He felt terrible because he still loved her and he’d hurt her.
And she didn’t love him.
“You should have told him,” Lila said. “He’s a big boy. He’d get over it. And if he really loved you, he’d understand.”
Thanks a lot, Lila. I do love her, but I apparently don’t understand her as well as I thought I did.All the while he’d felt as if he’d been growing into a family, finally surrounded by a brother and a woman he loved like no other, she’d been feeling pressured.God, I’m so clingy. Mom was right.
“Yeah, because he’s sweet and nice and kind,” Kenzie spat. “And rich, and athletic, and sexy, andperfect.” She cried harder. “He’s everything I’m not. Hell, without the Talon account, we’ll end up back in debt and going without paychecks for the next two months. And Evan’s driving a Lexus and paying for a condo he’s never in! I’m bad at my job, and I found another gray hair yesterday,” she wailed. “I feel like I’ve gained ten pounds.” Evan thought she looked like she’d lost ten. “I make killer tacos, and he hates Mexican food. Why does he want to be with me?”
“Kenzie, where is this coming from?” Rachel asked, sounding upset. “You’re not making sense.”
“He gave us his keys, Rachel. He has a ring in his bag, anengagement ring.”
Shit. He knew he should have kept the thing at home. But no, he had to keep toting it around with him. He didn’t look at Daniel, who gripped his arm.
“She doesn’t mean it, Evan. She loves you,” the boy whispered.
Evan felt like a complete heel for forcing Kenzie into a situation she wasn’t ready for. And worse for getting so attached to Daniel and now needing to leave.
“Go give her a hug,” he whispered to the boy. “But Daniel, don’t let her know I was here. I don’t want her hurting anymore.”
Daniel’s eyes filled. “Don’t leave, Evan. She really does love you.”
Evan forced himself not to cry and smiled instead. “I know she does. But she’s been hurt, and she needs time to heal. Let’s give her that time, okay? Don’t be mad at her, Bro.” He pulled Daniel in for a hug. “Remember, don’t tell her I was here. She’ll just feel worse.”
Daniel nodded and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
“I’ll see you at your game tomorrow. But I might not be where she can see me, okay?”
“O-okay.”
Evan turned to leave, but Daniel grabbed his sleeve. “I love you, Evan.”
Evan’s eyesburned.“I love you too, Daniel. That hasn’t changed.” He looked beyond the hallway. “And I love your sister. But she needs time.”
He hurried to his car as the tears streamed down his cheeks. And he drove home, sat in his colorless house, and stared out at the empty backyard, wondering how easily he’d lost something he’d never hoped to have again.
Chapter 24
Kenzie’s crying jags made no sense, but after letting go of that initial stress, she did feel much better. That and realizing she’d caught the same crud Daniel had suffered from the past three days. You had to love high school, a living petri dish of germs.
It also explained why she’d been so sick to her stomach. Hers and Daniel’s bouts of nausea had been coming and going for two days straight. Stress was a terrible thing, and she’d been wrestling with so much lately. She hated that Daniel had seen her at such a low point, but she was relieved Evan hadn’t been able to join her for the past two days, an emergency with his mom and Jerome taking precedence.
At least Daniel had recovered enough that he’d been able to go out again.
“I’m still mad at you,” Lila said Sunday night. She, Rachel, and Kenzie were spending their evening at Lila’s while Hector, Will, and Daniel did guy things over at Kenzie’s house.
Kenzie needed girl time, so she’d been fine with her brother spending the evening with the guys. She only wished Evan could have joined them. “I’m so glad Evan wasn’t there. I mean, I was freaking out. I feel like an idiot for it.”
Rachel shrugged. “Hey, stress will do weird things. My mom once cut off all her sister’s hair when she was planning the wedding to my dad.”
“Yeah, but wasn’t that because she found out said sister put the moves on your dad?” Lila asked.
“Well, yeah. Stress.”
The three laughed. Kenzie kept thinking about Evan, wondering why he hadn’t called or texted in a while.
“He hasn’t called,” she said an hour later while they watched the latest Tarzan movie for the fifth time, giving a loving critique of Alexander Skarsgård’s body. And no, no one found anything wrong with the film except the actor wore too many clothes for the better part of the movie.
