Chapter 4. Young and Alive

Evelyn

“You know people are going to think we’re weird if you keep looking at me like that,” I said, shifting awkwardly in my seat. My attempt to maintain a composed smile was failing miserably, and the heat creeping up my neck warned me a blush was imminent.

After an exhausting hour of meeting Jacob’s business associates, Enzo’s friends, and a handful of extended family members, we had finally found a moment to sit. But Jacob—predictably—wasn’t letting the moment breathe. His eyes were locked on me, piercing and unwavering, as if I were the only person in the room.

“I don’t give a fuck about what people think,” he replied, his tone casual but his gaze anything but. He leaned in, the back of his fingers brushing against my cheek, sending a shiver down my spine. “I’m admiring my girlfriend. That’s nobody’s business but mine.”

A smile threatened to break free as I looked at him, trying to keep my composure. “You really have an answer for everything, don’