Page 79 of Lick
The more he spoke, the colder I felt. I did my best to ignore Ben and Martha hovering in the background.
David swore. “Come on, we’re getting out of here.”
I shook my head slowly. He grabbed my arms, stopping me from retreating any farther. “What the fuck are you doing, Evelyn?”
“What areyoudoing, David? What have you done?”
“Nothing,” he said, teeth gritted. “I haven’t done a damn thing. You said you trusted me.”
“Why do you both still wear the earrings if it’s nothing?”
His hand flew to his ear, covering the offending items. “It’s not like that.”
“Why does she still work for you?”
“You said you trusted me,” he repeated.
“Why keep the house in Monterey all these years?”
“No,” he said and then stopped.
I stared at him, incredulous. “No? That’s it? That’s not enough. Was I supposed to just not see all this? Ignore it?”
“You don’t understand.”
“Then explain it to me,” I pleaded. His eyes looked right through me. I might as well not have spoken. My questions went unanswered, same as they ever had. “You can’t do it, can you?”
I took another step back and his face hardened to fury. His hands fisted at his sides. “Don’t you dare fucking leave me. You promised!”
I didn’t know him at all. I stared at him, transfixed, letting his anger wash over me. It couldn’t hope to pierce the hurt. Not a chance.
“You walk out of here and it’s over. Don’t you fucking think of coming back.”
“Okay.”
“I mean it. You’ll be nothing to me.”
Behind David, Ben’s mouth opened but nothing came out. Just as well. Even numb had its limits.
“Evelyn!” David snarled.
I slipped off the stupid shoes and went barefoot for my grand exit. Might as well be comfortable. Normally I’d never wear heels like that. There was nothing wrong with normal. I was long overdue for a huge heaping dose of it. I’d wrap myself in normal like it was cotton wool, protecting me from everything. I had the café to get back to, school to start thinking about. I had a life waiting.
A door slammed shut behind me. Something thumped against it on the other side. The sound of shouting was muted.
Outside the dressing room door, Jimmy and Adrian were still deep in conversation. By which I mean Adrian spoke and Jimmy stared at the ceiling, grinning like a lunatic. I doubted a rocket ship could have reached Jimmy just then, he looked that high.
“Excuse me,” I said, butting in.
Adrian turned and frowned, the flash of bright teeth coming a moment too late. “Evelyn. Honey, I’m just in the middle of something here—”
“I’d like to go back to Portland now.”
“You would? Okay.” He rubbed his hands together. Ah, I’d pleased him. His smile was huge, genuine for once and glaringly bright. Headlights had nothing on him. He’d apparently been holding back previously.
“Sam!” he yelled.
The bodyguard appeared, weaving through the crowd with ease. “Mrs. Ferris.”
