Evie Finally, I made it. After four years of being the perfect student, I finally made it across that stage. The graduation party rages all around me. People are dancing, and singing, and cheering as they all let loose. Not that any of them took notice of me. I tend to stay out of the spotlight. I had been so excited to receive this invitation. Timothy Hayes himself had personally invited me to this party. It’s my first house party ever. And word had it that Timothy’s house parties were notorious for being crazy and fun. Everyone at school was fighting over getting an invitation. The boys flipped coins. Girls sharpened their manicured nails, getting ready to claw their way to Timothy’s side. It made sense. He was the hottest guy in school. “Hey, Evie, I just need one last signature for my yearbook,” I slowly lift my chin to meet the hazel eyes of the only boy I would have risked it all for. Timothy Hayes. “You’re my final signature.” “I don’t have a pen on me,” I say awkwardly. He shrugs. “I have one in my room. Come on,” he urges, taking my hand and pulling me up the stairs to his room. Now, everything has changed. There, laying beside me, was Timothy. My immediate instinct was to scream. But I bite my tongue and cover my face in the pillows. When I finally gathered my control, I sit up looking around the room. My clothes had been scattered wildly across the floor. I look down at myself. I had slept in his jersey. The number 9 was boldly printed on the front with a picture of our school mascot, the bulldog. But the night was over and I had to go home. Slipping out of the room, with my clothes in hand, I make a break for the front door and back to my house. ** A few days passed and that night was all I had been thinking about. Timothy had chosen me. It felt so good to be seen by him. My eyes haven’t left that jersey. I should give that back. It probably means a lot to him. So I headed downstairs and started my short walk around the neighborhood. I wondered how he would react to me showing up at his door. I hoped he would be happy to see me, considering how he came to me. As I approached his house, I noticed a few cars parked in his driveway. Those cars belonged to his friends. Loud laughter came from the back of the house. I couldn’t help but want to listen in to their conversation. It was too tempting. Tip-toeing around the side, I got close to the white-painted gate. “I can’t believe you did that,” one says laughing. “You have guts, my man.” “Nah,” Timothy sighed heavily. “She definitely had some potential.” “Still, Evie Sinclair? Isn’t she like a shut-in? Everyone knew that she didn’t care about any boys, except for the damn books.” “Shut up,” Timothy laughed. “It wasn’t that bad.” One of them blew a raspberry. “Whatever you say. You followed through on the deal, so I’ll let you take the bike.” There was a deal. My chest suddenly felt constricted. “Here’s to getting all the girls ‘signatures’,” one of his friends laughs. “Hey,” Timothy argues. “It worked didn’t it. I slept with her.” Oh, god. I felt sick. I stumble back to the front yard, tears blurring every inch of my vision. I couldn’t be seen here. I have to leave before I humiliate myself any further. I throw his jersey on the front steps of his porch and make an attempt to run, but my legs were barely working. It feels like my body had been stripped of any structure it had. I was nothing but a puddle on the ground waiting for the next person to step on me. “Evie?” I stop dead in my tracks, gathering every bit of strength I had left. “What is it?” “I didn’t think you’d drop by–” “I was just returning your jersey,” I say calmly, turning around to face him finally. “You’re welcome to borrow it any time,” he smirks playfully. I had to force myself to look away. I hated him. He had used me. “What happened the other night can’t happen again,” I say firmly. “I had fun, but–” “But?” His question hung in the air between us. “But I have to focus on my goals,” I spoke quietly. “And you have your professional career to think about. I think it’s best that we leave it as a one time thing. We both got what we wanted from each other. Right?” He frowns at her. “What do you mean?” My jaw tightens, teeth grinding against each other. “Bye, Timothy,” I whisper shakily, and I walked away. Every step was torture. Every breath was shallow and fast. I wish the ground would just swallow me whole right about now. The way home felt like it took years. It made it worse that I saw my stepbrother’s car sitting in the driveway. I swallow hard and head