Page 16 of Accepted Precedent
“You’ve done important work lobbying candidates and organizations my brother and I have supported over the years. It’s my understanding you’ll be leaving your job in order to help Mr. Adams with his political aspirations.” She nods and Finn adjusts his cufflinks, then unbuttons his suit jacket as he sits beside me. “We’ll need you back to work as soon as possible. This needs to be a temporary arrangement. Mick, why don’t you see to it that Ms. Proctor is prepared for her new role?”
Andrew narrows his eyes on Finn, and I can’t help doing the same. “If there’s anything you need to discuss with me, you can say it in front of Evie. She’s my best friend and will be my wife in a few days. We’re going to City Hall to elope.”
“Not by yourselves, you’re not,” Finn huffs. “You can elope with a small ceremony, but you need it to be publicly announced with photographic evidence that the two of you are in love, or this isn’t going to work. Invite close friends and family. For now, I need to be brought up to speed. You can debrief your fiancée once we’re done. Ms. Proctor’s world is about to be turned upside down and we don’t have much time to arrange everything.”
“It’s okay.” Evie squeezes Andrew’s hand before releasing it. “Finn is right. You need to meet with lawyers and media specialists, and I need to prepare for being arm candy. My wardrobe is not exactly befitting of a senator’s wife, so I have a bit of shopping to do.” She stands and leaves without giving any of us a second glance.
“Evie, wait,” Andrew calls to her, but she doesn’t turn around.
“Go after her,” Finn sighs with a dismissive wave to me. I’m out of my seat in an instant and kiss Andrew goodbye, ready to chase after my girl.
My girl?Fucking hell, what has gotten into me? She may have been mine this morning, but she’s not anymore. I’m not entitled to that privilege.
With a short jog, I’ve caught up to her. “Slow down, angel.”
Evie turns to face me, eyes glassy but still full of fire. “I need to get my purse.”
“I’ll wait here.”
“No.” She shakes her head and chews on her lip. “You don’t need to babysit me.”
A smirk threatens to escape the corner of my mouth. “Of course not. I’m going to take you to breakfast, then we’re going shopping. Maybe even pick up a wedding dress.”
My stomach drops at my last suggestion—what I wouldn’t give to be the man at the end of the aisle, marrying either Evie or Andrew. He’s always made his intentions clear that he never wants to get married, no matter how hard I’ve tried to convince him otherwise. I shake away the fantasy of a life that will never be mine.
“I don’t need your money either, Mick,” she snaps, and I’m grateful her fire is back.
I lean in, making her breath catch. “I know, love. But you’re going to be my good girl and let me take care of you anyway.”
Chapter 8
Evelyn
Ishould say no to this ridiculous charade. Marrying my best friend is the least of my worries. Spending time with Mickey, when all I want is for him to touch me like he did this morning… I’m in hell. It was just sex, nothing more. Or at least that’s what I’ll be telling myself for the foreseeable future, despite his declarations. I couldn’t even sit at the same table without craving him—just like he told me I would.
After years of disappointing relationships, I’m an expert at hiding my emotions, stuffing down anything threatening to seep through the cracks.
I no longer wince at the mention of the man who took my virginity. He was a bold-faced liar, claiming he wanted to marry me when he was sleeping with my best friend behind my back. Ever since, I don’t bat an eye when a man cheats.
The first man I truly loved told me I was his forever, then proceeded to fuck anything that moved—including his now-wife, who he also cheats on.
Years later, I didn’t so much as pause when the man I thought I’d spend forever with disappeared, ghosted me after months together, only to discover he was engaged to another woman the entire time.
I’m accustomed to being someone’s second choice. I’m either too much or not enough. Mickey is no different—he’s in love with my best friend. This morning, I selfishly enjoyed every minute of pretending the outside world doesn’t exist, but Mickey isn’t mine, and he’d probably be no different than the others.
My default when a man pulls back is to pull back harder. No man has truly broken me, and I sure as hell am not going to let Mickey be the first. I understand my place—a fling, a good time. Nothing more.
“I already told you, Mick, you don’t need to babysit me. I’ll go to an outlet mall and buy a few items to hold me over,” I insist, but it does nothing to deter him. He grabs my hand and drags me outside to a sedan with blacked-out windows. “Hey, I said I’d take care of it.”
“And I told you I’ll take care ofyou. You need to look the part, angel. This may come as a shock, but I had to do a full background check on you a few years ago to ensure nothing could hurt Andrew.” Her mouth agape, I explain, “You aren’t like the Taylors or the Blakes. Washington is incestuous. Everyone here loves the children of the Washington elite—a President’s daughter, a career Senator’s son… You know the game, Evie. You’re fuckin’ brilliant, but that’s not enough. It doesn’t matter that you graduated second in your class behind Jaclyn. Unlike her, you were on a full-scholarship for academics. You worked harder than the majority of your cohort, while you had to work three jobs to pay your rent. Andrew’s going up against one ofthe most established families in Washington, grit won’t help him win.”
“I didn’t work three jobs.”
“Don’t lie to me,” he growls.
“It was four.” I blow out a long breath as a small smile splits Mick’s face. “How do you know all of this?”
“Did you skip over the part where I did a background check?” He quirks an eyebrow, and I’m torn between feeling flattered and violated. “You’re magnificent, Evelyn. What you’re doing for Andrew…” His face falls, and for the first time since I’ve known him, he looks like a wounded animal.
