Without a Doubt (18 page)

Catherine gasps, intentionally being overly dramatic. “You are full of drama today! What happened with Glen?”

“He stopped by Sunday when I was working. I asked him if something new happened with Kelly because he seemed weird when Emerson came up in conversation. He told me he hadn't heard of anything new. I haven't asked him yet, but I think he lied to me.” We start walking into the classroom, so I lower my voice. “I had sex with Emerson after that. Not that I regret it, but I know I would have held off longer had Glen told me Emerson talked to her. I just...don't like being lied to and knowing certain outcomes would be different had I known the truth.”

“Do you really think Glen would be more loyal to Emerson than you?” Catherine asks as our instructor walks into the room.

I shrug because I don't know. I wouldn't think so, but now I doubt it. Before our instructor begins, I send a text to Glen asking if he could meet me for lunch. His response is quick, even though I know he's in class right now.

Glen: Sure thing.

For the first time ever, I'm nervous about seeing my own cousin. All I can think about during class is what am I going to do if Glen lied to me? I'm wound up so tight after class that I decide I don't want to wait until lunch. I call him the moment I make it back to my dorm.

“What's up, Eva?”

“Did you know she called him?” I blurt out. Glen doesn't say anything for ten seconds. “Glen! I'm your cousin! I come first!”

“Eva, calm down a damn second. You do come first.”

“Then why didn't you tell me when I asked? You lied,” I interrupt. God, I can't believe him.

“Emerson did tell me, okay? I lied, but I had good reasons. Don't you think I grilled him about the phone call? If I didn't believe what Emerson told me, which I'm assuming is the same as whatever he's told you now, then I would've told you. It was one quick phone call. You've been as concerned as I have since you started seeing him. Why would I want to get you all worried when it was practically nothing?”

“Because one phone call turned into two!” I snap.

“What?” Glen asks surprised.

Quickly, I fill him in on what happened and how Emerson came to tell me. “I could have been prepared. I can't believe you would choose him over me.”

“I didn't! I've been looking out for you, Eva, and I made my decision based on what I thought was best for you.”

“You still lied.”

“About something you weren't even supposed to know about!” he shouts, fully frustrated with me now.

Ugh, I hate when he has a point. “I have to go.” I hang up without another word.

I don't understand Glen's reasoning over not telling me. Would it have been different had I not directly asked him? Would I be so upset if I hadn't slept with Emerson the very same day he lied? I think that's what's bothering me the most. Sex is a big deal for me. I want to feel comfortable with the person. I want to feel somewhat sure about where things are going. And I kind of feel like my process was screwed with in making that next big step. I don't regret it, I really don't, but I wish I had known.

Maybe it's better that I didn't.

ALL WEEK I'VE been paying close attention to everything involving Eva. I feel like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting to see if she's going to push me off or drag me back to safety. So far, everything seems pretty normal. Kelly hasn't called again. Eva hasn't asked about her. Life almost feels normal. The normal where the situation with Kelly is back to being a chip on my shoulder while I date someone other than her. Eva, in this case.

Today is Football Sunday, and I plan to forget about everything but football, Eva, and my friends. Everyone is already here except Glen.

“Anyone want a beer?” Eva asks, opening my fridge, which is fully stocked right now. A chorus of “Me!” comes from the living room. “Can y'all be any more typical?” she asks me as she grabs the bottles and passes some to me.

“Can you grab me one?”

We both turn to see Glen.

“Nope,” Eva says, letting the fridge close with a thud. She takes the beers and delivers them to the five guys in my living room.

Glen shakes his head. “One thing you should know about Eva is she holds a grudge.”

“I do not,” she calls out.

“What's going on with y'all?” I ask.

He shrugs. “I pissed her off.”

Before I can ask what he did, Eva returns to the kitchen and stands next to me. “I don't hold grudges.”

“Yes, you do, but it's okay. I've brought my peace offering.” He pulls a bag of cookies from behind his back and offers them to her. “Drove all the way home for Aunt Beth's oatmeal cookies.”

Eva gasps, snatching them from his hands. “You got my mom to bake cookies for me?”

He nods, glancing at me. “Offering something like that, which is her favorite dessert her mom makes, helps speed up the process. Take notes, Emerson.” He grins as Eva moves around the bar to hug him.

“Thanks, Glen. I stopped being mad at you way before now, but this makes me love you even more.” She turns to me. “Can I borrow your bedroom for a second?” When I nod, she asks Glen, “Can I talk to you?”

They disappear into my bedroom. The game will start in a few minutes, so I find a seat on the couch. The guys, Ollie, Quinn, Paul, Curt, and Orlando, are discussing the match up tonight. Two are on the bar stools from my kitchen, one took a spot on the floor, and the other two brought their own seats. The couch seems to have been reserved for Glen, Eva, and me. The only three I originally knew were Curt, Ollie, and Orlando. The other two are Glen's friends. Now, we're all pretty much friends. Well, acquaintances, really. The main reason we get together is to watch football on my TV.

Eva and Glen return as the game begins. Eva settles in next to me and I lay an arm around her shoulders.

“Who are you rooting for? Red team or blue team?” Eva asks.

Glen groans. “Don't start that crap, Eva.” He says to me, “She knows the teams. Don't let her fool you. She just likes to refer to them by color or who has the hottest quarterback.”

“Only because it annoys the hell out of you. Makes it fun.” She shrugs and I laugh.

