Free Embrace (Evolve Series #2) by S.E. Hall Page B

doesn’t replace the other.” She sighs, angling her body towards
me and looking me in the eye. “Evan, when I got here, I missed you so much I
physically hurt. I thought about leaving, quitting, and every other emotion across
the gamut. Then I met Dane,” her eyes flit away now and her voice drops, “and I
tried to quit that, too. I swear I did, Evan, but it’s not quittable. I’m so
sorry.”
    “What do you want me to say?” My voice cracks and I
hate myself for it. I stand and scoop up some rocks, tossing a few here and
there, my back to her. “Did you ever love me? Did you ever mean it?”
    “Yes,” she answers and I know as sure as I know my
own name, still facing away from her, that she’s crying…and that there’s more
she didn’t say.
    “But?”
    “Evan, don’t—”
    “Tell me!” It’s the loudest I’ve ever spoken to her
in my life.
    “I love him differently.”
    I turn around now and move to her, squatting down in
front of her. If I have to hear it, she’s gonna woman up and say it to my face.
“Differently how?” My fingers itch to wipe the tears streaming down her face,
but I just can’t do it. I give her a “go on” look; enough stalling already.
    “I don’t know…”
    “Bullshit! You do know. Tell me. Does he treat you
better than I did?”
    She gasps and shakes her head rapidly. “God no! You’ve
always treated me like a queen. Don’t do that, Evan, you’re comparing and
that’s not fair. You’re Evan and Dane is Dane. He doesn’t treat me better ,
no one could treat me better than you. He treats me differently. I don’t
love him more , I love him differently. There’s no easy way to explain
it, and I didn’t ask to talk to you to explain it. I just wanted to tell you
that I’m so, so sorry, I miss you, I love you dearly and I will always be
waiting to be your friend again, when you’re ready.”
    Best friends for years, a “couple” for a flash,
separated and technically broken up, finally back together in the same place,
barely speaking. A crazy ride. I miss the hell out of her and she really is my
very best friend. Was, rather. Can I really live the rest of my life without
her in it, in some capacity? Probably not, and that would suck, but tonight isn’t
the night I give in and become the bigger person.
    I nod noncommittally, not knowing how to answer her.
Do I hate her? Absolutely not, I could never hate Laney. And yes, one
day I will be okay. One day, I’ll be able to look at her and not wish like hell
someone would just stab me so the pain would radiate somewhere other than my
chest, my heart… But I’m just not ready to air those out loud yet. Instead, I
stand, offering a hand and pulling her up. “Come on.”
    Once she’s standing, I release her hand and let her
walk ahead of me to the truck, dead air between us. We’re loaded and in gear before
one of us dares to speak again.
    “Have you heard any more from Kaitlyn?” I ask. This,
this is conversation I can commit to right now. It’s been bugging me, thinking
that crazy bitch might mess with her again. Even if she marries Dane tomorrow,
I’ll never turn a blind eye to someone purposely hurting her.
    “No.” She runs a hand through her hair, her voice
almost sad, but still holding a bit of relief. I’m sure she’s still confused
exactly how she feels about Kaitlyn and her deviousness. “She doesn’t care
about me, it was always about you. I’m sure you’ll hear from her long before I
ever do.”
    “I won’t ever talk to her again.”
    “I know.” She turns her sullen eyes from their gaze
out the window back to me and smiles. “You’re pretty great like that.”
    She’s pretty great too. Despite it all, she’s my
favorite person. I doubt I’ll be able to deny it much longer, but I don’t air
it right now, just let another curtain of quietness fall over us.
    “I don’t have a stalker,” she blurts out.
    I think she was going for nonchalance, but the
shrill pitch in her voice