inside. “You look terrible,” he snorts, immediately as I enter the living room. “Your boyfriend dumped you right?” I shook my head. “He wasn’t my boyfriend,” I whisper. Bruce chokes on his laughter. “You’re telling me that you slept with some random and took his jersey?” “Leave it, Bruce,” I snap angrily, bitter tears starting to fill my eyes. “Aw,” he pouts. “He broke your heart. You gave it up didn’t you.” “Bruce,” I beg. “Stop–” “God, you’re so stupid,” he laughs. “All these academic awards and you’re still too dumb to recognize when a dude is using you.” I didn’t want to hear him demean me further. I sprint up the stairs as fast as I could, practically tripping on the way up. But he just keeps flinging insults at me. He was right. It was stupid of me to believe a word that boy had said. He was notorious for his acquisitions. His friends were too. And I had just gotten so caught up in the fantasy that someone would actually like me, that I refused to see the signs. Locking the door, I finally allow myself to break. I couldn’t stop the tears from falling down my face as the heartbreak really sets itself in. Six Years Later Work was busy again. It was a Wednesday night at the hottest restaurant in the city. Waiters and waitresses whizzed around the tables with their trays of drinks and food. I was exhausted after a long day of trying to get clients for my internship, but I had to pick this shift up to get the last of my month’s rent. Behind the long elegant bar, a couple tvs were tuned into some sports events. I didn’t pay any attention to who was playing or what sport it was, until a man asked for the channel to be changed. “Put on the Thunderbolt game. I hear we have a chance at the Stanley cup,”he says proudly. Out of sheer curiosity, I looked up at the screen as it changed. Right then, the camera changed and a face I swore I’d never lay eyes upon again popped on the screen. Of course, it was the infamous Timothy Hayes. The hot rising star that everyone is watching right now. Except me. Anger burned through me again. I still hated myself for being so naive about him. Get a grip, Evie. I had bigger things to worry about. Like saving my money and surviving this job and my internship at the law firm. Not Him.
Evie The night went on and I continued setting tables for a private event set for this evening. It was a nice little break from the constant stream of guests that would come through. It was hard to tune out the highlight reels of the Thunderbolts Captain being the leading scorer in the league and becoming the rookie of the year. How some people manage to become that successful amazes me. He must be the city’s favorite little hockey star. I hummed quietly to myself as I moved around the dining room. “Waitress,” a woman’s shrill voice squawked. “Waitress!” My head snaps up at the signal. “I’m so sorry, mam,” I apologize carefully. “What can I do for you?” “Well, for starters, why don’t you actually serve me,” she scolds. “I have been sitting here for ten minutes trying to get your attention!” I looked around. My eyes were starting to turn towards where I stood. “Absolutely, mam,” I stammer. “What can I get you?” “I need a drink, but everyone in here seems to be too distracted by the craziness outside,” she says with a huff. I looked down at her glass. “What kind of wine would you like?” “Your most expensive bottle. Make it snappy,” she orders sharply. “Anything else?” “I have a super important guest coming. Bring two glasses,” she muttered. I flashed a smile. “I’ll be right back with your drinks,” I say with forced cheerfulness. God, people like this make me furious. I grab the bottle of wine and bring two glasses back out to the table. The woman watched me with cold eyes as I popped open the bottle and poured her a glass. “Anything—“ The sudden splash of fragrant red wine over my face shut me up quick. The entire restaurant went silent. “Did that finally get your attention,” she laughed smugly. “That’s for being incompetent and ruining our night.” “Stella, that’s enough,” a male voice said angrily, coming beside me. “Are you not embarrassed by treating another human being like this?” “Ugh, but baby, it’s our night. I bought out the restaurant just for celebrating your win,” Stella pouted innocently. “We can do what we want. Isn’t that right,” she looked at my name badge, “Evie?” The man froze – He is Timothy !! I once again lost any and all ability to speak. “I— uh—“ “See? She’s fine,” Stella smirked. “I’d go get yourself cleaned, sweetie, before that stains.” I quickly