Anticipations (Evie Cortez Book 2)

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

It was the morning of Jamie’s birthday. I had spent all of yesterday shopping around for the perfect gift before my shift at La Amour. I had found something but I wasn’t sure about it. What did you get a girl that had everything she asked for?

I called her and asked that she meet me outside. I couldn’t handle running into Caleb right now if ever. I didn’t know how to handle what happened between us or the parting words he left me with.  

“Hey.” She smiled and met me at the end of the driveway. “Why the long distance?”

“I have somewhere to get to and I wanted to give you this first.” I handed her the gift wrapped box. “Happy sweet sixteen.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything.” She smiled sweetly with excitement bouncing off of her.

“Yeah I did but I wasn’t sure what to get since you have everything a girl could want in your room.”

She looked up from the box and at me. “If you’re giving me this now does that mean you won’t come to the party?”

“I can’t. I have to work and I already took too many days off. Have some fun tonight and I’ll see you tomorrow.” I reached forward and gave her a hug. I felt like crap as she turned away and headed back inside. We were friends and she wanted me around when in reality I was a big mistake. I didn’t belong in her life. Or his.

I headed off to work next. I offered to cover Rosie’s shift last night and it started at eleven. I was on autopilot focusing only on work to keep from thinking about Jamie, my sister, this mess with Kevin and what was said between us.

I tended to the day crowd and helped organize the dining room supplies from the menus down to the trays.

I was sitting outside on my break at one of the outdoor patio tables when I heard my name being called. I looked up from the book I was reading to see Jared coming toward me. I smiled.

Jared was easygoing to be around, there wasn’t all the serious emotion or expectations.

He sat across from me. “Jamie mentioned she saw you in a dress and that you were probably working.”

“I’m covering for someone.” I didn’t want to get into how I offered and I’d rather be here than at home alone. “What brings you here? I haven’t seen much of you since my mess with the coven was fixed.”

“Yeah.” He shyly ran his hand over his hair and that worried me, Jared wasn’t the shy type. “I don’t want you to get mad at me.”

“But?” I knew the word was coming.

“But I was thinking and while I was thinking it felt like a good idea to stay away from you. I like you Evie and I know you know that. But what I realized with all that thinking is that we’re better as friends.” It felt like there was more he wanted to say, more he suspected but he kept those to himself.

I hadn’t expected those words to come from his mouth and yet I was relieved to hear them. “I’d like that, if we could be friends.” Lord knows I didn’t have many of them, it felt nice every once and a while to know someone was on your side.

He reached across the table and grabbed my hand. “You got it.” he smiled so beautifully I wondered for a split second if I was making a mistake by not taking a chance on him. Then I remembered my life and remembered he was better off without a dangerous screw up like me.

We spoke for a little while longer, he asked if everything was still ok concerning the coven and I explained to him that I was safe but something still felt like it was missing. I was trying to get back to my old routine only to find that my routine no longer fit me.