Chapter 68

Evelyn's POV

“Are you sure it’s not something I did? I just feel like I’m missing something.” Olivia crosses her arms, as I grab the last of my stuff. It only took me an hour to get everything out of here, and Sebastian’s waiting downstairs for me to finish up.

Olivia still knows nothing. Not that Sebastian’s my stepbrother. Not that he’s who I’m moving in with. Nothing. I’ve kept so many secrets that sometimes I question how much of the real me she knows.

“No, I swear to you, I’m not leaving because of you.”

“You’ve been different, though. Like, ever since your fight with Ava, things have felt so off.”

I don’t want to tell Olivia the real reasons things are different with me. Not just that I’m with Sebastian, but the danger that has since arisen. She was happy things with Ava have been fixed, but Olivia always seems to have ten follow up questions to absolutely anything I tell her.

“I can’t afford to live on campus,” I lie, knowing it’s not fair to continue telling her things that aren’t true. “My mom has me moving off campus because it’ll cost less.”

“That’s such bullshit,” she mumbles, looking down at the ground. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do with the rest of the room.”

I look around my half of the room that sits barren. “Could always push the beds together. Plus, now you have double the closet space.”

She smiles just a tad. “And you know how much I love fashion.”

“Exactly,” I say, reaching out to grab her arm, squeezing it to assure her. “We’re not saying goodbye, Liv. Just because I’m moving out doesn’t mean I’m moving out of your life.”

“Feels a bit like that.” She wipes under her eyes.

“Absolutely not. Things are just messy right now. My mom’s pregnant and there’s a lot of family drama that’s taking up my time these days with this new stepdad.”

Liv nods, trying to give me as much sympathy as she can muster. “None of that sounds really any fun.”

“Let’s get lunch at least once this week, okay? Let me move and get settled. You have my number, and I’m just a call or text away.”

“Promise?” She’s crying harder, laughing at her own tears.

“Fuck yeah I promise.” I wrap my arms around my short friend, her tears being absorbed by my sweater. But I don’t care.

When things are better, once we can finally put this bullshit to bed, I’ll open up to Olivia. I don’t know yet if that means telling her a thing about Sebastian. But I’d rather keep her safe.

I’d rather protect as much of my life as possible.

“I’m going to bother you in our group chat with Ava all the time.”

I laugh, squeezing her tighter. “I’m sure she’ll enjoy that.”

After Liv hugs me two more times, I get downstairs to Sebastian waiting for me. My bodyguard—who I’ve been unsure about—has his arms crossed as I finally come down the stairs.

“Started to worry me, Evelyn.”

I give him a shrug. “Sorry, Tank. Just hard to say goodbye.”

“I know. This is for the best, you know that.”

I nod, and he walks me to Sebastian’s truck, before he gets into his own car to follow behind us.

“Olivia going to be okay?” He asks after I kiss his cheek.

“How’d you know that?”

Sebastian raises a dark, bushy eyebrow. “You think I don’t know how your roommate is? Princess, I’ve spent half a year with her.”

“That doesn’t mean you know everything.”

“You forget that I also know you,” he adds, pulling the car out of park and heading to the apartment. “And I know you’re feeling guilty.”

“Damn. Didn’t know you could read me like a book.”

“There’s a lot of things I can do.”

I shove him, rolling my eyes. “You’re ridiculous.”

Ava is waiting for us at Sebastian’s when we arrive. Though, I guess I should get used to calling it my apartment, too.

“Took you long enough,” the blonde says, sanding back up after leaning against the front door. “Thought you two might want some moving help.”

Sebastian gives us a double take as he opens the door with his key. “When did you tell Ava?”

“She tells me a lot more than you know, Sebastian.”

She crosses her arms, looking between the two of us. “I’m the only person who knows the truth about you both. So, sometimes I take advantage of it.”

My boyfriend rolls his eyes. “Fine. Let’s go, I don’t want to risk my ex-roommate seeing any of this.”

“Fair,” Ava nods. “He’s a piece of shit. Maybe he’s the one who grabbed Evelyn.”

He drops his keys and everything else in his hands, eyes widening. He looks from the blonde, to me, and back. “She told you that?”

I blush, feeling slightly bad. “I may have mentioned it.”

“Seb, get a grip. You should be telling the police instead of plotting whatever silly revenge game you’re concocting.”

“Thank you!” I boast, raising my hands in the air as I shake my curls around. “I’m glad I’m not the only sane one here.”

“Ava! Whose side are you on, dude?” The man is so dumbfounded, his eyes wide open.

“I’m on the side that is playing by the rules! Evelyn and I are on the same page here.”

“I’m trying to silence William!” He snaps.

Ava looks at me, raising her own blonde eyebrow as I sigh, knowing we’re not going to get any unpacking done until we’ve discussed this.

“Ava thinks Isabella is involved,” I finally mutter.

He snorts, rolling his eyes at the entire situation. “If she is, I don’t have any proof. All I know right now is William is running the entire show, and on top of that, my team—or my ex-team—was involved in your kidnapping!”

Ava grabs a water from inside the fridge, while I lean on the counter. She takes a swig before shaking her head. “Such shit. Seb, you have to play by the rules right now, even if you don’t think they’re important. You can’t do something to jeopardize everyone else.”

My boyfriend looks over at me, and I can tell he’s not sure what Ava’s referring to.

“Translation?” He asks.

I rub at my eyes, not wanting to do this right now.

“Evelyn, come on, what now?”

I lift my hands, trying to find a way to say what I’ve been thinking, but instead turn them into fists, my nails digging into my skin. He’s never going to be happy with what I think about everything.

Because I love him. How do I tell him the truth of what I’m afraid of?

Sebastian comes up to me, grabbing my fists and fighting his way to hold my hands in his. “You know I’m not going anywhere. What’re you fearful of?”

“Your racing killing you.”

His head pulls away, but he doesn’t let go of my hands. “What?”

“Your team tried to hurt me. William messed with your car. Every time you go back to the track, there’s another fear that I unlock.” I’m barely thinking, only looking down at our joined hands. I shake my head back and forth, trying to fight the tears from surfacing.

I take a deep breath. “I’m scared you’re going to go out there one day and never come home. I don’t want you to walk away from the thing that brings you the most joy in life, but I keep worrying that something else will happen and then—”

“Nothing is going to happen to me. You know why?” He touches my chin, lifting it to meet his blue eyes. “Because I don’t go down easily. There will be a new team. We’ll get rid of William and the other idiots involved in this.”

Ava laughs. “What makes you to certain you can do that with no proof?”

Sebastian looks back at her. “I have proof, but nothing that can arrest him.”

“Actually,” I say, an idea beginning to form quickly in my mind. “Maybe there’s a way to get the proof, get him arrested, and finally put an end to all of this.”

“Sounds like someone has a master plan!” Ava beams.

Sebastian beams his million-dollar smile at me. “What’re you thinking, Princess?”