“I'm rooting for the red team,” I tell her. “Who are you rooting for?”

A slow smile lifts her lips. “The blue team. Their quarterback is hot.”

I laugh and Glen shakes his head at her. Conversation flows between all of us guys while Eva remains relatively quiet. The pizzas we order come about midway through the first quarter. I've never seen Eva this quiet and it's weird. It's not until the third period when we're arguing about what play the red team might go with next that Eva speaks.

“They should kick because if they go with the other option, they won't convert.”

All eyes turn to her.

“The kicker has been sucking all game,” Curt says.

Eva rolls her eyes. “If they want to win, they need to kick. They're going to try and go up the middle like they have been all game. That obviously isn't working too well considering they're losing and never make it far. If they want the point, they need to kick. And he missed once.”

The guys start talking over one another as they argue about why she's wrong. Glen is the only one who hasn't voiced his opinion, and I don't because I agree with Eva. If I were to say so, they would think it's because she's my girlfriend and not because she made a good point. They get quiet as the play starts. They're going for the conversion. Eva's already smirking. Just as she said, they try to go down the middle and don't make it one yard when they had two to go.

“Told ya,” she grins.

Glen laughs. “She's a chick who doesn't care for the game, but she pays attention and knows her shit.”

“So, if y'all would quit talking and pay attention, you would have known I was right,” Eva adds. “That play will cost them the game. Just watch.”

She doesn't like football, but damn. When she talks about it and knows what she's talking about, I wish she loved it. Eva catches me staring at her as conversation resumes. She leans in even more to whisper.

“You look as if you want to do dirty things to me.”

“I do. A girl talking sports is always hot.”

Eva grins. “Sucks for you that I don't like it. I don't think I'll fulfill whatever fantasy you have of me wearing a football jersey.”

“All right, all right,” I chuckle. She takes the pillow from next to me, lays it in my lap, and lies down with her head in my lap and her feet in Glen's. “Don't fall asleep,” I warn. “I'll leave you on the couch.”

Eva rolls her eyes at me before getting comfortable. It's great to know she takes my threats seriously. But then, she knows as well as I do that she won't be sleeping on the couch even if she falls asleep. Before when she's fallen asleep, there was only the TV on in the background. Before the fourth quarter is over, she's sound asleep even though we're all talking. I guess sound isn't an issue for her.

Everyone groans when the team we're all rooting for loses. If Eva had been awake, I wonder if she would gloat. Not long after the game ends, the guys leave.

“I'm going to hit the road. If Eva needs a ride back to campus, I can take her,” Glen offers.

I shake my head. “She's staying here tonight anyway. Are you two okay?”

“Yeah. We're family. There's nothing I could do that she wouldn't forgive me for.” He pauses. “Hey, Emerson?”

“Yeah?”

“I'm glad you told her.”

I glance down at Eva because I hadn't yet told Glen that Eva knew about Kelly, which means she told him. “Was she mad because she found out you knew about Kelly and didn't tell her when she started seeing me?”

“No. I told her and I'll tell you; y'all can talk to me about each other, but I'm not intervening unless I think it's what's best for Eva. I'm sure you already figured out my loyalty is with her. Anyway, I'm glad you told her and for both of you, I hope Kelly doesn't become a problem.” He looks at Eva and I know that most, if not all, of what he's telling me is for her benefit in the end. “I'm heading out.” He lifts her feet and stands without waking her. “Let me know when you want to hit up Smitty's this week.”

“Will do.”

And then there were two. I shake Eva's shoulder and say, “Eva, wake up.” I needed the bathroom an hour ago. She grumbles, but otherwise makes no motion to wake up. “At least let me get up.” I can't help laughing when she glares at me as she sits up. When I return, she's groggy still. “Come on, sunshine. Let's go to bed.”

“I love when you call me that,” she mumbles.

I smile and crouch before the couch. “Want me to carry you to bed?”

“You're so sweet, too.” Eva sighs a little dreamily, which means she's waking up. “I'll carry myself. Go on and I'll meet you there.”

“Okay.” I kiss her forehead and then go on my way. She has until I change my clothes for me to hear her moving around or I'm going to get her myself. I begin to change, shedding the shirt and pants for a pair of sweats. I hear a toilet flushing, so looks like I won't have to carry her to bed. She enters the room as I'm climbing into bed. I watch her go to her bag, grab some pajamas, and begin to change at the foot of the bed.

“Who won the game?” Eva asks.

“Blue team.”

“Not surprised.”

My eyes are glued to her body as she takes off all her clothes first. She's standing in only underwear as she removes her bra. Her curves are begging for my hands to glide down them. Her hanging, heavy breasts are desperately waiting to be cupped in my hands. My mouth is dry with need to taste every inch of her body.

Her shirt slipping over her chest snaps me out of my thoughts. What were we talking about again? A few seconds go by as Eva shimmies into her pair of pajama pants before I remember. Football. “Now I know why you aren't a sports fan.”

Eva climbs into bed next to me. “Why is that, Emerson?”

“You don't gloat. I thought everyone gloated.”

“I would if it was something I cared about. Like if we made a bet and I won, I'd gloat for days. Maybe even weeks.” I laugh, but abruptly stop when she casually asks, “How many girls have you slept with?”

I stare dumbfounded at her. It's been a little while since Eva asked me a question out of the blue. However, I don't think there could ever be a time when I wouldn't be caught off guard by such a question.