I hand it over and decide I’m going to be honest with him. “Because you’re just going to hurt me.”
“Hurt you? I’d never hurt you,” he says fiercely.
I turn to the side and put one hand on my hip. “Look at you and then look at me. We’re different. Too different. You were the prom king. You dated the head cheerleader. The sooner that I get you out of my head, the better off I’ll be.”
I go to turn back toward the sink, and he stops me. “Sierra, we’re not in high school anymore.”
When I don’t respond, he asks, “Was I mean to you in high school?”
I shake my head. “No. Never.”
“Have I given you any indication that all I want from you is sex?”
My face flushes. “No,” I squeak. “But you’re just back in town. I’m sure you haven’t heard yet, but Jessica and her husband are getting divorced.”
He shakes his head, confused. “Jessica? Who’s Jessica?”
I barely resist rolling my eyes. “Your prom date.”
He laughs. “Are you kidding me right now? I’m not interested in Jessica or anyone else that you want to match me up with. I’m interested in you.”
“I...” I start to tell him I can’t, but he leans down until we’re nose to nose.
“I want to kiss you, Sierra.”
Because I’m weak, I nod my head, and he smiles at me. He leans in, and his lips briefly touch mine before he pulls away. I go up on my tiptoes to follow him, and his smile gets even bigger. His hand goes to the nape of my neck, and I angle my head to the side. His lips cover mine, but instead of a peck this time, he devours me. His tongue mates with mine, and I wish right then for it never to end. My nipples harden, and there’s a pull in my lower belly, an ache inside me that is building. And just when I’m sure I’m going to beg him to take me to the bedroom, I surprise both of us. “I can’t.”
He pulls back slowly. I don’t know which one of us is more surprised.
“Let me show you the alarm system.”
I follow behind him and stop next to the panel on the wall. He shows me everything and then downloads the app on my phone so I can see the yard and front door from the camera.
“Thank you for this. How much do I owe you?”
He shakes his head. “We’ll send you an invoice.”
I want to argue with him, but maybe that’s how it works. It doesn’t matter, I’ll make sure I pay him. He interrupts my thoughts. “I know you think this isn’t a big deal, but you need to be careful. If you see anything that worries you or is just odd, you call me or the police.”
I’ll call the police. I don’t say it out loud, but that’s my plan. The less time I spend with Evan the better. He may say he’s interested in me, but I don’t believe him.
“Okay.”
He gathers his things and walks toward the door. “Is this because of Jake?”
My forehead creases. “Jake? What about Jake?”
“My brother said you and he must have made up. Are you seeing him?”
I laugh out loud. “Is that what he told you? Did he tell you that I was mad at Jake because he got drunk at the last book club meeting?” He shakes his head.
“Okay. Did Sam tell you that Jake is gay?”
Evan shakes his head. “No, he didn’t tell me that.”
“Yeah, so I’m not dating Jake.”
“Good,” he says, perking up a little.
“Good?” I question him.
“Yeah, because that means there’s not a man in my way.” He leans down and kisses me on the lips before I catch on to what he’s doing. “Not that a man would have mattered, Sierra. Because I’ve already made the decision that you’re going to be mine.”
“Yours!” I say loudly.
He gives me a cocky laugh. “That’s right. Mine. When all is said and done, you’re going to be mine.”
He turns and walks away as my mouth falls open and I stare at him go. He stops at his truck. “Lock the door and turn on the alarm.”
And he doesn’t look away until I walk inside and shut the door, leaving me to wonder what I’ve gotten myself into.
7
Evan
I got as far as the end of the road before I turned back around. There’s something that stops me from leaving. I sit in my truck all night and watch the neighborhood. It has to be the quietest, most boring neighborhood in all of Whiskey Run. The most excitement all night was when Old Man Larry let his dog Squeaks out at two in the morning, and he went across the road, pooped in the neighbor’s yard, and then came back.
That was it. I was sure it was safe to leave Sierra and go home, but I couldn’t. So when the clock turns seven-thirty and I see Sierra walking out of her house with her head down, it’s easy to get out of the truck and walk up to her. She doesn’t even notice me until she’s almost up on me.