Without a Doubt (16 page)

That used to scare me about her, but now I'm embracing it. When Eva left, the waves receded and allowed me to breathe. She's consuming so much of me already. I wanted her to hang out with the guys and me, but a break was nice too. I asked, figuring she'd fall asleep on me and would stay the night again. I asked because I wanted to see her with my friends. If that isn't a sign, I don't know what is.

I shake my head just thinking about her. My mind is so tempted to call her perfect, so tempted to fall into Eva, but I hold back. However, I can't stop what I'm about to do. The bell attached to the door rings as I walk into Sub Grub. Eva glances away from her current customer and grins widely. I fall in line and watch her interact. Her cheeks are flushed as if she's been running around back and forth. I swallow hard, remembering the last time she looked flushed.

There's a smile on my face as I watch her with the elderly man. She laughs as he shamelessly flirts with her. She gives him a sweet smile, not shutting him down, but not truly encouraging him either. When she finishes and he walks out the door, she comes over to me with a smile.

“Do you flirt with all your customers?” I ask.

She laughs and points toward the register. “Check the tip jar. I have excellent customer service skills.” Sure enough, the tip jar is nearly full of bills.

“Looks like you do.”

“You want the usual?” she asks and I nod. Eva begins preparing my dinner. I've never eaten so many subs in my life as I have since I started seeing her. “I love when you show up like this.” Eva quickly lifts her eyes to mine before focusing on what she's doing. “It's a surprise I didn't even know was coming, the best kind.”

I grin because that's exactly why I come. “I love giving surprises as much as you like receiving them. Today's is better than usual because I'm staying until you close.” She opens her mouth, probably to argue, so I add, “You can still work; I won't get in your way, Eva.”

She rolls her eyes. “I know I can still work, but you'll be bored.”

“You could never bore me,” I tell her as she rings me up. “You know, I thought I would have gotten a free sub by now.”

Eva laughs. “If I hadn't already eaten the free sub I get, then I'd let you have one for free. Maybe next time.”

I pay her before fixing a drink and taking a seat at a table. Eva disappears into the back. Moments later, she comes through the swinging door and sits down with me.

“How can you work if you're sitting with me?”

“I'm taking my break.” She shrugs. “Plus, it was slow earlier, and I got a lot of stuff done already.” Eva opens my bag of chips and eats one.

“Now you're eating my food?” I tease, stealing the bag from her.

“One less chip won't hurt you. How was your day?”

“Long.” I'm tired from classes and going to work. I still have to do homework when I get home, too. “Yours? Did you finish your homework before work?” When I was texting her earlier, she said she was going to try to have it finished.

Eva shakes her head.

I watch her for a moment. Something feels off about her. Her blue eyes are bouncing around the room, but she doesn't seem to be focusing on anything. Something about her demeanor reminds me of the way she acted when she was having a bad day.

“Everything okay?” I ask.

“Yeah,” she sighs.

“Doesn't sound like it.”

“My mom's birthday is coming up. It's a big one, and she wants me to come home for it.”

“What's so bad about that?”

“Nothing.” Eva flicks her gaze away before settling on me. “Will you go with me?”

Ah, so that's what it is. She isn't having a bad day. She's nervous. I should have realized since she was acting the same way this weekend.

My heart suddenly stutters.

She wants me to meet her family? This is huge. I want to go though. I want to meet her family.

“Tell me when and I'll make sure to ask for the weekend off.”

Eva grins. “Really?” When I nod, she comes over to kiss my cheek. “Thanks, Emerson. I should finish working.” Eva returns to the kitchen, leaving me to finish my meal.

I throw away my trash when I'm done. My heart is beating fast at the idea of meeting Eva's family. I try to iamgine what her mom will be like, what her father will be like. If it's a big birthday, will her entire family be there?

“Emerson, will you lock the door and flip the light switch closest to the door?” Eva calls from the kitchen.

“Done.” I do as she asked and go into the kitchen myself.

“You can't be back here,” she tells me. She's washing dishes, up to her elbows in suds.

“No one will ever know. I won't mess with anything,” I promise. “Tell me more about this party.”

“Well, Glen will be going with us. He'll probably drive because ever since I ran into your truck, he keeps telling me how he doesn't trust my driving.” She shakes her head with a small laugh. “His family will be there as well as mine, my grandparents, his grandparents, and friends of the family. They are having it at a banquet hall in a local restaurant. Once dinner is over, it'll probably turn into a big party.”

Wow. Everyone will be there. “How old will your mom be?”

“Fifty. Oh, and it's not this weekend, but the weekend after.” Eva drains the water since she's done. She walks into the front of the shop, where she makes the subs, and starts closing things up in there. “I'm really glad you're going with me. I can't wait for my parents to meet you.”

“What are they like?”

“Mom is sweet and nosey like I am. Dad likes to put up a tough front because he is protective over his family, but he's a softy. I would say you should probably be more worried about my cousins, but since you're best friends with Glen, you should be fine.” Eva walks past me, beckoning me to follow. We go into an office next, where she clocks out, and then leads me outside. After she locks the door, she links her arm through mine. We walk toward our vehicles, parked next to one another.

My time with her is up already? We stop in front of my truck, and I pull her against me, wrapping my arms around her waist.

“What's with the frown?” Eva asks. I didn't even realize I was frowning.

“I'm not ready to let you go,” I reply softly. My answer is true on so many levels, speaking volumes for issues Eva doesn't even know about yet. Part of me wants to tell her, to get it off my chest, and for her to know what she's getting herself into. But what am I supposed to say?

Eva searches my face. She lifts her arms and snakes them around my neck, her car keys dangling from her fingers. “Do you know what I think?”

Her question catches me off guard. “What?”

