Silver and Chrome: A Bad Boy MC Romance (42 page)

“
Seriously, Lila, tonight
is about you and your news.  We can talk about me tomorrow.
”

My mind races back to the message she left
me days ago.  The one I never returned. 
“
The
text you sent me.  You said you have news about your job, is that it?  I
’
m
so sorry for not getting back to you sooner, I was a shitty friend.
”

“It
’
s
fine, really.  You had a lot going on.  But let
’
s
talk about it tomorrow, I don
’
t
want to be a downer tonight.
”

“
Oh my god, did you get
fired Evelyn?  Here I am going on about myself and-
”

“No,”
she reaches out and grabs
my arm, giving it a little squeeze. 
“
I
didn’t get fired Lila.
”

Evelyn takes a deep breath, staring at me
until I bug my eyes out and raise my brows to urge her on.  Finally she lets
the breath out, followed quickly by one long run on sentence that takes me a
moment to decipher before it all sinks in.

“
I got a promotion, I
’
m
going to be working as assistant to the CEO but I have to move to Chicago and I
wanted to tell you but it all happened so suddenly and I
’
m
actually leaving on Friday.
”

Chapter
Twenty-Six

A
single ray of sunshine slices through my blinds, hitting my eyelids with enough
force to wake me with a headache.  As I roll out of the way and pull a blanket
over my head to cower in darkness, it takes me a moment to remember why I
’
m
acting like a vampire.  Three bottles of Chardonnay would bring even a seasoned
drinker to her knees, and although I was splitting them with Evelyn, I know I
drank more than she did.  I was the one hurting from Chase, and then reeling
from Eve
’
s news. 

Chicago.  That was an eight hour drive. 
Almost two hours by plane.  I
’
d
probably hardly see her anymore.  I have no money for plane tickets, and no car
of my own. 

Her news is upsetting, but I can
’
t
be angry with her.  If anything, I feel guilty that I didn’t call her back days
ago to hear her news, and when I finally did hear it my first thought was about
how her move would negatively affect
my
life.  It means finding a new roommate.  One that likely won
’
t
be so forgiving when I miss a rent payment. 

Still, it
’
s
a selfish thought and I
’
m
as quick to push it out of my mind as I was to let it in.  But the news was yet
another reason why I kept drinking long after I know I should have stopped, and
now I
’
m paying the price.

I drag myself into the kitchen to make a
cup of coffee.  Evelyn is already at the table, doing something on her phone
and she looks up at me.  I can tell by her eyes she
’
s
feeling almost as bad as I am.

“
Good afternoon.  You look
as shitty as I feel,
”
she
says.

“
Afternoon?  What time is
it?
”

“
Almost one.  Good thing
it
’
s Sunday.  No way I could
drag my ass into the office feeling like this.
”

I haven
’
t
slept past noon since college.  Then again, I haven
’
t
had a night of drinking like that since then either.  I pour myself a cup of
coffee, thankful that Evelyn, at least, got up early enough to already make
some.

“
So, you
’
re
leaving for Chicago next week?
” 
I
sit down at the table next to her.  My memory is mostly intact from last night
but some of the details are a bit hazy.

“I
’
m
working here until Thursday but mostly I
’
m
just packing things up and transitioning to the other EA they hired to take my
place here in the Toronto office.  My flight is on Saturday.  That’ll give me
some time to settle in and unpack.  Friday I’ll be home as they have some
movers coming to pick up my stuff and meet me here.  So I have to be packed by
then.
” 
She looks around.  Even in the kitchen, most of the
stuff is hers. 
“
I haven
’
t
even started yet.
”

“
I can help,
”
I say.  “
Not like I have anything else to do, aside
from sending out resumes.
”

Evelyn puts her hand on mine and gives me
a little squeeze. 
“
The rent is paid
up for this month, and we’ve already paid for our last month which would cover
next month if you aren’t going to stay.
”

I smile at her, appreciating the gesture. 
There
’
s no point in arguing
with her about it, I know she doesn’t want the money back. 
“
I
haven
’
t really decided what I
’
m
going to do.
”

“
I know, this comes out of
left field, I
’
m sorry Lila.”

