Page 34 of The Route to You

“I swear. On Granny’s gr—urn.” Kyle held his hands up. “That’s not where I was going with this.”

That seemed to mollify her.

He scrubbed his face, cheeks hot. “Um, okay. So. She’s alive. She’s safe. But she’s fine. Well, not fine. Something happened— not between us. But between her and Evan, and she doesn’t want to go back. She’s not comfortable talking to him, or really to anyone, and fuck, this sounds really bad, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Davy crossed her arms, staring at him. “It does.”

“Listen.” Kyle chugged some coffee, as though it could fix this. Why did I say anything? Davy is Evan’s friend. She’s going to run right to him. “We’re friends, right?”

“I don’t know, I’m suddenly rethinking that arrangement.”

Kyle shot her a sharp look and she huffed out, “Yes, we’re friends.”

“I need you to trust me, Davy. Their relationship isn’t what you think, and it’s good that she left. But, I need you to just keep this yourself right now.”

Davy made a sound of pain. “Kyle.”

“I’m doing my best to convince her she needs to call the guy and talk to him, but that’s between them not us. I’m not trying to interfere, but she asked for my help and I just⁠—”

“Well, that I know. You’re a fucking do-gooder, Kyle.” Davy slumped back.

Kyle lifted his brows. “Is that a compliment?”

“Not right now it isn’t. How in the hell do you expect me not to say anything? Everyone at the hotel is talking about it. Everyone. I’m supposed to just sit there and act like I don’t know a thing? Do you have any idea what will happen if Evan finds out that I knew and said nothing?”

“I won’t tell anyone if you don’t?”

Davy set her elbows on the table and held her head in her hands. “I could kill you for this.”

“Fair.”

She peeked at him. “And you swear you didn’t sleep with her?”

“Nothing happened. I promise. And nothing will happen.”

“She’s awfully pretty, Kyle.”

“But I’m not that much of an idiot.”

“Jury’s still out.”

“Also, she dumped me pretty badly years ago. I’m not stepping into the same waters twice.”

Davy shifted her hands behind her neck, massaging her shoulders. “She’s from Nashville? I wouldn’t have guessed. She’s so posh.”

“She’s nothing like the girl I knew.” He sipped his coffee and gave her a hard look. “You have to promise me you won’t say anything to Evan until she’s ready to talk.”

“I can’t promise that,” Davy said flatly.

His gut dropped.

“I can’t,” she defended with a grimace. “He’s my friend. I’ve known him my whole life. And you know what happened with Isla a few years ago. I learned my lesson. I won’t compromise my friendships like that ever again.”

Could he blame her? He’d used the same reasoning to tell Davy this, after all.

She blew out a breath. “I will promise not to say anything for now . But do your best to get her to talk to him sooner rather than later, because if my family finds out I knew more than I let on . . .” Her mouth tightened. “It’ll be a problem.”

His thumb tapped against the rim of his mug. She wasn’t wrong. They were both trapped in a mess that wasn’t theirs. “All right. But if you do find yourself compelled to tell him, can you give me a heads-up first? Just . . . so I can find a way to tell her that I told you?”