26. Evie

twenty-six

“I”m ovulating and desperately need a good dick.”

Today was my birthday, and after waking me at midnight with her call to wish me a happy birthday, we were here. Where she was ranting about her important issues, as she called them.

“Emma—”

“No, just listen to me before you think I”m a crazed sex addict.”

“But you are.”

She sighed. “My man’s traveled, and though we’ve been sexting, it”s not enough, argh. How hard is it for me to get some good D?”

I shook my head, dragging a tired palm down my face.

I rolled to another side of the bed when she suddenly asked.

“Wait. Are you still a virgin?”

Thank God my reflexes were quick enough to cover my choking.

“W-what?”

A burst of heat surged through me as I recalled the moments with Ethan. His touch, his kisses, his hands trailing the slope of my thighs.

I didn”t know I was taking the time to respond when she made a tap sound. “Hellooo.”

“Voice, Emma,” I hissed, bringing the phone away from my ear.

She scoffed. “Don”t make this about me. Why won”t you answer my question?”

“I don”t know. Maybe because it”s personal?” I mimicked her scoff.

“Hold up, girl. Since when has that become personal?”

Oops.

“Emma, did you call to wish me a happy birthday or to question me?”

“What”s a happy birthday without a bit of catching up?” She yawned.

“So how is—” I started, but she interrupted.

“You know I”ve seen the news, right?”

I held my breath.

“Yeah, rumors. It”s funny ho—”

“You know, you can talk to me…” Her voice was concerned.

Emma wouldn”t judge me, so why didn”t I want to tell her? To tell the truth?

Probably because I fucked my boss, and now I’m back to addressing him formally didn”t sound so appealing. Hell, I fucked my father’s best friend sounded worse.

“I know, Emma.” I gave a tight-lipped smile though she couldn”t see me. “It’s nothing really.”

“I”ll respect your decision, Evie. But I want you to know that you can always talk to me.”

There were very few times Emma spoke with sense. This was one of them.

I breathed, leaning up against the headboard. “Right.”

There was a bit of shuffle before she huffed lightly.

“We should meet up one of these days. You’re in New York, and we haven’t seen each other once.”

“I”m working on it, trust me.”

That wasn”t a lie. I was waiting for when Ethan would trust me enough to take Sophie with me on this friendship date.

“I”m still horny. Denis is out of town.”

I rolled my eyes. “Girl, get a dildo or something.”

She ignored me.

“…You know his name is even similar to penis. Denis penis.”

Eww?

“Emma, I got to go. Nanny duties. See ya.” I rushed out before ending the call.

The plush cotton of the pillow felt soft on my face as I muffled my slight frustration in it.

I hated that I was keeping things from my best friend.

I hated it even more that I would keep things from Dad.

I dove my head deeper into the pillow before releasing it for fresh air.

Birthdays were a good thing. In my family, they were the best thing.

It signified change— a transition into a new year of your life.

Mom even believed it was one of the universe’s ways of giving us another chance. It usually was a day of jubilation.

No matter how broke we were, we always managed to cut cake and throw a little family party. Dad and Mom stayed awake until 12 a.m. to wish me. They never missed it, not a second… not once.

My eyes darted to my phone. It was a little after four.

Dad hadn”t called. It was strange, but maybe he did extra work and overslept.

Slowly, I let my back slide down the headboard, sinking into the plush mattress. Deciding not to think about anything at all, I closed my eyes.

When I opened my eyes, it was my 6 a.m. alarm.

I stopped the alarm on my phone and rolled to my side.

It seemed like I had forgotten something as I stretched my limbs to do my morning routine, but I couldn”t remember.

Shaking my head, I sorted through my thoughts on the tasks for today.

It was an off day from work which meant I got to spend my birthday at home.

I wouldn”t lie, I was happy. Work had become a haze of confusion for me.

The logical thing to do was create a barrier since this little thing me and Ethan had couldn”t be.

But each time I was in his presence, I wanted to jump in his arms.

Three days had passed since our last conversation in the office. After that, we didn”t really talk. Aside from a few lingering stares and strained tension, there wasn”t any conversation.

I stepped into the bathroom.

This time, I decided to use the bathtub.

After soaking my lavender wash, I climbed in and let the warm water ease my worries.

One worry seemed to stay. Dad still hadn”t called.

