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)
“Goodnight,” he said curtly, as if he hadn’t just done the sweetest thing, even if it was meant to be mischievous.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Goodnight.”
After Evan left, I felt empty inside again. Despite his teasing, our communication was now at a bare minimum when at one time he’d been my best friend and confidante. All these years, I’d assumed he’d stopped thinking about me. But after what Effie told me about his nightmares, I had to wonder if maybe I was wrong.
Chapter 4
* * *
CHLOE
“Oh my God. Where the hell am I?” I asked aloud as I woke the following morning. It took me a minute to recognize my surroundings when I opened my hazy eyes.
Then came the sound of Effie yapping away to her father from down the hall. I looked at the time on my phone. It was seven thirty. She’d likely be leaving for school soon. He’d probably be driving her, although I couldn’t be sure of that. Maybe she took the bus.
Pulling the covers over me, I vowed not to come out until I had confirmation that they were both gone.
Not long after that, the front door slammed shut, and then I heard Evan’s truck roaring to life outside the window. Relief washed over me as I forced myself up to take advantage of the empty house while I could. I had no idea whether Evan was just dropping her off or going on to work. Hopefully, it was the latter. I could really use some peace and quiet.
Out in the kitchen, I rummaged through the cabinets in search of coffee. I figured I’d make it as fast as I could and take it back to my room.
But I was still looking for it a few minutes later when the door opened. Shit. I hadn’t even put a bra on. “Fuck me,” I muttered.
“That would be the second time you’ve asked me to do that,” Evan cracked as a piece of his black hair fell over his forehead.
My mouth dropped open. What a jackass. “You weren’t meant to hear that,” I snapped, ignoring his jab.
Evan threw his keys on the counter. “You seem surprised to see me, like I don’t live here.” His eyes briefly landed on my chest before he returned his antagonizing gaze to mine.
I positioned my long, sandy-colored hair over my breasts. “Well, I heard you leave. I thought maybe you were gone for the day.”
“No such luck. I don’t leave for another forty-five minutes to go to the plant. I do my walk-throughs and in-person meetings from nine thirty in the morning until I have to pick up Effie, and then I work the rest of the afternoons from home. But I’m always on call.”
Now that we were alone, you could cut the tension with a knife. This might’ve been the first moment I’d allowed myself to fully appreciate how damn handsome grown-ass Evan was. It made me a bit weak in the knees. He was the epitome of sexy today in faded jeans that fit him perfectly. His brown jacket had a shearling collar, and the smell of his cologne permeated the kitchen. My nipples stiffened as he looked down at me.
I cleared my throat. “Her school must be pretty close, then?”
“Right down the road. Part of why I chose this house to stay in for now. It’s closer to her school than our old house or our new place.” He took off his jacket and placed it on the back of a chair.
There was so much I wanted to know about his life. More than anything, I wanted to ask what he’d dreamed about when he called my name. I was also tempted to ask about Effie’s mother. He’d said they were divorced, but was she still in the picture? Why was Effie living with him full time?
But instead of unloading all my questions, I scratched my pounding head and asked, “Do you have coffee here, by any chance?”
Rather than answer, he stalked over to a cabinet above the fridge—the one place I hadn’t checked.
With my arms wrapped around my chest, I watched as he pulled out a filter and placed it in the machine before scooping some grounds. I admired how the muscles in his back moved with the motion of his arms, the way his jeans hugged his ass.
After he started the pot, the room filled with the bubbling sound of coffee brewing. Evan turned toward me, and we stared at each other in tense silence.
“How did you sleep?” he finally asked.
“Not bad, all things considered.”
“All things being me?” He arched a brow.
“I have nothing against you, Evan.”
“Oh really? Because that unhinged letter you wrote me says otherwise. It’s not like time could change all that. Especially when we haven’t been in touch since then. I never reached out. And you never called, either.”