She snorted before going quiet again.
“So, let me get this straight.” My lips split into an ear-to-ear grin, realizing she wasn’t as indifferent towards me as I’d thought. Relief made me feel lighter than I had in months. “You were jealous, so you decided to flirt with the frat boy idiot to makemejealous? How’d that end up going for you?”
“I know you’re smiling, and I swear on everything holy that if you don’t wipe that smug smile off your face...”
Had I been jealous that night? A little. But then I’d made a point to hit on every girl within a 10-foot radius every time Eve was with me to make her think I didn’t care that she ditched me, which probably only proved her point that I was an asshole.
“I’m flattered that you were so overcome with jealousy that you—”
“Hanging up now.”
“Wait. Sorry. I’m done.” I rolled my lips, trying to contain the mirth so she wouldn’t be able to hear it in my voice. “I’m trying to make this compute. This whole time you’ve been a frigid little ice princess because youthoughtI have a thing for Nora, and I was using you to make her jealous?”
She couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Don’t pretend like you don’t. It was obvious that night.”
I was going to strangle Nora. That woman was ruining my life. Making the boss hate me. Making Eve hate me.
“I don’t have a thing for Nora,” I gritted out. “We’re just friends. I care about her, but there’s not anything other than friendship between us.”
The cabbie pulled up to the curb, and I stumbled out onto the sidewalk.
“And the hand on her ass? That was just a friendly handshake to her asscheek?”
“I...” I frowned, tossing some cash to the cabbie.
Had my hand briefly touched Nora’s backside? Okay, yes. But Nora had put it there as part of her convoluted plan to get Ian’s attention. I cursed Nora under my breath as I dug out my keys to unlock the building.
“Yes?” I answered.
“You’re despicable.”
She was about to hang up. I needed a Hail Mary. Even if I felt with all the context, my behavior was unreproachable. She didn’t have all the context, and I wasn’t going to be the one to give it to her. What was left for me to do but what Jack had suggested in the first place?
Fuck him for always being right. I’d never hear the end of it when he found out. And since Eve told Olivia everything and Olivia told Jack everything, he would definitely find out.
Fuck it.
“Look, I’m really sorry.”
She snorted, and I could picture her rolling her eyes from here.
“I mean it, Eve. I am. I’m sorry I hurt you, but it really isn’t what you think. You have no context.”
“You’re not giving me any, either. Just veiled excuses and shitty apologies.”
No. No. No. I wouldn’t let this whole conversation go by with nothing changing. I deserved a second chance, damnit.
“Let me make this right. I can fix it, okay? Will you let me try?” It felt like I was begging, but I was too drunk to care.
“What’s the point?”
“That we don’t have to hate each other? That we don’t have to be at each other’s throats constantly? I want to call a ceasefire. That’s all I’m saying. For the wedding week. Let’s just... get along.”
“Impossible,” she snorted.
“We were getting along just fine before the gala. You can’t deny how well we were getting along in that coatroom at the gala...”