Eva grins. “I think you really like me.”

A smile quirks my lips. I lean down close enough that our lips are almost, but not quite touching. Her breath catches and my smile grows. “I think you're right.”

“Fine, you've talked me into it.”

“Talked you into what?”

“Staying at your place tonight.” She presses her lips to mine, hard and quick, and pulls away. “I'll see you shortly, Emerson.”

We go our separate ways and I can't stop smiling. My want, my need, my desire for Eva is becoming borderline obsessive. Can I really be blamed for wanting to spend time with her when she simply makes me so happy? I'm always smiling or laughing when she's around. Hell, even when she isn't and we text, she does those things to me.

The fact that when she shows up at my apartment, she knocks and pushes open the door without waiting, makes me happy. She's becoming more and more comfortable here, which has to translate to our relationship.

“Okay, I need to shower and then I must finish my homework. After that, I'm all yours.” She eyes my wet, messy hair. “I'm glad you're clothed this time.”

I laugh. “I already have a towel set out for you.”

Eva drops one of her totes next to the couch. She smiles. “Thanks.” She walks down the hallway and I don't see her again until she's done with her shower. She's changed into plaid pajama shorts and a white t-shirt. The shirt isn't tight or too loose, but I still know without a doubt that she's not wearing a bra. Eva catches my gaze as she pulls a textbook and a laptop out of her tote. She angles herself away from me a bit. “Don't even let your mind go there. If your mind goes dirty, mine will too and this will never get done.”

I hold my hands up in surrender. I grab my own laptop from the end table to do homework as well. Tonight, I learn something else about Eva. She talks to herself while she works. It's half adorable, half distracting and annoying. Even so, it makes me smile. I finish in about thirty minutes. Eva's lips are pursed slightly as she concentrates, glancing back and forth between her laptop and her textbook lying on the other side of her.

I trail my fingers from her knee up the side of the thigh. Her legs clench together, but she doesn't look my way.

“Not done yet, Emerson,” she reminds me.

My voice is low as I speak to her. “Hurry up then.”

“You're such a flirt and you really know how to talk dirty to me,” she deadpans, trying not to smile. “I'm so wet already.” The roll of her eyes is almost too much.

I laugh. “You're too much for me, Eva.”

She closes her laptop, placing it and her textbook on the floor. “I know. I'm done. You may seduce me now.”

My chest shakes with my laughter as I tug her onto my lap, letting my hands run over her body like treasure in need of worship. Then, I continue to seduce her right there on the couch.

My brows pull together and I frown as I hear my phone ringing. Eva is sleeping on her side of the bed, her back facing me. I grab my phone quickly. The number on the screen wakes me up instantly.

“Hello?” I whisper. I throw the covers off of me and quietly slip out of the room.

“Hey,” Kelly says.

“Is everything okay? It's,” I look at the clock on the microwave, “two in the morning.” I continue into the living room, sitting on the couch. Why is she calling me? I squeeze my eyes closed because part of me is happy to hear her voice.

“I know, I'm sorry for calling so late. Everything's fine.” She pauses. “How are you, Emerson?”

“I'm good. How are you? You never called me back. I didn't think you would. I'm stunned you have since you've ignored me.”

“I'm doing well. I admit I wasn't going to call back; I never meant to call in the first place, but I miss you. I wanted to hear what's been going on in your life.”

I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. I bow my head and run my free hand through my hair. How confusing can she be? Am I supposed to be happy to hear she doesn't want to talk to me at all still? “Even after all this time, I still don't understand you,” I sigh. “Tell me about you first. Mom said she's seen you in town with some guy.”

“He's just a friend of mine. I'm not currently seeing anyone. My life is pretty boring. School, school, and more school. That's all there is to tell. What about you? Are you seeing someone?”

Guilt cloaks me. I'm not sure if it's because of my feelings for her, or my feelings for Eva. “I am,” I whisper.

“
Oh.
” One word holds the world of surprise.

“You told me to see other people,” I remind her, feeling defensive. Anger pulses in my blood. This whole thing with her is fucked up and I'm on a seesaw of emotions. Guilt. Happiness. Anger. Relief. More guilt. I'm tired of the rollercoaster.

“I know. I don't regret it either. I guess I wasn't expecting it.” She pauses. “What else is going on?”

I clutch my hair tighter. “I work, I go to school, and I hang out with my friends.”

“And your girlfriend.” Is she jealous? “Where do you work?”

“At a grocery store. I'm the bag boy. It's not too bad. I like it actually.”

“That's good. What about your classes? Are you still majoring in engineering?”

So, I begin to tell her about my life here. Everything but Eva. Kelly doesn't ask and I'm not going to volunteer the information. We talk for an hour, catching up on what's different in our lives since we last saw one another. Kelly doesn't talk about much except for school and her family. Conversation starts dwindling.

“It's been nice to talk to you again,” she says.

“Yeah, I feel the same. If there's a next time, maybe call at a more decent time?”

She laughs. “Maybe.” Kelly is quiet and then she softly says, “I didn't realize how much I missed you, Emerson.”

Missed her friend? Missed her boyfriend? Both?

“I've missed you too.” As my friend? As my girlfriend? Why am I questioning the distinction when I never have before?

“I should let you go. Sleep well. Bye.”

“Bye, Kelly.”

I hang up, pressing my face into my hands because I have no clue what I'm feeling.

“Emerson?”

I turn to see Eva, the sole reason for my questioning the distinctions with Kelly. The light I leave on in the kitchen shines behind her. It's just bright enough that I can see the confusion and hurt on her face. Guilt for talking to Kelly and for wanting to talk to her swallows me whole. Now, it's time to explain myself to Eva and hope I won't have to let her go.