Sweet Satisfaction
Page 43
He shook his head. “You sound like that guy I talked to .”
Her skin prickled. “What guy ?”
“Dark hair. Tux. Looked like a model I could probably sign .”
“Oh my God.” She covered her mouth. “Did you talk to Evan? Does he know who you are?” She looked around frantically for her coat. She had to find him .
“I don’t know who he was, but he left .”
Her long blue coat was hanging upstairs. She didn’t have time to run to the apartment and grab it. She needed to make sure Evan knew the truth .
“Where are you going?” Peter yelled .
“Bye, Peter. I hope you’re not here when I get back. Unless you want to enjoy the Snow Ball,” she added. She started running. She picked up the layers of tulle and ran .
Twenty-Two
Evan
I t was fucking cold on the water. Evan looked up at the sky. He couldn’t see a single star. Everything was covered in clouds. Snow clouds .
He huffed. He guessed Bart was right after all .
He flipped his finger on the ignition button to warm the engine, before shoving off from the pier. He could see the lights in his yard. He had eventually gotten out the ridiculous Santa and Mrs. Claus set just to make Cami happy. And it worked. She loved it .
He cranked the engine .
“Evan!”
He thought he heard his name. But the wind had picked up .
“Evan!”
He turned around as a massive floating ball of red came running toward him .
“Cami?”
He hopped onto the pier .
“Evan.” She hunched over. She was out of breath. “Where—where are you going ?”
“Out,” he answered. “I needed some air .”
“In thirty-degree weather? On your boat ?”
He nodded. He wasn’t going to admit how fucking insane it sounded .
“I know about Peter. I know about the contract .”
Her eyes met his. “No. You don’t know about the contract .”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “If you were trying to get back to Nashville this entire time, why weren’t you just honest about it, Cami? What the hell did you lie to me and to everyone in this town? No one asked you to stay if you didn’t want to be here .”
“I want to stay,” she whispered .
He shook his head. “Not according to your manager .”
“He’s not my manager. I don’t have a manager.” She pried his arms away from his chest and took his hands in hers. She was freezing. “He’s only here because he gets a cut of the deal. I never asked him to negotiate for me. I’m out of the music business, Evan. I’ve been out since the day I fell off that ladder .”