“Oh, that ass.”
Rachel and Lila exchanged a look. “Rob, right?”
“No, Evan.”
Lila blinked. “Um, he did us a solid. Also helped with what Rachel’s working on.”
“That’s not the point. He’s too involved in everything.” Kenzie reached and crested her boiling point between one breath and the next.
She screamed, and her friends stared at her in horror. Especially when she started sobbing.
Kenzie was so out of control, so scared, and she didn’t know what to do.
* * *
Evan started at the sound of Kenzie’s shriek. He’d swung by to pick up Daniel, who’d forgotten his cleats and shin guards and needed a quick ride home and back to practice. It wasn’t a problem because Evan had intended to talk to Kenzie today. He wanted to clear the air and let her know his intentions. He’d wondered if maybe he’d been too vague and wrong in not being completely open.
The ring he’d picked up a few days ago was in his duffel bag upstairs. Every time he looked at it, he wanted to give it to her. But he knew rushing things wouldn’t help. Kenzie needed time.
Yet another part of him insisted he loved her. He wanted to marry her. She should know, right?
But that scream terrified him.
He and Daniel had been halfway to the car when they heard her, and they raced to the outside entrance, down the stairs, and into the hallway past the boiler to see the girls in a huddle on the floor, Kenzie crying her eyes out in a group hug.
Lila spotted him and subtly shook her head, so he stayed back with Daniel and put a finger over his lips.
Daniel nodded, and they listened from the hallway, the women easy enough to hear.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Kenzie sounded awful, and his heart broke for her.
“Kenzie, honey, talk to us. We’re your best friends. What’s going on? You keep complaining about Evan.”
He blinked, confused, and met Daniel’s equally baffled gaze. What had Evan done but help her?
“It’s all his fault.” Kenzie cried harder. “I have real feelings for him, but I’m so scared, Lila. I’m so afraid to be wrong again.”
“Oh, honey. It’s okay.” Rachel kissed her on top of her head, rocking her friend.
“He has all the answers all the time. And he’s taking everyone. Daniel, you guys, our business.”
Lila glanced at the hallway once but said nothing.
“Everyone loves him. He’s smart and nice. He makes me laugh. He works really hard, and he’s always paying for stuff. Yeah, he’s a fucking paragon.”
Evan hadn’t expected the vitriol, and it shook him. Especially because Kenzie had “feelings” for him. Not love.
“He’s all over me, and I feel like I can’t breathe.”
Rachel asked, “Did you tell him you need some space?”
“No. Because that would hurt him.” Kenzie cried again. “I don’t want to hurt him. I want to love him, but I don’t know how.”
She didn’t want him around. She didn’t love him. A fist of hurt squeezed his chest, and he put a hand over his heart, in literal pain.
Next to him, Daniel patted his shoulder, but Evan couldn’t look at him. He’d worried he might be moving too fast. And apparently for Kenzie he was. He’d pushed her to a meltdown. But why hadn’t she been able to tell him she needed space or time?
Because you all but invited yourself to live with her, maybe?
