Chapter 23 Chance
Chance
“Sorry, Evie. I have to go. Mila and River have an emergency. There was a surprise delivery, and they’re both home with their kids and no babysitters.”
I shot Everly a look. River’s son, Rocco, hadn’t needed a babysitter in years.
He worked at his dad’s ink shop cleaning up and answering calls for cash.
Mila’s boys were older than Rocco, and her girls were most likely over at their grandparents’ house, giving Spider high blood pressure as they caused trouble with Willa’s help.
Everly narrowed her eyes on me in warning, which had me shutting my mouth, then gave her sister a huge smile. “It’s lucky for us that Chance happened to be having dinner when we were at the diner. Now he can give you a ride home, and I can take care of that delivery.”
“You’re not fooling anyone. Just for this, I’m never sharing my soup with you again. Ever. Ever times infinity,” Evie threatened with a cute little glower at her twin.
“Sacrifices have to be made,” she said with resignation. Jumping to her feet, she slapped me on the back as she passed. “You got the check, right, Bloodhound? Thanks! See ya!”
Watching her quickly disappear out the door, I waited until I saw the Jeep’s headlights turn on before I even moved. I owed Everly for setting this up. She’d given me an opening, and I wasn’t going to waste it. Standing, I offered Evie my hand.
She hesitated, making my heart jump into my throat, but after a pause, she finally placed her smaller hand in mine.
Lifting it to my lips, I kissed it and tugged her to her feet.
At the counter, I was quick to pay for everything, barely scribbling my name after hitting some random tip percentage on the tablet.
A couple people called greetings my way as we walked across the parking lot to my truck. I threw up a wave, trying to be courteous in front of Evie. She already thought I was an asshole. I wanted to prove to her I wasn’t. At least, I didn’t want to be with her.
I was trying, damn it. Even with her sister, I’d tried to be friendly.
Opening the passenger door, I did a brief sweep to get my tools off the floor and then helped her up.
But as soon as her ass touched the seat, I couldn’t take another second without kissing her.
She’d nearly caused me to nut in my jeans with how prettily she moaned from a single bite of my dinner. I’d been half insane ever since.
Burying my hands in her hair, I jerked her forward, taking what I wanted.
No teaching this time. No gentleness. I was fucking hungry.
She kissed me back, not as manically as I kissed her, but she wasn’t as shy as she’d been that first night.
Because I’d taught her. What she liked. What to do to make me crazy.
How to tease the tip of her tongue just right over mine to make me chase a deeper kiss.
When I finally pulled back, we were both breathing heavily. Her hair was a wild mess, my flannel overshirt had buttons missing, and my cock was spilling precome like a goddamn leaking faucet in my pants. Pressing my forehead to hers, I struggled for control. “I’ve missed you so much, peaches.”
“That’s not fair.” She twisted her fingers in my shirt, and another button went flying. “You don’t get to say things like that, kiss me like that, after letting your mother call me a whore.”
“I didn’t let her. I didn’t—”
“You didn’t stop her. You didn’t tell her to shut up. You didn’t defend me or my sister.” She shoved at my shoulders, unsuccessfully. With a little growl, she folded her arms over her chest and dropped back in her seat. “Just take me home, Chance. I’m tired.”
Frustrated, I tried to explain. “I’m not used to correcting my mom.
She was out of line for the way she acted the other day.
I told her that when I took her home. Things had already escalated enough that day, Evie.
I didn’t want to make them worse by causing more of a scene for all of Creswell Springs to talk about. ”
“This is a small town, Chance. People are going to talk, no matter what. Even I know that much. By not defending us, you let everyone think you agreed with her. When they were gossiping about what happened, they were talking about how I’m just another one of your many, because you let your mother treat me like I wasn’t important.
Something I was already more than aware of, but thanks for confirming that. Not just to me, but the entire town.”
“That’s not true, baby.” I cupped her face in hands that shook, refusing to let her look away. She closed her eyes. “God, just listen. Please listen. You are everything, Evie. Everything.”
Her eyes snapped open, blankness staring back at me. No heat from her anger. No chill of disillusionment. Nothing. Just emptiness that tore me apart. “Everything, including a dirty whore, right?”
“No! Stop saying that fucking word. It doesn’t belong on your lips.”
“I want to go home.”
