Page 55 of The Challenge

“I’m proud of you. Good girl.”

Those words from his mouth sent a shiver of awareness through me. I’d probably fantasize about him saying them under different circumstances tonight. My pulse kicked up another notch in anticipation of what I was about to say. “I found out something else that’s quite interesting while I was there, too.”

Evan raised a brow. “Oh?”

I wrestled with my nerves for a moment. “My dad was under the impression that you moved out…because of my sister.”

Evan’s expression hardened. “What exactly did he say?”

“Well, he didn’t know much about the details.” I tilted my head. “I was hoping maybe you could elaborate. Any particular reason he would believe that?”

When he didn’t say anything, I held my breath a moment and then asked more directly. “Did something happen between you and my sister?”

“We kissed—barely,” he admitted. “She kissed me, actually. I didn’t immediately stop it, even though I should have. When I did, she wasn’t happy about it.”

I breathed a sigh of relief that his explanation lined up with hers. “So, you moved out because my sister kissed you?”

“That wasn’t exactly it, Chloe. But sure, maybe that was part of it. It was the catalyst for something I had been working toward anyway—moving the hell out on my own. I knew I couldn’t live in your parents’ house forever. I’d been saving money to move out, and I’d almost reached my goal when things went down with Fawn.”

Always the glutton for punishment, I prodded, “So, you didn’t like her?”

“There was nothing wrong with your sister. But we didn’t have the connection you and I had. And I didn’t think of her romantically—even if I kind of wished I had, since the kiss happened not long after you sent me your letter.” He winked. “That would’ve been a great way to stick it to you.”

Unfortunately, sticking it to me had never been on the table.

“Bottom line, the kiss didn’t mean anything. I just didn’t want to be rude and immediately push her away. But then I did.” He sighed. “The awkwardness of it did light a fire under my ass to get my own place. So, I suppose in that sense, your father was right to connect the dots.”

“Okay.”

“That’s it?” He raised his eyebrows. “I was expecting more chastising.”

“Your story matches hers.”

“Ah. I didn’t realize you were setting me up.” He scratched his chin. “You talked to Fawn?”

“On the way here, yeah.”

“I should’ve known.” He sighed. “Well, I’m glad she told the truth.”

“She sends her love and told me to smack you upside the head for rejecting both of us.” I winked.

“Great.” He rolled his eyes. “You know rejection wasn’t the full story with us. I didn’t have feelings for Fawn. I didn’t want her that way. With you, what I wanted didn’t matter. I was trying to protect you.”

That was the first time he’d put it that way. Before I could absorb it, though, Effie returned to the kitchen, putting a stop to our conversation. Her hair was wet, and she’d wrapped herself in a shrimp-colored terrycloth bath robe.

“What are you doing two Friday nights from now, Chloe?” she asked.

“I haven’t thought that far ahead. Why? You have plans for me, Effie?”

“You should come to The Lodge with us!”

The Lodge was a local bar and grille that sometimes had live music.

“What’s going on there?” I asked.

“Daddy’s performing with his friends.”

“Performing?” I turned to him in surprise. “What am I missing?”