Page 19 of Falling for You
“Hey, Mal.”
“Don’t Mal me.” His sister sighed. “Where are you? How’s CeCe?”
Hearing CeCe’s name made Evan flinch. He stung from the truth that the woman he was half in love with couldn’t trust him. Why did everyone insist on treating him like a naïve kid? Pulling into his spot, Evan saw the lights were on in his apartment. “Considering you’re in my place, I’ll give you the update in person.” Stabbing at his phone, he disconnected and stepped into the quickly cooling air.
Mallory waited at the front door, her arms crossed in front of her. He stifled a sigh as he pushed past his sister. “Spill it,” she ordered, pointing at her baby brother as he marched into the kitchen.
Glancing at the stove clock, he was pleased to see it was after six o’clock. A perfectly respectable time to have a beer. Popping the top, he took a swig before turning to face his sister. “CeCe is fine. Turns out she used to work with Eric, and it didn’t end on good terms.”
Mallory’s shoulders dropped at the revelation. “Oh, good, I was hoping it wasn’t anything more serious. Did you make her eat something?”
Evan nodded and took another pull from his beer. Mallory gestured to the bottle and he grabbed one for her before propping himself against the counter.
“But that doesn’t explain why you look like someone kicked your puppy,” Mallory said.
Damn his sister and her ability to see right through him. He couldn’t hide much from his sisters, but Mallory had X-ray vision when it came to his thoughts. “CeCe didn’t trust me with what was bothering her. Yet again, Max knew, and I was left in the dark. I’m tired of everyone keeping secrets. I can handle the truth. I’m not a baby,” he whined into his beer.
Mallory sipped from her drink and studied him from beneath her lashes. “I won’t make a reference to giving the baby its bottle,” she teased and took Evan’s empty bottle away. “However, you need to man up a little more. I’m guessing you ran out of there in a huff, am I right?”
He brushed a pile of crumbs off the counter, not lifting his gaze. “Not exactly.”
“That means I’m right, and you acted like a toddler. Did CeCe try to explain? Did she try to stop you from acting like a damn fool?”
Evan grimaced, thinking of CeCe running after him. When she called out, it took every ounce of willpower not to turn around and go back to her. He loved being in her home with her, making her a meal and simply talking. That was why the truth hurt so much, because he felt they were getting past the whole age gap. He felt she saw him as more than a younger coworker; more than the happy-go-lucky guy.
Mallory put her beer down and sighed. “I’m guessing your silence is my answer. What’s the big deal? Aren’t Max and CeCe friends? It makes sense they’d share things.”
Evan cupped his face in his hands and groaned. “It’s always like this. I’m the last to know anything.”
“Sometimes that can be a good thing,” Mallory mused, taking Evan’s hand and dragging him into the living room.
The fort was still set up from the morning, and Evan felt his chest tighten at the sight. Waking up with CeCe, cuddling her in his arms, had been a dream. He wanted countless more nights like that. Eating, laughing, snuggling each other. Those are the experiences that Evan wanted to share with her, the everyday, intimate moments that grow into everlasting love.
And then he acted like the kid he was trying not to be, just as CeCe probably expected. “I’m an idiot.” He sighed when he landed on a stack of pillows.
The air mattress shifted as Mallory crawled to her spot on the side. “I won’t argue with you. Why don’t you text her and see if she’s okay?”
As if summoning CeCe from the ether, Evan’s phone buzzed in his pocket. “It’s from her,” he breathed, opening the message with a shaking hand.
Sorry about before. Feel terrible. Does your offer of another fort night still stand?
Evan had to read the text twice before her offer sunk in. His face cracked into a crooked grin, and Mallory slapped his arm. “What does it say?”
“She wants to come over.”
“No!” Mallory exclaimed, clapping her hands and squealing in delight. “This is awesome. I’m so excited.”
Evan took a deep breath and waved his phone. “What should I say?”
Mallory scoffed. “Um, you say come on over.” She looked at Evan like he was an imbecile.
He looked down at his phone, then back up at his sister. “This seems too good to be true. I thought I’d have to grovel for a week before she’d even talk to me.”
Mallory rolled off the mattress and collected her purse and coat. Walking to the door, she turned to her brother and shrugged. “I won’t pretend to know, but I do know that you lucked out big time. You’re getting your girl all to yourself for a second night in a row.” Raising a finger, she pointed directly at him. “You better not mess this up,” she warned before stepping outside.
“Thanks for the words of support and wisdom. I would truly be lost without you.” Evan droned behind her. Mallory waved him off as she got to her car.
“Look, be yourself. And when I say that, I mean the best version, where you practice what you preach. Be a man and be honest about how you feel. CeCe obviously likes you enough to invite herself over to your place after you acted like a moron.”