nodded, running off to the bathroom and locking myself in a stall. Forcing myself to take deep breaths, it brought me back to the torment of high school. It was brutal how some kids were just able to rip into their peers’ self esteem like it was nothing. A few minutes later, I finally managed to calm myself down and I stepped back onto the floor. My manager switched me sections after learning about my run in, and the rest of my shift went fairly smoothly. At least I made good tips tonight. Maybe it was the pity of the entire restaurant that filled my pockets. They all felt bad for the girl who got wine thrown in her face. I throw my apron into the dirty bin and grab my bag, throwing it tiredly over my shoulder. Without a single word, I head out the back of the restaurant and onto the street. Some jerkoff was zooming down the street in some crazy expensive sports car. “Wait!” I spun around. There behind the wheel of that crazy sports car, sat the one and only Timothy Hayes. He was as attractive as ever with those hazel eyes of his and his chestnut hair. His face, though still youthful, had matured in all the best ways. His cheeks were toned and his jaw sharp and peppered with stubble. Could this night get any worse? “You’re not Evie Sinclair, are you?” I picked up the pace. “Just hold on a minute,” he shouts quickly. “I know you. I swear I’ve seen you before.” I ignored him again. “Can I at least give you a ride,” he offered hopefully. Just then, the heel of my shoe slips right between the grate on the sidewalk, snapping it from beneath me. Stumbling forward, I hear a car door open quickly and hurried footsteps approaching. Nevermind. This night could get so much worse. “Here,” he says, stabilizing me gently. “I got you.” It’s been six years, and I still had never forgotten the feel of his hands on my body. Heat burned throughout every single inch of me. Some was rage. But the rest? That was the left over desire to have him. I still was unable to get rid of that. As much as I tried to forget about that night and the devastation it brought me, I couldn’t lie to myself and say that I hated it. He was too good to be that delusional about it. But I wouldn’t let him get me this time. He would not use me like that again. I quickly push him off me. “I’m fine,” I snap. “Get off me.” It was too much to bear the way he looked at me just then, like he didn’t understand the reason for my cold reaction towards him. My chest became tight again. “Good luck on your next game,” I whisper hoarsely, kicking off my shoes and sprinting to catch the arriving bus just at the corner. I make one last glance over my shoulder. He was just standing there. Even from this distance I could see the hurt in his eyes. But he had hurt me first. I tried not to feel bad. He didn’t deserve my kindness or my forgiveness. This was only a sliver of what I wanted him to feel. And if I ever run into him again, I hope I’m much more prepared to dig that knife in deeper. How was I this unlucky to have run into him on such a bad day? I was not prepared to say my piece. There were so many things to say that I had no strength to even begin tonight. I am still not ready to open that can of worms. I still have to face my own issues and earn my internship status. I still have to become the top tier lawyer I have always dreamed about. I have too much to deal with to worry about Timothy Hayes now. So I went home, heated up a cup of ramen, popped open a bottle of wine, and tried to forget about him. It didn’t really work, but at least I tried. That was all that mattered. Right? In the morning, I’d have to keep my head focused on my goals. I’d have no room to still be worried about the boy who broke my heart.
Evie The boss had called me into his office this morning. Dread settled in my stomach as I stepped inside and Jasper was standing there too. “Miss Sinclair,” he says simply. “Mister Morgan. I called you both in here to discuss a rather important matter. I can’t have two interns. One of you will be let go.” I bristle at his statement. “The one I keep here has to demonstrate a knowledge of client acquisition that exceeds our expectations for interns. Whoever brings me the next big client will receive the role here in this office. The other will have to go.” Jasper chuckles smugly beside me. “Certainly, sir,” he says. “Excellence in everything, isn’t that right, Evie?” My nails bit into my palms as anger started boiling over. “Absolutely,” I say, feigning sweetness. “I expect to see your client portfolios in three days,” our boss said. “I