Page 30

Since it’s the middle of the summer—and will be scorching once the sun rises—I don’t bother with a shirt and walk softly toward the door. I steal one more glance at Everly, loving how she looks in my bed before I slip out of the bedroom and sneak down the stairs.
As I step onto the porch, I’m greeted by a chorus of birds chirping and the golden light of the sun coming over the horizon. I close my eyes and breathe in deeply, savoring the fresh air.
After my accident, I spent a month confined to the hospital and another two stuck at home, so when I finally got the green light from the doctor to exercise, I started running. It gave me the chance to get outside and release all the pent-up energy I had bottled up. It’s become my lifeline—a way to clear my head and stay fit. Even with the gym in my London apartment I prefer to exercise outdoors as much as possible.
Today, of all days, I’m glad to have the chance to get out and calm my mind.
After a grueling eight-mile run, I return to my parents’ house to find our suitcases on the porch. Someone from the crew must have dropped them off while I was gone. Now Everly will have all her things so she can get ready before we leave.
I was gone longer than I planned, taking a spontaneous detour from my usual route.
Curiosity led me to the old Miller House. After all this time, the place remains abandoned, yet I couldn’t help but notice the ‘for sale’ sign in the neglected front yard.
When I go inside my parents’ house, it’s still quiet, so I head straight to my bedroom to take a shower. After setting the suitcases near the doorway, I notice that the bed is empty. The bathroom door is ajar and I can hear the sink running.
I cross the room and steal a glance inside to find Everly standing at the vanity, washing her face. She’s still dressed in my T-shirt, her golden, toned legs on full display. When she leans forward to splash water over her face, the T-shirt rises, giving me a glimpse of her lacy white panties that hug her ass just right.
Fuck me, she’s a goddamn vision.
Her phone rings on the countertop, and she flinches when she checks the screen before answering on speakerphone.
“Hi, Dad.” She grabs a hand towel, patting her face dry.
“Where are you?” Richard barks. “You were supposed to call me after your last meeting on Friday.”
Everly shuts her eyes as she exhales slowly. “Why didn’t you tell me Stafford Holdings was buying out Townstead International?” she asks, ignoring his question. “Have you told August and Liam?”
I don’t miss her voice wavering. She puts on a strong front to conceal her emotions, but in the past twenty-four hours, I’ve witnessed several instances where her facade of indifference has cracked before she refortifies her walls. I wish she didn’t feel likeshe had to conceal herself from me. Everyone deserves to have a person they can confide in.
Guilt washes over me for not putting in more effort to stay in direct contact with her over the years. She became withdrawn after her dad walked out on her family, and after she left for college, I figured she wanted a clean slate. I shouldn’t have made that assumption.
“Who told you about that?” Richard demands.
Everly folds the hand towel and hangs it on the rack. “I ran into Cash Stafford on Friday. He was in Vegas for a board meeting and assumed I knew about the deal.”
“That’s unacceptable,” Richard seethes, his voice raised. “Harrison said he was meeting with the board. They’re not taking this deal seriously if they sent Cash to present the proposal. My company deserves more respect than that.”
I don’t give a damn what Richard thinks, but I hate that he’s right. The board wasn’t pleased that I went in Harrison’s place, and they insisted Dylan call in for the meeting. It was humiliating that they didn’t trust me to handle it alone.
Where Harrison is considered a powerhouse in the industry and Dylan the level-headed genius, I’m the irresponsible brother who likes to party. I can’t change how people view me, so I stopped caring a long time ago. But moments like this serve as a reminder of how I’m perceived by most, and I can’t stop the negative thoughts that creep in.
“Don’t insult my husband that way,” Everly snaps, slapping her hand across her mouth as soon as the words come out.
A smile tugs at my lips. For someone who doesn’t want to be married, she’s sure quick to jump to my defense. It doesn’t matter that her calling me her husband was a slip of the tongue—she still said it.
“Yourhusband?” Richard barks. “The last time I checked, you weren’t dating anyone. What did you do, Everly?” His tone is condescending.
“I was hoping Cash and I would have everything figured out before I talked to you,” Everly says softly as she bites her lower lip.
“Spit it out already,” Richard shouts into the phone, causing Everly to shrink back.
“Cash and I sort of got married Friday night.” She winces, bracing for his reaction.
“What the hell do you mean, yousort ofgot married?” Richard hisses.
“It… it was an accident,” she stammers. “I had too much tequila, and it clouded my judgment. One thing led to another, and we ended up at a wedding chapel on the Strip.” If she chews on her lip any harder, she’s going to draw blood. “I’ll fix this, Dad, I promise. We’ll get the marriage annulled as soon as—”
“You stupid girl,” Richard says, not giving her a chance to finish explaining. Everly flinches at his harsh insult. “Do you realize what you’ve done? You could sabotage the chances of Stafford Holdings buying my company because of your incompetence.”