Chapter 38

Sebastian

We drive back to school on Sunday, and Evelyn seems to be acting more like her normal self. I know the Ava situation is weighing her down, but there’s a clear shift in her attitude and fears.

At a stop light near campus, she surprises me with a kiss on the cheek. I can’t help but look surprised at her action. Turning to look at her, she produces a goofy smile.

“What was that for?” I question, unable to hide my own grin.

She shrugs, keeping her smile on. “Nothing.”

Sure, Princess.

I drop her off at her dorm, and she tells me she’ll see me soon.

In the back of my head, my mind tells me that maybe now is the time to find and speak to Ava again. Fixing this for Evelyn still continues to weigh heavily on my mind.

Note to self: Give Evelyn the only thing she truly wants for Christmas in getting Ava back.

Not only that, but real gift ideas start to run through my brain.

What is something Evelyn clearly loves?

Even if I can’t get Ava to ever forgive us, I want this to be the best Christmas she’s ever had.

The first few days back, I do everything to plot the perfect gift. I wonder if I should give her a copy of a book she’s spoken of or maybe take her to Rockefeller to skate on the ice. Maybe even skiing at the slopes I used to ride when I was younger.

But nothing comes to mind as the perfect idea.

A few days after we get back, I’m walking across campus to study at the student union building, fighting against the harsh cold wind. December is gearing up to be absolutely frigid this year, something I don’t look forward to.

As I slow behind a large group of people, I hear my phone beeping in my pocket to indicate a text message.

But this isn’t any old beeping. It’s a sound I picked specifically for Evelyn.

It’s a jazzy tune as opposed to my single ding that everyone else is saddled with.

Without even meaning to, a smile crosses my face as I reach to grab the device. Sure enough, Evelyn’s contact pops up.

I saved her as Princess Eve with a picture of her I’d made her pose for. This screen makes me laugh for two reasons: Eve being called Princess and her flipping me off with both her middle fingers and a smarmy grin.

“Hey, Olivia and I are studying at Gordan Café for finals. You busy?”

That text has me halt abruptly. She’s inviting me to spend time with her? Sure, Olivia will be there, so it’s not as if it’s a one-on-one.

I take a second to bring myself back to earth. Since when am I ever this stressed over a woman?

Since I realized we’re on a trajectory that is only accelerating.

I open my texts to respond.

“Now?” I ask, trying to remain calm and collected.

“Yeah, we’re about to walk in. Save you a seat?”

“If you insist,” I type back, adding a smiling face to—hopefully—make her laugh.

I change course and head to Gordan Café instead of the student union, the smile on my face only growing now.

It takes me another ten minutes, but when I finally walk into the Café, I see Olivia and Evelyn looking down at their notes and talking. I watch Evelyn read from a passage and point something out on her roommate's notes, the two nodding vigorously.

I use their distraction to my advantage, slowly making my way around the room to where they can’t see me before popping out and saying, “Boo!”

Olivia jumps, to her credit, clearly not expecting me to scare them both. But Evelyn is unbreakable, even as she lets a small chuckle slip out.

“Oh my God, Sebastian, you scared the hell out of me!” Olivia voices, hand on her heart and breathing a bit harder than normal.

“That was the plan,” I insist, shrugging before sitting down on the chair beside Evelyn.

“You’re so cheeky,” Evelyn challenges, crossing her arms and shaking her head like she’s a mother disappointed in their child. “But I’ve learned your tells, Sebastian. I had a feeling you’d be attempting to scare one or both of us.”

I nod. “Sure thing, Evelyn. Whatever you say.”

“Well, don’t just sit there, we have to study!” Evelyn pushes.

“That’s true. I’m going to absolutely bomb my English final if I don’t remember enough about the Grimm Fairytales.”

“What stories did you read?” Evelyn asks, looking through her notes.

“I’m going to assume it’s a mix of Grimm, Hans Christen Anderson, and all the other books written back then that were eventually adapted to those children’s movies?”

Olivia’s mouth just falls open, Evelyn also growing concerned.

“Who are you and what the hell have you done with Sebastian Cain?”

“What, can a man not know his fairytales?”

“No, that’s not at all what I’m saying,” she backtracks, looking at Olivia for confirmation. “I just…never thought you to be a huge reader, let alone a reader in fairytales.”

“I read a lot of them in high school. I had a teacher who was fascinated with the entire idea of fables and morals, the difference between the seven plots in stories, comparing which Disney movie pulled from which stories if there was more than one, stuff like that.”

“So, you hot, a talented racer, and you like literature? How are you still single?” Olivia nearly shouts.

I let my eyes travel to Eve to catch a glimpse of whatever face she could be making. She holds her stoic face, but I know the light in her eyes is laughing at the idea of the truth coming out.

But I don’t press her. Instead, I offer Olivia help with her fairytales class so Evelyn can move on with her studying.

That’s how our afternoon ends up flying by.

We find different ways to taunt and tease one another as we ask question one another with answers to tests, make sure Olivia knows the difference between each basic plot, and even get to my work as well.

“I wish my finals were all papers,” Olivia groans. “Can you imagine how easy that could be?”

Without missing a beat or lifting her head, Evelyn responds. “Worse for me. I do well under pressure.”

Not the only type of pressure she’s good under, my brain snickers.

“But at least with the papers you can edit them and find your mistakes. Tests have all this pressure, and you don’t have a ton of time to complete them, when you have as much time as you can possibly dedicate to it.”

I shrug at her roommate. “I’d just appreciate all tests being abolished at this point.”

But the truth is, I’m just trying to make Evelyn laugh at this point.

The gut punch I feel at that realization immediately sends my brain rushing in a thousand directions.

I keep pushing these emotions down because I never feel I’m ready for them. The issue with it, though, is that I only enter this cycle of hell.

A will-they, won’t-they.

Evelyn has already agreed not to push me away, but is she bringing me around because she wants me here or because she feels guilty?

“Well, why don’t you take my test, and I’ll write your paper?” The other girl giggles.

What happens if I get Evelyn to sleep with me again? Or what if I want to open up and admit all these honest, weight-crushing emotions?

Evelyn Walters has continued to evade the inevitable. But is the inevitable a good ending? Or bad?

If Ava is any indication of the people in our lives finding out, then It’s going to be a slow, difficult climb to get where we want to be.

I want this. I’ve never been so sure about wanting something like this in my life. The other women were never someone I could compare to Eve.

There’s a future that is quite possible, and something I seem to crave each second I’m with her.

Does she know that?

Will she ever know that?