Frustrating, maddening, beautiful woman. “I’ll take you home after we talk.”
“I’m not having this conversation in the middle of Aggie’s parking lot, Chance. Do you want everything we say to be spread all over town by midnight?” She started tapping her foot. “Okay, sure. Let everyone know our business.”
“They already know it, so why try being discreet now?” I yelled. Seeing her flinch, I instantly deflated. “I’m sorry, baby.”
“Do you call me baby and peaches because it’s easier than remembering my name?”
Her question was so far from what we’d just been arguing about that it left me speechless.
Which was definitely not the right response.
Evie’s laugh cracked, all the pain she’d denied me access to only moments before flooding out of her, blasting into me with the force of a nuke.
“Of course that’s why,” she answered her own question, shaking her head self-deprecatingly, silent tears spilling down her cheeks.
“Why did I think for a single minute that I was special?”
“You’re killing me here, Evie. What do I even say to any of that?
I’ve never called anyone ‘peaches’ before.
I don’t do endearments or nicknames with anyone else.
I am not the guy who sweet-talks a random woman before, during, or after a hookup.
There was never any need. They didn’t mean anything to me.
No one ever mattered before.” I raked my hands through my hair, trying to stay rational when it was the last thing I felt. I was pissed off and scared.
Fucking terrified.
She held all the power. All of it. My heart was in her hands. Our lives, our future, they were hers to control. And that was fine. I willingly gave it to her.
All I wanted in return was her.
“Don’t you get it yet, baby? Everything I do, say—fucking am—is different with you. Because, for whatever reason, you changed something inside me. You woke up a part of me that wasn’t there before. You. No one but you.”
She gazed up at me, her tears still flowing, but she started to smile. Not that heartbreaking, wobbly smile that destroyed me every time I saw it, but the one that made me feel whole in a way nothing else could. Relief bubbled up. She was listening. She knew I was giving her all of my truth.
“What are you shouting about, Chance?”
Evie’s smile fell as my mother appeared in front of my truck.
Dad stood behind her, brows lifted, arms folded over his chest, sizing me up.
I hadn’t been shouting, but maybe I was talking louder than I should have been.
Losing control like I just had was new for me.
I had a hot temper, one that Max liked to rile up, but this was different.
“Nothing. It’s nothing, Ma.” My voice was like gravel, making Evie flinch again. Clearing my throat, I stepped back. Dropping my hands, I balled them into fists so I didn’t reach for her again. “We’re leaving. See you two later.”
“Be at Church tomorrow night,” Dad said as I walked around the front of the truck, his jaw flexing. “We’ve got a lot to talk about, boy.”
Mom gave me a quick hug. “I’m meeting Casey tomorrow to get our nails done. Maybe we’ll get coffee after.”
“You do your nails on Saturdays,” Dad said coolly, flicking a glance at the passenger seat.
“Well, we couldn’t this past Saturday, and Casey has time for me tomorrow.”
I didn’t care when she did her thing or with whom.
She had my bank card that I insisted she use so I didn’t feel shitty when holidays rolled around.
That way, she couldn’t throw it in my face that I only thought about her or bought her something nice on her birthday and Mother’s Day.
“Have a nice time, Ma. I’ll see you later,” I repeated.
“Night, honey. Love you.”
“Yeah, love you,” I called, getting in behind the wheel.
Starting the truck, I shifted gears and reached for Evie’s hand. Her fingers were like ice. “Baby, you’re shivering.”
“It’s nothing,” she muttered, turning her head to look out the window.
Swallowing the lump that filled my throat, I drove us home. I didn’t know what to say after everything I’d just admitted, and even if I did, I wasn’t sure my voice would work. Evie stayed silent, letting me entwine our fingers, giving me a taste of hope.
As soon as I parked outside our building, she was reaching for her door. “Let me get it, peaches.”
“It’s nothing,” she said again, getting out without waiting.
I met her at the front of my truck. “Evie.”
“It’s nothing,” she repeated, her blank eyes meeting mine without blinking. Those eyes never failed to cut through me. “We’re nothing, just like you told your mom. You said it, Chance. We are nothing. And that’s how it will stay.”
“That wasn’t what I said,” I rasped, reaching for her, but she was already walking away. “I didn’t call us nothing. We’re not nothing, peaches.”
“Tell that to your mother.”