“
No, it
’
s
a great opportunity for you.  Executive Assistant to the CEO of a billion
dollar company?  Who the hell would turn that down?
”

“
I know,
”
she nods. 
“I’ve
met Mr. Stonewall a few times, he seems a bit harsh to some people but he
’
s
always been very pleasant to me.
”

I watch my best friend
’
s
face for a second.  There
’
s
a look there that I recognize. 
“He
’
s
hot, isn’t
he?
”

She giggles and turns a slight shade of
pink as she stares down at her coffee. 
“He
’
s
no Chase Anderson,
”
she
admits with a shrug,
“
but he is tall,
dark and pretty handsome, yes.
”

“
Well, I
’
m
really happy for you Eve, I mean it.
” 
I
do.  It
’
s great for
Evelyn.  I
’
m just not sure
what it means for me.

“
I
got a call from Harrison today,
”
I
say as I scoop a large ladle full of spaghetti onto Evelyn
’
s
plate.  I figure the least I can do for her is cook dinners while I
’
m
home all day and she
’
s
at work.  Yesterday I made chicken parm and today is pasta.  It
’
s
only Tuesday but I
’
m
already worried about running out of recipes before she leaves, which is why I
made enough tonight to have leftovers for tomorrow.

“I
’
m
surprised it took him this long,
”
she
says. 

“
I think it took a couple
days for the news of my return to filter out to him.
”

“
Did he ask you to get
together?
”

“
Of course.
”

“
You aren’t
,
are you?
”

“
Of course not.
”

“
Good.  Does he know about
Chase?
”

I pause and purse my lips.  It
’
s
a question I’ve
been pondering myself lately, not
that it matters. 
“
I don’
t
think so.  I mean, not specifically.  I think he does suspect I met someone out
there.  He was asking me all sorts of questions about what I was doing in Vegas
this long, he knows I don
’
t
gamble or really have the money to pay for a week in a hotel.  I just avoided
most of the questions and told him I needed time out there to think.  Not sure
he bought it, but whatever.  If he can lie, so can I.
”

“
Well, like you said the
other day, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.  I think that
’
s
one of those universal rules.  People can
’
t
ask you about it and expect the truth.
”

I agree with a laugh as I shovel more
pasta into my mouth.  It feels good to be home, with Evelyn.  It
’
s
comfortable.  Unfortunately, that comfort has an expiration date and it
’
s
coming up quickly.

I wash down the pasta with some water. 
Both of us have sworn off wine for the time being.  
“
So
what
’
s the plan for tonight?
”

I
’
d
promised to help her start packing tonight, anxious for anything I can use as a
distraction.  Any time I have a free moment, her words from the other night
echo through my head.  It
’
s
true.  Not all lies are equal, and I don
’
t
have to judge them as such.  Evelyn clearly thinks I was blowing things out of
proportion, and I fear she might be right.  What if she was?  What if I made a
huge mistake in leaving?  It’s a thought I have no interest in dealing with
right now, so much so that helping her pack seems like a fantastic alternative.

“
I think we have to tackle
my closet first.
”

I make a sound with my throat and Evelyn
counters with a glare that I know is just a tease. 
“It
’
s
not that bad.
”

“
Really?  Did you have a
team of organizers work on it while I was in Vegas?
” 
Evelyn has the master suite of our apartment and her
closet is a walk in.  Last I saw it, it was a disaster.  Packed so full of
clothes and shoes and who knows what else that she could barely squeeze her
thin frame through the door to get anything.

“
Shut up, you offered to
help.
” 
She sticks her tongue out at me right before finishing
the last bit of pasta in her bowl.

“
I know I did, but I
forgot what I was getting myself into.
”

“
Too late,
”
she laughs. 
“You
’
re
committed.
” 

I open my mouth for another reply but I
’
m
interrupted by a knock at the door.  Evelyn leaves to answer it, turning the
corner of the hallway as I finish the last of my supper.  I hear voices and a
weird sound from Evelyn before she comes back around the corner.  The look on
her face is wide eyed and she
’
s
biting her lip.

“
What?
”
I ask.  “
Who was it?
”

“
It looks like Vegas
didn’t stay in Vegas,
”
she
replies as Chase Anderson follows her into our dining room, a familiar half
smile creeping onto his lips as soon as he sees me.