.
I wasn’t sure if she would loosen up enough to enjoy game night with a bunch of strangers, but Everly immediately connected with Serena and Laura. When she mentioned she used to do art therapy when she was getting her B.A. in art, Laura told her they were looking for someone to start up a similar program at Whispering Grove, the assisted living facility where she lives. I could see the interest in Everly’s eyes when Laura mentioned it, but then she brushed it off, claiming she was probably too busy to be the person to do it. In my heart I know it’s because Bryce doesn’t want her working. Doesn’t want her having a life outside of him.
“Alright, kids, I think that’s enough for us tonight. We are gonna give Laura and Gloria a ride home.” Luther, Kai’s dad, stands, lifting his fist to his mouth to cover an exaggerated yawn. His announcement causes Everly’s giggle fit to calm down as she sits up, surprise written across her face. Her cheeks are flushed with alcohol, and tears from laughter shine in her eyes. I can’t remember the last time I saw her looking so carefree and happy.
“What? How late is it?” She looks around on her seat, trying to locate her cell phone.
“It’s ten-thirty. Luther is right—it’s getting late. How about I give you a ride home?” I stand and offer her my hand. An expression crosses Everly’s face that looks suspiciously like fear, before she schools it back into a facsimileof the carefree countenance she was wearing just a moment ago.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I’m fine!” She jumps up from her seat and immediately sways on her feet. I wrap an arm around her waist, steadying her before she goes down. Kai and Serena follow their parents and Gloria to the front door while I stay behind to convince Everly to let me drive her home.
“I think it’s a good idea if you let me drive you home. That wine hit you fast, giggle pants.”
Everly rolls her eyes at my nickname for her. “I skipped dinner. Drinking on an empty stomach probably wasn’t my smartest decision.” She scrunches her face up in the most adorable fashion at her confession, and I can’t resist the urge to give her a playful flick on the nose.
Her eyes fly open, and her mouth makes a surprisedO. “You didnotjust flick me on the nose!” She smacks me in the chest, and I want nothing more than to grab her wrist, pull her into me, and trap her in my arms. Shit. I haven’t even had anything to drink to justify thinking like that. I need to get her home before I make a mistake I can’t take back. Shaking my head, I grab her by the hand and pull her toward the kitchen.
“Come on, Ever. Let’s go. I think your purse and your phone are on the kitchen island. I’ll drive you home in your car and Uber to my place.” Everly follows without protest, the drunken haze that had momentarily lifted settling back over her.
After collecting her purse and shoes, we stop by the front door to say goodnight to Kai and Serena. Everly andSerena hug like they’re new best friends, and it warms my bitter, jaded heart. Serena has been through so much in her life, and Everly just seems so lonely now. I secretly hope they actually become friends, so I have more opportunities to see Everly.
“Thank you for letting me crash your game night. This was the most fun I’ve had in years.”
I’m standing next to Kai, watching the girls say goodbye, and I swear it almost looks like Everly is holding back tears. When they let go, Everly turns to Kai and gives him a hug as well.
“For what it’s worth, I knew it was a stud muffin.” Kai barks out a surprised laugh before shooting Serena a glare.
“Next time you’re on my team then. I can’t with this one over here. We always lose when we are on a team!”
“Boy, you better watch your mouth. It’s not my fault Archie has better drawing skills than you.”
“ReRe, you leave my dog out of this!” Everly collapses into my side in a fresh wave of giggles at Kai and Serena’s argument, and I take that as our cue to leave.
“Bye guys. See you tomorrow, Serena.” They barely spare us a glance as their debate on Kai’s artistry gets more heated.
I lead Everlyout to her car, her clinging to my arm like my own personal koala. When we get to her sleek silver Mercedes, I lean her against the passenger door, keeping one arm around her waist to hold her steady.
“Where are your keys, Ever?”
“In my purse. It’s push start. It should be unlocked now that I’m close.” She pulls on the handle and the door pops open, causing her to stumble forward, her body pressing into mine. Instinctively my hands grab her upper arms to balance her, and the feeling of her soft breasts pressing into my chest momentarily short-circuits my brain. I don’t immediately let go of her, instead taking a moment to get lost in the gold flecks of her hazel eyes. A small smile plays on her lips, causing her eyes to crinkle just a bit in the corners. I’m obsessed with those wrinkles. They are a testimony to all the reasons Everly has ever had to smile.
She lifts one hand and brushes a loose strand of hair away from my eyes. “I had fun tonight, Dane. The most fun I’ve had in a long, long time. Thank you for inviting me.”
There is so much I want to say to that.Why has it been so long since you had fun? Does Bryce never do anything fun with you? When was the last time you went out with friends? Do you have friends?Instead, I just say, “Come on Ever, let’s get you home.”
CHAPTER 8
DANE
We drive to Everly’s house, her drunkenly chattering the whole way. At first I was amused and happy to listen to her tipsy ramblings, but now she is talking about a date she and Bryce went on last night, and I can feel my jaw clenching harder and harder as I listen to her story of how he basically ignored her the whole night.
“So then after like forty minutes of watching him kiss ass, I finally decided to make my escape to the ladies room. The martinis were catching up to me… Anyway, as I tried to scoot past Shane, one of the guys talking to Bryce, he fucking grabs me! Puts his hands on my hip and rubs his nasty dick against my ass and told me he wanted to ‘take me for a ride,’ like that’s supposed to be a turn on. Can you believe that guy?” Everly rolls her eyes, like she’s recounting someone stealing her parking spot and not sexually harassing her.
We are just pulling into Everly’s drive when she dropsthat bomb, and I hit the brakes, stopping us suddenly in the middle of the driveway.
“Excuse me? He did what?” I throw her car into park so I can turn and face her fully, making sure I heard her clearly. “He put his hands on you? Jesus, Ever. Please tell me Bryce did something.”
