Unfaithful (31 page)

“Won’t she get mad if we use her car?” I asked, turning toward him as he continued to stare straight ahead. The last time we had, she hadn’t taken it well.

He revved the engine, impatiently waiting until the garage door had slid all the way into the ceiling. With a tilt of his head he shot me a complicit, sensual look. “We need to take it for a road test.” He winked at me and the Lamborghini let out a low, ferocious purr, then leapt into action with an even more aggressive roar, its wheels squealing against the shiny floor that was as black as the darkest night.

“Good morning.” Evan’s velvety voice greeted me the moment I opened my eyes.

“What time is it?” I mumbled, groggy. The light coming in through the curtains was already too bright compared to what I was used to since school had started.

“I turned off your alarm. Don’t worry, it’s Saturday,” he reassured me when I sat bolt upright in bed.

Taking a deep breath to release my tension, I slid down again and rolled onto my side, resting my head on my palm. Evan was in front of me, lying in exactly the same position. His hand stroked the edge of my army-green cotton top, moving sensually from side to side. His gaze told me what he was thinking.

“Meaning no school,” I sighed blissfully.

“Meaning you and I can—”

The door abruptly opened.

“Gemma, what are—”

“Mom!” I bolted upright in bed, panicking. She looked at me, puzzled. My heart thumped as my thoughts chased each other desperately through my brain in search of some plausible explanation for Evan being in my bed so early in the morning.

She stood there in the doorway. “Who were you talking to?”

Her question surprised me and I spun around. Evan wasn’t there. I heaved a sigh of relief, babbling something incomprehensible as my eyelids fluttered. Whatever came out of my mouth now, the only thing she could possibly accuse me of was talking to myself. Explaining how my boyfriend had managed to sneak into my room would have been far more complicated and embarrassing. Seeing that she wasn’t really paying attention anyway, I caught my breath and relaxed. “You’re still here?” I asked, trying to distract her.

“We were just about to leave. I came to say goodbye.” Her expression changed. “And to make sure you won’t come home so late again. Your father was furious last night. I’m surprised at you—you’re behaving like you don’t know him.” She lowered her voice, not wanting him to hear us from downstairs. “I ran out of excuses trying to calm him down.”

“Thanks,” I stammered sheepishly. “Really, it was the first time I—”

“Just make sure it’s the last time too,” she said in a low voice, winking at me.

As the door closed behind her I anxiously turned to look for Evan. He was exactly where I’d left him. I saw his eyes were gray. If my mom had come back in, he would have been invisible to her. I sighed with relief.

“You knew,” I accused him, narrowing my eyes. He was trying hard to keep a grin off his face. “You knew my mom was coming, you knew it!” I was annoyed.

At this point he couldn’t help but laugh. “I have to admit, it was hilarious.”

“You want me to be sent off to the loony bin? My mom thought I was talking to myself.” Evan’s lips quivered as he tried to hide how funny he thought it was. “Would you mind warning me next time? I’d like to avoid my parents having me locked up.” His mocking grin was putting me on edge.

“In that case, I couldn’t blame them, could I? It’s not normal for someone to talk to themselves.” Evan’s voice faded as he disappeared before my eyes. Teasing me was one of his favorite pastimes. He reappeared a second later, smiling. “Or you could always tell her your boyfriend’s an Angel, that he’s here watching over you even when no one can see him.” He spoke in a whisper in spite of the fact that we were alone in the house now and moved his face very close to mine.

“I’m not sure how she would take it.” I stifled a smile, playing along. “Plus, I’m starting to think the word ‘Angel’ is used inappropriately where you come from.”

“You think?” He lowered his head and tickled my ear with the tip of his nose.

“I’m more convinced by the day.”

“You’ve never exactly seemed to mind my trespasses,” he shot back boldly.

“I never said I did,” I retorted.

“Because if you’re complaining I can always force myself to keep my distance,” he said, brushing his cheek against mine.

“I think I’m capable of resisting your sinful behavior.”

He nibbled my earlobe as his voice caressed me. “Get dressed. I’ll take you out to breakfast.”

“I can just eat here. The house is empty now,” I said, though he knew it even better than I did.

“That’s not what I had in mind,” he admitted, one corner of his mouth raised slightly.

“And what did you have in mind, exactly?” I eyed him suspiciously.

“There’s something you’ve absolutely got to see,” he said, a glint in his eyes as they turned dark.

Knowing Evan, I was sure I wouldn’t be able to pry any information out of him. It was clear from the grin on his face. Resigned, I held his gaze for a second and then let it drop. There was one thing I was certain of: whatever Evan had in mind, it had to be dangerous. It always was, when he had that glint in his eyes.

“You still haven’t told me where we’re going.” I tried to get an answer out of him again but my attempts went nowhere.

“And I have no intention of telling you.” Evan smiled, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

“I figured,” I murmured.

He cast me a sidelong glance, the smile never leaving his lips. He seemed pretty pleased with whatever was on his mind. I wasn’t entirely sure it would have the same effect on me. At least not immediately. We were riding in his Ferrari—that was enough to alarm me. Usually Evan only used this car for the clandestine nighttime races in which he almost always beat his siblings. Only in rare instances did the car’s gray body gleam in the daylight. There had to be something special about this morning. I could tell from his occasional glances my way, brimming with excitement. I guessed he had high hopes about my reaction to his mysterious surprise.

When the car gradually slowed down I looked around curiously but didn’t see anything particularly interesting. We seemed to be at an ordinary travel-service plaza.

