Exit Stage Six: A Contemporary New Adult Romance Novella Read Online Free PDF Page A

baby!”
    “You were listening?” he sounded equal parts indignant,
horrified and embarrassed.
    “Evan, these walls are paper thin, wasn’t like I had a whole
lot of choice.” I felt my shoulders drop.
    “I couldn’t do it.” he blurted out.
    “Do what?” I asked growing impatient, I was seriously
contemplating figuring out a way to call the cops. I don’t know, maybe I was
naïve, but I never once felt threatened by Evan, not even with him standing in
my apartment uninvited at four in the morning.
    “Her. I couldn’t do her.” He said and he sounded
uncomfortable so I pushed, I was feeling catty; what can I say?
    “Why?” I asked.
    “Why what?” he asked.
    “Don’t play dumb Evan, why couldn’t you do her?” I asked
more softly, genuinely curious but half dreading his answer.
    “Because she wasn’t you, and no matter how much I closed my
eyes and tried to pretend she was, I couldn’t.” I felt a little thrill course
through my veins at his words. Creepy? Yeah, but also incredibly… honest. He
turned and dropped down, sitting heavily on the edge of the foot of my bed.
    There was a long moment of silence while I fought with
myself over what to do next. Finally I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d
been holding.
    “Okay, come on.” I said, flinging back a triangle of covers
in invitation. It was official, I needed a name change from London Everleigh
Greene to London Doormat Greene because it really did fit so much better.
    “Really?” he asked and he sounded like a lost little boy.
    “On one condition.” I said trying to save myself from
feeling totally used.
    “What?” he asked and it was eager apprehension that colored
his voice.
    “You answer a few questions.” I answered softly, adding,
“About yourself.”
    He stood and it seemed he was at war with himself, finally I
heard his leather jacket creak and fall to the floor.
    I watched his silhouette pull his shirt over his head and go
for his belt.
    “You had so better not be getting naked.” I said.
    “No, just losing the jeans.” He said freezing in place.
    “Okay.” I said finally.
    He toed out of his boots and stepped out of his jeans,
stripped off his socks and came around the side of the bed, getting into it. I
turned to face him this time and he lay down facing me. I could see him now,
the spill of light from the unobscured window falling across his fine features,
turning his green eyes nearly translucent.
    “Tell me about your friend.” I said softly.
    “We grew up together, neighbors in a small town.” He
swallowed hard.
    “And?” I prompted.
    “We were best friends since kindergarten, we did everything
together… In high school we started a band. We were like brothers. D. was like
everything I wanted to be and then some, I had the words but he… he had the
voice and the knowhow and made it flow … It should have been me.” He said
the last brokenly, tears glittering barely suppressed. His shoulders shook and
he laid his arm across my body where my ribs dipped down before the swell of my
hip.
    “I would give anything to take his place.” He said, voice
thick.
    “It should have been me, he should still be here.” He shook,
and I sighed.
    I smoothed the hair back from his forehead with a gentle
hand and he bent, forehead pressing to my chest above my breast. He buried his
face into my chest and sobbed. I ran my fingers through his hair and made
soothing noises.
    “Shhh, go ahead and cry.” I told him.
    “I’m here.” I said, “Just let it out.”
    …and he did.

Chapter 8
     
    Sunlight streamed through the windows. I was going to either
be late to or miss class, but it was worth it to watch Evan sleep. I reached over
to the bedside table and picked up my digital. I wished I could capture this on
film but I would have to get up to get my AE-1, my Olympus was right there…
    Evan lay on his stomach, half of his face buried in the
white cloud of my pillow, the other, slack with sleep, was just