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I shake my head and get back in the car, heading toward Evan's house. Once there, I knock on their front door, and with every second, I wait for someone to answer, my heart sinks lower and lower. Janet opens the door with a huge smile on her face.
"Josh! We didn't know you were coming over. Come in, Come in. I was thinking of making some sandwiches for lunch. You will join us, won't you?" She ushers me inside.
I follow Janet into the kitchen, still nervously pacing. "Um, sure, that sounds great," I reply, trying to sound as casual as possible.
Evan is seated at one end of the kitchen island so I take a seat at the other end, putting two bar stools between us. Not that it will help.
Janet begins preparing the sandwiches while she makes small talk. "So, how's life been treating you, Josh?"
"Good. Had some cattle break down a fence the other day, and took us all day to wrangle them back in and fix that section of fence. So, I've been riding, checking for any other weak spots."
"Sounds like quite an adventure," Janet says, not looking up from her sandwich-making. "You must really love that cowboy life."
I can't help but smile. "It's not always easy, but it's definitely fulfilling. There's something about working with the land and nature that fills a void in my soul that nothing else can."
When I turn my attention back to Evan, he seems to be deep in thought. He takes a sip of his drink and sets it down on the counter. "So," he begins, clearing his throat before he speaks. "Is that all that has been keeping you so busy lately?"
Evan's eyes meet mine, searching for answers. I'm sure he doesn't even suspect what I'm about to tell him. I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves.
"Evan, there's something I need to tell you," I say, my voice trembling. "Jenna and I have been... dating. I'm in love with her."
His jaw drops in disbelief, and his face instantly turns red. "What?! But she's my daughter!" he exclaims, shock clear on his face.
The silence in the room is deafening as Evan stares at me in disbelief. I watch as the emotions wash over his face, from shock to anger to incredulity. Finally, he breaks the silence.
"You're in love... with my daughter?" he repeats, his voice still shaking with incredulousness. "The little girl you used to babysit, the girl who I trusted in your care many times. Your sick bastard!" He jumps up, and I do the same.
"It's not like I ever had impure thoughts of her or even touched her when she was underage. When she came back after graduating college, it was like seeing a new person. My brain can't seem to combine her with that little girl. They are two separate people." I ramble fast, hoping to get through to him.
Evan's eyes narrow as he takes a step closer to me, his fists clenched at his sides. "How could you do this to her? To us?" he asks, his voice shaking with anger.
I take a step back, my heart pounding in my chest. "Evan, please, just hear me out," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "I know how it sounds, but it's not like that. I never touched her inappropriately. It wasn't until she came back after college and we got to know each other as adults that I realized I had feelings for her. I never would have made a move if she hadn't come to me expressing the same feelings."
Janet freezes in the middle of slicing bread, her knife hovering in mid-air. I can see the tears welling up in her eyes. She sets the knife down and looks at me, her face a mix of shock and betrayal. Then she turns to Evan, who is now standing rigidly, his fists clenched tight.
Evan's face flushes even deeper as he takes a step closer to me, his anger palpable. "And you think that justifies it?" he yells, his voice shaking with fury. "You use your role as an adult figure to prey on a vulnerable young girl? You think that's okay?"
That's when Zach walks downstairs. Hearing what his dad is shouting, he knows instantly what happened. But he stays behind his dad and out of sight of his mom. I can't blame him. I wouldn't get involved either.
Trying to calm the rising panic in my chest, I try to explain. "Evan, please, that's not what happened," I plead with him, taking another step back. "I never pressured her or made her feel uncomfortable. It wasn't until she made the first move that things got complicated. We fell in love, and I can't deny that."
Evan's face twists into a sneer, and his eyes narrow as he takes another step closer. "You think you're the first person to use their position of trust to manipulate a young girl?" he yells, anger radiating from every pore. "If something was going on, why didn't Jenna say something or come talk to me? We share everything."
"You and I both know it would have looked even worse if she came to you instead of me. We debated this, and she wanted to be here, but I didn't want her to see you like this. I knew this is how you would react."
Evan's face turns purple with anger, and he takes one final step towards me, but I don't move. When I glance over to see Janet's reaction to all this, I also don't see his fist coming. His fists connect with my temple, and I feel a sharp pain, my head jerking to the side. I clutch my head, wincing in pain.
"I can't believe I'm even having this conversation," Evan snarls, his eyes narrowed angrily. "You're a sick man, Josh. A twisted, sick man."
"Evan!" Janet yells, rushing toward her husband.
"Dad!" Zach says, pushing his way between Evan and me.
"Zach, get out of here. You don't know the disgusting things this man has done to your sister!" Evan yells.
"I heard the whole thing. But you always said fighting isn't how we solve anything," he says.
Then Zach turns to me. "I think it's best you leave."
