Page 9 of From You to Me

Ouch, fuck, fuck, fuck.

That hurt like a bitch. A zing went through my entire hand as I silently grimaced in pain. Just then I heard the laundry beep. Thank fuck, I kept my back to them as I hurried down to the laundry room just behind the kitchen.

I let out a gasp that I was holding as I furiously rubbed my elbows. There. Much better.

Jay and whom I assumed to be Tyler were still talking when I brought out the laundry basket with neatly folded clothes a few minutes later. I silently headed upstairs to the bedroom even though every single bone in my body wanted to stay there and drool over him.

I hummed as I put away all of the T-shirts on the shelves and hung up his dress shirts on the hangers. I did a little clap as I arranged all his shirts according to their color, from light to dark. It wasn’t that hard because there were only black and gray and a few navy ones thrown in there. It looked so much better.

A throat cleared behind me, and I slowly turned to see Jay leaning against the closet door with his arms folded as he watched me with a cool, irritated look.

I swallowed. “Hmm, I was putting away your clothes.” I lamely waved the empty basket around.

He gave me the slightest nod but didn’t move an inch. His blue-blue eyes were locked on mine. The air around us tingled as it turned murky. My heart started to pound so hard in my chest, and my hands shook a bit.

It felt as though nothing changed between us in the physical sense. I still wanted to jump on him. But I can’t do that. I was embarrassed and ashamed of everything that happened between us. And mostly I was embarrassed and ashamed of theperson I had become today while he stood in front of me as an accomplished rock star. What he didn’t know was that I was so proud of him. What he didn’t know was that I was his number one fan. And what he certainly didn’t know was that I still loved him.

“I didn’t realize I paid for you to simply stand and waste my oxygen.” He leered.

I clenched my teeth so hard as the anger coursed through me. I loved him so fucking much, but right now, I wanted so badly to throw the laundry basket at his head. But I couldn’t. I needed this fucking job.

I nodded as I made my way out, but he still didn’t move from his position. I tried to take as slow, measured steps as I possibly could but still tripped over the tiny step I didn’t see. And I blamed it all on his presence.

A strong hand gripped mine, preventing my inevitable fall, and pulled me to the side. The old, familiar touch of his rough, calloused fingers on my skin electrified my soul.

I inhaled a sharp breath as I peered into the eyes that I loved so much. He was so close to me, barely a whisper away. His smell invaded my body like a drug I didn’t know I was craving.

Jay’s face transformed as a sly grin danced on his face, which made my heart skip a beat. He brought his lips so close that they touched my ears. It sent shivers through my entire body and made my nipples peak hard against the lace of my bra.

“You are so wrong if you think I’m going to save you this time, Evelyn.”

With that, he let go of me as if his hand was scorched from touching mine. And I went down in a thud on the floor as I watched his back disappear out of the bedroom.

A painful breath escaped me both from the physical pain I felt as my knee locked up and the emotional agony that shrouded my body from hearing him say my name in the most cold anddistasteful way. To watch the love of my life treat me like a speck of dirt beneath his feet. It hurt; it hurt so fucking bad.

But who was to blame?

CHAPTER 3

Okay, Evy. Straighten out your left foot and turn to the side. Good. Now, try to lay on your stomach while you slowly try to wiggle out your right knee. Ever. So. Slightly.

I groaned in pain as my knee protested. I huffed as I plopped my cheek back onto the ground. When you shattered your knee into a million little pieces and got it fixed up with emergency surgery, these were the daily struggles of your life.

I hoped Jay wouldn’t return for at least another twenty minutes because that was how long it would take for me to get up. I didn’t want him to see me swim on the floor of his closet like a fish out of the sea.

Finally, after ages of struggle, I got up and tested out my knee by taking small steps.

I sighed in relief. It was still sore, but it was a whole lot better. I hurried as fast as I could down the stairs. I needed to get out of here.

I rushed to the laundry room and replaced the basket, donning my purse and jacket. Jay stood on the terrace with his back turned to me. Good. I didn’t want to see his face right now. Or give him reasons for the fact that I was in his room for the past thirty minutes.

“Hello, Amelie,” I said cheerfully to the voice that greeted me on the other side of the phone as I walked out of the Blueline andmade my way to Central Park. Amelie was my previous client whom I had called just last week to happily tell her I wouldn’t be coming in anymore. She was a complete bitch although her little six-year-old, Theo, was a sweetheart.

“Evelyn. Why are you calling me?” Her usual nonchalant voice asked me.

“Amelie, I know I said I won’t be coming around anymore, but I was wondering if you still needed me,” I asked in an overly sweet voice.Because fake it till you make it. I needed a job lined up before Jay threw me away. Which I anticipated would be a whole lot sooner with the way I grated on his nerves.

“Oh, I already found someone else. I don’t need you anymore.”