Page 77 of Sing For Me

“Looks that way,” I grit out. Whoever the fuck that person is, I’m ready to kick their ass.

“Will I be able to get through the gate there?” I ask, wondering where in the hell I’m going to take her if we can’t get into her place.

“I have security on the way,” Marissa says briskly, all business again, and some of the tension in my chest eases. She sounds controlled and confident and I’m suddenly very glad that my girl has someone like her taking care of shit. “Give it about fifteen minutes and you should be good to come back.”

“Got it.”

“Do you need me to send someone to your place?” she asks.

“No, our parents will handle it.”

“Then I’ll see you soon.”

The truck feels eerily quiet when I hang up the phone, the only sound in the cab our quickened breathing.

“Hey.” I reach for her hand, relief crashing over me when she lets me take it. She doesn’t tear her gaze away from the window but at least she isn’t shutting me out. “Everything is going to be fine, Eva.”

“Sorry I lost it,” she murmurs to the glass and I squeeze her hand harder.

“You owe zero apologies,” I say through gritted teeth, hating the defeated, embarrassed note I hear in her voice. She doesn’t respond and we spend the next several minutes driving through the sunny Malibu streets in heavy silence.

When we finally go back to the house, we get through the gate without much trouble. There are even more photographers here than at the restaurant, crowding her narrow little street, but the security does a good job of keeping them out of the driveway so I can get in. Nothing can stop them from taking a million pictures of us through the windows though.

I haven’t even put the truck in park yet when Marissa comes hurrying from the house. She has Eva out of her seat and walking before I open my door, protective arms around her as she rushes her up to the front steps. I follow them, pausing on the porch when my phone rings again. My dad.

I debate whether to answer but before she’s swept through the front door, Eva turns, looking for me. “Are you coming?” she asks, voice too high, too brittle. I hit decline and put the phone in my pocket. My dad can wait.

“I’m right here.”

As soon as we reach the top of the steps to the second floor, a blur of color rushes towards Eva, pushing Marissa out of the way. “Geoff,” she grumbles as the blur—a person, apparently—wraps Eva up in a hug.

“Are you okay?” he murmurs, voice worried. “I’m so sorry. I came as soon as I heard.”

Eva gently extracts herself from the guy. “Thanks, Geoff. I’m okay.”

He doesn’t release her entirely, keeping a tight hold on her arms as he studies her face. This isn’t one of the friends who was with us the night we watched that stupid SciFi show but I’m pretty sure I remember him being in my shop the day I met her, and his face is scattered through many of the pictures Eva has decorating every surface in the house.

“I already talked to Luke and Caleb,” he says. “They’re going to pick up Sosie on the way. Everyone will be here soon.” He manages a tight smile, even though he still looks terrified—more upset than the situation calls for, honestly. I get that Eva has a hard time with crowds but she got through it. The photographers didn’t chase us or block the truck or put us in any kind of physical danger.

But from the tense set of the guy’s expression, you’d think Eva has only barely managed to avoid disaster. “We can hunker down and have a movie day,” he goes on. “We’ll order food and—”

“Actually,” Eva says, her voice stronger than it’s been since we left the restaurant, “I don’t think I feel like a lot of company.”

He frowns, obviously not expecting that answer. “I just figured—”

She places a hand on his arm. “Really, I’m fine. Will and I were planning to hang out this afternoon.”

Geoff and Marissa’s heads both snap in my direction, and I get the impression they forgot I was even here. I meet Eva’s eyes behind them and can see the question there.Is that okay? Will you stay with me?

“Already took the day off, so you’re stuck with me now.”

She gives me a small—but steady—smile and I can see the relief in her expression.

Her friends are decidedly less relieved. “Are you sure, Eva?” Geoff asks, looking between the two of us. Everything about him screamsstressed, from the set of his shoulders to the worried expression on his face. “Everyone will want to see you.”

“Maybe you should rest a little,” Marissa says, studying her face. “You could lie down—”

Eva laughs and their mouths literally gape in shock at the sound, like it’s the last thing they could imagine her doing right now. “You guys, seriously. I’m fine. I don’t need you to do the whole circle-the-wagons thing.”