Leaving Jace and Andre . . . Would. Not. Break. Her.
She slipped her hand into her pocket, pulling out her phone. Her fingertips were numb as she scrolled through her contacts. He answered on the first ring. “Ev?”
She swallowed past the paralysis trying to claim her throat. “We need to talk.”
TWENTY-FOUR
Evan opened the door, fortifying herself with a deep breath, and let Jace into the hotel room. The last thing she’d wanted to do was meet with him in such an intimate setting, but she hadn’t had many other options. His loft and anywhere in public was out in case anyone was already watching her. And she definitely wasn’t inviting him over to the place she shared with Daniel. So her hotel hideout for the next few days had been the only option left.Author: Roni Loren
Jace walked past her, hands in his pockets and expression unreadable. She clicked the door shut behind him, but didn’t turn around, her hand frozen on the knob. She could feel his stare burning into her back. How was she supposed to do this? She couldn’t even look at him without wanting to break down and cry.
“A two a.m. invitation to a hotel room is usually a booty call, but somehow I’m guessing that’s not why I’m here,” he said, his voice flat.
Her shoulders sagged. “No, it isn’t.”
“Andre told me about Daniel.”
Ha. The earlier revelation seemed trite compared to what she had to lay on him now. “I figured.”
“Why, Ev? Why are you marrying him?”
His tone was as even as the horizon, but she didn’t miss the little catch in his throat on the last word. The hurt. She turned to face him, her hands gripping her elbows as if she could physically hold herself together. “He’s . . . my best friend. I love him.”
He leaned against the desk. “Like you used to love me?”
She jerked her gaze away from his, tears already threatening to fall. “You know that’s not the same thing. Daniel and I— It works. Okay?”
“No. It’s not okay,” he said, his dominant side seeping into his tone. “You won’t convince me that you’re better off in some sexless marriage. Not when I’ve seen how you come apart with me and Andre. You deserve everything a relationship has to offer.”
She swallowed hard, gathering her strength again and trying to ignore the pang of want his words had caused. “Someone took pictures of us on the balcony, Jace. They’re being released tomorrow.”
He hissed out a breath. “What? Who?”
She dared a glance at him. “I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter. I’m the only one identified in the picture. If we end this now, you’ll probably go undetected.”
“End this?”
“Yes.” She wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans and moved away from the door. He had propped himself against the small desk in the room, so she perched on the foot of the bed—as far away from him as possible. “I’m going to admit to cheating on Daniel. Tell everyone we’re working it out.”
His eyes widened. “You’re going to fucking do what?” He pushed off the desk and rose to his full height. “Ev, no way. I don’t care how good of a friend Daniel is, you’re not going to ruin your own reputation just to save his chickenshit ass from stepping out of the closet and owning who he is.”
She clasped her hands in front of her, focused on her engagement ring. “You don’t understand. I owe him.” She peeked at Jace from under her lashes. “He was the boy on the bridge that day. And the one who protected me every day after that.”
Jace winced as he collapsed into the desk chair and raked his hands through his already disheveled hair. “Fuck.”
“He saved me and I promised myself I would help him achieve his dream. He would’ve never gotten to where he is if people knew he was gay.” She sighed. “And this offers me what I’ve never had. Stability. A guarantee that I won’t ever go back to how things were before.”
“Stability?” he scoffed. “At what cost, Ev? Is the money worth giving up a chance at real love? At being with a man . . .” He paused, wet his lips. “Or men who can give you everything you need without all the fine print.”
She looked away. “Sex isn’t love, Jace.”
“Don’t throw that bullshit out at me. Believe me, I know the difference.” He rose from the chair and crossed the room to squat in front of her. His large hands closed around her shaking ones. “And I know what I feel for you. What I want with you.”
Tears welled, and she clamped her eyelids shut.
He continued on. “I can’t compete with major TV deals, but it’s not like I can’t pay my bills. Even if the store were to fold tomorrow, I could go back to a finance job with a simple phone call.”
She shook her head. “It’s not about the money.”