Page 17

Evie

The best thing about working at a preschool is all the physical activity I unintentionally get. Want to know what follows any physical exercise? Dead to the world kind of sleep. I try to stretch, wobble in the air for an eternity, and crash to the floor. I don't get up. I play dead, silently railing against whoever dared to wake me up.

My ringing phone tears through the air, and with it? The last of my peace. I squint at Mrs. Izaacs’ name on the screen. "Good morning, ma'am. Everything okay?"

"There's a limo in front of your house."

My faint reflection from the television screen is more raccoony than a real-life raccoon. I try to pat my hair down while pulling down my night tie. In the middle of my madness, I pause. I don't even know who's at the door.

“Ro!” I take in her glossy chin-length brown hair and the tightness around her mouth. “I think I missed you.”

Ro makes a face. “You look like death.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Mom heard about the engagement, and she has questions. Congratulations.”

I have more questions, mainly about Ro and her rehabilitation and how her coach is still benching her. I leave it for later.

Carla doesn't speak to me because she's on the phone. Her wild brown hair billows over and around her face like it has a life of its own.

Will's green eyes crinkle at the corners in greeting.

Ro lifts the bag. “I will take care of the groceries. I think you should go get dressed."

My heart turns over in appreciation. Carla is the kind of mother who goes everywhere with food; it doesn't matter if you don't need it. My legs take me back to my bedroom. Then, I remember I forgot the bed covers in the living room.

A soft knock sounds on the door. Carla's usually open and kind eyes are cautious. Still kind.Justa bit shuttered. I don't want to disappoint her. "I'm sorry for avoiding your calls,"I whisper.

She hands over the covers. "You slept on the couch. Do you have trouble sleeping?"

"Not really."My head is spinning for a way to make things right. "Uhm, Wild was here. Late last night. We watched a movie. And then..."

"And then?" She's not smiling.

"And nothing. He left."

Will joins her. With a reassuring smile, he hands over his phone. "Wilder wants to talk to you."

Carla goes stiff, and her eyes narrow. I have never seen her like this. She's like one of those female cops on T.V. She smells a rat.

"Wild?"I whisper into the phone, and Carla's eagle eyes are back on me. I clear my throat. "Honey?"

"Honey?"Wild repeats rather loudly.

I add my reassuring smile to Will's, hoping to allay Carla's suspicions. "What? You said you hated honey cakes."

Wild clears his throat. "I'm sorry. I didn't know Mom was on her way. Should have known she won't take this kinda news lightly," he mutters.

"When are you getting here?"My smile must be turning macabre because the glint is back in Carla's eyes.

"Ten minutes," he says.

Oh, goody. It's soon enough for me to freshen up and huddle in a corner of my room until he arrives.

I'm leaving the bathroom when I hear Wild's baritone voice. He must have broken records and caused a multi-vehicle collision to get here so quickly. My hands are trembling as I run a comb through my hair. I snarl at a tangle and order it to behave.

Feeling like an amateur singer about to face a stadium-packed crowd, I inhale deeply and exhale before leaving my room.

“So, you’re engaged,” Will says.

I can’t tell how he feels about the news.

Wild starts yanking on his tie like it's cutting off his air supply.

I know from Carla's expression I'm modeling the deer in the headlights look.

We're failing our first audition.

Under their avid gazes, I move to Wild's side. His eyes track my movement. I can't read him. Why is he wearing a suit? I pause in front of him. He's so much taller, I'm getting a crick in my neck looking up at him. My smile feels all wrong.

Then, through gritted teeth, I mutter. "After all your talk yesterday, have you forgotten we're supposed to be acting?"

Then I go on tiptoes. Even on my tippiest toes, I don't reach his chin. I'm hanging in the air. If he doesn't help me the rest of the way, my toe will be in trouble.

At the last minute, Wild's arm comes around my waist and lifts me the rest of the way to his chin. I kiss his bristly jaw, quick and light, and retreat like a rat checking to see if the coast is clear to steal some food.

My feet sigh with relief as I slowly drop down. Wild stares at me with stunned eyes. It's his 'deer in the headlights' moment, and I don't envy him. "You were all talk yesterday,"I whisper.

Remembering our audience, I shoot them a smile. "I know we must have shocked you."

"You were sneaky.” Will grumbles.

"It's my fault."I find a tender spot above Wild's hip and pinch him hard. My usually confident partner has chosen the wrong time to suffer stage fright. "I wanted to be sure it's the real thing. You know—"

"Especially given how long you've known each other,"Carla says, surprising me with her support.

"Uhm, yes."A pinch is no longer enough. I need a hammer to knock some sense into him.

"And the crush you used to have on him,"she adds.

How many times will I be reminded of my crush? I don't stop nodding.

Her comment awakens the sleeping lion. Wild flashes me a dimple while getting in his revenge pinch. On my waist. It hurts. And he's being gentle.

"She rejected me exactly twenty-nine times,"Wild says.

“That has to be a record,” Ro says.

“She didn't want to experience the pain of another rejection,"he continues.

In his arms, I go rigid. We're seriously skirting the edges of fake to real. I don't like it. A pinch isn't going to cut it.

"She kept saying no, and I wanted her badly. But because of how I acted in the past—"My foot lands on his and presses hard. Wild winces but doesn't let go of me.

"I still have rug burn from all the begging,"he says.

Wild is definitely over his stage fright and is solidly in the game.

"Looking deep into each other's eyes, constantly touching, heavy blushing, and internal communication."Ro nods her head. "Mom, they fit the profile."

"What profile?"Wild asks suspiciously.

