And I’m turning into a *-quoting fool. But honestly, I can’t seem to find the will to care about that around her.
As long as I’m making her smile the way she is right now, then I’m happy.
“So, you wanna get in my truck and go catch some waves? Or stay here and make out? Just so you know, I’m happy with either, but my vote does sway heavier with the second option.” I give her my best smile, the one that always gets me laid—not that I expect that to happen with Evie anytime soon.
“Surf.” She grins at me and then starts to make her way around the truck. “There will be plenty of time for making out later, but the waves won’t wait,” she adds, climbing into my truck.
She’s right even though I would happily ditch surfing to make out with her, which says a lot. I wouldn’t normally miss a wave for a girl, not even for a blow job.
“Can we stop by Grady’s on the way to the beach?” she asks. “My surfboard’s there.”
“Sure, but will it be open at this time?”
“No.” She starts buckling up. “But Grady’s house is behind the Shack, and me and the others who work at the Shack all leave our boards in his garage. Saves taking them home, especially with me riding the bus.”
“Will Grady be awake?”
She gives me a crazy look. “He’ll already be out surfing. He’s usually out there the second the sun starts rising.”
Putting the car into drive, I pull out of the apartment parking lot and head back toward the beach.
“So, I’m guessing you’re not from Malibu,” Evie says as I drive.
“What gave me away?” I smile.
“The fact I’ve never seen you around before.” She smiles back at me. “So, where is home?”
“Beverly Hills.” I glance at her.
I see a flicker in her eyes. If anything, it looks like discomfort, not the impressed look girls usually give when I tell them where I’m from.
I don’t want Evie to feel intimidated by the money I have—well, that my parents have—so I quickly change the subject. “So, you have a sister?” I ask, well aware that she’s never mentioned her mother.
“Yeah, Casey.” She smiles big, and I get the impression that Evie adores her sister. “She’s seven.”
“Big age gap.”
“Yeah, my folks struggled to have another baby after me. My mom had a few miscarriages, and then Casey came along. She was our miracle baby.” Her happiness fades a little. “She’s been sick though, but she’s on the mend now,” she adds, sounding a little brighter.
“What was wrong with her?” I reach my hand over, taking hold of hers, and I link our fingers together. The feeling is electric. Every time I touch her, the sensation increases. There is nothing like it.
“She had an ependymoma, grade two, brain tumor. The doctors did surgery on it, and she had radiotherapy.”
“God, I’m sorry,” I say.
“She’s doing much better now, but yeah, it was a pretty rough time. We’d lost my mom only a few years before in a car accident.”
Her mother died.
“Jesus, Evie.” I squeeze her hand.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. Listen to me talking about my woes, and it’s only our second date.”
“Don’t ever be sorry. I want to hear about it…I want to know you,” I tell her in all seriousness.
She rests her head against the seat, looking across at me. All I want right now is to hold her in my arms and kiss away every bad thing that has happened to her.
She lets out a breath before speaking. “My mom and dad were in the car on the way back from the mall. They’d been out buying my birthday presents. A truck driver had a heart attack behind the wheel, went through the median, and hit their car.”
Her eyes are filled with tears, and my heart contracts in my chest.
“Mom died on impact, which I’m glad for—you know, because she didn’t have to suffer any pain.” A tear runs from her eye, and she brushes it away. “Dad was in the hospital for a long time. Severe head trauma. He has problems with his short-term memory, and he lost use of his right arm. So, he can’t work anymore.”
Jesus.