Chapter 21

Sebastian

I watch Evelyn’s eyes scope out the rest of the group. Maybe they don’t interpret the fear behind them, but I sure as hell do. It’s plain as day, written on her face, and I ponder what she’ll end up saying.

Is she going to finally tell us? Or is this where I learn Princess is a liar?

But she doesn’t lower a finger. Instead, Ava asks another question.

“Never have I ever gone skinny dipping!” She laughs, and a few people’s fingers are put down, including my own again.

Evelyn is lying—something I genuinely wasn’t expecting from her. Sure, we lie like our lives depend on it when it comes to the truth between us. However, I truly believed she’d come up with something to say rather than stay silent.

A lie of omission is still a lie, after all.

The next girl goes, and then it’ll be my turn. I don’t know her name, and honestly, I don’t care. But once she’s done, I’m up.

“Hm, let me see,” I start off, pretending to ponder the question. Something, anything really, to mess with Evelyn just a little bit more.

I give my signature smirk to the group, and finally, I say, “Never have I ever cheated on my partner.”

Since I’ve never truly had a partner, then there’s been no one to cheat with or on. And I pointedly make sure to watch Evelyn’s face, posture, and eyes as I finish the sentence.

Only two fingers drop in the entire circle.

One of them is, in fact, Evelyn.

“Evelyn! Jackie! What?” Ava is aghast. “You cheated?”

The other girl—Jackie apparently—sighs. “Drunkenly, yes. He forgave me, thankfully.”

That leads all eyes over to my step-sister. “And you?” Ava nudges.

It’s silent for just a few seconds before Evelyn, seemingly unbothered, just shrugs. How does she believe she’ll be able to find her way out of this? It’s not as though people here will let her move forward on something as controversial as cheating on your partner, now, is it?

Evelyn finally shrugs, and I sit up just a bit to hear what this lie will be.

“Come on, you can’t just move past this without giving us something, Eve!”

She rolls her eyes and shrugs again. “He cheated on me, okay? On my birthday earlier this year.” Her eyes find mine, and she stares directly into my soul. “So, I decided to give him a taste of his own medicine.”

She doesn’t break eye contact, and I feel the way my heart clenches in my chest. I don’t show it, though, continuing to stare at the curly-haired woman. Did I know Lucas cheated on her first? Did she ever tell me that?

I don’t remember anymore. And the thing is, I don’t really give a shit. Because whether or not he’s the definition of a piece of shit, it still doesn’t justify his absolutely idiotic choice to leave this beauty behind.

But her eyes seem to goad me on as if to taunt me. “Say something. I dare you.” It’s like she’s laughing without the rest of the world seeing the truth.

“I don’t think that’s nearly as bad,” another girl comments. “He sounds like a complete douchebag.”

Evelyn nods her head. “He was. And it was definitely worth it when he found out. Begged for me back and everything.”

“And I hope you told him to go to hell?” Ava quips.

“Better, I told him to fucking burn there.”

She seems so confident and composed that she wasn’t on edge while he was visiting for the wedding. But she is clearly putting on a front. I can see the anxiety hiding behind the smile she’s giving the room.

“Well, I’m not normally one to condone cheating, but if you re-cheated that motherfucker, then you won,” the cheerleading captain remarks. She claps her hands. “But let’s keep it moving.”

Evelyn nods once more, and she thinks about her question for a long moment. While she does, I make sure she catches my smile and eyes staring at her with an intense focus.

I can’t help it. The smile refuses to calm. It’s just so interesting to me that she can so easily become boisterous and confident while also fearful and small. It’s not something I’ve often found.

But she makes it all so painstakingly easy.

“Never have I ever lived in one place for my entire life,” Evelyn calls, leading to a few people’s fingers to drop.

She tugs her eyes back over to me, but no words or even motions are made. Just two people continuing to watch one another as a game plays on. I continue to give her my smirk as if to explain every little thought racing through my mind.

“Never have I ever hosted a high school party!”

“Never have I ever been on a date.”

“Never have I ever been abroad.”

“Never have I ever seen the beach.”

“Never have I ever fallen for someone.”

Now, I choose to lie. Most of the questions asked are tame, but I drop a finger for each one. Except for the last one. Because I’m out. Because I have no more chances left.

I’m not the first person out, thankfully, but I hope I’m not asked to answer the remaining question.

Because what am I expected to say to this group of strangers?

What would they think if they knew?

What would Evelyn say? Or worse, what wouldn’t she say?

Having grown bored, I stand up and move across the room, looking for something to drink or, better yet, something to entertain myself.

Evelyn’s still got a few fingers up and seems to be enjoying herself. I watch as she starts to laugh while Ava drops a finger, her smile crinkling and her laugh boisterous. She rocks in her spot as she knocks shoulders with our friend.

Such a simple, albeit happy moment she’s lost in while I watch her from another part of the room. Does she even wonder if I see her in her genuinely happy state?

Or does she believe I plot against her?

A small pain in my chest begins to form, spreading through me so quickly it nearly causes me to topple over in a swift movement.

I need to be near her. I need to get her in a place where she can’t run away and deny her feelings another day.

We spend so little time together when we are alone. There’s always someone interfering or someone needing to speak to us. As though there’s a gigantic sign hanging above us advertising to break us apart.

Since the night we met when we first slept together, it’s been someone who attempts to keep us apart. Lucas, Madelyn, Gregory, Ava, William, Isabella, Olivia, and even random pedestrians. How am I possibly going to win the game if those around us don’t stop attempting to join?

I see a couple exit a bedroom together, and I slowly slink over to see if it’s empty. Thankfully, yes. Now, the real question is, how do I get her to join me in this room?

It’s not a “trap,” per se. She can leave when she wants to. But even I can tell Evelyn has a pretty hard time saying no when it comes to me.

That alone triggers a half-smile.

I let myself rest on the bed, pulling my phone out to communicate with Evelyn.

“Need to talk, Princess.” I send the message quickly, knocking my phone against my thigh repeatedly.

Come on, Evelyn.

The buzz of a reply comes in. “Everything okay? Mom okay?”

“Come find me. I’ll explain.”

“Where are you?”

“That’s your job.”

She finds me just a few moments after the final text has gone through. She looks flustered and pale.

Maybe I shouldn’t have been acting so suspicious.