Page 70 of Tapped

I pull up the text string I can’t stop thinking about.

Me – I’ll be back, but it’ll be a while.

17

FORGET

Evie

“Ithink you should have a drink. I made sangria while you were shaving your bits.”

I run my fingers through my freshly blown out hair. My sister can be a pain in the ass, but she deserves a gold medal for her work with a good hairdryer and round brush. “Stop telling me to have a drink. My nerves are shot, and my stomach might as well be a hurricane. Combine that with alcohol and sugar, and I’ll throw up and ruin the night for good.”

“If you’re not going to drink it, then I’m taking it home with me. I’m not going to let a good batch of sangria go to waste.”

“Be my guest,” I mutter.

“When did he text you? It’s been over two hours.” Cadence peeks out the window before looking back at me with a frown. “Did you say something that would make him run away?”

My arms flop to my sides. “I saidokay. What’s wrong with that?”

“Did you add an emoji or an exclamation point? Maybe all caps so he knows you’re looking forward to it?”

“Holy shit, no. That’s not me, and you know it.”

She cuts across the room with purpose, grips my shoulders, and looks intently into my eyes. “For someone so smart, I don’t understand how you’re not getting the gist of what we’re doing here. It’s time to break out from theyouyou’ve been and be a new you. No more Evie. Be the Evita Mom named you after.”

I pull out of her hold. “Mom loved Andrew Lloyd Webber and was obsessed with the music before they even wrote the musical, and you know it.”

“You don’t have to remind me. You and Andrew got the good names. I’m basically a synonym for rhythm. It doesn’t matter. Evita was brave, but she also slept around. It’s time to live up to your namesake.”

“Evita worked for the poor and working class. She’s not exactly a role model for getting it on with the guy who arrested your husband.”

“But she did sleep her way to the top, right? Or am I getting that mixed up with another musical?”

I shake my head. “Did you not pay attention to anything growing up?”

“We both know the answer to that,” she deadpans. “Can we just focus on the subject at hand? This is about you playing outside of your comfort zone for a change.”

I pull in a breath. “I don’t even tiptoe outside of my comfort zone.”

“I know.” Cadence finally softens her tone. “And look where it got you. You thought Jeff was the safe choice all those years ago. He turned out to be the deadly kind of toxic. I’m not saying you should marry this guy the moment you’re divorced. Hell, if you don’t see him again, you’ve got another notch on your bedpost that I hope will rock your world during a nightmare. I want you to live a little. I’m not saying strip down the moment he gets here, but see where things go. If your clothes start to fall off,” she waves her hand, motioning up and down my body, “you’re prepared.”

I pull in a deep breath and roll my head around to stretch my neck. “Just see where things go. I might be able to do that.”

“That’s my girl.”

I open my eyes to my older sister beaming at me with pride. Hell, I don’t think she was this proud of me when I graduated from medical school.

“It’s not too late for a sangria,” she starts, but doesn’t get any additional words out.

The doorbell rings at the same time my security system app buzzes my ass.

I freeze.

She jumps up and down and gives her hands a little clap. “This is so exciting.”

I freeze.

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