Chapter Twenty-Two
THEO
One time to get her out of my system is never one time. The next day, we return to our normal routine. We’re back to secret smiles and stolen glances, but I’m barely getting by. As much as I love having her around, it’s a relief when Evie doesn’t join me in the woods.
Grounding. That’s what I need, and spending some time in nature will help.
I’ve never been the type to struggle to keep it in my pants. Why is it so hard now?
Christine is with the group, as she should be, but I can’t help but feel she’s watching me like a hawk. I try to ignore her gaze as I pat down the earth, planting one of the last trees of the day.
“You seem different lately,” she says.
My heart skips a beat. I look up, and my brows lift—an attempt at looking more surprised than I feel. “Oh?”
“Happier.” She nods. “Any reason why?”
Of course, I know why I’m happier—why I’mdifferent. It’s Evie. She’s changing me from the inside out; all she had to do was care for me. Her care for me is transformative. It’s enough that I know I’m falling in love with her, something I’ve never let myself do before. I want to tell Christine. I want to tell everyone, but I can’t.
“You know how I am,” I say. “Being in nature makes me feel like this.”
Her expression falls flat. Christine has a serious side, but it’s rare to see it pointed at me so sharply. My mouth goes dry.
“Walk with me,” she says.
“But I?—”
“Someone else can finish the job.”
I hold a higher rank than Christine, but that doesn’t stop me from taking her order. Something is wrong, and goddammit, I already know what it is. I scurry after her.
How much longer can I feign ignorance?
“I know what’s going on,” she says lowly.
What do I say to that? I can’t admit it, not yet. What if she’s talking about something else? Someone else? I won’t throw Evie under the bus. My head swims. I can hardly see the sunlit trees.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I say, finally finding my words.
“Yes. You do. Evie. You’re…”
Once Christine says her name, I find my spine, silencing her with a glare. “Not so loud. The others?—”
“Then it’s true?” She presses her lips into a thin line.
I can’t remember the last time I felt like I was disappointing someone, but it was probably one of my parents. Christine, someone I respect and have a professional fondness for, looking at me likethathas got to be the worst feeling. At least, it’s close to the top of the list.
“If it is, the last thing I want is everyone else hearing,” I say. “Do you know what that could mean for her? How will the others—her coworkers—treat her?”
“You should have thought about that before.” She sighs, rubbing her temples. “Theo. I thought you were better than this. In all my years of knowing you…”
“Better than what?”
“You know what. You should have considered how the others would react before you began an affair with your assistant.”
My shoulders slump. “It’s not anaffair. We’re seeing each other, and we’re consenting adults.”
“Either way, this won’t look good for us—for the company. You know that.” She shakes her head and walks away, pacing through the crunching leaves. “I never wanted to get involved in your private life. I still don’t.”
