Everett is watching us. I know before I turn to look at him, catching his curious gaze. His eyes narrow.
“I should go,” I say. “But think about it. Seriously. It’ll be fun—you may even get to travel.”
“Travel? Seriously?” she squeaks.
“Seriously—but no pressure. Take your time.”
Evie has all the time in the world. She’s young, staying in the most beautiful city in California, and has a great support system.
I don’t have the same gift of time. My job will only get more challenging if I don’t figure something out soon. That won’t stop me from trying to help her out. That’s why I doeverything. If I can’t be helpful to the planet, I can benefit one person.
Chapter Four
EVIE
“Evie, come on. It’s late. You don’t need to clean up.”
Too late. I’m scrubbing dishes, and Everett is on his laptop at the freshly cleaned kitchen island. It feels a little too much like I’m a kid again, back when he would visit on break from college, and I would be stuck doing my chores.
I glare, an old, playful bitterness resurfacing. “One of us has to do it.”
His expression flattens. “I take care of myself just fine when you’re not around.”
“I’m not taking care of you.” I place a plate in the dishwasher. “I’m trying to make your housekeeper’s job easier. Did you consider that?”
He waves a hand. “I pay her well.”
“You’d better.” I turn off the sink and dry my hands on a sky-blue towel. “I won’t clean everything—just a few things. I can’t sleep knowing there’s a messy kitchen.”
He shakes his head. “I’m not sure how we came from the same parents.”
“They were practically different people by the time I was born. It barely counts.”
“Good point.”
I still don’t know if it’s for better or worse. When I was born, my parents had reached their playful hippie era, and I spent too much of my childhood on vacation with them. The chores I had back then were self-assigned.
Even then, I couldn’t sleep if I knew the kitchen was messy.
We both love our parents, but who they are now differs from who they were when Everett was young. If the stories are true, my father was stricter and constantly stressed from his office job. My mother was tearing her hair out and going gray early from raising four boys.
Compared to them, I was an easy child—one little girl versus a group of four.
“About your friend…” I turn my back on Everett and store the leftover food in the fridge. A single thought of Theo makes my stomach flutter.
“Which one?” he asks.
Right. Everett has always been popular. I met dozens of people at the party. Why would he assume I was interested in anyone in particular? And I’m not. Being attracted to one of his friends would be—I don’t know—inappropriate… but it would be a lie to say I’m not thinking about a specific conversation.
“Theo,” I say. “Big business guy.”
“Ah…” He looks up from his laptop and shuts the lid. “I should have known. You twowouldget along.”
I’m still thinking about Theo, in a perfectly appropriate way—about his offer. It was agoodoffer. Great, even.
A quick search of his company revealed that they’re one of the most prominent names in sustainable paper. They’reresponsible for a lot—from boxes to diapers to just… paper. After spending so long pursuing my passions, it would be a tedious job, but…
He would pay me more than any bakery ever did, and my brother letting me stay for free would help me save up rent for next semester. It’s the perfect situation, but I can’t accept it.
