Ever: The Ever Trilogy, Book One (Volume 1) (40 page)

I was shocked when I saw them mixed in with the other, more average flowers. I grabbed a handful and brought them to the counter.

The florist’s eyebrows rose as she noticed my selection. Yeah, yeah, I know. Not your average choice. Well, this wasn’t your average girl.
What the hell?
Had I really just thought that? I shook my head and the florist looked back at her cash register, ringing me up without a word.

I was glad to avoid the common question that every florist asked when I bought flowers.

‘Someone special?’

Yeah, obviously. The question annoyed the hell out of me every time. I kind of liked this lady for not asking.

I drove back to my new street, a funny feeling in my gut. Like, nerves or something. The feeling reminded me of middle school—I mean, that’s the last time I could remember being nervous around a chick. Which meant only bad things now. I was actually nervous. I told myself it was just because Ariadne had burned me so bad, screwing up my life—
taking
it from me, really—and scaring me off chicks forever. I was just jaded now, and even more so than before. That’s why I felt like I was going to hurl. It was nothing more than bad past experiences with evil chicks.

Yeah.

I knocked on the door, then had the ridiculous inclination to turn around and run.
Get a grip, James!

After a few moments, I reached up to knock again, but the door opened, revealing—

Well, hello there, Mrs. Robinson.
Ever’s mom was smoking hot. I pulled my gaze down her body, then back up again, and just about cussed out loud when I came to her eyes.

Goddamn
yellow
eyes. This was too weird. I’d only seen eyes that pale of green one other time. The urge to run returned, coursing through my veins, and I had to push it away to force my feet to remain where they were.

Mrs. Robinson smiled brightly, and I shook my head, shock still rendering me speechless. Ariadne must have really screwed me up if I was suddenly seeing her in every woman I met.
You’re losing it, bro.

“Hi, can I help you?” She looked at the flowers in my hand and a small gasp escaped her mouth. She clamped her lips shut and tilted her head to the side. “Are you looking for Ever?”

I swallowed hard and willed myself to speak. This wasn’t Ariadne. Those eyes . . . Ever’s black hair . . . they were just creepy coincidences. Horrid coincidences, yes, but nothing more than that.

“Uh, yes, hi. I’m Toby. I just moved in with my um, my dad, next door. Is Ever home?”

“Toby. Hmm. She is, but she’s still asleep. She likes to take advantage of Saturday mornings.” Her grin widened as though we’d just shared a secret.

My secret was that I now pictured Ever sleeping, and my mind wandered to what she might be wearing. Did she sleep in those pink shorts she’d worn yesterday—the soft material stretching across her perfect hips—or did she sleep in something more daring? Something sexy in a completely different way?

Ever’s mom cleared her throat. “Toby? Are those for Ever?”

“Oh, sorry. Yes ma’am”—I also cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure; this awkward shit was so unlike me—”Would you mind giving them to her when she wakes up? And, let her know I came by?”

“Sure thing, Toby.”

I started to turn around; needing
another
cold shower to get my mind off what my new neighbor slept in, when her mom placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Toby?”

“Yes, ma’am?” I answered as I faced her again.

“Would you and your dad like to join us for dinner later? We’d love to welcome you to the neighborhood.”

Her question startled me, causing me to focus on the job once more. How was she inviting us over to dinner with
him
living here? Shouldn’t she be scared he’d show up and spook us? Unless . . . maybe, like so many people, she couldn’t or wouldn’t see the ghosts right in front of her.

And wow, could it possibly be this easy? Could I get in and get out without even having to date this girl who made me suddenly
want
to date?

“Oh, um, thank you, Mrs—”

“Van Ruysdael. Annabelle Van Ruysdael.”

“—Mrs. Van Ruysdael. We’ve got a lot of stuff to do today with moving and unpacking and all, but I’ll run home and check with my dad, if that’s all right?”

“Sure thing, Toby. Just come on back and let me know.”

“Will do. Oh, I almost forgot. These are for you.” I handed her the pastries I’d grabbed at the grocery store on my way back from the flower shop, then turned and strode back to the house.

Ted would be pleased—I’d gotten an invite inside already, and we hadn’t even been here an entire day.

“All set?” Ted asked as I walked in the front door.

Of course he was chomping at the bit to get to our little side job. I passed him, then went to the kitchen. “Yeah. All set. I’ll grab the keys to the U-Haul. Oh, and Ted? I almost forgot . . . we’re going next door for dinner tonight.” I smiled, waiting for Ted’s praise.

“Like hell we are.”

“What?” I turned around to face him—now standing inside the doorway to the kitchen, staring me down. I tilted my head to the side, waiting for further explanation.

“I said
like hell
. We’re not going over there tonight. That’s not the way we work.”

I scoffed. “You’re messing with me, right? You want in, and I got us in. And it took less than twenty-four hours. I’d say a
thank you
is in order. Maybe a gold star for my effort?”

“No. You’re role in this is to get to the daughter. Have you done that yet?”

I shook my head—this guy never ceased to amaze me. Why the hell didn’t he want to just go in there, get the ghost, and move the hell on? I shook my head again, still stunned by this confusing turn of events. “No, I didn’t
get to the daughter
yet. But her mom’s a total milf.”

Ted closed the distance between us in two long strides, eyes narrowed and chest heaving with each breath he took. I jumped back, startled by his quick movement and obvious anger.

“Whoa, Ted, what the hell?”

“Don’t speak that way about—”

“What?”
Is he serious? Why is he so pissed?

“Just . . .” Ted took a deep breath, and I watched as his fingers slowly uncurled. “Just don’t speak that way about someone’s mother, all right?”

The hell?

“You okay there, Ted? You seem a little agitated. I just said she’s hot, bro. No harm, no foul. You’re beginning to make me think that psycho daughter of yours isn’t the only nutjob in this family.”