look forward to seeing what you guys bring to the table.” As soon as we step outside his office, Jasper began his trash talk again. “Prepare to lose, Evie,” he says with a smirk. “I won’t lose,” I say proudly. “Don’t lie to yourself,” he snorts. “I know you have zero prospects. It must be hard being you.” “Oh yea? What do you have that I don’t,” I ask, folding my arms. “My family owns the largest shipping company in the world,” he says plainly, picking at his nails. “That’s a cowards way out,” I snort. “It doesn’t matter,” he said quickly, a grin plastered on his face. “A client is a client. It’s not about what you know, but about who you know. It won’t matter how smart you are when you show up with nothing. I hold it all in the palm of my hand.” I felt my stomach drop. I hated when he was right. Jasper was second on my list of most hated people I knew. Which means he was first place loser. How fitting. “It might be better for you to just give up,” he says, lowering his tone. “It’s obvious you don’t belong here. You’d never understand how to deal with the one percent. I mean, look at you. You taped your heels.” My jaw tightens. “Your attempts at scaring me are childish at best. I’d suggest you focus on your clients.” I strode back to my cubicle, aware of how my heel wobbled beneath me. I cursed, feeling embarrassed creep onto my face. God, I was so out of my league. It felt like I dropped right into the deep end without my floaties. I didn’t let his words deter me. I kept reaching out and searching for the client of my boss’s dreams. I just had to keep looking. As the day came to a close, I felt my first wave of defeat. Not a single bite. It was like no one would come near me with a ten foot pole. I would suspect sabotage from my colleague, but something told me Jasper was much too confident in his abilities to want to put in the extra effort. So I packed up for the night. My phone started buzzing. I pulled it from my purse and looked down at the screen. Aria. I picked up her call, pressing the phone to my ear. “Hey.” For a second, all I could hear was soft sniffles coming from the other end of the phone. “Hey,” Aria repeated. Her voice was wobbly and quiet. I frowned. “What is it,” I ask worriedly. “Aria, what’s wrong?” “He dumped me,” she wailed. “Ryan, dumped me!” I inhaled deeply. “Aria, I’m so sorry,” I say apologetically. “What can I do?” Her sniffles grew louder. “I don’t want to be alone,” she whimpers. I nod quickly. “No, absolutely. Come over,” I urge. “We can order takeout and open a bottle of wine. Maybe watch a movie?” Aria laughed sadly. “You’re too good for this world, Evie,” she says tiredly. “Are you finally off work?” “Yea,” I answer. “I’m just heading onto the elevator.” “Okay,” she sniffled again. “I’ll see you soon,” I promise gently. “Okay. Bye.” She hangs up, and I move double time to get home. I’ve gotten much better at hailing a cab. I used to be much less assertive than I am now. Once inside the cab, I place an order at our favorite Italian restaurant. I got us the whole thing– pizza, pasta, salad, you name it. All of it was set to arrive about the time I was. When I stepped into my shabby little apartment, I kicked off my heels and shrugged off my blazer, throwing it on the couch. My doorbell rang just then and I run to grab it. A tearful Aria stands at my door, still wiping her cheeks of their dampness. “Come in,” I say quickly, ushering her inside with a gentle hand. “What happened?” “He broke it off because he was ‘working’ on himself,” she says with air quotations. “But we all know what that means.” I felt bad that I didn’t know what that meant. “What does that mean?” Aria breaks down again, sobbing uncontrollably. “I’m going to die alone!” “Oh, no, babe,” I say, laughing quietly as I drew her in for a hug. “You’re not going to die alone. You’ll always have me.” Honestly, if anyone was going to die alone, it was probably me. “I hate men,” she whines in frustration. “Me too,” I admit softly. “Jasper was a real a-hole today. There’s a reason he’s number two on my hit list.” “You never told me who’s number one on that list,” Aria says, with almost pleading eyes. “It doesn’t matter,” I sigh tiredly. “Men suck in general.” Aria groaned. “I mean, why can’t they all just be like Timothy Hayes,” she whined. “He’s so hot. Ugh.” The name is my number one. “Yea,” I croaked. “That would be… interesting.” I sit her down on the couch, tossing a fuzzy blanket to her. “Thanks,” she says gratefully. “You didn’t have to do this, you know.” I laugh softly. “I think