Page 57 of Without a Doubt

Eva sits up, looks over her shoulder as if she needs proof, and then turns to me with a smile. “Then you get the privilege of removing the last of my clothes.”

“Finally. I'm calling you every time I have to write a paper.” I stand and carry her to my room while she laughs.

The sound of my cell wakes me. I grab it and answer it before it can wake Eva up, too.

“Hello?”

“Hey, did I wake you?”

Shit. Kelly. “No, what's up?” I quietly and carefully ease away from Eva and out of bed. I grab my boxers, slipping them on as I leave the room with the phone pressed to my ear.

“I was calling back.” Right. Because I told her she could.

I withhold my sigh as I sit on the couch. “How are you?”

“Good.” She pauses. “Will you tell me about her?” She wants to know about Eva? “Please, Emerson?”

“Why?”

“I'm curious.”

Part of me doesn't want to share Eva with her. Hell, I don't even know why I'm still talking to her. We're talking like we're best friends again and she doesn't have that privilege anymore. And I know Eva won't be happy to hear I've talked to her again. Swallowing hard, I decide that maybe this should be my last conversation with Kelly. She's going to mess things up with Eva if I continue answering her calls and I don't want that at all.

Closing my eyes, I whisper, “Her name is Eva.”

“Pretty name. What

's she like?” Her tone is pure curiosity and it confuses me.

“She's perfect,” I reply before I can think about it. “She's, ah, funny, nosey, smart, caring, and she loves surprises and animals. She's majoring in communications. She has good taste in food. Her family is great and mine seems to like her so far.”

“She's met your parents?”

“Yeah. It was a side effect of me giving her a surprise, although we'll probably go visit again soon.”

“Do you love her?”

Again, I answer without hesitating. “I could.” Hell, maybe I already do. I'm choosing her over Kelly, aren't I?

“Are you happy with her?”

“Yeah, extremely. Are you happy?”

“Yeah, I am, and I'm glad you are too.”

Footsteps sound behind me. I look over my shoulder to see Eva walking toward me with her comforter wrapped around her body. She's frowning and I hate I'm the reason why. “I need to go.”

“Everything okay?”

“It will be.”

“Okay, bye.”

I hang up as Eva sits next to me, our bodies touching from our shoulders to our knees.

“Was that her?” she asks, almost hesitantly.

I nod.

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