Page 68 of Before Eve

“What are you doing?” he groans.

I take the drink from West’s hand and down another gulp. “Trying to blend in. Trying to be normal.”

He plucks the glass right back out of my hand and sets it down. “Not like this, Eve.” He grabs my hand and leads me straight across the ballroom and out into the lobby.

“Where are we going?”

“To your room.” He presses the button for the elevator. “You’re buzzed and too naive to know how guys will take advantage of that. I don’t want to worry about watching you the whole time.”

“I’m not naïve!”

West clenches his jaw and leads me into the elevator. I stare at his hard jaw, and the more I stare, the more my buzz transitions into anger.

The elevator dings, and he steps out. “What room are you in?”

“Room 843,” I tell him, studying the blurred number plaques on the wall.

He holds his hand out. “Let me have your key.”

I fumble in my back pocket, giving it over, and slowly I follow him down the hall. Hot tears unexpectedly press, and my bottom lip begins to tremble. I don’t want to be back here.

West opens my door, pausing. “Why are you crying?”

“I don’t know.” Sniffing, I walk past him and into my room.

West hovers in the door. “Eve…”

I fall back on the bed, throwing my arms over my face. “I’ll be fine.”

Quietness ticks by, and I find myself missing the party. The music. The bartender. My drink. A tear slides free, and I wipe it with my hand. I’ve cried more since meeting West than Ihave in my entire life. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad.

I blow out a breath, and somewhere in the distance, the sound of the ice machine pops as it releases cubes.

What am I going to do? West is the first real thing I’ve ever felt, and I screwed it up. My past is crowding my present and making it impossible to have a future. He’s not even my friend anymore, and here I am right back where I always am. Alone in my barrier.

I scoff. I’m unbelievable.

My hotel door clicks closed, and I shoot straight up in bed to see West standing inside my room.

I give him a dark look. “You didn’t leave?”

He shakes his head and flips the dead bolt.

Theclickechoes through the room and my mind. I lick my lips. “What do you want?”

He crosses the room and puts my key on the desk. He opens a water bottle and shoves it at me. “Drink.”

“That’s a five-dollar water bottle you just opened!”

“I’ll pay the five. Now drink.”

I do, guzzling almost half of it, and when I’m done, I repeat, “What do you want?”

“You and me? We’re having this thing out.” He jabs a finger at me. “I swear to God if you clam up on me, I will leave and I will nevertalk to you again.”

CHAPTER 34

“Are you going to puke?”he asks, seeming not bothered by the thought.