“Are we there?” I asked eagerly.

“If you’re talking about breakfast, then yes, your stomach will be grateful.” He looked at me. “But if you’re talking about our final destination, then no, not yet.” He stifled a smile.

It was ridiculous how much he teased me.

The Ferrari pulled into a small parking lot, its metallic gray body reflected in the picture window of a café as we passed it. I wasn’t completely sure where we were. We’d left my house about twenty minutes ago, but with Evan driving I could never judge distances based on the time it took us to get anywhere.

Through the window I glimpsed rustic wooden tables. Evan parked in a spot where he could keep an eye on the Ferrari from inside. He hadn’t actually given me his reasons for parking where he did, but by now I was used to deciphering the look on his face, almost as if I could read his mind. It was pretty comforting that more and more often I was able to guess what he was thinking.

The bell by the café door jingled as we walked in. The interior was welcoming, done in warm, cozy hues. The cream-colored floor contrasted with the dark wood of the ceiling and furniture. Hanging from the windows were thick, soft curtains gathered to the sides, offering a view of the outside. The fabric was rust-colored, as were some of the walls.

The window at the far right looked out onto the parking lot with the road behind it. Not far beyond, next to the on-ramp, stood a gas pump.

“What do you want?” Evan studied the pastry case in front of us. It was small but had a good selection.

My stomach growled at the sight of it. “I can’t decide.” I bit my lip, the inviting aromas confusing me. I’d always loved food, but lately something in my metabolism seemed to be changing.

“Want me to get you one of everything?” he asked considerately.

“No, no!” I quickly replied as he gestured to the waiter behind the counter. “A chocolate doughnut will be just fine, thanks.” Before I could stop him he ordered three of them and then pointed to a free table by the window.

“Worried about the car?” I teased, drawing a look of surprise from him.

“Just habit,” he said. Despite the look of perplexity on his face, his eyes went to the Ferrari. “It’s because I need it to take you to where we’re going, that’s all,” he added with an air of mystery.

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye as the waiter came to our table. “Yeah, right! That’s all,” I echoed with a grin, leaning back in my chair so the waiter could place our order on the table. He was young, with skin as dark as his hair, an athletic build, and dimples in his cheeks that reminded me of Peter. Smiling at me politely, he handed me a tall glass of piping-hot steamed milk with a shot of espresso and a sprinkle of cocoa on the thick layer of froth. Just how I liked it, though I hadn’t even noticed Evan ordering it. I shook my head and took a sip. With Evan there was no point trying to follow any form of logic.

He was sitting to my right, straddling his chair, his elbows resting on the back of it. “Is it good?” he asked, studying me as I dunked one of the doughnuts into the warm milk and chewed with relish. “There’s no rush,” he reassured me. “We’ve got all day.”

“No way—I don’t believe it! It’s filled with strawberry ice cream!”

My enthusiasm made Evan laugh. “And covered with chocolate,” he said. “I heard some kids talking about this place and these special doughnuts of theirs. It made me think of that stuff you make with Nutella.”

“Strawtella!”

“Right, Strawtella. So I thought you should try them.”

“These are the best doughnuts I’ve ever had in my life,” I said, my mouth full, and swallowed another bite. “Oh! Don’t tell my dad I said that.” I bit into another, shooting Evan a glance. He laughed at the look on my face. “Seriously,” I insisted, picking the crumbs from the plate and eating them. “Mmm, I definitely have to convince him to make these at the diner. Strawtella doughnuts. They’re amazing! People will be lining up around the block!” The doughnut was warm and the ice cream melted on my tongue with every bite. It was an intense, delicious taste.

“I’ll go order you some more,” he said.

I stopped him before he could. “No, no! That’s enough for today, but we have to remember to come here more often.”

Evan smiled and stood up. “I’ll go pay so we can get back on the road. We’ve still got a ways to go.” He walked off before I could reply. For Evan the idea of me even taking out my wallet was inconceivable. In five months he hadn’t let me pay for so much as a piece of gum.

Turning my head to the left, I looked at the Ferrari outside in the parking lot. The yellow logo with the black horse on its wheel caps sparkled in the sunlight against the anthracite-gray body. The café had only a handful of clients and their murmurs of admiration hadn’t ceased for a second since we’d walked through the door. On top of that, a group of girls sitting in the corner kept looking in our general direction, though it wasn’t entirely clear whether they were staring at the Ferrari or at Evan. From where I was sitting I could occasionally make out their low whispers and was pretty sure their admiration wasn’t limited to the car.

A twinge of jealousy tied my stomach in a knot and my gaze instinctively went to Evan, casually leaning against the counter, wallet in hand. As if I’d called his name, his eyes met mine. It had been hard to resist the urge to glare at the girls at the table to intimidate them, but when my eyes locked with Evan’s all my insecurity slipped away. I could tell he hadn’t even noticed them. As this realization warmed my heart, he smiled at me, triggering the same reaction in me, and our gazes remained entwined.

Only a couple of seconds later his face altered radically, becoming a mask of horror. Though his eyes were still on mine, a veil of darkness dropped over them and I could tell he was no longer seeing me. All at once, a loud screech grated on my ears. My eyes shot to the parking lot and a shudder of terror seized me, trapping the breath in my lungs. I felt my heart bursting from my chest as my brain registered a blurry blue-and-white shape spinning through the air like a Frisbee or an enormous, out-of-control top hurtling directly toward the window.