Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92547 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92547 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
She nodded, but the sadness in her eyes was palpable. I felt like a piece of shit for disappointing her, even if it was inevitable. I tried to console myself. Wasn’t it better that I left sooner rather than later? It would’ve only been more difficult the longer I stayed here.
“Daddy told me last night before he went to bed that he’d make waffles for breakfast, but when I went into his room this morning, he said he’d changed his mind and would make them another day instead.” She looked down at her now-soggy Cheerios. “That’s why I’m having cereal.”
That hurt. I suspected Evan had canceled the waffles because of Scott showing up. Now poor Effie had to miss out because of me. My eyes met Evan’s for a brief moment before he looked away and sipped his coffee.
After Scott came out of the bathroom, he clapped his hands together. “Ready to get packed up?”
“Yeah, uh, I’m just gonna have some cereal with her first, though.”
He turned to Effie. “Mind if I join you guys?”
“That’s fine.” Effie shrugged.
To my surprise, Evan set his coffee mug on the counter and walked toward Scott. “We haven’t formally met. I’m Evan.”
They shook.
“Thanks for having me last night,” Scott said.
Evan nodded curtly. I noticed his ears turning red. Then he abruptly left the kitchen.
As I sat there eating my cereal and making small talk with Effie, all I could think about was Evan and what he was doing in the other room. I felt an intense urge to go to him.
By the time I forced down the last of my Cheerios, Evan still hadn’t reemerged. Thankfully, Scott had started a conversation with Effie. With the two of them occupied, I took the opportunity to talk to Evan in private.
I found him in the laundry room, leaning against the washer. He wasn’t doing laundry, though—just staring blankly out the window with his arms crossed.
“Hey.” I closed the door behind me.
He turned, his voice low. “Hi.”
“You okay?”
After a long pause, he answered, “I don’t know.”
“Is it because of Scott or—”
“Like I said, I don’t know why I’m angry, but it doesn’t matter.” His tone was bitter.
I inched closer. “Why doesn’t it matter?”
“It doesn’t matter how I feel about him showing up…or how I feel about you. That’s my problem. The situation is what it is. I’m sorry I couldn’t get myself to be more hospitable to your guest.”
“You don’t owe me that, Evan.”
He rubbed between his eyes. “Just know I’m still here for you, if you need me. I want you to be happy, Chloe. You deserve it.”
That sounded like goodbye, and that was unsettling.
The words were at the tip of my tongue: I’m not happy with Scott. I should’ve ended things more clearly before I left Chicago. The only moments of happiness for me lately have been with you and Effie. And I’m so damn attracted to you, Evan. More now than ever after witnessing the amazing man you’ve become. But I’m scared to tell you all this because I can’t handle another rejection.
Instead of pouring out the truth, I said, “I hope you know how much I appreciate you letting me stay here and the offer you made to let me stay indefinitely.”
He nodded and just kept looking at me. His stare made me feel like my skin was about to melt off. There was no sense of time in here; I had no idea how long it’d been since I’d left Scott sitting at the table with Effie.
Evan’s eyes fell to my lips, and in that moment, I swore I could taste him. Saliva gathered in my mouth as my nipples hardened. As his breathing became heavier, I started to wonder if he was going to lean in and kiss me. He moved closer, and it scared me, because I didn’t know that I had the willpower to stop him if he did. I fisted my hands to prevent them from lifting to touch his hair like I so desperately wanted to.
He stopped with his face just inches from mine. My heart practically beat out of my chest, and I felt my legs grow weak beneath me. His breaths quickened, and I could feel each one of them on my face. But he suddenly stepped back. “You’d better go,” he murmured, his voice gravelly. His chest heaved.
Despite his words, I felt the truth in every fiber of my being. He doesn’t want me to leave.
And yet I turned around and walked out of that laundry room, leaving all the air in my lungs behind. Even though nothing had happened, everything had happened.
Chapter 15
* * *
CHLOE
The morning after Scott and I spent the first night at the other place, I already wished I could leave. The house was nothing like the management company had described it, and it certainly looked nothing like the photos in the listing. No wonder it had become available. I was pretty sure whoever rented it last had abruptly vacated the premises. The thermostat didn’t seem to work, there was mold in the kitchen, and the dishwasher was broken. The state of things around me now metaphorically matched what had been going on in my heart since the moment Scott arrived.