I needed this too,” I admit. “Things have been tough lately.” “What’s up,” she asks. “It’s nothing, just work,” I answer, keeping it vague. She didn’t need to pile my problems on top of hers. “Evie, you know you can talk to me too,” she says pleadingly. “I can’t be the only one word vomiting tonight.” “It’s not that big of a deal,” I say dismissively. “I’m just tired.” “Evie–” “I just don’t need you to get involved,” I say sharply. I regretted my tone the moment the words had left my lips. “Ari, I didn’t mean–” She remained quiet for a moment, hurt filling her eyes. “It’s fine,” she finally says. “But I just wanted you to know that you don’t have to solve everything by yourself. I’m your best friend, I just want to help you too. You work so hard. You’re literally falling apart at the seams and I just have to sit by and watch you rip yourself to shreds.” I inhaled quietly at her words. Aria was the one person who truly had a heart of gold. She could be a little messy sometimes and chaotic, but she truly meant well. And she at least deserved an explanation as to why I was the way I was. “I know you’re worried about me, Ari,” I began, swallowing quietly. “But this is something that I need to do on my own.” Aria nods quietly. “You need to learn how to relax. Come with me to a Thunderbolts game,” she pleaded innocently. “It’s a birthday present to myself. I’m hoping for glass seats. That way, I can see Hayes up close and personal.” I scoff, rolling my eyes. “Let me check my calendar,” I concede. She continues giving me her puppy dog eyes. “Please?” I look through quickly, not seeing any conflicts on the day of Aria’s birthday. “Ugh, fine. You win. I’ll go,” I laugh. She claps her hands together. “You know I love you,” Aria grins. As much as I loved making Aria happy, anxiety rippled through me. I would be willingly putting myself within close proximity with my mortal enemy. God help me now.
Evie Jasper is being Jasper again. He’s going around the office swearing up and down how he bagged the biggest client for the firm. The worst part is how people are eating up his antics. I, for one, am not finding his little parade cute. He finally made his rounds, stopping at my desk. He leans against it casually. Victory is plastered on his face. He sighs lazily. “How does it feel to be two days away from losing your job, Evie?” “Bite me,” I mutter, typing away at my computer. “Oh, come on,” he whines teasingly. “Don’t be like that. It’s a dog eat dog world here. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.” “Oh, I don’t hate you Jasper,” I say sweetly, turning in my chair to smile. “I just think that nepotism is cheating. I mean come on. Really? Who is it this time? Daddy? Or was it your Uncle.” Jasper looks over at my computer screen, sucking in a sharp breath. “Your email looks dryer than the Sahara. You better get on that, Eve.” He pushes off my cubicle, swaggering down the row to his own office space. With his back turned to me, I gather the courage to flip him the bird beneath anyone’s line of sight. A cough came from behind me. I froze. “Evie,” the gruff voice of my boss spoke grimly. “Mr. Erickson,” I squeaked. “I’m so sorry—“ “A word in my office please,” he said, striding off into that large perfect corner office. I quickly stand up and scurry behind him. Just as I pass Jasper’s office, he gave an amused smirk and waved. Waved. The bastard waved! My finger nails bite into my palms as I find my place before his desk. “Shut the door,” he says grimly. I quickly do as he asked. I turn back to him. His demeanor changed. He looked at me almost with pity. “I know I need to find a client,” I began. “I’ve been working so hard—“ “I know,” he sighed. “It’s not easy starting from zero. And I know making those connections are hard. But I can’t keep making excuses for you, Evie.” I nodded, my chest tightening. “Trust me. I know.” “You have to bring me a client,” he says. “Otherwise I’ll have to let you go.” “I’ll get you that client,” I promise. “And it’s going to be huge.” He chuckled. “I can’t wait.” Hours passed. Still no leads. I groaned, dropping my head to the desk tiredly. I felt the vibration of my phone against the surface. I threw my hand over, sliding my phone aggressively across the desk. Lifting my head again, I looked at the notification. From Aria. We’re still on for tonight, right? I shot straight up. Shoot. I completely forgot about tonight! I check the time. I didn’t even have time to change. The game starts at seven and I’m too far out from the arena to add another