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)
Liz narrowed her eyes. “Not to sound mean, but she’ll get over it. If Evan cares about you, he’s not going to force himself to be with that woman. He’s older and more mature now than when Effie was born. And that sweet little girl loves you, from what you’ve told me. Her mother can be in her life without being romantically attached to her father. And anyway, this shouldn’t be solely about what Effie wants, no matter how affected you were by her email. However, I do think you need some clarity from Evan on where things stand. Maybe even more so, you need to give him some indication of where your head is.”
She was right. How could Evan make any informed decision when I’d been too scared to fully open my heart for fear of getting hurt?
“Do you love him?” she asked.
Her question hit me right in the chest. “So much it hurts.”
“Then you need to let him know.”
“And what about the logistics?”
She waved her hand dismissively. “You can figure that out later.”
I rubbed my temples. “I haven’t written Effie back because I don’t know what to say. I’m afraid to respond to anything having to do with her mother because I don’t want to seem like a fraud.”
“You don’t need to address it at all. Just send her a generic reply, letting her know how you’re doing and that you’re thinking of her. Keep it vague.”
That made some sense. I took a deep breath. “Okay.”
After Liz left, I finally started going through the mail that had come in while I was away. I vowed that tomorrow would be a new day. I would no longer hide my true feelings for Evan out of fear. I’d call him and tell him I loved him and wanted to figure out how to make things work, if that was something that he also wanted. I’d face the truth—whatever it might be. Even if I ended up getting hurt, at least I wouldn’t live with the regret of never having said what was in my heart.
Deciding to give myself a mental break from the rumination that had paralyzed me since returning to Chicago, I ordered some sushi to be delivered. That was one thing you couldn’t get in Dry River; there were no good Japanese places. I figured maybe I’d also binge a TV show to get my mind off of things.
The doorbell rang, and I rushed to the door, starving after not having eaten for most of the day.
But when I opened, my heart practically leaped through my chest. Because it wasn’t a delivery man standing there.
Chapter 42
* * *
CHLOE
I burst into tears as I wrapped my arms around him. “Evan!”
He expelled a long breath onto my skin as if he’d been holding it all the way to Chicago.
Despite what I knew had to be a long day of travel, Evan looked incredibly hot. His dark hair was tousled, his beard a bit more grown out than usual. His sleeves were pushed up, and I’d nearly forgotten how much I’d missed those veins on his arms.
But a jolt of panic hit me after the initial shock wore off. What if this visit didn’t come with positive intentions? Had he come in person to break my heart?
I moved back to look into his eyes. “Why are you here?”
His smile faded. “Isn’t it obvious?”
“I need to hear it,” I demanded.
Evan’s eyes glistened. “I’m here because I love you, Chloe. I love you so much, and I don’t want to lose you.”
He exhaled.
He traveled halfway across the country to tell me that. “What about Effie?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“She wrote to me and told me her mom mentioned trying to get your family back together. I know she’s hoping for a reconciliation. She said—”
“I know what my daughter said. She told me what she wrote after she sent it to you. That was the catalyst that got me on a plane, actually. I could only imagine what you were thinking, and I wasn’t going to let you assume the wrong thing. Based on everything I’ve told you about my rationale for decisions in the past, you had every reason to believe I might try to get back with Katerina for Effie’s sake.”
Evan placed his hands on my shoulders and looked me straight in the eyes. “But I’ve learned a lot since we reconnected, and especially since Judy died. Life is fleeting. It’s too short to live inauthentically.” He shook his head. “I can’t be an example to my daughter if I’m not true to myself. I sat Effie down last night and explained to her that while I’ll always love Katerina for being her mother, I don’t love her the way a husband loves a wife—or the same way that I love you.” He nodded. “Yes. I told her I love you, Chloe. And I know that’s a little messed up considering I’d never even said those words to you.”