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It’s the perfect mix of old and cosy with a modern twist. I’m not sure it’s how I would have decorated the place if I had free rein, but there’s a lot of potential.
As Evan’s words sink in, I look at him appraisingly. “Did you decorate any of this place?”
I’m fairly certain I already know the answer, but the words tumble out of me all the same. “No.” He shakes his head before adding, “Well, I had a say in one or two rooms, but mostly it was the girls. Just thank yourself lucky, Ryleigh wasn’t involved. I hate to think what this place would have looked like if she’d been in charge of decorating.” He shudders, but there’s a hint of a smile there, too.
“It’s been a couple of years since I last saw your family, but it’s weird how much they’ve all changed.”
Evan seems almost pensive for a moment as he nods his head. “Yeah, they’ve all grown up. It still freaks me out that some of them have kids of their own now.”
“I know… I never thought Kellan would be the first to have a kid. I’m assuming he was as Hallie looked to be the oldest, unless there are others I haven’t met? It’s great he’s still close to you all, after you took him in.”
I didn’t know the Doughtys before Kellan came to live with them, so to me, he’s always been part of the family. But I saw him blossom while he was with them.
He was so shy and timid to start with, following Liam around like his little shadow. When he found solace in his computer, and discovered something he was good at, it’s like he found his place in the world.
Evan tilts his head to the side, his brow pulled up in confusion as he stops outside a closed door. “That’s right…you don’t know. So, we actually found out that Kellan is our half brother.Desmond is his biological father. He and Mum went through a rough time, and they were separated for a while. Dad made a stupid mistake, and Kellan was the result. Kel’s mum, as I’m sure you remember, was not capable of raising a child, so we took him in.
“Up until a couple of years ago, we thought he was just Liam’s best friend who Father adopted. Now we know the truth. It actually makes a lot of sense. And yes, he was the first of us to have a kid, which was crazy to all of us when we found out—though the story of Hallie’s birth is a much longer one for another day,” he adds, and I’m sure my mouth is flopping wide open.
I never saw that bit of gossip coming. Then again, I always used to say to Evan that Kel looks just like the other brothers. So much so he could be a real brother—and now he is.
I want to ask Evan how he feels. I mean, finding out you have a half sibling you didn’t know about is one thing, but finding out your father cheated on your mother is something entirely.
While the rest of the family definitely see Desmond clearly, it’s well known that Evan sees him through rose-tinted glasses, like he can do no wrong. But betraying his mother, that’s something that is hard to forgive.
You don’t have a right to ask him personal things like that anymore, I remind myself. My heart aches when I realise how true that is.
“So, erm, this is the spare bedroom that I turned into a home gym. Feel free to use any of the equipment, if you’d like to. If you’re not sure how to use them, and would like to, please just ask and I’d be happy to show you,” he says, as he holds the door open for me to see inside.
The spare bedroom is bigger than the one I used to have when I lived at home with Mum. It’s bloody massive, and it’s been completely altered to look like a high-class gym. All theequipment is state-of-the art, and there’s even a fucking large mirror taking up one wall, so you can check your form. Or in my case, realise what a fucking sweaty mess I am when I attempt to exercise.
I always hated that about gyms. Whenever I used to go to one, there’d be rows and rows of women, who all looked like sports models. Their hair and make-up would be perfect, not a strand out of place, as they ran faster than I could even dream of on the treadmill, puffing casually like they’re out for a Sunday afternoon stroll.
Whereas, as soon as I’ve been moving for any more than five minutes, I’m a mess. My hair sticks up at all angles, growing in humidity to the point it looks frizzy. It’s plastered to my head with sweat, as my face turns a more vibrant tomato red colour.
Even if I’m in control of my speed, I’m still breathing faster than a guy at the end of his first marathon. It’s not an attractive look when combined with the inevitable sweat patches that litter my clothes.
So, having a private gym is great… I just have to share it with Evan, and the idea of him seeing me like that after all these years fills me with dread.
“Thanks,” I mutter, not sure what else to say.
Right now, the idea of asking him to show me how to use any of the equipment seems so unlikely. But if we’re going to be stuck together for fuck knows how long, I may have no other choice. I’m guessing there’s not much else to do here.
He quickly closes the door and leads us on to the next room. As he opens the next door, he seems to hesitate for a second. “This is my room,” he mumbles, voice barely above a whisper.
He doesn’t open the door too wide, just enough for me to see that his room is almost bare, except for his large king-size mattress, a wardrobe, and two side tables, one on either side ofthe bed. His duvet is a deep grey that reminds me a little of the colour of my eyes.
As I was expecting, there’s nothing in the room that screams it belongs to Evan. Hell, there isn’t even any dirty laundry on the floor. This boy has always put me to shame on that front.
Evan must notice me rolling my eyes as he cocks his eyebrow in question. “What?”
“I forgot how freakishly tidy you are.”
For a second, it looks like he’s going to smile, but his gaze narrows as his lips turn into a frown. “Yeah, well…it’s been a long time. You don’t have any reason to remember, do you?”
There’s a hint of a challenge in his snarky voice, almost like he wants to pick a fight with me. Normally, I wouldn’t hesitate to snap back at him, but honestly, it’s been a long fucking day—a long few months, really—and I just can’t be arsed.
When he realises I’m not going to fight him, he closes the door and gestures to the room next door. He pauses, his hand firmly on the door handle. His eyes are fixed on his hand, and I watch as he takes a small breath—something he used to do when he was nervous. But that doesn’t seem to fit now, so I dismiss it as yet another thing I don’t know about Evan anymore.
