“I told you not to move from that spot on the stage.”
Evelina glowers. “Are youblaming me? Because it sort of sounds like it.”
“I’m pointing out that you would have been safer if you’d done as you were told.”
I can feel her bristle on my lap.
“Well, firstly, I’m not youremployee,” she mutters. “And secondly,youyourself told me to go home.”
I frown. “No, I didn’t.”
Evelina looks at me like I’m crazy. “Okay, maybe not personally. But Sabine texted me that your meeting was going late and you wanted me to head back to the city.”
What the fuck.
Evelina tries to slide off my lap. I hold her firmly in place with an arm around her waist and keep her tight against my thighs while I reach for my phone with the other hand to text Sabine for some fucking clarification.
“Look at my phone if you don’t believe me,” Evelina mutters, still squirming. “That’s exactly what she said.”
I frown when Sabine doesn’t immediately text me back, then toss my phone onto the coffee table.
“I’m sure there was a misunderstanding.”
Evelina snorts. “No misunderstanding.She just hates me.”
“No, she doesn’t.”
She shoots me a cold look. “Uh,yeah, she does.”
“She’s…protective of me.”
Evelina rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I’ve been around enough dance drama. That’s not protective. She thinks I’m a threat.”
My brow wrinkles. “That's insane. Sabine is like a kid sister to me.”
“Well, you’re not like a big brother toher,” she grumbles.
I roll my eyes and reach for the bowl of grapes. “Youdoneed to eat.”
“I said I was fine.”
I pluck a grape from the bowl and bring it to her mouth. “Open.”
She glares at me.
“I said open your mouth, Evelina.”
“No,” she hisses through clenched teeth. “I’m not a child. I don’t need or want you to—hey!”
She gasps, slapping at me as I grab her jaw, force her mouth open, and stick a grape inside before I close her jaw for her.
“Eat it.”
Her eyes pull to murderous slits. Suddenly, I’mwearingthe half-chewed grape when she spits it at my chest.
My gaze locks with hers. She glares right back, even though I can see the nerves jangling behind the curtain.
“Eat. The. Grape.”
