Chapter 25 Evan #2
“An antique store. Well, what used to be an antique store. It went under, and I managed to get it for a good price. Thought you could get yourself on the property ladder. Give yourself something to do when you retire, so you don’t spiral into a midlife crisis.
” My sister shrugs now, nonchalant and unbothered.
“Obviously, it’s yours, so do whatever you want with it.
Sell it and keep the money. Rent it out to someone.
Tear it down and turn it into a strip club. Your choice. I won’t judge.”
Laughter tumbles from my lips, and that causes Gracie’s lip to wobble.
“Whoa, don’t do that again.”
“It was a laugh, Gracie.”
“I know, and I’m not used to it. It creeped me out. Made me feel all weird inside.”
A laugh rises. “Thank you, Gracie. This is a great gift. Really.”
She shoulder barges me. “No problem.” Gracie then slips away before things get too mushy. She’s not a lover of emotions. I can’t actually remember the last time we hugged, not because we don’t love each other, but because I know she'd punch me in the face if I even dared.
Pocketing the keys to the store, I make my way to Flo, who’s just handed some cash to the vendor in exchange for two balls of yarn.
She finishes off the rest of her bourbon, then throws it in the trash.
“God, my legs hurt,” she complains, dropping herself down onto a picnic bench, closing her eyes and letting the Montana sun beat down on her face.
When she reopens her eyes, I realise I’ve been standing here staring at her for a little too long.
“You want to slip my dress off and fuck me on this one, too?” Flo pats the top of the bench, and I chuckle and sit opposite her.
Oh, she has no idea.
Her attention shifts to the park, where children play hopscotch, tag, and ascend the climbing frame, squealing with joy. Her posture is relaxed, but she’s still, as if she’s mid-thought and has forgotten to continue breathing. The corners of her lips lift, but not in a full smile.
“Do you want kids eventually?” I ask.
“Yeah… I do.” Flo looks at me. “I always thought I wouldn’t have them.
I never really imagined myself as a mother when I was younger, but then Megan had Mollie, and now Leo—” She pauses, her tongue darting out of her mouth to wet her bottom lip, and she sighs.
“There’s just something about speaking to a child that’s so refreshing, you know?
They have such different perspectives on life.
I mean, knowing that you shape their childhood by the things you teach them—it’s a lot of responsibility, but it’s the type of responsibility I want one day.
I think I’ve discovered that I’m actually pretty good with kids.
” A pause and a smile. “Do you want more one day?”
My hand scrubs at my stubble. “I would love a little girl. I’d fill her with confidence from day one. Tell her how smart she is. Funny she is. Beautiful she is. That her voice matters, and she could be anything she wants to be. I’d probably want her to grow up and be just like you, in all honesty.”
“I can see you being a girl dad. Swapping that Superhero underwear for My Little Pony instead.”
“If that ever gets out to the press, I’ll know it was you.”
“I’ll already be on the road by then. You won’t be able to catch me.”
“Oh, I’d be able to catch you, trouble.”
My laughter dies down when she asks, “Have you seen the recent report about…?”
“Leo and I? Yeah, I have.”
Another woman saying she believes her cousin is the mother of Leo, as she went to Vegas the same month we had a game there, and then didn’t hear from her for almost a year—utter shit.
I used to get angry about them. I wanted to correct every lie, but now I stare at the screen and feel… nothing. It still weighs heavily on my heart, but there isn’t much emotion there; just a hollow pressure.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry? You didn’t write the report, Flo.”
“No, but it’s just so stupid. And wrong. Why won’t they just stop? You and Leo are human beings.” I can see her blood beginning to boil, building behind those ocean blues.
“Hey, it’s fine.” I lay my hand over hers.
“Do you never get angry about it?”
“I used to, but I think I just accept the inevitable now. It doesn’t feel like peace, but it’s probably as close as I’m going to get, and I can live with that. I have to live with that.”
Not caring about the reports gives me the illusion that I’m in control, that I get to choose whether things affect me or not.
However, right now, looking into Flo’s eyes, I finally feel like I’m in the driver’s seat, like I’m the one behind the wheel, so it hurts that the second this woman leaves, she’ll take all the control I feel I have over my life with her.
Poppy juts her hip out at me when I walk through the tunnel to the area where she’s practising her cheerleading routine alone in the stadium, the others having left already.
“Trying to creep on the cheerleaders, Evan? What would Peter say?” She folds her arms across her chest and smiles, before pressing pause on the music she’s playing from her phone, and snatching up a small towel from her duffel bag that sits by her feet.
I’m freshly showered and ready to head home, but realised I’d left my zip-up in here earlier, so came back to grab it.
“Tell him. Maybe he’ll cut me from the team,” I respond with a laugh.
“Evan, you don’t really mean that. You love football.”
“I know, I know, it’s just nanny drama.”
Poppy cocks a brow. “Haven’t found any that compare to Flo?”
Air huffs from me with annoyance. “That’s a bit of an understatement.”
“Told you she’d be great.”
But what you and Mae didn’t tell me, Poppy, is that I’d fall head over heels for the girl. I lift my eyebrows.
Poppy studies me, twirling her light blonde hair around her finger. “Uh oh, that’s a face. A face of a man who has feelings for my friend, and feels shit about it because she’s leaving soon.”
“You got all that from an eyebrow quirk?”
“I’m a woman studying psychology, so yes.” Poppy sits on the bench and pats the metal beside her for me to join. “I haven’t known Flo very long, but I can already tell she feels deeply, even though she pretends not to. She won’t be taking this lightly, either, Evan, so don’t feel alone.”
“I’ve just never seen Leo so smitten.”
“I think kids actually move on more easily than adults do.” Poppy’s eyes flash with pity before she inhales deeply. “He’ll be okay. You both will.”
Slinging one arm around her, I give her a friendly squeeze, but pull away before things get too awkward. I’m not much of a hugger, but Poppy is, so I know she’ll appreciate this. “Thanks, Poppy.”
“Plus, at least you know you’ll see her again at Nathan and Mae’s wedding.”
Yeah, and it’ll be awkward as fuck if we have to pretend that none of this ever happened between us, especially if she were to bring someone along. There would never be a world where I wouldn’t be jealous.
“Are you coming to the engagement party next week?”
I chuckle. “I think Nathan would hunt me down if I didn’t.” He’s one of my best friends. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
“Well, I’ll see you then. Now, go.” She shoos me away. “I’m trying to get this high kick right.”
After thanking Poppy for the little chat and apologising for interrupting her practice, I exit the stadium, but I’m met with a grinning Flo, my son on her back. I swear, he was a koala in another life.
“What are you two doing here?” I ask as my son reaches for me, and I balance him on my hip.
“Well, since you ‘forgot’ to tell me it was your birthday the other day, I didn’t have time to get you anything, so… we’ve come to surprise you by taking you out for ice cream!”
“Ice cream, huh?” I laugh with a furrow, setting my wriggling son down.
Flo’s smile is forced, and through her gritted teeth, she mutters, “It was Leo’s idea.
” She lowers her voice so only I can hear when she says, “I’m not sure if he forgot you only like to eat gruel, or if he’s just craving it, but he said he wants to treat you, so I slipped a twenty into his pocket when he wasn’t looking.
That way he feels like he’s the one paying. ”
I immediately dig around in my pocket to reimburse Flo’s twenty, but she holds her hand out to stop me, cracking a smile. “No need. Happy late birthday. I’ll give you your present from me when we get home.”
A flirtatious wink is sent my way, and a breathy laugh rumbles my chest as I take my son’s hand and we all walk in the direction of his favourite ice cream shop.