It took him a second to realize what she was talking about. Jesus, he’d completely forgotten about Eve’s intoxication. He’d been so focused on Livvy.
It hadn’t been a week since that night. It had been five days. He knew, because he’d counted off each excruciatingly long second and minute and hour, all while burying himself in work.
“You’re of legal age,” he said gruffly. “It’s perfectly fine for you to have some fun.”
Evangeline smoothed her unwrinkled jacket. “I didn’t go to that bar to have fun.”
He nodded and waited. When she’d been a child, Evie had always been slow to confide anything, but she’d spill all in her own time.
“I heard what Grandpa said to you. About wanting to see Livvy.”
Nicholas stopped in his tracks. Eve did the same, her head bowed. “How’d you hear that?”
“I’m a very good eavesdropper. The truth is, I wanted to see Livvy too.” She twined her fingers together. “I followed her to the bar.”
That, he had not been expecting. He stared down at Eve’s shiny black hair. “What?”
“I can’t explain it. It was like something in my brain snapped after our meeting. I sat there, watching her for a while. I drank, even though I hated it. Then she came over, and I...” She lifted her head and swallowed. “I berated her about the accident. Not in so many words, but I was angry and hurt and thinking of Mom. I was harsh and out of line.”
“For fuck’s sake.” He never swore at Eve. Never. But he wasn’t quite sure what else to say.
But she absorbed the verbal rebuke like it was her due. She lifted her head. “I’m not proud of what I said or did. I’ve been agonizing over it for days.” She put her hands over her face. “I got angry and it spewed out.”
“You shouldn’t have done that. No matter what her father or brother did—what her brother was suspected of doing—Livvy wasn’t a part of it. She’s as innocent as we were.”
Maybe you should listen to yourself.He swallowed the sour taste in his mouth. He hadn’t treated Livvy well either, in that motel room. And now he discovered that his sister had hurt her before he’d even arrived on the scene.
Just like a Chandler. Selfishly taking whatever you want.
“Eve—”
“You don’t have to say anything. I am so mortified and disappointed in myself. Because that isn’t all.” Eve’s round cheeks turned pink. “I offered her money to stay away from you.”
Anger was something Nicholas had learned early on how to control. He closed his eyes and counted to ten. Then twenty. Then forty.
Nope. A dull throbbing. “My God. You didnot.”
“I remember how you looked when you came home from ending things with her.” Her words tumbled over each other. “I didn’t want you to be hurt again.”
He didn’t remember the direct aftermath of breaking up with Livvy. Had he seen Eve?
Those weeks had taken on a blurry, hazy quality. After the accident, his and Livvy’s contact had been limited to rushed phone calls, filled with sobbing on her part and wooden attempts at comfort on his. He’d known she needed him, but so had Eve and his grandfather and the company.
He’d assumed they’d work it all out because they were in love. And love won, right?
Even after his dad had taken over the company, he hadn’t considered ending his relationship with Livvy. But then Brendan had called him into his office and pounded the final nail into that coffin. It had been hopeless after that.
She hadn’t fought him when he’d told her it wouldn’t work. Part of him had hoped she would, even if he’d chosen his words carefully so shewouldn’t. It had been as mutual a breakup as it could have been when he’d had to be coerced into it.
“While I appreciate your concern, that was a long, long time ago,” he growled.
“That day in the office, when I told you she was back, I saw. You were shaken.”
Yes, he had been shaken, but she shouldn’t have known that. He was the master at keeping his thoughts and feelings to himself, damn it. “No, I wasn’t.”
“I know you think no one can read you, but I can. I know you, Nicholas.” Eve searched his face. “And what I saw that day in the boardroom, it was the same thing I saw when you came home from breaking up with her.”
He shoved his hand through his hair. “I—”