I was still thinking about that when I remembered the thing I’d forgotten while rising from the bed. It was a dream.

In there, I walked into a room filled with roses.

Mom and Dad were cheering me up on the other end of the room. They stood beside a gigantic cake.

“Happy birthday, baby.” They both whispered.

Mom leaned her head on Dad’s shoulders before the dream dissolved.

I sighed. This was my eighth birthday without her.

After sinking a few more minutes in the bath, I got out, wrapping a towel around my body.

For a moment, I contemplated my dress for today. Dress casually or a little more than casually to be in the spirit of a birthday.

I soon decided against it and settled for a spaghetti-strapped, flared-from-underbust flowery dress.

When I was ready, I exited my room to Sophie’s.

After knocking softly, I entered. She was lying on her bed.

“Sophie,” I called out softly. She raised her head to stare at me before plopping on the bed.

I smiled. A few things had changed since the night she spoke.

She didn”t come to open the door for me anymore. I always let myself in.

Her legs weren”t tucked against her chest on the bed, and she’d started saying snack each time she wanted food instead of gesturing or leaving me to guess what she wanted.

It was a great change. She let me in because she now trusted me.

Her demeanor was now relaxed and she was beginning to act like a child her age.

The plopping of her head on the bed was signatory, for I don”t want to be up yet.

“Don”t you want to be up yet?”

I walked until I was opposite her position on the bed.

She shook her head subtly. I couldn”t help my smile.

“Can I sit?”

She scooted to make space for me. I sat.

“Well, Sophie. It”s my birthday today.”

Her eyes widened a bit. That was all. There was no small Happy Birthday.

Ouch.

“So… I want to bake a cake…”

She raised her head, curiosity swimming in her orbs.

“… and I want you to bake with me.”

She nodded with a little vigor. I could see the excitement in her eyes.

“Great, Sophie. Let”s get you prepared then.”

The next couple of minutes was spent preparing her for the day.

When that was done, we headed out.

Well, I guess the only obstacle left now was how to convince Joseph to let us bake. I could already imagine what he’d say.

This is my kitchen, and you”re not allowed in it. Or worse. I don”t care about your birthday.

We were on the stairs when I instantly noticed the somewhat empty atmosphere.

Where was Virginia now? And Joseph?

We reached the stairs, and I wasted no time in going to the dining area.

There was food on the table. I met toast with avocado and egg when I opened the plate.

Placing Sophie on the chair, I smiled at her. “Sophie, eat your food alright? I need to find Virginia.”

She nodded. I set out to find them.

I checked the kitchen first before proceeding to check other places.

Or should I just go ahead with baking without requesting permission from Joseph? No. As much as I hated it, he was in control of the kitchen. I had to pay him that respect.

They were obviously not in the living room, so the study was my next stop.

When I didn”t find her there, I began to wonder where she slept.

I mean, oddly, the thought had never crossed my mind, but did they sleep in the mansion?

Or somewhere else?

I”d exhausted all my options for finding them.

They definitely were not in this building.

Why? Was it okay to leave the mansion empty?

I made my way down the staircase.

Did something happen that I didn”t know? Or was Joseph bullying Virginia in a secret corner?

I was almost at the end of the staircase when the door opened. Virginia walked in with her usual maid apron, looking flustered.

“Virginia?” When I reached her, her eyes were slightly red.

“Uhmmm…” I trailed, not knowing where to start. The last time I spoke, it didn”t end too well.

“Evie,” she smiled. I was confused. Had she been crying?

“I”ve been looking for you.” I returned her smile.

“Oh..” she trailed off before clearing her throat.

I noticed that she was a bit fidgety. “I quickly… went to get something at the annex.”

They stayed in an annex. Noted.

“Are you fine, though?”

“As fine as I could be,” she swung a fist in the air.

Okay…

“Happy Birthday, Evie.”

I raised surprised brows. How did she...

Like she read my mind, she spoke. “Mr. Thorne informed us.”

I furrowed surprised brows.

So he knew? And he informed the house employees?

I gave a tight-lipped smile. “Thanks, Virginia.”

Deciding not to question her sudden disappearance, I asked. “Where”s Joseph? I kinda need to bake with Sophie.”

Virginia opened her mouth to respond when Joseph cut in. He also was coming through the entrance.

I was right. They”d both gone to the Annex, and he probably had already bullied her.

