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Evelyn’s hands curved around my back, holding on to me. Holding her kept me steady. As long as I was holding her, nothing could harm her. And that was the most important thing in my life now.

I wanted to kiss her again, taste that sweetness. But this wasn’t the moment. Still, the temptation was overwhelming. “I want to kiss you again, Ev.”

She tilted her face up, and she didn’t say no. Fucking beautiful.

“But I don’t want you to regret it later. And I don’t want anything between us to be because of your pain.” I pressed my lips to her forehead, and she relaxed like the weight of the world had suddenly fallen off her shoulders.

She’d been holding all of that alone. For years. I held her tighter, happy to take the load from her for a while.

“Will you be all right?”

Her hands tightened. “Can you—will you stay? Just... like this. Not for anything else.”

“Of course.”

Even quieter now, “I don’t want to be alone.”

What Evelyn didn’t know was that I would hold her as long as she wanted—as long as she needed. She didn’t realize that I’d been all in from that first day. It was pure chance that she’d ended up here, and I would believe in fate for the rest of my life after this.

I needed her as much as she needed me.

Evelyn stayed in my arms until she was ready to let go. I didn’t know how long we’d stayed like that, but the sun was setting outside.

“I think I need some sleep.”

“Yeah,” I said. “I’ll be on the couch if you need anything.”

She blushed, and I pretended not to notice. “Thank you, Lucas.”

“Anytime, Evelyn.”

She disappeared into the bedroom and closed the door behind her. I retreated to the living room and sat on the couch, dropping my face into my hands. All of that was...

I needed to tell Harlan and Daniel. Not the full story, but that I was in deep. I had a feeling they already knew, but I still needed to tell them.

Pulling out my phone, I sent a text to Harlan letting him know that I was out of commission for the night. I wasn’t leaving Evelyn alone, and I wasn’t inviting people into her house so we could talk. I’d fill them in on the necessary details in the morning.

I kicked off my boots and settled back on the couch. It was a good thing that Evelyn had asked me to stay, because I didn’t know how to make myself leave.

Chapter 15

Evelyn

When I woke, it was all at once. No grogginess or hesitation. I was clear, though the light through the windows told me I’d slept late.

Last night was the first time I’d told someone everything. Really everything. Not even Melanie knew some of those details, because while I’d been still going through it, I’d been desperate to make it better. To make it seem like I hadn’t been completely fooled.

Lucas hadn’t looked at me the way I’d feared he might. There was no pity or disgust, only anger at Nathan and the cops who’d made my life hell. The way he’d held me...

If I’d opened up to someone like this earlier... would things have been better? But at the same time, none of those people were Lucas. Something about him fit me in a way that I’d never expected. And I trusted him.

It was a strange feeling. Years had gone by since I’d trusted anyone. Regardless of the feelings that were growing for him, the fact that he saw through me had started before that.

I slipped out of my room. I hadn’t locked the door last night. Not because I’d hoped that Lucas would come in, but because I’d known that he wouldn’t without an invitation. That kind of safety was everything.

I peeked my head around the living room door. He was still here, on the couch, his big body crammed into a space that was far too small for him. He was sound asleep.

For a few moments I watched him. I was attracted to him. Deeply. And that feeling was so alien and new that it was terrifying. The way he’d felt when he held me last night, the way he’d dropped everything to come to me when I’d needed it. It was almost too much. And not enough.