His eyes narrowed in on me one more time before he reached out to snatch the truck keys from my hand.

“I’ll forget you just said that,
son
. Let’s go.”

He stormed out of the kitchen and right out the front door.

“Someone needs a Xanax,” I muttered as I grabbed my leather jacket, then followed him out, locking the door behind me.

A
As Sunday dragged on, I wondered if I’d ever been so bored in my life. Ted was gone, which meant I had the house to myself but also meant it was quiet and dull. I could have used his banter for entertainment, and frankly, I wanted to see what might cause him to take another trip on the crazy train. Clearly, I was right in my assessment that his psycho daughter hadn’t fallen too far from the tree.

I was restless and . . . where the hell was Ever, anyway?

I couldn’t stop looking outside to see if her ugly old Honda was parked in her driveway yet. She’d been gone all morning, since before I even woke up, and I carried this stupid feeling of disappointment all day.

Turned out she wasn’t much for sleeping in on
Sundays
, just Saturdays.

After repositioning myself on the couch for the hundredth time, I finally got fed-up and went to shower and change my clothes. Again.

I was becoming a chick.

I showered quickly, not wanting to miss her if she came home, threw on a clean black t-shirt, black jeans, and my leather jacket, then went outside around three o’clock. I didn’t know where she was, but she’d have to come home sooner or later.

I hoped.

Otherwise, I’d just be the creepy new neighbor who lurked around all afternoon.

I didn’t have to wait long. Within a few minutes, her Honda turned the corner of our street, and I became annoyed when I realized the quickening of my pulse was for her. This was stupid. I shouldn’t be excited to see her. She was just a chick. Just a job. I’d be gone in a few weeks, charming my way into some other poor soul’s house.

But
damn
if there wasn’t something about those big brown eyes.

I leaned back against the tree in Ever’s yard and tried my best to ignore the excitement I felt at the sight of her. An obnoxious pink v-dub pulled up behind her, blocking her Honda in the driveway. Ever’s gaze flicked from me, then down the street, then back at me, then to the car blocking her escape. When her gaze met mine once more, she gnawed on her bottom lip, pulling my focus to her mouth and my immense desire to kiss her.

Her cheeks flushed, as if she’d followed my thoughts, and I almost laughed.

“Hey,” I said, closing the distance between us.

Her eyes widened as I approached, and I looked her over from behind my dark sunglasses. She wore an old black wife-beater and cut-off purple sweats. Sweats! And she looked
good
in them. What kind of girl could look good in ratty old cut-off sweatpants? It was crazy, but she looked adorable.

The hell? Adorable?
I needed to get a grip.

“Um, hi,” she said, as she wound her hand in her tangled hair. Her clothes were soaking wet, and I couldn’t hide the smile that pulled at my lips. Something about her shyness made me want to tease her, see if I could get her to blush even more.

I hadn’t noticed her friend until now, but glancing up as she approached, I realized she’d definitely noticed me. She was dressed in head-to-toe pink—like Barbie . . . if Barbie was covered in Pepto-Bismol—short blonde hair framed her face, and bright blue eyes sized me up, but her smile was what caught my eye. She was definitely hot, but I’d never really had a thing for sporty-looking chicks. Curvy girls were more my thing. Which brought my attention back to Ever.

I scanned Ever’s face, catching the way she watched her friend warily, which made my smile grow. She gave the girl this warning look—the one chicks give each other when they’re trying to be secretive. Like we can’t see them doing it or something.

Pinky came at me, hand extended and that knockout smile stretching her pink lips over perfect white teeth. I could tell she was the type of girl that guys didn’t refuse. She’d probably never heard the word ‘no’ in her life.

“Hi there! I’m Jessica Lynn Smith—Ever’s
best
friend—but you can call me Jessie. And
you
are?”

Ever hadn’t talked about me? Ha. Somehow I doubted that. Well played though, Pinky. Well played.

“Hey, I’m Toby. I just moved in next door.”

“Toby . . . ?”

“James. Toby James.”

“Fantastic! Well,
Toby James
, Ever was just telling me how much she’d
love
to show you around.”

Bingo.
Of course she’d talked about me.

Ever gasped, slamming her mouth shut as soon as the sound escaped, but I caught it. I also couldn’t miss that flush of red on her cheeks. Damn I liked that.

I liked
her
.

“Wouldn’t you, Ev?” her friend prompted. Ever’s face flushed three shades darker, and she shook her head gently from side to side, a movement I would have missed had I not been so intently watching her.

Pinky giggled as she walked backward into the house, and I waited for an excruciatingly long time for Ever to speak.

“So, um, thanks for the flowers. How did you know they were my favorite?”

Her favorite?
“I didn’t.”

She tilted her head. “Hmm, well, they’re not really your run-of-the-mill daisies, so I guess I just thought it was strange, but . . . .” She paused, clearly waiting for me to say something, but I was as surprised as she was. My flower choice was unique—I already knew that—but the chance of anemones being her favorite . . . that was just too perfect.

“Well, um, thanks,” she said finally.

“Sure.”

Ever’s gaze roamed my body, and it was all I could do not to pull her to me. She was so curious, almost unabashedly—I just wanted to give her what she wanted.

What I wanted.

Shit.

“You’re all wet,” I said, trying to chase the desire out of my head.
This is a job,
I reminded myself.
A job. A job. A job.

Ever’s eyes widened slightly, and I wondered where her mind had taken that assessment. I tilted my head to the side, watching her, and waiting for some sort of response. But none came.

She reached up to smooth her messy ponytail-thing, tangling her car keys in the mass of wet, black hair, and I couldn’t help but smile. I looked down, unable to keep my eyes away from her chest, and noticed the nametag she wore.