Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
EVIE
Ishove my gloved hands into my pockets as my feet crunch through twigs and leaves.
Shadows pass over me, alternating between dark and light as we weave through the crowded woods.
It’s not raining anymore, but the air is still cool and moist. All the layers in the world can’t make up for the frigid air.
Given that Theo lives in a beachside city, one would think he would be worse at handling the cold than I am, but he isn’t. He’s wearing a thick work jacket and a beanie, and he doesn’t so much as shiver when he struts through the woods.
I realized he was at home the first day we were here, with him teaching us how to plant trees. It was obvious in how he spoke about the task, as though it were loving, not a chore to be finished quickly.
There’s nothing more attractive than listening to someone talk about their passions, and I hope I don’t have to sit through that again. He doesn’t need to be more appealing to me at this point. I’m already a goner.
Today is different than the first day. There are no big speeches, and Theo doesn’t attract as much attention. The others are diligently working in small groups. Everyone seems to know what they’re doing now—everyone but me.
Aside from small pauses to greet us, they don’t pay us any mind when we walk through the forest.
There’s no turning off my thoughts—they all know we kissed, they hate me, I’m someone who sucks up to the boss to get his favor. I don’t, though. Do I? Theo is as friendly with everyone else.
Does he take all of them out to lunch, though? Does he take them out alone? I doubt it.
I hope they know it wasn’t a romantic lunch. I press my lips together to keep from blurting the words out, fighting an urge to defend myself even though no one has made an accusation.
“Right here.” Theo drives the shovel into the earth.
I jump, jolted from my thoughts by the sound of his voice. “For the tree?”
“For the first one. I hope you don’t expect us to stop after one. I’m putting you to work today, Clements, like I said.”
My last name. Really? Surely, we’re not at that level of professionalism—there’s something playful about how he says it, his eyes twinkling under a ray of sunlight.
“You put me to work every day.” I hold my shovel tighter, unsure what to do with it. “Do you know how hard it is to keep track of your schedule?”
“I wouldn’t know. You’re too good at making it look effortless.” He huffs and digs the metal shovel back into the cool ground, lifting a mound of earth.
As hard as I may work on his schedule, I am slacking off now. What am I supposed to do? I bounce on the balls of my feet to stay warm and look around, noting what the others are doing—putting roots into the earth, patting down the soil, and digging holes.
“Should I, um… get in there?” I grimace and lift my shovel.
“Only if you want to. I don’t mind doing this part on my own.”
“I can help.” I’ve never dug a hole, but how hard can it be?
He’s helped me with my baking. I finished the croissants myself, but it still felt like his spirit was around—or maybe the energy of our first and last kiss still lingered on my lips.
Theo looks good when he’s doing things like this—no! Stop! Bad brain.
Keeping my hands busy may stop my racing thoughts.
I shove the metal shovel into the damp earth, trying to remember his lesson from the first day—not too deep or wide. Just enough.
With a grunt, I move the soil to the side.
“There you go.” He grins.
I continue the task, not letting the tiny praise get to me—but it could. If I let it, he could make me weak between the knees… and for what? I’ve never let a man make me feel this way before.
Why should Theo Roche be any different?
My next dive into the earth is more aggressive, huffing and puffing as I go. It’s almost as peaceful as kneading bread, and I can see why Theo likes it. Digging isn’t the worst way to release some aggression.
We have the perfect hole in no time, and Theo does the honor of putting the roots in the ground. Thank God. Somehow, that part feels the most stressful.
“C’mon,” he mumbles, glancing up at me from where he is—on his knees, looking at me from beneath his lashes. “Help me cover this thing up.”
“Right, right.” I drop to my knees beside him.
“Pat it down,” he says. “Just like this.”
My eyes lock onto his hands as he presses them into the earth. How he touches the ground is almost loving, and I try to mimic the effect. We are breathing new life into the world, after all. Even though it takes aggression to slap the earth into place, there should be a softness.
This is closer than we’ve been since the kiss. His fingers brush against mine—briefly, gently, with the gloves still keeping us apart. My heart leaps, and my lips part.
“Evie?” he murmurs.
“Yes?”
A sly smile dances on his lips, and I realize he’s messing with me. He’s pushing my buttons. He must be.
“Can you get the hose? It’s time to water this bad boy.”
“Right.” I swallow, rising with more grace than I feel. I tear off my gloves and walk through the forest, shaking my head at myself.
How could I be so foolish? This is all a game to him—it is for any man, and—
“AH!”
My gloves fly from my hands as I jolt forward, tripping over a root. There is a lot to trip over in this place—yet another reason I shouldn’t be here—but I’m the only one clumsy enough to fall face-forward into the earth.
My hands fly out, catching me before I get a mouthful of dirt and leaves.
I should have worn pants, not this skirt. What was I thinking? It’s a long skirt, but rocks and twigs still press into my palms and knees. Bare skin. It sings, but nothing hurts worse than the embarrassment lighting up my cheeks. All I have to do is stand up and hope no one else saw me.
“Evie!” Theo calls my name and runs over, forcing more heads to turn in my direction.
Bury me in the ground like a tree. My time is over.
THEO
The fall happens in slow motion. I give her a simple task—a way to catch my breath and get a little space from her. Just a second to breathe. That’s all I need. She leaves me breathless, and I know it’s not her fault.
Seeing her fly into the ground snatches my breath away again. I watch her fall to… well, not to her death, but she definitely falls. I’m on my feet before I can stop myself, sprinting across the forest to reach her.
