17. Austin
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Austin
Why did this run have to happen today? I’ve been driving alone for over an hour already, with way too much time for me to get lost in my own thoughts.
Just like I already have a dozen times, my mind runs through the conversation the guys and I had last night after Hadley left.
I knew the two of them had shared women between them when we were in college, but I’d never thought anything of it because it didn’t have anything to do with me.
Now it does. They both have feelings for her, and as much as I’d like to say I don’t feel the same way, that would be a lie.
Despite the sparks I feel sputtering to life in my cold, dead heart when I’m around her, I don’t know if I can let her in.
What if she leaves? What if I get my heart broken? I can’t go through that again.
I certainly can’t put Evelyn through that. She was tiny when her mom abandoned her, so she has no memories of it. If she got attached to someone now and they left, it would break her poor, innocent heart.
As scared as I am of letting someone in enough to hurt me, the thought of it happening to Evelyn is enough to chill me to my core.
It’s better this way. Grayson would kill me if anything ever really happened between Hadley and I. You’ve already kissed her… multiple times.
I groan loudly as I turn off the highway onto a country road. Maybe I can just back off and let Brooks and Conrad be happy with her.
But the thought of this makes an ache build in my chest. I try to relieve the sensation, pressing my palm over my confused heart.
My phone’s ringtone comes through the Bluetooth in the truck. “Hey,” I say, pressing the button on the steering wheel to answer.
“Hey, son,” my dad’s voice says over the speaker.
“What’s up?”
“I know we were supposed to pick Evelyn up from school today, but we went for a quick drive to look at the leaves this morning, and now the road is closed because of an accident. They said it’ll be a few hours before we can get back to town.”
Shit. I look down at the dashboard. There’s no way I’ll have time to get back to town before school lets out for the day.
“Are you guys okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, we’re fine. I’m sorry we can’t be there.”
They’re always going above and beyond to help me out. “No, no. It’s fine. Just let me know when you get home safely later.”
“We will. Love you.”
“Love you, too,” I say before hanging up.
My mind starts running over all of the people in town who I could ask to get her.
The twins are pouring concrete at a project this afternoon. There’s no way either of them could leave. Grayson is in the middle of a shift, so he’s out.
Hadley’s gorgeous face pops into my mind. No, I can’t call her. That would be way too much.
Evelyn loves her, though.
I groan again, squeezing the wheel tightly. I pull the truck to a stop in front of the building where I’m picking up the custom-made piece for the landscaping project the twins are working on today.
With a sigh, I dial her number.
“Austin?” Her confusion is evident.
“Yeah, it’s me. Umm… I have a favor to ask.”
There’s some rustling on her end. “Oh, okay. Go for it.”
Here it goes. “My parents are stuck outside of town after a car accident.”
“Are they okay?” She sounds genuinely concerned.
“Yeah, they weren’t in the accident. They just can’t drive back into town right now.”
She exhales loudly. “Oh, good. I’m glad.”
“They were going to get Evelyn from school today, but they can’t. The twins are busy with a concrete project, and I’m more than an hour outside of town.”
Her calm voice stops my rambling. “Do you want me to pick her up?”
“Would you mind?”
“No, of course not. I’d be happy to.”
I let out a shaky, relieved breath. “Thank you.”
I explain when and where she can get Evelyn, and that I’ll call the school to let them know it’s okay for Hadley to pick her up.
I also give her the code to get into the house, even though she probably doesn’t need it since Evelyn will be with her and has it memorized.
“I’ll take care of her,” she says quietly.
“I know you will,” I say, swallowing back the emotions building within me. “I’ll get home as soon as I can.”