Eva’s laugh burst out of her, and it lifted an enormous weight off my soul.
“Okay,” she repeated, smiling up at me. “I’ll go to the gala with you, Tristan.”
I was afraid to move, that this was a dream, that she’d take it back.
Eva just shook her head and started down the stairs, leaving me to follow.
Maybe, possibly, I’d earned my way back.
32
COLE
Dad
How long do you intend to delay your engagement announcement?
My thumb hoveredover the screen, rage and exhaustion warring in my chest. How was I supposed to convince my father I was all in on my future while maintaining my hockey obligations and investigating the bastard? Between studying the business, digging through his connections, school, and practice, I didn’t have time to breathe, much less sleep.
On the plus side, staying busy meant the pain of Eva’s absence remained an ever-present ache rather than the sharp agony of loneliness.
Me
I’ll take her to the team’s charity fundraiser this week.
We can tell the paps we’re dating.
Nausea roiled in my gut. I’d seen Eva’s face the first time Delaney attended a game. I knew the team thought what I’d done to her was bullshit. And I knew my engagement hurt Tristan, even if Tristan understood it was the price to pay for getting close to my father.
Dad
Several board members will be attending.
I expect you to impress them.
Carter Industries was a major donor to the children’s literacy charity the fundraiser supported, which made me laugh, since my father’s media empire was all about getting people addicted to their screens.
But the board members? They were the key to taking my father down.
Me
Understood.
While my housemates got dressed, I hurried downstairs, intending to slip out without notice, only to find Haruto blocking my path.
“Where are you going?”
“To pick up my date,” I snarled. Delaney had flown in from New York for this.
“You know Eva’s going to be there, right?”
Yeah, as Tristan’s date.I ignored the hot slice of pain. “She’s made her opinion of me clear,” I snarled.
“You haven’t done anything to change it,” Haruto snarled back.
I squared off, violence radiating off me. “You don’t know shit, you fucking asshole.” I was doing my fucking best, and fuck, I knew it wasn’t enough, it’d never be enough, but itkilled me for him to point it out. It wasn’t like he’d believe me if I said I was doing it to protect her.
Haruto raised an eyebrow. “I know she watches you every practice and every game but avoids working with you for PT. I know you’re paying for every single one of those sweet moves Tristan makes on her. And I know you fucked up a really good thing.”
