𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒆, 𝒊𝒏 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆

2. I'm not Eve.

𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍

I'll reap that pretty smile off your face once you see my flush pretty boy.
As I pushed my marks in accepting his bet, I saw James, rushing towards me.
"Cops are here, we got to go" he whispered in my ear and took some steps back checking the back entrance and nodded back at me.
"Pretty girl you still playing?" he asked me and I took a look at my cards. That perfect royal flush that I got for the first time and I can't play it.
"Lucky for you, fold" I said taking my stuff and got up without a second to waste. I followed James to the back door where the stuff only is allowed to use and we both got out finding our way to the car noticing the police truck almost next to us. What happened and they had to get a truck or whatever?
"You ruined my first royal flush" I told him and he sighed getting off the parking lot with the car as many other people did.

"Maybe we should stay and talk with the cops, shall we?" he said and I put on his jacket.
"Did you see that guy? I haven't seen him again" I said and he chuckled.
"Yes, I did see him and how he was eating you with his eyes"

"He was?" I wondered and he laughed.
"You were so focused on the role that you didn't even notice that?"

"I noticed his dark eyes that were like black, not how they were looking at me"

"Ashley, you can't..." he said leaving the sentence half but i knew exactly his tone and what he was about to say.
"I can't what?" I asked as if I didn't know that glance, he gave me.
"I didn't say I would. You know I want, when the time comes, to be special with someone special" I told him reassuring him that I would not fuck that gorgeous man. Gorgeous, sexy, irresistible man. Because it's simple as that, he can't possibly be that special someone.
"Yes, but I also know you're horny as fuck. Don't ruin our game. We have gain almost two million, let us make it whole, you can play your cut then, not mine" he said and I pouted. He is right.
"Well, we have exams this week"

"I'm well aware, did you start studying yet?"

"Yes, my sleep is not good lately so I study instead of looking at the ceiling, wondering when will I fall asleep"

"Do you take your pills?" he asked me and I nodded. That was a lie, because almost every night when we're at the casino I have champagne and that can't be mixed up with my pills. But I guess I have a week to reform my sleep schedule before I ruin it again. James left me home and drove to his. I got in knowing that I will be alone since my aunt is working the night shift and stood against the door taking off my heels. These things are killers for the feet.

"Hello miss" I heard her voice and almost fell if it wasn't for the door handle to hold myself. The lights turned on and I saw my aunt, looking at me with her arms crossed.
"Where were you at this time? Why are you dressed like that and how long have you been sneaking out behind my back?"
Oh, she is furious.

"I can explain" I said and she shook her head.
"You certainly will. But that, doesn't change the fact that you're grounded!" she shouted and it made my ear ring. Oh, fuck me.

"Can I at least go change?"

"No, you cannot! Sit down" she said pointing the couch so I listened to her.
"Now, speak!"

"If I tell you the truth, can you promise me that you will leave James out of it?" I asked her with a guilty smile and she crossed her arms again.
"I'll think about it"

"We were at a casino" I said and her mouth dropped open.
"Ashley Carolina Jay-White, you did what?" she yelled saying my whole name and I knew nothing could save me from her at this point.
"James and I are going to casino for a month now, almost every night" I blew out the sentence as I did with my breath and she sat across me on the coffee table.
"Jesus Christ, Ashley, you are seventeen!"

"Ashley is, Eve Gallahan isn't" I said casually and opened my bag putting the packs of money on the side on the couch in order to show her the fake identity James made, well with some help from me.
"What are those?" she whispered; her voice got lost in sight of the money.
"My earnings from tonight, well half of it is mine"

"Tonight. Just tonight's?"

"Yep" I said popping the P as I like to do and she ran her fingers through her hair.
"Where is the rest?" she asked me calm with a twisted smile on her face.
"In one of the empty bags I have in my closet" I told her and she got up rushing to my room. She looked through the bags and when she found the one, she took it out and sat on my bed.
"How much?"

"One million and forty grand, without tonight's" I said and her eyes widened so much I didn't know they could. She patted the bed calling me to come next to her and I went. Not sure why she is so calm but I'll take it.
"Why did you do something so reckless and stupid? I'd say you need the money but baby you already have a fortune quadruple the amount of this"

"Yes, I do and it's locked for another year. And you, are giving half of your salary to pay for my fucking pills, which I need anew, again" I said pissed at her for even thinking that i do not give a damn about her well-being. And being nervous about paying bills is not something I want for her.
"Baby, your health matters most to me"

"And you matter most to me. So, we're even"

"Well, I'm keeping these"

"Okay, but can I just give James his cut? You can keep mine and do whatever you want, I wasn't going to keep the whole of it for myself"

"Okay fine, he can have his cut. But you are grounded for the next week. School and right back here. Without James, you won't see him out of school, you'll take your car to go and return right here" she said and I frowned, but I knew that I could focus on my exams that way.
"Okay. Deal"

"It's not a deal young lady, you can't talk me out of it" she said and I shook my head...

★☆★☆★

"What? Wasn't she supposed to work?" he asked me shocked and I nodded.
"She changed her swift with someone else. So yeah..." I said to him while walking to my locker.
"But Ash, that's not fair, you gave me the cut that I was supposed to have, when you had the same amount"

"It's okay, we will get even in the future" I told him with a promising smile, that last Friday, wasn't our last time in the casino.
"Good luck" he told me and I smiled wishing him the same as we parted to go and write our exams. It took me whole two hours two finish up and when I did, relieved I got out of that stressful room and went to the library taking my journal on the table along with my black pen.

Dear mini me, I wasn't able to catch up with you for the latest of events because of my lack of time. Fucking exams. But here I am stealing some time from studying to write. So, Friday went well, our game with James is currently paused because my aunt discovered us. That was not pretty to be honest. But what was pretty, was that man that I saw for the first time in the casino. Pretty boy, I called him, and I meant it. He was heartbreakingly handsome. But I was too focused on the game to notice him some more. How I regret that... Though I know, I got his attention, I'm sure of that. And I hate it that I can't go to the casino to see if he will be there again. Call me crazy mini me, but I think if I had spent some more time with him, I would have given him my number. And that would be a stupid thing to do. Because I'm not Eve. But I would definitely let him know her.

I was writing those words with his image in my head, living rent free these days and that thought, the thought of him, always gives me chills. But I guess James is right. I'm too horny to think straight....
_