Emerge (Evolve Series #1)(31)

my father, Evan, and even Parker, I’m set. I struck gold with the men in my life.

After we ate the spaghetti I made, he headed off for guitar night, aka old men sitting in a shed drinking beer. One may pick up a

guitar and strum at some point, ergo “guitar night.” He didn’t need to skip it just because I was home, Evan will be here soon.

While I wait, I make up a meatloaf and a pot of chili for Dad. He can freeze them both and they’ll last him at least a week of

good eating. Then I wash all his bedding and clean the bathrooms, things he would never think of. I’ve gotta take care of my

Daddy.

Finally, around ten, Evan appears at my door. I jump into his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck and smashing my face into his

neck, ugly snapshots forgotten. God, I missed him so much.

He catches me and laughs, running his hands up and down my back. “I missed you, too, princess.” He kisses my hair and sighs.

I pull him to the couch; I just want to hold him. We stay there for hours, it’s as though my cheek can’t leave his chest and his

hands never leave some part of me. It would be so much harder to leave him this time, now that I know how bad it can actually be

and what he does while he’s gone. I wonder if he feels it, too.





Chapter Eighteen


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REMEDY

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EVAN

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It feels so damn good to have her back in my arms. I’ve missed her more than I thought possible. She’s always been the part of

every day that I get up for, that I look forward to. Life just doesn’t mean as much without her in it.

I knew it’d be hard; we’ve been together so long, the two sides of one coin. But there’s no way I could have possibly foreseen

the exact magnitude of emptiness I’d feel. She looks the same, but there’s something different about her; a sadness in her eyes,

a different air about her. I pray she hasn’t been half as miserable as me; I’d never want that for her. I always pray she’s

accidentally woken up with a guy in her room...of course she hasn’t, my sweet girl...God, I’m a dick. The guilt is consuming me

but I can’t tell her; I can’t risk losing her altogether.

College is okay so far. The football team is great. My roommate and new friends are cool, there’s always something to do, but she

never leaves my mind. It’s always there—what’s she doing, who’s she with, does she miss me, when can I see her again; it always

finds a way into my thoughts.

When I lost my phone, I went nuts making up scenarios in my mind. Last I knew, she was at that damn dorm tour thing, and then my

phone was gone. Was she at a party doing shots, letting guys doing shots off her, like I was? The whole “do as I say, not as I do

” shit is driving me insane.

I should have stepped outside the party and called her from Kaitlyn’s phone. I should have gone home. I should have never gone. I

should have followed her to Southern. All those years, I’d never outright lied to Laney, and now I have. Omission is lying. I know

it and so does she. There’s so much I can’t bring myself to tell her and the bigger the pile of secrets gets, the worse I feel.

Just a few months ago, we knew everything about each other. Nothing and nobody came between us. She was the first person I talked

to each morning and the last sweet voice I heard before I went to sleep. When I planned my day, I knew she’d be in it. Everything

now is tainted.

Laney had been exactly right about the challenges we would face; college girls are maniacs. And don’t forget the Bulldog Babes.

They’re the cheer squad, and part of their “job” is taking care of the football team. Our laundry, our homework, cleaning our

room, cleaning our pipes...you name it. I’m a freshmen, so I get less attention, basically whatever time Courtney, the redhead

assigned to me, has left after taking care of one of the senior linemen. I avoid her like the plague.

I’d thought I knew about temptation and women, hell I was something in high school—no comparison.

And Laney was THERE in high school. I could always see her, go to her, be around her; everything in the background was white noise.

I’m not a sexual deviant, I don’t need to get laid, per say, but I need companionship.

Damn, I’m falling apart.

And what kills me the most—Laney is at college, too, with the exact same things going on around her. Any guy with a brain will

always notice her first in a room, it’s inevitable. She’s breathtakingly beautiful. Faces like that don’t come along very often

and her body doesn’t quit. She’s the real deal. Even before she speaks, you know she’s got something; it shines off her in

beams. And the more she resists, which I know she will, the more of a challenge she becomes, and everyone knows how guys feel about

a challenge. Yeah, I worry about her; I worry about us. Official or not, she’s mine. We’re us. Always.

Not tonight, though. Tonight I just want to hold her. I just want to be me and Laney. I want our heartbeats to sync. I want the