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“It’s… complicated.”
“Always is. It’s none of my business but just be careful, yeah. He’s a good guy, Becca, but—”
“Sometimes, the ones you care about hurt you the most.” I repeated his warning from before.
Malachi nodded stiffly, stopping the car down the street from my house. The last thing I needed was Mom panicking over nothing. “Something like that. I’m not saying he’ll hurt you. You’re a big girl, you can figure it out, but this town is like poison. In the end, it ruins everything.”
I had so many questions, but all I could do was nod and thank him for the ride. Climbing out of the car, I kept a hand on my cell phone. I had no intentions of going home. Not with how restless I felt. Waiting until his car disappeared out of sight, I headed away from my house. Hoping that I wasn’t about to make a very big mistake.
* * *
“Hey.”Evan’s lips tugged up in a slight smile, setting off butterflies in my stomach.
“Hey.” I slipped inside and stood awkwardly, waiting for him to close the door.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight.” He regarded me, and I tried to figure out what was shining in his eyes. He seemed guarded somehow, and the anticipation I’d felt moments earlier, guttered out.
“I, uh… I can go if it’s not a good time?”
Maybe coming here was a mistake. But when I’d received the second text, my mind went straight to Evan. He regarded me for a second and then closed the distance between us until he had his body pressed up against me, his hands on either side of my head with palms flat on the wall. “What’s wrong?” he said.
“I—” My hand fisted his t-shirt, yanking him closer, and I kissed him. He responded, sliding one hand into my hair and curving it around my neck. Evan took control of the kiss, setting the pace with every glide of his tongue, and I let him. I needed this.
To feel.
To forget.
To lose myself in him.
“Hey.” Evan broke off the kiss, pressing his forehead to mine. “Eli has only just gone to bed, come on.” Taking my hand in his, he led us to his room at the back of the house.
“Will he wake?” I asked once we were inside.
“If he hears your voice, he will. He hasn’t shut up about you.” His mouth curved in another smile. And for as much as I enjoyed this side of Evan, I rushed out, “Maybe I should g—”
He came toward me, wrapping me in his arms and gazing down at me. “Don’t do that. You came here for a reason. Don’t run.”
Tell him,a little voice whispered, but I shut it down. I didn’t come here to confess. I came here to forget. Swallowing my confessions and burying them deep inside, I looped my arms around Evan’s neck and pulled him down to me. “I missed you,” I whispered against his mouth.
“You did, huh?” he teased. Capturing my bottom lip between his teeth, he bit down gently then soothed the sting with his tongue. “I missed you too.”
Evan walked us back until my legs hit the bed, and we dropped down in a tangle of limbs and laughter. And like that, he was already erasing the fear… the mess that was my life. I wound my fingers together at the base of his neck, anchoring him to me, but his hand reached around and lingered over mine. “Wait, Becca, just give me a second.”
He pulled back and searched my eyes. I swallowed down the groan building. I didn’t want to talk or share or vent. I just wanted this—him. My head rolled to one side, breaking our connection. My heart thudding against my chest.
“Hey, hey.” Evan’s fingers curled around my chin and turned my head back. “Talk to me.”
If only it was that simple.
But it wasn’t.
Nothing about us was simple.
“No talking. I just really need to forget right now, Evan.” The plea cracked my voice.
His hand drifted up the side of my face, and he brushed my hair away. “What are you hiding?”
I swallowed hard and answered him with a kiss.
