Page 54 of Falling for You
Eric scoffed, his smirk fading. “I don’t flirt with everyone. I’m here to see you.”
CeCe crossed her arms over her chest and squared her shoulders. “Well, you can follow me and my team tomorrow when the games begin.”
Breaking eye contact, Eric looked over his shoulder to ensure they were alone. “What’s the deal with those guys? Was that kid kissing you?” A flush crept up Eric’s neck, and CeCe got a cheap thrill from upsetting him.
“That’s my boyfriend, Evan. And he’s not a kid, so don’t be rude.” Standing there defending her life choices with the man who nearly broke her felt absurd, and she had already had enough. “You know what? Why am I standing here defending my choices toyou? I don’t owe you anything, and if you can’t judge us fairly, then that’s your problem.”
Eric stepped closer and CeCe tried to back away, but she’d run out of real estate. Her shoes kicked against a wall and she felt like she could suffocate being this close to him again. “I’m a professional, pixie. I’m a little disappointed you don’t remember that.”
CeCe remembered a lot of things. None of which she wanted to revisit in that moment, especially with Eric so close. She chastised herself for separating from Evan and Max, as they provided the buffer she needed. It was like those nature shows when one wildebeest breaks free of the herd and falls victim to a pride of lions. The look on Eric’s face now was dark, brimming with false pride of his own. If she wasn’t careful, he’d devour her whole right here in the exhibit hall.
“Well, I should go. My boyfriend and I are grabbing lunch. I’m glad it’s a blind competition, otherwise I would pack up and leave right now.”
Eric raised a shoulder in a shrug. “You really don’t think I can be a professional?” he asked, his voice dangerously low.
“I don’t think you can be a lot of things,” CeCe snapped back, surprising herself with the venom in her tone. “Goodbye, Eric. I can honestly say I hope I never see you again.” Without waiting for a response, she pushed through the crowds on the way to freedom.
She was strong because it took everything she had to stand up to Eric. And she was strong enough to win this competition. Frankly, working with Evan and Max made her feel indomitable. But even all the planning and sharp words couldn’t protect her from her secret coming out. Sooner or later, Evan would learn the truth. She just hoped it wouldn’t break them.
*
Not for the first time, Evan felt like something was up with CeCe. She was overly cheerful at lunch, her voice unnaturally high and her laughter false. She stuck her chopsticks into her noodles and twirled them for a moment too long, causing the bite to untangle and flop back into the bowl.
CeCe finally gave up and tossed them onto the table, retrieving a fork and stabbing her lunch until she realized Evan was watching her. “So, are we going to talk about this?” Evan asked, gesturing with his chopsticks to the macerated mess in front of her.
“Not that good with chopsticks, I guess,” CeCe said, shrugging and averting her gaze. “You know me.”
Evan studied her for a moment. Ever since they’d seen Eric, CeCe was acting like her clothes were put on backward. Even now, she fidgeted under his appraisal. “You’re the most dexterous person I know. I’ve seen you balance a pot of boiling sugar while whisking egg whites and yelling at Helen. You can literally do anything. What is going on?”
Evan’s words had hit their mark, as CeCe flushed and offered him a weak smile. “That’s really nice,” she said, her voice finally down to normal tone and volume. “You seem to see everything.”
“Only when it comes to you,” he replied, reaching out and taking one of her hands in his, squeezing it before letting go and taking a sip of water. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, but he needed to know how to help her. “Is working with Eric going to be a problem?”
Caught off guard, CeCe nearly choked on a bite of noodles. Covering her mouth, she coughed a few times before asking, “Why would you think that?”
Evan laughed. It was hollow and sounded forced to his own ears. “You’re a nervous wreck, and I mean that from a place of concern. This guy seems to mess with your confidence, and I’m not here for it. I’ll pull us out of this competition right now if it’s too much. Nothing is worth watching you get this—” He was lost for words. He raked his gaze over CeCe. Her hair was a little mussed, like she’d run her hands through it one-too-many times. Dark smudges under her eyes had taken away from her usually rosy cheeks. “Frazzled. Nervous.”
An expression crossed CeCe’s face that he’d never seen before. Her eyes misted over and her bottom lip trembled. One hand balled in and out of a fist, her knuckles cracking with effort. It was as if she was afraid to make any sudden movements, was afraid to let something go. Cursing under his breath, Evan realized he’d brought her close to tears. “God, CeCe. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
Before he could finish, she stood and rounded their table, kneeling so they were at eye level. “Don’t you dare apologize,” she warned, poking his chest with her index finger. He flinched at the contact. “That might be the nicest thing anyone has said to me. I mean it.” Her voice hitched at the end, and Evan pulled her to him, kissing the top of her head while he cradled her against himself. Her hair smelled faintly of vanilla, all warm and comforting.
Even during times of distress, he loved holding her. He loved when she opened up to him like this, loved when she allowed herself to be vulnerable. This was a CeCe not everyone got to see, and Evan treasured the notion that he was worthy of her true self.
If Evan had the guts, he’d tell her right now that he was in love with her. But pouring his heart out when she was upset wasn’t romantic; it was selfish. What she needed now was his support, plain and simple. So he swallowed his declaration and saved it for another time, for when they were alone and celebrating their victory against this asshole. Because whether she’d admit it or not, Eric was trouble with a capitalT.
“Let’s get out of here, get some air.” CeCe nodded, and Evan kissed her temple before they broke apart. Tossing a handful of bills on the table, he led the way out into the sun.
The competition was held close enough to Buckeye Falls that everyone could have commuted, but instead they got hotels. Their hotel was only a five-minute walk, so Evan took CeCe’s elbow and directed her onto the sidewalk. They walked in silence for a moment, watching locals and other competitors walk the streets. Every few paces, they were stopped by someone who recognized CeCe.
“Oh my gosh, CeCe!” a woman with purple spikey hair shouted from a few feet away. She practically ran over an old woman with a cane to get to the pair. “I thought that was you.” Without waiting for CeCe to reply, the woman crushed her to her chest in a brutal hug. “Girl, you look great. Getting out of Chicago was the best thing you ever did.”
Beside him, Evan felt CeCe tense before offering the woman a smile. This wasn’t a genuine CeCe smirk, but rather a grimace. “Roxie, it’s good to see you. Are you still at Blue?”
The two women chatted for a moment before Roxie turned to Evan and gave him a slow head-to-toe appraisal. “And who do we have here?”
CeCe shook her head and motioned to Evan. “Sorry, duh.” She giggled nervously. “This is my boyfriend, Evan.”
Evan shook Roxie’s hand, and the woman whistled in approval. “You two are adorable, if you don’t mind me saying.”