stop. Yup! Totally. I’ll just meet you there. The text bubbles appear. You forgot, didn’t you… My fingers fly over the keyboard in an attempt to defend my honor. No! I’m on my way. I throw my stuff into my purse and scramble to the elevator. Only, the doors were already shutting. And Jasper was the only one inside. “Hold—“ “See ya, Evie,” he calls. And the doors shut. I curse every violent curse I could think of in my head, before darting down the emergency staircase. The backs of my heels were stinging with every step. I finally reach the bottom and run out onto the bustling sidewalk. Hailing a cab, I jump in and buckle my seat belt. “Clayton Center,” I huff. “Step on it.” The cab driver acknowledges my request and hit the gas. It took about thirty minutes to pull up at the entrance. I hand over the fare and ran towards the entrance. I knew Aria would wait for me near the planters before the security checkpoint. Without fail, there she was. An amused look was spread across her face, and her arms folded casually. “Didn’t forget, did we?” I was practically wheezing. “I had a lot going on at work,” I explain tiredly. “Ugh, work. I don’t want to hear another word about work,” she groans. “I want to whisk my problems away by watching hot men beat each other up.” I couldn’t help it. The laughter just starts bubbling out of me. “Well, don’t let me stop you, Ari,” I say. We go in together. I stuck out like a sore thumb in her charcoal gray pencil skirt and cream colored blouse. Everyone wore their Thunderbolt jerseys. Some had painted faces. Ari had gotten glass seats. I mean we were practically on the ice at that point. “How much were these tickets, Ari?” She looked over with a deadpan look. “You don’t wanna know.” I snorted. “Fine. Don’t tell me.” Several things occurred before the start of the game. The national anthem was played. The opposing teams starting lineup was announced. Then the lights go out. Loud pounding music began to play and the announcer called everyone to attention. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he says. “Here are your Thunderbolts!” The arena erupted into roars of support as names were called. I tuned out most of it. I was never much into sports, but I was here because my friend had asked me. But there was one name that pierced the quiet of my mind. “And your team captain— Timothy Hayes!” I didn’t think this place could get any louder than it already was. They were all chanting his name. Every single person was losing their minds. I looked over at Aria again. She was screaming and pounding on the glass like a maniac as he appeared on the ice. His proud smile was prominent on his face as he glided around the rink, lifting his stick in the air. Oh, no. He had grown even hotter since the last time I had seen him. I wasn’t sure if it was the hint of stubble or the look of him in his uniform, but it shook me to my core. “You good,” Aria asked, nudging me. I jumped. “Yes. I’m fine,” I laughed awkwardly. She didn’t look convinced. But the game went on and Aria looked like she was having the time of her life. I, on the other hand, felt completely exposed. I was so in my head about him being on that ice, that I completely missed the incoming swarm of bodies approaching the glass. The moment there was impact, I screamed, throwing my arms over my face. “Get him, Hayes! Fight him!” I dropped my arms, watching the brawl that broke out right in front of me. Twelve fully grown men were pressed against the glass. No no no… he was right there! I held my breath hoping he wouldn’t recognize me. Whistles were blown and refs intervened, ripping the players from each other. He was laughing, shoving the player one last time before slowly backing away. He was about to turn around, but he did a double take. His eyes set on mine. I quickly avert my gaze. It was going to be fine. Just because he saw me doesn’t mean he’ll recognize me or even see me after this. It will all be ok. So the game continued on. It seemed like he picked up his game after that fight. He ended up scoring three goals for the Thunderbolts, ending the game with a score of three to one. “What a game,” Aria squealed. “I mean, there’s nothing more dramatic than a bench-clearing brawl!” I nod. “Yea,” I swallowed. “Hey, I have to go to the bathroom really quick. I’ll meet you at the planters.” “Sure thing,” she grinned. “Go, Bolts!” “Go, Bolts,” I laughed awkwardly. I turned around with a sigh. Now to navigate this maze of an arena. The signage was so confusing. I ended up just turning wherever it felt right. I