Loved by the Linebacker (13 page)

Chapter 21

Evan

I’ve
haven’t gone to sleep yet. It’s seven and I know Camila will be up any minute,
but I don’t know what I’m going to say. I believe Blake, anyone who heard him
would believe him. I asked Camila so many times, why wouldn’t she have just
told me the truth at some point? Sitting on the couch, my leg bounces from my
nerves and I continue to clench and unclench my fists. The bedroom door creaks
open and I hear her footsteps coming down the hallway.

“Mmm,
morning, baby,” Camila greets me, kissing my cheek before heading to the
kitchen.

She
moves around the kitchen without asking questions where anything is since she’s
the one that set everything up. She starts the coffee brewing then takes a seat
beside me on the couch. One arm wraps around my shoulder, while she nibbles on
my neck and I think I might be sick.

“I
missed you in bed last night,” she purrs into my ear.

As
always, my body reacts to her kisses and all the blood rushes between my legs.
I close my eyes, trying to concentrate on what I know and not what she’s doing.
Her hands move to my shoulders and she begins rubbing them.

“Your
shoulders are so tense—”

“Why
didn’t you tell me you fucked Blake?” There I said it. I turn to see her
reaction, or lack there of, as she falls back on the couch, not saying a word.
I raise my eyebrows. “Why? I asked you more than once, why didn’t you just tell
the truth?”

Camila
reaches out and takes my hand. “Evan, it was a long time ago, you were probably
still in high school.”

“So
you’ve never slept with him since you’ve been working as a sports agent?”

“Not
recently, maybe when we first started, but it was before I knew better.”

My
jaw clamps tightly. “Then why not tell me?”

Her
thumb rubs over the back of my hand, calming me although I don’t want it to.
“It doesn’t affect our relationship, Evan. There was no need to mention it.”

“He’s
my brother, Camila. I’d say sleeping with him does affect our relationship.”

She
sighs and pulls my hand to her lips. “Evan, please don’t make this into
something it’s not.”

“Do
you love him?” I move my head so that I can watch her closely.

Her
jaw opens and closes twice before she speaks. “Not like you think. You know
Blake and I are good friends.”

I
shake my head. “No, not like friends. Did you ever love him as more? Want him
to be your boyfriend? Your lover?”

She
doesn’t say no right away, she hesitates and I have my answer. Yanking my hand
out of her grasp, I rise and walk across the room. When I turn around, I point
to the door. “Get out,” I order.

Wearing
one of my old t-shirts, she jumps up and runs to me. “Come on, Evan. It’s not
like that, you’re the one I want now.”

I
scoff. “Yeah, now, but maybe you’ll drop Blake when his contract with you is
up. Then you two can pick up where you left off. I’m not going to be your
fuckin’ pawn, Camila. Get the fuck out of my place and out of my life.”

“Evan—”

“
Now
.”

I
walk into my bedroom, throw her clothes in her suitcase and toss the bag in the
hallway. Slamming the door behind me, I lock the door so Camila Lemos won’t see
the damage she’s done to me.

Camila

Dressed
in skinny jeans, red heels, and a burnout white t-shirt, I pull my suitcase on
it’s wheels behind me. I’m fighting the tears that are threatening to fall as I
walk the streets of Chicago and wait for Molly to pick up her phone.

“Hello?”
a voice on the other end of the line says.

“Molly!
Hey, it’s Camila. Sorry to call so early, is Blake with you?”

She
pauses before answering. “We had a fight last night and he left. If I had to
guess, he’s staying—”

“At
the Ritz,” we both say at the same time.

“Thanks,
Moll and I’m really sorry about the fight. I’m sure you two will patch it up
soon.”

She
scoffs. “Yeah, we’ll see. Later, Cam.”

I
hang up and hail a cab, telling the driver to take me to the Ritz Carlton.
Things make a little bit more sense now. Blake loves that woman more than life
itself, but their relationship is a bit of a Romeo & Juliet story.
Forbidden, star-crossed lovers with no hope of being together unless someone
sacrifices. Anytime the two of them fight, Blake goes on a drinking binge and
usually calls me trying to reminisce about our old relationship. He does this
because he’s afraid he’s going to be alone forever when Molly tells him they’re
done so he runs to me.

The
cabbie drops me off at the hotel and I don’t even ask for his room number.
Instead, I take the elevator heading to the very top of the building and his
usual room. When I arrive, I bang on his door, knowing he’s probably still
passed out from the night before. Sure enough, he answers the door in a pair of
boxers and a crazy mess of bedhead. Without saying a word, he lets me in and
walks back to bed.

I’m
not in the mood to play nice. Picking up one of his tennis shoes, I hurl it at
him. He jumps when I make contact and he throws back the sheets, sitting up and
glaring at me. “What the hell, Cam? Leave me alone, I’m hungover and feel like
shit.”

“Good
because you totally screwed me over with your brother. What the hell were you
thinking?”

Blake
blinks his eyes while I stand with my hands on my hips. Finally, he lies back
on the pillow. “I just told him the truth, he deserved to know.”

“Maybe
he did, but not from you.”