He's right to be suspicious. The Carringtons and Gardners can be messy and ruthless when teasing each other. I hold my breath.

Ro winks at me. "They are adorbs."

"Adorbs?"Carla looks like a kid who just heard Santa isn't real. "Adorbs? That's all you've been wasting our time to say?"

"It's gen-Z speak for adorable, Mom,"Ro explains.

"And will it kill you to use the full word?" Carla snaps.

"I think you should be expecting those grandkids real soon."Then Ro turns to us and asks innocently, "You've had the baby talk, right?"

Wild is speechless. If I weren't clamped to the losing side, I would be rolling on the floor with laughter.

"You haven't?"Ro sounds genuinely and honestly horrified at this news. "It's the most important talk before marriage,"she informs us in her best counselor's voice. "What if Wild wants a basketball team, and you want just a boy and a girl?"

“Ro Grace Gardner?"Carla's tone is sharp enough to cut through steel. "Go and wait in the car."

"Yes, ma'am."

A creaking sound like bones breaking escapes my mouth. Wild glares at me. Carla shines her deadly eyes on us, and he switches fast to a besotted smile. Impressive.

"How does Mrs. Langford feel about this? Have you told her?"Carla asks.

"Not yet. We will announce it at a luncheon next week,"I say.

"So, she found out the same way we did."The disapproval is strong in Carla's voice.

We let her know when she visited. But I don't say a word.

Carla looks every inch the presiding judge of the proceedings as she relaxes against her husband to study us. It's a long scrutiny. I'm sweating and wishing I had put on some makeup as armor.

When she sighs, I wilt. All this tension can't be good for my heart.

"What do you expect from Wilder?"

I stare blankly. Is the question for me?Wild'sarm squeeze says yes. The expectant look I'm getting from Will says yes. Uhm. "Love and respect?"I croak.

The silence stretches. Between the silence and my embarrassment, I die twice over.

"Wilder Andrew Carrington."Carla rises from her chair.

I take a step back. It's self-preservation. There's real fire coming out of Carla's eyes.

"Evie is family. If you hurt her, you better go to an excellent plastic surgeon to change your appearance because I'm going to end you."

"Me too,"Ro calls from the doorway.

Will raises his hand in agreement.

Carla levels a warning finger. "You better give her everything she wants.”

"Evie, come with me."Carla takes my hand, and together we go to the kitchen. I look back at Wild. And he's smiling. Smiling!

In the kitchen, Carla's quiet. My comfiest couch and the kitchen are the best parts of the house. I like looking over my sparse garden as I do the dishes. We work side by side washing and peeling potatoes, our movements in sync.

Carla looks at me sideways, still unsmiling. Then she shrugs. "I hope you know what you're doing."

My breath stutters like a kid struggling to learn a dance step. "What?"

I get the 'you're not fooling me'look. "I said, I hope you two know what you're doing."Jerkily, she wipes her hands on a napkin and moves to open the fridge. "I can't believe you, of all people, will risk your heart."

She knows? How did she find out? Her disappointment cuts me. "I'm so sorry."

Carla sighs. "You have your reasons, I know. It's just...you both are dear to me. Do you want enough food to share with your neighbors?"

I should at least share with Mrs. Izaacs. If she comes over with food next time, I will feel too guilty to accept. But the last thing on my mind right now is the state of my neighbor's stomach. "How did you know?"

"Like you can deceive me."

I don't get the chance to warn Wild.

Carla finally has mercy on Ro and she rejoins us. The basketball game Will is watching blasts away in the background. He compliments the cooking. Wild is even louder. He misses Carla's cooking.

My taste buds are fried. I don't taste a thing.

I start when Wild takes my hand. His calluses are abrasive against my palms, sending shivers down my spine. Carla's eyes land on our entwined hands. My face catches fire from embarrassment. I try to pull away, but Wild holds on tight.

I try again, and Wild pulls so hard our fingers hit a glass of water.

Water spills everywhere.

I want to die.

"Leave it,"Wild says when I rush for the kitchen.

Mortification slices and dices me. Wild holds my fingers, playing with my ring as he converses with Will and Ro. Carla is still quiet.

I'm doing a microscopic study of my food.

The men are arguing basketball. I'm doing a mental countdown, but I'm mixing up the numbers because Wild won't stop playing with my ring. Does he want it back or something?

When it's time to leave, Carla gives me the warmest hug and a back rub. Will orders Wild to look after me. "He always does,"I answer truthfully. And he will keep doing so if he can stop obsessing over his ring on my finger.

Like the fake couple we are, we see them off together. Wild has his hand around my shoulder. I want the ground to open up and swallow me. Finally, thank goodness, they drive off.

I shrug off Wild's hand and turn on him. "Do you want your ring back?"

He blinks the bluest eyes I've ever seen at me. "What?"

"Carla knows."

"Knows what?"

With an impressive growl, I head for the house. Wild is hot on my heels, asking questions, but I need quiet. "She knows about us."

"How?"

"Idon't know. Maybe we slipped and gave something away."

Uneasy quiet descends between us. Wild's eyes search mine. "You okay?"

I give a jerky shake of my head. It's so embarrassing. "You?"

"I will be okay. I will give the whole family the run down."

Fine.

I'm so done with today. I start to turn away. Wild grabs my hand. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

His thumb lands on my ring. My blood pressure starts to build.

"I should have gotten here sooner—"

"What you should do is leave my hand and my ring alone.”I take deep breaths.

Calm down. Calm down . My inner chant doesn't work.

"Wild. In fake relationships, you pack on the PDA when you have an audience, not when youdon't!"

His glare takes me by surprise. "I'm sorry. I missed college, remember?"