thought I had found it, when a firm hand grips my wrist. I spin around, ready to slap the audacity out of this person. Only I was met with my worst nightmare. “Evie?” I froze, stumbling over what to say. What was there even to say? “I—“ “Look at you,” he says in awe. “You look great.” “Yea,” I swallowed. “Thanks. You look— great too.” He laughed, running a hand through his sweaty hair. “Don’t lie,” he joked. “I’m a mess.” “You played… well,” I said awkwardly. “They don’t pay me the kind of salary they do to be mid-tier,” he chuckled. “How have you been? Damn, it’s been— how long?” “Six years,” I answer. Damn it. I answered that too quickly. Now he probably thinks I’ve been obsessing over him. He tilted his head, looking at me fully. “Yea. Six years,” he repeats softly. I looked around. My stomach was twisting from anxiety. “I was just looking for the bathroom, I have to go—“ “Just hear me out,” he begs. “I really have a bad stomach ache,” I whined. “Can you just show me where it is?” “Just one question and I promise to show you where it is,” he says firmly. I fold my arms. “Fine. What?” “Why’d you leave that night?” I inhaled deeply. “Something came up.” “You ghosted me,” he swallowed. “You left me and didn’t even tell me why.” “Is this the bathroom,” I ask quickly. “Evie, stop dodging the question. Why did you leave me?” “Why do you care,” I mutter. “You don’t need to have me when you have all your adoring fans anyways.” “That’s not why you left,” he says plainly. “It really was just a misunderstanding,” I groaned. “It’s probably not a good idea that I stay around any longer, just in case there’s paparazzi nearby. You don’t want me ruining your reputation.” “At least, let me get your number or something,” he urges quickly. “I have so much I want to say that you never gave me the chance to tell you.” “Take me to the bathroom and I’ll think about it,” I say, lifting my chin. Tim nods, placing his hands tiredly on his hips. “Alright. Fine,” he agrees. The moment he brought me to the bathroom, I quickly rushed inside. I wasted no time stepping onto the metal toilet paper box and hoisting myself up through the cracked window. Goodbye, Timothy Hayes. Good riddance. And with that, I prayed the size of this city would put some distance between us.
Evie The last day. I felt the entirety of my life resting upon this pivotal moment. It was do or die. And it felt like I was dying. I had given my entire soul to finding a worthy client. And no one followed through. I watched the clock wind down. Ten minutes. I had ten minutes to pull off a miracle. But obviously, I had no such luck. I didn’t have Jasper’s resources and money. All I had was a Jellar report card and a piece of paper that said I could attempt being a lawyer. “Well, well,” Jasper sighs, popping his head over the cubicle wall. “It’s too bad about the internship, Evie. I almost thought you had it.” “Shut up,” I growl. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Evie,” he says, poking out his bottom lip. “I tried to spare your feelings–” “I can’t wait for someone to burst your little bubble,” I snap angrily. “Look at you with daddy’s money and daddy’s contacts. You didn’t prove anything to anyone here. I put in the hard work and I put in the time–” His face darkened. “And look where that got you,” he says grimly. “Nothing but a participation trophy and a pink slip. You’re not anything special because you worked harder. Honestly, Evie. You’re the most naive girl I have ever met.” I did all I could to stop the hurt from making its way to my eyes. But I could feel it tightening my throat. I stand up quietly, gathering my things. I was just so tired of everything. I had plans. I was on track to be an amazing attorney. I studied my life away for this, only to be held back by my own lack of personability. It was all meaningless. It felt like ever since that night, my life has been spinning out of control and I don’t know how to stop it. This was exactly what I was afraid of. All that hard work was wasted. Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised. Nothing ever came easy for me. Coming out of high school as valedictorian gave me a false sense of confidence. Everyone had told me I was spectacular as a student. But being a great student didn’t guarantee I’d be a great attorney. I don’t remember how I got home, only that when I did, Aria was at my door. She leaned casually against the wall, arms folded. “Hey, stranger,” she says mischeviously. I took a deep breath, fighting the urge to flip out and lose control of my anger. “Hey, Aria,” I say, forcing a smile to my face. “What’s up?” “You owe me for ditching me last night,” she grins. “There’s a press conference about to start on ESPN soon. I thought you could make it up to me.” She holds out a plastic bag for me. “It’s from the burger joint down the block,” she offers. I couldn’t say no to a bit of comfort food right about now. “French fries?” She nods. “Extra ranch.” I moaned. “Fine,” I say, unlocking my door. “You’re a mad woman.” “Oh, you know you love me,” she snorts. “Ugh. You know I do,” I whine. “I want that damn burger.” Aria nudges my shoulder. “Open the door and you’ll get your precious burger.” I throw open the door and quickly plop down on the couch. I reach for the remote and turn on the tv, searching for the channel. I find it smack dab in the middle of a commercial break. “Burger,” I order simply. “Coming right up,” she answers, handing me the paper wrapped deliciousness. Ripping open the wrapper, I take a bite, moaning at the comfort of the food. “So,” she says, swallowing her own bite. “How was work?” I glared over at her. Work was no longer my issue. It was over and I would have to move on. “Pass,” I groan, taking another bite. She let out a heavy sigh. “That bad, huh?” “I’m just… over it,” I grumble. “I’m tired of worrying about it now.” “Oh, thank god,” she says gratefully. The commercials end and the commentators come back on screen. “Welcome back, boy do we have a great show ahead for our viewers,” one says excitedly. “We have our reporters down at Clayton Center tonight, looking to get some insight into the Thunderbolt’s very own captain of the year, Timothy Hayes!” “That’s right, John,” the other commentator nods. “From the moment that kid stepped onto NHL ice, he has been a powerhouse. I mean, right out the gate, he comes in with fantastic speed and accuracy. It’s no wonder he’s been leading this Thunderbolt team to so many victories.” “Absolutely,” he agrees. “We’re heading in live to the press room to hear what Mister Hayes has to say about the season.” The camera jumps over to a room with a long table. At its center sat my number one pick for who I’d like to see get slammed into a wall at the next match. “Mister Hayes,” a reporter shouts. “Over here!” Timothy smiles, nodding in the reporter’s direction. “How are you, Jake?” Jake laughs. “Doing good. I’m here with the Independent and I was curious on how you feel your chances are at winning the Stanley this year,” he asks. Timothy chuckles. “You already know what I think,” he began. “It’s anybody’s to win at this point. It’s early in the season, we still have a lot of games to play.” “We already know what your publicist wants you to think,” the reporter added. “Tell us what you really think.” Timothy leans forward in his chair, bringing himself closer to the mic. “The cup is coming home.” Immediately, more hands fly up. Aria is squealing in giddy. “He’s just so hot,” she screams. I had to fight to keep my burger down. “Yea,” I grumble. “So hot.” More questions were asked. Every answer he gave seemed like the perfect answer to give. From a public relations standpoint. It was hard to not think about how perfect he seemed to be at everything. It was annoying. It wasn’t until a question perked my ears. “Mister Hayes,” a woman says. “We all know you’re a big hit with the female fans. But do you have anyone special back home?” For the first time this entire interview, he looked like a deer in the headlights. “I–,” he swallowed. “I did have someone. Once.” “Can you tell us a little bit about her?” He dropped his head. “Her name was Evie,” he finally answered. “She was special because out of everyone I knew, she didn’t care how many goals I got or how many state championships I won. That was never what defined my worth to her.” “Evie,” Aria says slowly. “What is happening?” Truthfully, I didn’t know. I had no idea what this jerk was trying to pull right now. I just blinked at the screen. “Do you have anything you’d like to say to her,” the reporter asked again. Timothy nods, finally looking back up to the camera. “If you’re watching this, Evie, you have no idea how sorry I am for who I was. You didn’t deserve to be put through all of that. I was an ass. I think about the day you returned my senior jersey all the time. I should have fought for you.” The breath was knocked from my lungs. Countless people across the country watched the scene on TV. “Evie,” Aria repeats, her voice quiet. “Did Timothy Hayes just say your…”
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