“Sometimes?” I prompt.
“He’s like all of us. His demons rise and he has to battle them back.”
“I guess it’s easy to think that these men who have it all don’t have any demons left to battle.”
Holly twists her lips. “We all still have demons, Evie. Some of us are just better at hiding them.”
“I don’t like the idea of him hurting,” I mumble with a frown.
“He’s been a lot better this last month.” Becca says casually.”I don’t think he’s been to the Fights in a while.”
My eyes narrow. “What fights?”
13
EVIE
“Becca,” Holly says, her tone warning. “You shouldn’t be gossiping.”
Becca waves her hand at Holly. “Oh no, no way do you get to call this gossip. You know as well as I do she needs to know all of him.”
Holly looks uncomfortable, and I feel like I’m missing something again. I’m about to ask what the fuck they’re talking about when Holly blurts. “Colt goes to an underground fight club and beats up a bunch of guys. Sometimes anyway.”
I’m suddenly aware that my mouth dropped open. Snapping it shut, I lean forward. “You’re telling me that sweet Colton, billionaire who makes dirty stickers Colton, fights in illegal fights?” Everything I thought I knew about him is spinning in my head. There’s clearly some big shit I’m out of the loop on. “Oh my god, he had a black eye and split lip the day after I got here.”
“Yeah, I think that was the last time he went,” Becca says, staring at me with a raised eyebrow.
“Why?” I breathe. “Why would he do that?”
“You’ll have to ask him. I’m sure with all his training he could spell out exactly why he’s doing it…or thinks he is, but honestly, I think it’s a way for him to release some pretty big feelings.”
I hate that he’s doing that. And I suddenly hate that I learned it from Becca and Holly. And I really want to ask what they mean when they say ‘all his training’. It feels like there are so many more layers to Colt than I thought.
“I think that if Colt wants me to know about these things, he’ll tell me himself. It doesn’t feel right to go behind his back.”
“You’d have to spend time with him, Evie, for him to open up. Do you want that?”
“Ah…for him to open up?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, lady. Do you want to spend more time with him? Get to know him better?”
“We see him every day.” And I look forward to seeing him almost more than anything.
It’s a problem.
“Yeah. For a little while. Do you want to know? Him. More?”
I groan, running my fingers through my hair and locking them on the top of my head.
“You are such a pain in the ass. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to spend more time with him.”
“Why? You don’t like him? Did he do something? If he made you uncomfortable, I’ll give him a nurple that permanently turns his nip blue.” Becca looks like she’d enjoy it too.
“That’s oddly specific,” I mumble, side-eyeing her.
“Why Evie?” Holly asks softly. She’s curled up on the carpet, looking relaxed, but her eyes are tight.
“Because if I spend any more time with him, I’m going to fall completely in love with him.” I snap.
