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“Have you heard the news?”
My stomach clenched with grief. “Yes. I can’t even believe it.”
She sighed. “Same. I know you were super close to Rachel.”
I clenched the steering wheel. “I just wish I was here. It kills me to know it happened a week ago and I had no clue.”
She cleared her throat. “Have you seen Everleigh yet?”
My pulse quickened. “I’m on my way to see her now. Why?”
“Well,” she began, her voice sounding slightly amused, “I don’t know if this is true or not, but I believe she thinks that you and I are married. When she saw that I was pregnant, I noticed the look on her face. She was jealous. I highly doubt she would’ve reacted that way if she knew I married someone else.”
That was an interesting scenario, but it made sense. During one of our conversations, Rachel told me that Everleigh never wanted to talk about me; she avoided the topic at all costs. If that was the case, then it could be possible she thought Michelle and I had gone through with our wedding.
We were engaged six years ago, but it didn’t work out. I cared about her, but something was missing. She felt the same way and met her now husband a year after our breakup. They’ve been happily married for three years now, and we were all good friends.
“Did you not mention your husband’s name?”
Michelle snickered. “No, and I did it on purpose. It might not have been the best timing with Rachel’s passing and all, but I had an opening to test her.”
“Did you bring me up at all?” I asked.
She laughed. “I did. And that’s when I could see it in her eyes.”
“See what?”
“That she wants to see you.” A sigh echoed through the phone. “Jensen, we both know you couldn’t fall in love with me because you secretly hoped Everleigh would come back. Now she’s here; this is your chance to see where you stand. If I’m right about her jealousy, it must mean she still has feelings for you.”
I thought I could be happy with Michelle, and I tried very hard to convince myself of such. But Everleigh and I had too much history to simply forget it all. I hated how much control she had over my heart. I wanted to stop loving her, but I couldn’t.
I was almost at Beach Drive, so I slowed down to give myself a little more time.
“What do you think I should do?” I asked.
The line went silent for a few seconds as if she had to think. “Ride it out,” she suggested. “When you see her, just go with the flow. Bring me and the baby up if you want to test her feelings for you. I guarantee you’ll see how much it bothers her. And if that’s the case, you’ll have your answer.”
“If Everleigh gave a damn about me, she wouldn’t have done what she did.” She left as if I was nothing to her.
“If I recall correctly, you didn’t exactly jump on a plane and go after her, Jensen. You told her to call you when she was ready. She was trying to become a doctor at that point in her life and now she’s a big-time neurosurgeon. You also had your own responsibilities with McLean Charters. Your parents needed you to take over the business. Maybe Everleigh needed to make her own path before going down one with you.”
Michelle was right. I didn’t go after Everleigh, but I wanted to more than anything. She couldn’t stay and I knew it, so going after her wouldn’t have done a damn thing.
“I hate it when you’re right,” I said, huffing.
Michelle giggled. “Which is most of the time.”
I finally turned onto Beach Drive and my pulse raced. “All right, I’m almost at Everleigh’s.”
“Are you nervous?” Michelle asked.
“A little,” I confessed. “With Rachel gone, it makes things a little more complicated.”
“You’ll be fine. I know you and Everleigh will work through this. At least, maybe, you two can become friends again. You guys have too much of a past to throw it away for good.”
We said our goodbyes just as my parents’ house came into view. Right next to it was Rachel’s blue cottage on stilts. But now it was Everleigh’s for however long she decided to stay in Oak Island. Knowing her, it wasn’t going to be long at all.
8
