Page 25

EVE

Xander dropped me off at the bar, my attempts to persuade him against it falling on deaf ears. It was a bit of a dive, but Lila said it would do and that if I had a problem with it, I should’ve called them back like I’d promised.

I hadn’t promised, but Lila’s version of events always had a way of becoming the truth.

Freddy’s looked like it had seen better decades, with its peeling paint and a door that hung slightly off its hinges. Not exactly the kind of place I’d find myself on a Monday night, but that was Lila for you.

As I climbed out of the truck, I turned to Xander, whose unreadable stare made me second-guess everything. “You’re coming back in an hour. Not a second later.”

He raised an eyebrow, his expression barely shifting.

I scowled. “Just… be here, okay?”

Have fun,” he said, the corner of his mouth twitching just enough to make me suspicious.

Typical Xander. All quiet authority, no unnecessary words. It wasn’t like I’d expected him to offer any sort of reassurance, but still. A little pep talk might have gone a long way.

Lila and Darcy were already here, seated at a table by the window, three tall Long Islands sweating on the sticky surface. The sight of them—both grinning like they’d won something—sent a familiar mix of dread and amusement twisting in my stomach.

Cocktails were usually a bad sign—code for Lila crashing at Darcy’s and chaos to follow. Giving Xander an hour time limit was starting to look like the smartest decision I’d made all week. Lila without a last call was too dangerous.

“Eve!” Lila waved me over like I hadn’t already spotted her. Her gold hoop earrings caught the dim light as she leaned across the table to grab the untouched drink waiting for me.

I slid into the booth reluctantly, eyeing the Long Island she pushed toward me. “Really?”

“Liquid therapy,” Lila said, winking. “To get you talking.”

I rolled my eyes but took a cautious sip.

“Perfect,” Lila grinned, taking a sip of her own drink. “Now that you’re drinking, let’s talk about this Orion guy. How big are we talking?”

I choked on my drink, coughing as the alcohol burned its way down.

“I filled her in already,” Darcy said with a smirk.

“Smoking hot? Funny? Pretty green eyes?” Lila ticked each one off her fingers. “Did I miss anything?”

I shot Darcy a glare, but she just shrugged, looking far too pleased with herself. “What else was I supposed to do with that information?”

“Not tell Lila,” I muttered, slumping back against the booth.

“Too late,” Lila leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with interest. “So? Spill. Who is he?”

“He’s…” I hesitated, fumbling for words that wouldn’t set off alarm bells. “He’s just a guy. He helped me when I crashed my car. Someone I’ve been working with on… some stuff.”

“Uh-huh,” Lila gave me a knowing look, resting her chin on her hand. “And does this ‘just a guy’ usually go around kissing you, or is that a new development?”

My face went up in flames. “What?! I—no, he doesn’t—”

“Oh my God, did he kiss you?” Darcy practically squealed. “I knew it! Lila, I told you—didn’t I tell you?”

“You did. I wasn’t expecting her to admit it so easily, though.”

“I didn’t admit anything!” I protested, my voice higher than I intended.

“You didn’t deny it, either,” Lila pointed out, her grin sharp and victorious. “So. Details. Now.”

“There’s nothing to tell!” I said, covering my face with my hands. “Nothing’s happened. It’s not a big deal. And no, we did not kiss! ”

“Eve, you don’t blush like that over something that’s ‘not a big deal’.”

“She’s right,” Darcy said, nodding sagely. “So, either you give us the full story, or we’re ordering another round and prying it out of drunk you.”

I groaned, sinking further into the booth. “You’re both the worst.”

Lila’s grin turned predatory. “Don’t play coy, Eve. Come on, you can tell us. Did he pay? Did he flirt? Did he try to kiss you? What did he say? What did you say? Details, Eve. We need details.”

Darcy nodded along, her smile more subtle but no less mischievous. “Don’t leave anything out. This is important research.”

I groaned, rubbing my temples. “It wasn’t even a real date. He just… made pancakes.”

My lies were spiraling. How was I supposed to explain that the date wasn’t even real—and I’d spent the day thinking about his brother instead and feeling too guilty to sleep?

Lila leaned back in her seat, her expression one of exaggerated disappointment. “You’ve been holding out on us for years. Girl, come on.”

“It was nice,” I said defensively, my cheeks burning. “We talked. They’ve… I mean, he’s just been helping me out with some things. That’s all.”

Darcy sipped her drink, her eyes narrowing in a way that made my stomach twist. “And yet, here you are blushing. You’re keeping something from us.”

“I’m not blushing.”

“You’re absolutely blushing,” Darcy said, pointing at my face. “And you know what that tells me? You want him to kiss you. Badly.”

Darcy and Lila exchanged a look, their expressions screaming ‘we’ve got her now’.

“Oh, you totally do,” Lila said, leaning forward, her elbows on the table. “Don’t even try to deny it. You want him, Eve. And let me guess—he’s too much of a gentleman to make the first move?”

“He’s not—” I started, but Darcy cut me off.

“Classic. He’s probably overthinking it, trying to play it cool while he secretly pines for you. Men are like that, you know. Hopeless. I had to tell Mark to propose to me.”

“Absolutely hopeless,” Lila agreed. “So you know what that means?”

I stared at her warily. “What?”

“You’ve got to be the one to make the move.”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“Why not?” Lila asked, her tone innocent but her grin anything but. “What’s the worst that could happen? You put him out of his misery, he sweeps you off your feet, and you both live happily ever after?”

“Or he freaks out and never speaks to me again,” I shot back, crossing my arms.

Darcy rolled her eyes. “Please. He was so obviously into you when I met him, Eve. You’re just too stubborn to see it.”

“I’m not stubborn,” I muttered.

“Then prove it,” Lila challenged, sitting back with a smug look. “Next time you see him, just… show him you’re interested. Nothing crazy. Just a little sexy two-piece and some lipstick. Let him know the door’s open.”

I hesitated, chewing on my lip. “That’s… not really my thing.”

“Eve,” Darcy said gently, her tone softening. “You’ve always seemed so sad lately, and he seems to make you happy. I think it’s worth trying, don’t you?”

I glanced between them, my chest tightening. They made it sound so simple, but the thought of putting myself out there like that? It felt like standing on the edge of a cliff, staring into the unknown.

“I don’t know…”

“Or,” Lila said, leaning forward again. “You could just kiss him and get it over with.”

“This is such a bad idea,” I muttered, shaking my head as Lila’s grin grew wider.

Darcy frowned. “Eve, come on. You’re reading way too much into this. You’ve got two options here: you can keep second-guessing yourself and wait for him to make a move, or you can stop worrying about what might go wrong and just go for it.”

I groaned, covering my face with my hands.

“You’re going to thank us later,” Lila said, raising her glass. “To Eve finally taking control of her love life!”

Darcy clinked her glass against Lila’s with a laugh. “To Eve!”

I muttered something unintelligible under my breath, but I couldn’t help the faint smile tugging at my lips as Lila waved the bartender over for another round.