Page 51 of Sing For Me

Will

By the time I get to Eva’s house in Malibu a half hour after leaving my apartment, I have no fewer than ten messages from various cousins. And it’s not just the little girls, either. Apparently, they all got on their phones to spread the word as soon as I left because Fox, Silas, and Alex’s little brother, Nix all send good luck texts as well.

My phone dings as I open my door. CeCe. Again.

CeCe:Are you bringing her flowers?

Another ding.

Violet:You should definitely bring her flowers.

Then another, all in the span of about twenty seconds.

Silas:All the girls are saying you should bring flowers. Did you bring flowers?

Torn between amusement and annoyance, I type a response into the group thread.

Me:If you all don’t leave me the hell alone, I’m telling your parents about the time Rose covered for you when you snuck out after curfew and TP’d Jimmy Delray’s house.

My phone immediately erupts in a flurry of dings.

Presley:Not cool man.

Silas:That’s under the cone, Will!

Violet:You’re not going to really tell them, are you?

Ash:I’m already grounded, dude. Don’t you dare.

Lyric:Will!

Nix:Jimmy Delray is a dbag and he totally deserved it.

Me:I’m turning the phone off now. Have a good night.

I don’t wait for the responses that are sure to come. I also don’t actually turn the phone off, silencing it instead. As the oldest, Rose and I always make sure to keep ourselves reachable by our cousins. If one of them were to get into trouble or need me in some way, I’m damn sure going to be there for them, date or not.

I take a deep breath, trying to put my family out of my mind, and reach for the flowers that I brought. My cousins might be annoying, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t right about some things.

Eva’s house is impossible to see from the street, shrouded by greenery and high cement walls. As instructed when we set up the date, I ring the bell at the gate and wait to be buzzed in.

“Yes?” a familiar crisp, professional voice calls through the speaker. I’m pretty sure it’s Eva’s assistant, Marissa, and I wonder if the woman ever takes a night off.

“It’s Will Ransome,” I say, peering at the security camera. The click of the gate is the only response and I hurry through before it can close on me.

From this side of the gate, Eva’s house looks dark and closed off. There don’t appear to be many windows, giving the building an industrial vibe I wouldn’t expect in Malibu. From somewhere nearby, I can hear the crashing of waves.

Marissa is waiting at the door. “Hey,” she says, eying my outfit and the flowers. She gives me what I take to be an approving wink. “She’s upstairs.”

I expect her to lead the way but she merely points at a set of iron steps before disappearing through a door off the barren front hallway.

“Okay,” I mutter, feeling like this whole set-up is a little off as I start up the stairs. “Eva?” I call when I get near the second floor. “You up here?”

She appears at the top of the stairs like a fucking mirage or something. Dressed in a simple, flowing yellow dress, her hair loose and softly curled, she’s impossibly beautiful. This woman takes my breath away, every single time.

As I near the top, an expanse of space opens behind her. While the street-front side of the house and the entryway had been cold and empty, this room is anything but. Light permeates the entire space, the walls and furniture all done up in cool blues and creamy whites. Centered in the room is a huge overstuffed white sectional that looks soft as a cloud. The entire back wall is made of floor to ceiling windows, giving off a breathtaking view of the darkening ocean beyond.

Walking up those stairs into her space, Eva standing before me as ethereal as an angel, it feels like ascending into the clouds, into heaven. I don’t bother saying hello, merely pull her into my arms, needing to hold a piece of her perfection close to me.