Blake
shrugs. “Too bad. Besides, you’re out of his league, Camila. You two will never
last.”

Rage
like I’ve never felt before floods my body and my blood pressure spikes. “It’s
not your decision, Blake, but you’re right, we won’t last because you ruined
it.”

I
spin on my heel and walk back across the room. Blake scrambles out of bed,
stepping in front of me and blocking my exit. “Come on, Cam. Evan will get over
it, you two will be fine.”

The
tears I’d been holding in are let loose and my shoulders shake as they do.
“You’re wrong, Blake. You pulled him away from me and now I’m alone, all alone…
again.”

Quickly,
I step around him, running to the lobby and jumping in a car, debating between
going back to Evan’s or the airport. In less than an hour, I’ve severed both my
relationships with the Purser brothers and I’m more alone than ever.

Chapter 22

Evan

“Honey,
can you bring me a Diet Coke?”

Her
voice is like nails on a chalkboard and it takes everything in me to not dump
the soda over her head. Instead, I hand the can to her and give the bubbly
blonde her drink.

“Oh,
sug, can you open it for me? I don’t want to ruin my manicure.”

Gritting
my teeth, I nod. “Of course, Jamie.”

I
pop the tab and hand it to her one more time. She kisses my cheek and mumbles
thanks. She’s watching some
Real Housewives
marathon so I sneak into the
bedroom and close the door. I reach in the nightstand and pull out the framed
picture of Camila and me.

The
morning she left, I decided to visit Navy Pier where I met Jamie. Her fake
double Ds drew me in and after she blew me on the ferris wheel, I decided to
invite her back to my place…and she hasn’t left since. That was a month ago.

Staring
at the picture, the ache in my heart that’s taken up residence gets stronger.
Jamie is pretty much the opposite of everything Camila. She’s needy, clingy,
and the sex isn’t even that great, but I need a distraction. I refuse to get
sucked into the game Camila and Blake enjoy playing. I’ve written them both off
and plan on keeping it that way. Jamie’s cackle floats in from the other room
and my stomach curdles.

It
only takes a few minutes, but for the second time since I’ve lived in this
apartment, I pack up my girlfriend’s shit and carry it to the living room.

“Sweetie?”
I call in a mocking tone.

“Yeah,
sug?” Jamie answers, not even looking at me.

“It’s
time for you to leave.”

She
mutes her show and stands up to face me. “What do you mean?”

“I
mean get the fuck out.”

Immediately,
big, fat crocodile tears appear and she gives a whole spiel about why we’re
meant to be together. Luckily, it’s only a few steps to the front door. I open
it for her, placing her suitcase in the hallway.

“You’re
fun, but I’m not looking for anything serious.”

The
tears disappear, Jamie sticks up her middle finger, and screams, “Fuck you!” as
I shut the door in her face. Finally, peace and quiet.

Walking
back to my room, the picture of Camila catches my eye and I sigh. Jamie might
be gone, but thoughts of Camila will never cease in my mind.

Camila

I
can hear Colie and Mia whispering behind me, but I don’t turn around. I lift my
wine glass in their direction. “I can hear you two so stop whispering and bring
more Twinkies.”

A
very pregnant Colie drops onto the couch beside me while Mia refills my wine
glass and sets an unopened box of Twinkies in front of me.

Mia
pats my leg. “We’re worried about you, Cam. You haven’t been yourself since…”

“Since
Evan found out I slept with his brother and wrote me off causing me to lose
both my lover and my best friend?”

Colie
lifts her shoulders up and down. “Well…yeah.”

Tearing
the wrapper off a Twinkie, I laugh and take a bite before washing it down with
wine. “Well, I haven’t been myself, because it really sucks.” I wipe the tear
trying to get out of my eye and whisper, “I miss Evan.”

“Have
you called him? Did you tell him that?” Colie interrogates.

I
shake my head. “It’s no use. I tried calling, even went back to his apartment
after I talked to Blake, but he won’t answer or see me.”

Mia
slides her arm around my shoulder. “It’s okay, Camila. I’m sure he feels the
same way, just give it time and he’ll come around.”

I
scroll through my phone until I find the pictures I’ve stared at for the past
two weeks. “I’m not so sure about that. Apparently, he’s already moved on.” I
show them the pictures of Evan and some busty blonde. I expected him to fall
back into his old habits, but not this. Not to start a relationship, to sleep
with a woman more than once.

The
tears fall down my cheeks and my heart hurts. Mia squeezes my shoulders while
Colie comments, “She looks like a bimbo! You have nothing to worry about,
Camila, he’ll be back.”

I
wipe the tears from my face and shake my head. “I don’t know, maybe I just need
to move on from the Purser brothers. Ugh!” I stand up, shaking my head. “I hate
being such a sap over a man. This isn’t me, this—”

“Means
you’re in love,” Mia finishes for me.

Colie
and I both look at her like she’s got a third eye. Laughing, I brush off her
comment. “It means I need to get my head back in the game and focus on my job.”
Yes, my job kept the men away all these years and it’s time I jump back into
it. Forget Evan and Blake Purser and focus on my career. Now, if only I can
push Evan out of my mind...