“Hey,” I greet, smiling.
“Hey girl, you’re going to have to tell me where you got those shoes because I want a pair,” Hayden states, eyeing them with envy.
I look down at my ankle boots, smiling. They were a bargain at thirty quid, reduced from ninety. They aren’t something I normally wear to work, but after breaking my last pair of high heels on the steps leading into the office, I gave up on stilettos. And they look hot with my black, cotton skirt that clings to my curves.
“Thank you. If you add me on Facebook, I’ll send you the link. You can only order online,” I explain, inwardly groaning at the invitation I freely gave her into my life. Not that I go on Facebook much. I pretty much post memes. But it still gives her a slight insight into my life, and that is something I cannot afford to let her have.
“Thank you.”
Paisley pushes the door open and a spicy aroma wafts through the air. At the delicious scent, my stomach rumbles, reminding me I haven’t eaten yet.
“That smells amazing,” Hayden groans, pulling out her phone when it starts to ring. “Hello, hot stuff. Miss me already? Yeah, I did come without you. You ate the meal I left in the fridge at work yesterday. It was mine. I know I ate your lunch the other day. I was hungry. Would you really let your girlfriend starve?” Her expression softens somewhat, a lazy smile pulling at her lips. “See. I’ll be back in an hour or so. I guess I love you too.”
“Look at you being all coupley,” Hope gushes, which has Hayden rolling her eyes.
My attention is pulled to Charlotte when she tenses, seeming lost in thought.
“Hey, are you okay?” I ask, cringing at my mouth running off again. I’m not supposed to care, to get close, yet here I am, doing just that. They’re making it so difficult though—to curb my natural instincts.
She shakes her head as if to clear her thoughts, before giving me a beaming smile that could light up a room. “I’m good.” She looks around the room like she’s searching for someone. “Is Landon not here?”
“He went to see Maddox,” Paisley explains, handing out bowls of chilli and rice before pointing to the largest table in the dining room.
The tables are covered with white lining tablecloths, and all have a vase filled with fresh, vibrant flowers set in the middle. The table designated for us is already set up with jugs of orange juice and pots of tea. She has literally thought of everything, making sure we have what we need at hand.
“This place is beautiful,” I whisper, taking in the large doors that lead to an outdoor patio. “Where is everyone though?”
“They’re at the zoo today. It sponsors my company, and in return I advertise their zoo and offer discounted tickets on certain dates.”
“That’s amazing,” I praise.
The bed and breakfast is cosy. It feels more like a large home than a bed and breakfast. It holds warmth only someone who is family orientated could bring. For someone as young as Paisley to achieve something like this is nothing short of incredible. I’m in awe.
“So, Evie, tell us about you. Are you single, married? Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Hayden asks, already digging into her food.
Clenching the fork in my hand, I take in a breath. I prepared myself this morning, knowing someone would ask me personal questions. Not saying anything, or not revealing something about myself, would only make them suspicious. I can’t have that, so instead I answer as honestly as I can. “I’m single. I don’t have any brothers or sisters.”
“You don’t?” Paisley asks, eyeing me closely.
I shake my head before glancing down at my bowl. “No.”
“But you have cousins, right?” Charlotte asks, her lips twisting when I glance at her.
“Nope. I don’t have any cousins either.”
Her eyes widen. “That must have been lonely.”
She has no idea.
I shrug, ducking my face so she can’t see the pain her words have caused to my heart. It was incredibly lonely. I was raised by my mum, who was an only child. Her parents died when she was young, and she had no other relatives; none that she knew about anyway. I love her, but at times, it was so incredibly lonely. I wanted what my friends had at school. Someone I could tease or who would have my back. Someone I could talk to about everything, knowing I could trust them one-hundred-percent. But after everything that happened with my dad, Mum never moved on to have any more kids before she fell sick.
“It was okay.”
“What about your parents? What do they do?” Hayden asks, not looking up from her food.
Paisley sees my sharp intake of breath and shoots daggers at Hayden. “Stop being nosey. What’s with the interrogation?”
“I’m not interrogating her. Am I, Evie? And she isn’t scared.”
“It’s fine. Um, my mum was a nurse before she had to retire. She hasn’t been well,” I explain, missing out the other parts.
“I’m sorry. Is she doing okay?” Hope asks, reaching for a glass of orange juice.
“She’s doing okay,” I lie, purposely taking a bite of food so I don’t have to go into detail.
“And your dad?” Hayden asks, watching me closely.
Paisley gives her a sharp look. “Hayden!”
I suck in another breath, feeling my hands shake. “He’s, um—he’s dead.”
“Fuck, I’m so sorry,” Hayden rushes out, frowning. “I didn’t… I didn’t know.”
I wave her off. “It’s okay. It happened when I was a baby.”
“Still, I’m sorry.”
The front door clicks open, letting in a light breeze before two male voices echo through the foyer. Landon and a guy I haven’t met yet stroll into the dining room.
The stranger is very good looking; muscled, cut jaw and dark chocolate eyes that girls melt for. And as his gaze rakes over me, he doesn’t make my heart race in the same way it does with a single glance from Wyatt.
From the very first moment I met the handsome man, something inside me awoke. It’s no unknown fact that the Hayes brothers are hot, but there is something about Wyatt that I feel connected to or drawn to. It could be because I haven’t had sex in over a year and I’m just hot for him. However, it doesn’t feel like that when he drawls my name, even though he knows I hate being called by my full name, Evelyn. Sometimes it feels like he does it to get me riled up.
Life is cruel though, because there is no way on earth I could ever give in to his advances. I have a feeling he would not only break me but destroy me. It can only end in pain. And not only because I can’t give him all of me.
The man in front of me reminds me of that very reason. Neither can be trusted and are clearly only after one thing. I’ve met plenty of guys just like them. I’m not a girl who could do that, though I don’t judge those who do. When I sleep with someone, I give them a part of me, and something tells me both Wyatt and Maddox would take it all if given the chance. The only difference between the two men is that one would have the power to hurt me.
The newcomer’s lips spread into a flirtatious grin as he winks at me, confirming my suspicions. He’d happily fuck me until I didn’t know my name, then forget my name the next morning and whistle as he left.