“You can. The boss already gave the order. You have the freedom to do as you like today.”

My stomach flipped. That”s why he gave the order?

Without questioning, I forced the thought to the back of my mind and shot Joseph a forced, tight-lipped smile before heading to the dining area.

Sophie was already done with her breakfast.

“Let’s bake, Sophie.” I didn”t bother with my food when she gently climbed down her chair.

In no time, and with Joseph standing stiffly at the doorpost, I wrapped the apron I found in the drawer around me.

Then, we proceeded to measure flour, sugar, and egg in a mixing bowl. Everything I needed for the cake was just a cupboard away.

When I started to mix, I noticed Sophie gawk at the bit of flour dust in the air. Had she never baked?

A small smirk found my lips as I turned to blow a little bit of dust over her head, much to Joseph’s distaste.

Of course, he didn”t want me to mess things up. But what was baking without a bit of fun?

Sophie smiled, stretching her palm as if waiting for the dust to settle on it.

I met Joseph’s burning stare with my tongue out. He looked surprised at the action.

Of course, I”d make fun of him at every chance I got.

It was revenge for being rude to me… and for bullying Virginia.

“You want to feel it?” I turned to Sophie.

When she nodded, I sprinkled a bit of flour on her palm. Her smile widened slightly.

It was her first time touching flour. I was instantly glad I”d suggested it.

Time passed with more smiles from Sophie and more grunts from Joseph.

The cake was finally finished. I”d only baked twice in college, so yeah, the cake was how you”d expect a novice’s cake to be.

By now, we were both covered in flour dust.

I let her smile at the cake briefly before I cut a piece for her.

“Do you like it?”

We were now in the dining area, with her sitting on the chair beside me.

A slight tinge of red appeared on her cheeks before she nodded.

“Good girl,” I brushed some stray tendrils of her hair behind her ear.

After Virginia sang me a birthday song, I cut some for her.

She had been busy cleaning some rooms upstairs.

I left some for Joseph, who held his lips in a snobbish upturn and refused to sing for me or have some bite. And Ethan. Though it was improbable that he’d eat it when he returned.

“This has to be the best cake I”ve tasted.” Virginia complimented it when she tasted it.

I couldn”t figure out if she was being nice or truthful. Still, I smiled. The cake wasn”t bad.

“Thank you, Virginia.”

Many bites later, all three of us were filled.

Virginia didn”t let me clean up and insisted I clean Sophie up instead.

After long minutes of back and forth, I succumbed on the basis that I owed her one.

Gently, I urged Sophie up the stairs and to her room. “Did you enjoy baking?”

I engaged her as I prepared her for a bath. She nodded.

Suddenly, I remembered my gift.

I dug into my pocket and smiled when my hand came back with a hair clip. It was small, pink, and butterfly-shaped. I bought it on my way home from work a few days ago.

“Here,” I placed it in my palm before her. She stared at it for a while before taking it.

“That”s my little gift to you.”

Her thumbs fiddled with the pin for the longest moment before she held my gaze with a smile. “Thank you.”

My heart quaked at the whisper. Small and soothing. God, it soothed not just my ears but my soul.

The tears threatened to fall as I pulled her in for a hug.

She wrapped her arm loosely around my neck. “Thank you, Sophie.”

A tear slipped down my cheek.

It was a thank you for many things. Thank you for not making my efforts on you be in vain. Thank you for giving me the best birthday gift ever.

I detached after a few seconds, quickly wiping my tears. Then proceeded to do her business.

More minutes passed, and we were finally done.

“Good night, Sophie,” I whispered to her frame on the bed.

She still held the hair clip tightly in her small fist.

I stepped out when there was no response and gently closed the door.

I was now heading toward the room when I remembered Dad.

It wasn”t like I forgot, but I chose not to think of it. I wanted to enjoy the moment with Sophie.

Now, the moment was gone, and all I was left with were thoughts of how my father had forgotten my birthday.

No, he wouldn”t.

Maybe something happened. I should call him.

When I got to the room, I dialed his number.

Hi there! You”ve reached James Norman. I”m sorry I missed your call. My phone might be out of reach at the moment, but please leave a message after the beep, and I”ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks!

The beep that came after was annoying.

Did something really happen to him? I dialed the number two more times and received the same response.

Frustrated, I entered the bathroom and took a shower.

