“That’s fine.”
They didn’t talk on the drive there, saving their words for the conversation to come. Her garage and porch lights automatically turned on when he pulled in the driveway. She removed her keys from her purse, ready to unlock the door and get this over with.
She’d desperately wanted to sort out their issues, but now that the time had come, her nerves twisted into a rat’s nest of anxiety.
“Do you want anything to drink?” she asked after turning on the lights.
“I’m good, thanks.” His weight shifted to his good leg.
She’d noticed he’d been limping since they left the restaurant. “We can go in the living room.” Sitting on the right end of the sofa, she offered him the left side where the ottoman was.
“Thanks.” Once he lowered himself to the seat, he propped his leg on the ottoman, a touch of frustration evident in his taut facial muscles.
Compassion struck her. “We can do this another night.”When you’re not hurting.
“No, tonight’s good.” His jaw twitched. “We’ve put this off too long.”
The clock ticked. She should have gotten rid of it years ago, but, for whatever reason, Mike had loved it. The second hand made a full revolution, then another.
Evan adjusted the collar of his shirt. “On second thought, a glass of water would be nice.”
“I’ll get it.” She jumped to her feet, too eager to delay the talk.
She pulled two tumblers from the cabinet and pressed them against the spout of the refrigerator’s ice dispenser, then water spout. Carrying them into the living room, she attempted to think of conversation starters but came up dry.
Evan reached for a glass, drank a sip, then set it on the end table beside him. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” After she had sat down, she took a throw pillow and hugged it on her lap.
“Where do we start?”
“I don’t know.” A nervous laugh bubbled from her chest. “I’ve never had this kind of conversation before.”
“Me either.” He lowered his leg, then shifted to face her. “All I know is, I miss what we had.”
“So do I.”
“Tonight was nice. Almost like old times.” His tone begged for consensus.
“Yes, it was.” She absently wrapped the pillow’s tag around her finger. “But then we’re here, and it’s not.”
He sighed and leaned into the sofa’s corner. “We can’t be more than friends, but how do we return to friends?”
His declaration shattered her confidence, but she covered it with agreement. “Anything beyond friendship would never work for us.”
“Why not?”
What in the world?She stopped herself short of throwing her arms up in the air. “You said it first.”
“But it doesn’t mean that’s what I want.” He flexed his jaw. “It just means that’s how it has to be.”
“You’re not making sense.”
Hands curled into tight fists. “I care for you. I tried hard to deny it to myself and everyone around us, but our time together in Louisiana convinced me. And it wasn’t the kisses—those were only confirmation of what I’d already figured out.”
“And I care for you, too. I didn’t want to, fought hard to change my feelings, but they wouldn’t go away.” She set the pillow aside, and tucked her feet under her to face him fully. “If we both want more than friendship, what are we running from?”
Evan swallowed, and turned toward her too. “Mike was my best friend. He asked me to take care of you, not fall in love.”
