For as long asI’d lived here, this had been my sacred space. The one place I could go and not have to contend with anyone else. I didn’t even invite Ford out here, and he was closer to me than anyone.
But I couldn’t deny that it felt natural to have Everly here beside me.
Most people wouldn’t be impressed with it. There were no chairs, no tables, no strings of those fancy lights everyone lost their shit over. Usually, I didn’t bother bringing anything out at all, just sat right on the hard roof with nothing but my thoughts to keep me company. But for Everly, I’d grabbed an armful of pillows and blankets and had tossed them into the corner, making it as comfortable as possible for her.
With how the structure was built, we had our own little alcove tucked away from prying eyes. It faced the ocean, with two sides open and the other two comprised of the building, which meant the corner was the perfect nook for us. The closest cottage was fifty yards away, so we might as well have been totally and completely alone, just how I preferred it.
Everly sat bracketed between my bent legs, hers outstretched in front of her and crossed at the ankles. I rested her wineglass on my knee as she reclined against my chest, and I just breathed her in, a unique blend of her usual scent mixed with mine that made my cock twitch.
She hadn’t said much since we came out here, but thank Christ she was no longer crying. In the entirety of our friendship, I’d never seen her cry like that—had never seen her shed more than a couple tears while watching a movie or a commercial that tugged at her heartstrings. Not even when she’d first moved here and was overwhelmed with the transition of the business and being in a new place. She’d taken it all in stride—almost irritatingly so.
I was the downer of our duo. She was an eternal optimist, someone who didn’t let life get her down. So when she’d started crying—no,sobbing…huge, gut-wrenching sobs that had torn at my heart—I knew she’d been pushed to the point of no return. And I fucking hated that it’d happened when I was supposed to be taking care of her. Though I didn’t exactly see a way around this—I couldn’t go back in time and stop the fire, couldn’t save any of the contents of her home or magically create a new clinic for her, so I had to support her however I could.
But the issues weighing on her definitely put into perspective what I’d been worried about earlier today. In the end, it didn’t matter if I was apprehensive or scared or nervous about what was going on between us. Everly needed me, plain and simple, and I had no intention of disappointing her.
“On a scale of one to breakdown, where are we now?” I asked against the shell of her ear.
She vibrated against me with a laugh and twisted around to look up at me, the move shifting her ass against where I was already rocking a semi for her. The faint light from inside my apartment cast a shadow across her face as she grinned up at me. “Maybe like a four?”
I made a gruff sound in the back of my throat and splayed my hand over her stomach, holding her tightly to me. “Still too high.”
“Well, just because you said things weren’t weird between us so they’re magically not, that doesn’t mean you can say my house and business didn’t burn down and have it be true. They’re both still charred, I still have to replace everything, and I still have to figure out how I’m going to see patients.”
“I told you not to worry about it.”
“Beck.” She sighed. “I have to worry about it, because if I don’t, it’s not going to get done.”
Except that I already told her I’d take care of it.
“You can renew your license online, so no DMV hassle. You have an appointment tomorrow at the bank, and I sweet-talked Charlotte into compiling a list of numbers for credit card companies so it’ll make calling for replacements easier.”
Everly was quiet for long moments, and I had a brief panic that I’d overstepped. Then she said, “Yousweet-talked someone?”
I exhaled a heavy sigh, relaxing my tight muscles. “Fine, I bribed her.”
Everly’s laugh was loud and carefree and the best thing I’d heard all fucking day. “What in the world did you bribe her with?”
“She wants my blueberry scone recipe, but I had her settle for a portable charcuterie spread for her to bring to the beach for fireworks on Friday.”
“Well, I don’t blame her. Your spreads are delicious.” She reached over and plucked one of the last crackers from the tray I’d brought out for her. “And that was very devious of you.”
“I’ll be as devious as I need to be to get you taken care of.”
She breathed in deeply and exhaled, relaxing into me as she linked her fingers over mine on her stomach and squeezed. “You’re too good to me.”
She’d still cried today, so I was definitely going with not good enough.
“It seems you weren’t just cooking Chuckanut dinner while I was gone,” she said. “You’ve been kind of busy, huh?”
I shrugged, bringing her the glass of wine for a sip and accepting it again when she was done.
“Well, I guess that only leaves the most important and most daunting part,” she said. “How am I still going to see patients?”
“That’s probably the easiest.”
“How in the world is that the easiest?”
“House calls.”
