Page 45 of The Challenge

A quiet tension hung in the air that evening as I arranged my stuff in Evan’s old bedroom and he moved his things into mine.

As we crossed paths in the hallway for what felt like the umpteenth time, he stopped me and said, “How about waffles for dinner?”

My mouth curved into a smile, and before I could answer, I heard Effie cheering from her room.

Chapter 17

CHLOE

That night, Evan and I worked together in sync—him making the waffles and me preparing the table and sides. I’d run out to the market to buy fresh fruit and powdered sugar since all Evan had on hand was maple syrup. I’d decided we needed to go all out and make waffles with the works, since this felt like a celebration of sorts.

From time to time, we’d reach for the same items or knock into each other while working at the counter, and my body would light up. Then I’d think about what he’d said earlier, the fact that he wouldn’t be celibate, just single. That continued to leave me consumed by jealousy. It reminded me of the way I’d felt at twelve when I knew Evan had girlfriends at school or when I’d found condoms in his drawer.

Who did Evan plan to sleep with exactly? When would he do it if he was always with Effie? My mind went wild, imagining him sneaking off to a secret rendezvous during his lunch breaks, or maybe hooking up with a co-worker at the power plant.

Since I’d moved back in tonight, Evan’s overall demeanor toward me felt warmer. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something seemed different. I wondered if it was just my imagination, or my mind trying to will something into reality.

After dinner, when Effie left the kitchen to take a shower, that vibe intensified.

“Would you want to stay up and have a glass of wine with me?” Evan asked.

“Sure…” I managed, taken by surprise. “That sounds nice.”

“I feel like we need something adult-ish to balance the waffle dinner.”

“I haven’t had wine since I got here. And let’s just say, it’s been badly needed.”

“What do you like? I have red or white.”

“I think red sounds good.”

“All right.”

“I’d like to take a shower first, though. Wine makes me sleepy, so I might crash after.”

“Meet me in the living room at eight forty-five, then?”

I almost said, “It’s a date.” But that would’ve been delusional. “See you then,” I said instead.

I waited for Effie to be done with her shower and then slipped into the bathroom. As I lathered soap over my body, I closed my eyes and imagined it was Evan touching me. Just being in proximity to him again had put every nerve ending on high alert. The invitation to join him for wine had come out of the blue. I warned myself not to make a big deal out of it. He’d asked me to join him for wine, not sex, for heaven’s sake.

After I got out, I put on my satin pajamas. I paused before buttoning my top, unsure whether I should put on a bra. But I didn’t normally wear one to bed, and I wanted to be comfortable, so I left it off. Or that’s what I told myself. Part of me wanted to test Evan, to see if he’d notice.

When I walked into the living room at eight forty-five sharp, Evan was already seated on the couch, wearing gray sweatpants and a tight white T-shirt that contrasted beautifully with his sun-kissed skin. The sweatpants were form-fitting and left little to the imagination. Two glasses of red had been poured and placed on the coffee table. Only a lamp lit the small living room.

“Hey,” he said, his voice low and husky.

I almost had to wonder if he was testing me as much as I was testing him. He handed me one of the glasses.

“Hi,” I whispered. I let out a long sigh as I settled into the couch.

“Long day?” He smiled.

“You have no idea,” I said, taking a sip.

“Pretty sure I had the same kind of day you did.” He leaned his back into the couch. “How serious were you with that guy?”

“I’ve mostly focused on my job the past few years. I’ve dated, but Scott was my first attempt at an actual relationship in that time. We were only together five months.”