I changed into matching silk pants and a shirt nightie.

Sitting in bed, I glanced at the wall clock.

Quarter past six. He’d call. He’d call.

I took my phone and started scrolling through Instagram.

There were some messages from friends wishing me a happy birthday. I responded to all.

After that, I scrolled a bit through some Instagram reels.

When my thumb started to hurt, I brought my eyes away from the screen.

My sweet tooth suddenly surfaced. The urge to eat something was strong. Perhaps a bite of my cake? Without wasting time, I headed to the kitchen.

As I neared the entrance, I heard light noises. It was dark.

My heart picked up its pace as I furrowed my brows then took a quick glance at my phone.

Twenty minutes to ten.

Joseph and Virginia should have gone to the Annex by now. It was the norm.

Swallowing thickly, I tiptoed to the wall, pressing myself against it before I peeked through.

A broad back came into view.

My heart instantly lost rhythm.

It was Ethan. I could spot that delicious back anywhere.

Shit.

Do I go back? What was he doing in the kitchen?

“Hello.”

I held my breath when his voice pierced through the chaos in my head.

Still holding my breath, I made myself known by stepping out.

“Good evening.” Our eyes held each other’s before I broke the gaze.

Somehow, it was too intense for me. Even in the dark room, his piercing blues did things to me.

I counted the minutes of the awkward silence with my gaze fixed on my bare feet before I heard his voice.

“Happy Birthday,” he breathed.

I swallowed. “Thank you.” I still didn”t have the guts to look at him. I couldn’t let myself fall.

Another nerve-wracking minute passed, and he spoke again. This time, his voice sounded nearer.

Fuck.

“You”re here for water?”

When I lifted my head, I gasped at the proximity.

Hot breath fanned my face as the scent of his cologne invaded my senses. I tried not to let it affect me but failed terribly.

“Cake.” I shook my head.

“You told Virginia and Joseph…” I whispered when he didn”t take his eyes off mine.

He seemed to understand.

“I did.”

The tension was getting thick… unbearable for me. My insides churned with something I didn’t want to admit.

I couldn”t feel this way. Whatever shenanigans we had was over.

“I baked,” I continued.

He nodded. “I... this is for you.”

He softly grabbed my hands.

It took everything not to succumb to his touch. I felt a small box in my palm.

When I looked down, it was a small, light blue box— a jewelry box.

No, he couldn”t. It would only make it harder for me to keep him out of my head.

“Y- you shouldn”t have,” I breathed.

Another long minute passed with his palm still cupping mine.

Slowly he trailed warm fingers up my arm until they cupped my neck.

I shivered at the movement. He seemed to notice.

“I”m… I’m sorry, Evie.”

I didn”t say anything. I couldn”t tell him it was okay when it really wasn”t.

The outline of his sharp jaw tightened. His eyes looked like they were contemplating something. I knew what it was, yet I stayed.

He leaned in to kiss me softly. I could feel common sense leaving my body, along with a chill shiver that wracked my spine.

I wrapped my arm around his neck when I felt the soft caress of his tongue.

In one swift motion, he lifted me.

The next thing I knew was my ass softly hitting the kitchen counter.

His movements were fluid yet careful as he positioned himself between my thighs.

His hand on my neck grew tighter as he started to kiss me harder.

I moaned into the kiss.

His other hand joined, sliding under my shirt to cup my breast.

I desperately arched my back.

His warm hands against my breast stirred a distinct longing I couldn”t quite name.

His lips on mine were like fire… A fire I never wanted out.

His hands fell to the waistband of my pants. I released a breathless moan when he pulled back.

His breathing was hard as his eyes held mine.

I didn”t need him to speak. His eyes did. His eyes spoke a million words. I had just one answer.

That was the thing about feelings. It was a spark. Actions were the fire. And sin… was the explosion.

This was all wrong— very. But there was a heat within me that needed to explode.

Slowly, I nodded, and his hand found my sex.

With our lips still connected, he brought his other hand to my side, fisting my waistband.

I pressed him impossibly closer with my legs.

Before he could yank my pants out of the way, the lights flicked on.

The sudden light blinded my vision but when I could finally focus, my blood ran cold at the sight before me.

Right there at the entrance, Dad stood. Skin as pale as snow and eyes burning with fury.

“What the fuck?” He growled.