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David hadn’t listened to her about anything, Ridge hadn’t listened when she asked for honesty, and Blake hadn’t listened when she confided in him about the one passion in her life that was still wholly and completely hers.
Everly was already walking away when she said, “Please excuse me.” The words were soft, but she didn’t care if anyone heard them. She certainly didn’t care about pleasantries when Blake had exposed her private thoughts, leaving her open and defenseless–more seen in this private conversation than she’d ever been in a crowded room.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Blake
Blake reached for Everly, but she was already snaking through the mass of people. “Ev, wait.”
She didn’t stop, intently focused on the big double doors of the exit. Every step she took away from him might as well have been a mile.
The look on her face–it chilled him to the bone.
“Everly,” he said as he caught up to her. “Ev, what’s wrong?”
She turned to him and asked, “Did you really give her my book?”
Blake’s breaths were shallow, choking him from the inside. “I… I did, but I thought–”
“You thought I’d be okay with that? Blake, you’re the only person I have ever told. Ever.”
The realization gripped his chest. What had he done? He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He’d been so sure she’d be happy that a New York editor was impressed by her writing…
But Everly didn’t want to impress. Blake knew that. He knewherfrom the inside out.
“I know I told you more than once that I would never share those.” Everly tilted her head, and her brow furrowed slightly. “I thought you understood.”
“I do. I just…” What could he say? That he was confused? He wasn’t. Everything she was telling him now matched what she’d always told him.
“I’m so sorry, Ev.”
She held up a hand and glanced toward the door. “I need a minute. I’m at work, and I don’t want to talk right now.”
“Everly, please. I’m sorry.”
He reached for her hand, but she carefully pulled away from his reaching hand. The loss, the distance, it cut through him like a knife.
“I trusted you. I trusted you to keep my secret safe. I trusted you to listen to me and consider what I wanted. I don’t want a book deal. I want to be left alone. In everything. I don’t want recognition or money or acclaim. But it doesn’t seem to matter what I want or don’t want. Everyone is determined to make decisions for me or decide what I should or shouldn’t know.”
Her voice cracked on the last word, and desperation clawed in Blake’s throat. He’d lost her trust and couldn’t be sorry enough to make up for this. It was already done, and it wasn’t a mistake he could make right.
Everly held up one hand and wiped beneath her eye with the other. “Don’t follow me. I need a minute.”
Indecision tore him in two as he watched her walk away. Everything inside told him to run for her, but her words, the soft request, had his feet glued to the floor.
Had Mr. Chambers known Blake would make a mistake like this? He’d been warned to listen, and he hadn’t.
Blake wrapped a hand around the back of his neck and rubbed. David had pushed Everly around, bending her to his controlling will. Blake and Ridge had kept secrets from her, failing to consider her right to know. Now, Blake was on his third strike.
Blake leaned his back against the wall beside the door and closed his eyes.Please, Lord, help me to fix this. I hurt her, and I don’t know how to tell her how sorry I am.
“Blake.”
He opened his eyes as Megan reached his side. Her poofy dress swished against his ankles. “What’s wrong with Everly?”
“I messed up.” He swallowed hard. Royally messed up without a chance to take it back and make it right.
Megan slapped his arm. “What did you do?”