Maybe she hit her head. It feels like a real possibility. Perhaps she broke an ankle. I’ll carry her to the hospital my damn self if I have to. God, how far away is the nearest hospital, anyway?
I would do the same for any of my employees. They all sign waivers when they come on the trip, just in case, but that doesn’t mean I want them to get hurt. These things happen—scrapes and bruises.
This is different. This time, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have sent her off alone. If I were with her, I could catch her. I could keep her safe.
Everett will kill me, and I’ll deserve it.
My heart races, and my palms are coated in a layer of nervous sweat as I help her to her feet. My hands linger on her elbows—a safe touch I can finally give, and I wildly search her face for answers.
“Are you all right?” I murmur, holding her tighter.
She nods. “Just… just scrapes, I think.”
I take her hands in mine, inspecting them without a care for who may be watching. Who am I kidding? They’re all watching; this is the most entertaining thing they’ve seen all day. Physical comedy is popular for a reason.
Evie is right. Her hands are all scraped up. I’ve had worse, and I’ve seen worse, but it makes me sick to my stomach to see any harm come to her. This is my damn fault. I never should have invited her here.
“Did you hit your head?” I ask, forcing my voice to remain even.
“No. Nothing like that.”
“And your knees?” I drop down and lift her long skirt, inspecting her scraped knees.
“Theo.” She murmurs my name, but there’s a warning in her voice—and I don’t realize why until it’s too late.
We’re too close, and even though it’s new, I’m familiar with how it feels to be this close to her. She takes my goddamn breath away—again. It’s a wonder I’m still alive, with how often she makes me feel like this. My heart may beat right out of my weak, pathetic chest.
“Sorry,” I mumble, letting the fabric drop. “You’re right. Just scrapes.”
Warmth flushes across her face. “Can we skip the lecture where you tell me I should have worn pants?”
I stand up, running my fingers through my hair. “Sure, sure…”
I don’t want to lecture her—I want to lecture myself. This is my fault. I should have let her stay in the cabin instead of dragging her out here. It was selfish, a desire to show her the place I love most.
She would have been fine if I hadn’t pushed it.
“Let’s find the first-aid kit.” Before I overthink it, I wrap an arm around her shoulder and lead her away.
This is nothing. It’s me helping an employee. I would do this for anyone. That’s what I remind myself, but it feels less accurate with every step we take. It’s a goddamn lie. I care about my employees, but it’s nothing like how I care for Evie. She knows it, too. She must know it.
We sit on a log off to the side, and she places her hands on my lap. The weight is nothing, barely there, but I have to force my body to stay calm.
“We want to make sure nothing gets infected,” I mumble, cleaning the scrapes. “There’s not too much blood. Nothing to worry about there.”
“I lost my gloves…”
“That’s fine.” I dab her wounds, wiping the little bits of blood away—places where twigs and rocks dug into her soft skin. “When’s the last time you had a tetanus shot?”
“When I started college.”
“Less than ten years ago, then. Good.” I’m a scumbag. “Does it sting?”
She flinches. “Just a little.”
“Silly of me to ask.” I look up, smiling softly. “It is an open wound. You can take a pain reliever.”
She’s so, so soft. Fragile and sweet. I’ve never been attracted to that, but when it’s her… it makes sense. I’m attracted to everything about her, even if it means we’re different.
“Thank you for taking care of me.” The words are soft, and she clears her throat as if she can add some hardness to her voice. It doesn’t work. Even though she always speaks in a low timbre, everything she says is so sweet. “I’m sure my brother would appreciate it.”
We’re on the other side of the world, and it’s too easy to forget about her brother—but he’s a part of this. A part I haven’t even considered. If messing up my workplace isn’t enough to keep me away from her, hurting my friend should be.
“Nah. He’ll kill me.” I chuckle. “This is all my damn fault.”
“It isn’t! I was clumsy—and I took off my gloves. This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t done that.”
“Evie.” I fix her with a glare—not harsh, but firm. “This isn’t your fault. We don’t have to blame me, either. Let’s blame… the rocks, sticks, or whatever you tripped over.”
“The roots,” she mumbles.
“Yeah. That.”
She smiles, the first genuine smile I’ve seen in days.
I know when she’s faking it. She always gives a sickeningly sweet smile to others, and ever since we kissed, she’s been giving it to me, too.
I still love her feigned smile, even if it’s not my favorite.
It feels like a secret weapon—a reminder of her strength.
How she looks at me now is different. It’s better than anything I could ask for. Her blue eyes sparkle in the sunlight, and her smile is gentle—still sweet but not forced. This is my favorite smile. I’ll do anything if it means she’s still looking at me like this.
I’m leaning in, aren’t I? That’s not… I shouldn’t… God, where are we? With her. I’m with her and Mother Nature; that’s all I care about. Evie’s hand on my chest grounds me, but not as well as it could. I need more of her touch, even if it means she’s pushing me away.
“Sorry.” I sit back and scratch my cheek, fingers rubbing against my stubble. “Come on. Let me walk you back to the cabin.”
“I’m… I’m fine.” She rises. “I want to walk alone if that’s all right.”
Alone. A single word has me fighting myself, wanting to keep her safe, not wanting her to walk alone. She’s already been going off alone—to town, to the grocery store—but last time I sent her off on her own, she got hurt.
I can’t stop her from doing whatever she wants.
“Sure. Whatever you think is best.” I exhale through my nose and nod.
She’s right. We need some time apart. I need to collect myself. This was all a terrible idea.