He’d been hoping for a warmer reception. Of course, he hadn’t banked on discovering his brother and fiancée were the ones responsible for fucking with both of their lives ahead of this conversation. That really put a damper on his intro.
“You look amazing.”
Heath sniffed. “I suppose this was your doing?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to see you.”
“Why can no one just meet me at a coffee shop? Why must you devise an elaborate ruse involving dragging me to the last place I’d ever feel comfortable?”
Evan cringed. He’d thought—hoped—that Heath would embrace the evening. Maybe even have fun with it. As galas went, this one was small and sedate, a crowd specially curated to exclude insufferable assholes.
“Would you have met me?”
Heath’s eyes dropped to the floor. “I don’t know.”
That was a no.
“I didn’t ask Izzy to invite you, if that matters. She did that on her own. She also didn’t know I was involved until after you’d agreed to go.”
“Why not?”
“Why not what?”
“Why didn’t you ask her to ask me?”
“I didn’t want it to be a setup.”
“This isn’t a setup?” Evan sighed and moved closer, but stopped when Heath held out a hand. “That’s close enough.”
“I swear it isn’t. It’s a strategically convenient coincidence.”
“You put some thought into that answer.”
He had no idea.
“I wanted… I just…”
It was impossible to keep his thoughts straight with the man nearly within arm’s reach. For eight months, he’d been kicking himself for fucking this up. Eight months of therapy and learning to accept himself and the things he’d done, as well as the things done to him.
He was still angry and bitter. He always would be, but it wasn’t his entire personality anymore. Now, it was a deadly viper encased in amber. Something he looked at when he needed a reminder of how far from the starting point he’d already traveled, and how far he still had to go.
“I’m sorry.”
“For?”
Christ, he was brutal. “You went easier on Christian.”
“He’s been disappointing me for a long time. I don’t care enough to allow it to get me worked up anymore.”
“Does that mean you do care enough about me?”
He sniffed and looked away. That was a yes.
“I’ve been in therapy.”
