“I don’t think—”
“Please.” The word was more plaintive than she might have liked it to be. “Please let me be alone.”
He froze, then nodded, his lips compressing. “Okay. For the record, I don’t like this one bit.” After another searching look, he walked away. She waited until her car was gone before she let the tears come again.
He wasn’t the only one who didn’t like this.
Chapter 9
Eve wasn’t purposefully moping in the woods. She was just taking a very roundabout way to get back to the house. By looping the estate three times.
Liar.
Okay, she was moping. But since she had to go back to the house sooner or later and face pretty, perfect Gabe, who was probably eaten up with concern over her well-being, she could be forgiven for a little moping.
Eve kicked a pine cone as she walked and pulled out her phone, opening her messages.
Hey, you. Coming back soon?
Gabe had sent that an hour ago. She’d responded immediately, hating how she must be worrying him. He was so nice.Yup. I need some air. I’m really fine. Please go enjoy yourself.
She closed out of her messages, then dialed Madison. Her friend was out of breath when she answered. “Hello.”
Eve winced. After years of living with Madison, she could identify that breathlessness. “Oh, you’re busy with Reese. I’ll call back later.”
“How do you know I’m not at the gym?”
Eve glanced up at the sky. The days were getting longer, and the sun was starting to set. “We don’t go to the gym, Mad. That’s why we make good roommates. I don’t guilt you about the gym, you don’t guilt me about the pizza I eat four times a week.”
“Listen, if I wasn’t lactose-intolerant, I’d be right there with you.”
She half-laughed. “I’ll let you get back to your boyfriend.”
“He can wait,” Madison said, and ignored her boyfriend’s yelped, “Hey!” in the background. “What’s up?”
“Can you tell me I’m not weird,” Eve blurted out, feeling silly and needy, but unable to stop herself.
“You’re not weird,” Madison said with so much certainty Eve felt like she’d been wrapped in a blanket of love. “You are absolutely, completely, one hundred percent not strange or abnormal, and nothing is wrong with you. You are fine as you are.”
She sat down on a stump and placed her head in her hands. “Okay.”
“You don’t believe me.”
“I was trying so hard.”
“With Gabe?”
“Yes. I stuck my neck out. I sat in a hot tub with him, and I talked to him. I saw his butt—”
“Wait, what?”
“That’s not the important part.”
“Butts are generally important, but I’m going to let you slide a little here, Eve.”
“It was an accident. There was a mix-up in our rooms and... anyway. He told me to go away, and I felt upset and scared, but then this morning I stuck my neck out again, and I asked him to spend the day with me.”
“That all sounds great, Eve. I don’t see a problem.” Madison thought for a second. “Can we talk about the butt now?”
