Page 81 of The Challenge

“Don’t tempt me.”

“You can’t expect me not to have fun with you when you literally acted a fool tonight.”

“You make me act a fool. I’ve never done that kind of shit before.”

The rest of the ride was tensely quiet. I still had a permasmile on my face, though, as I looked out the window.

When we got to the house, I didn’t know what to expect. It felt different walking into this place at night without Effie. I was reminded of how much of a buffer she was. Without her here, the mood felt darker, yet free and intoxicating at the same time.

Evan threw his keys on the counter and removed his cowboy hat. His hair was all matted, but it was kind of sexy like that.

“Come here.” I beckoned him closer.

He approached me slowly, and I reached up to tame his messy hair, combing my fingers through it. I started to massage his scalp. He closed his eyes and groaned under his breath.

“Does that feel good?” I whispered, massaging his scalp.

He hummed in response. “You make me feel too much, Chloe.”

“You’re not the only one. Remember when you had your hands all up in my hair when you were braiding it? That felt nice.”

He reached for my hands at the top of his head and slid them down to his heart. “After I came home from the military, you were the only person who helped take my mind off of the pain of losing my mother. You were my best friend, but I still kept so much from you. I wanted to tell you I thought you were the most beautiful girl in the world. Still do. I need you to know how much I wanted you.”

“Wanted?” I asked. “In the past tense?”

“You know that it’s very much want, present tense.” He studied me a moment. “Did you fall in love with anyone in the past decade?” Evan rubbed his thumbs over my hands, holding them firmly against his chest.

Not like I loved you. I sighed. “I thought maybe I was in love with my college boyfriend my senior year. But we grew apart, and in retrospect, I don’t think it was ever genuine love.”

“How many boyfriends have you had?”

“Three. My college boyfriend, Jayson; a guy named Ford, who was also a single dad; and then Scott, whom you met, of course.”

“What happened with the single dad?”

“He decided to get back together with his wife.”

His eyes widened. “Really…”

I nodded. “They were divorced when we got together, but then they reconnected while we were dating.”

“Well, fuck…” Evan looked down at our hands for a moment.

“Yep.” I sighed.

His eyes met mine again. “Were you hurt?”

“Not really. I didn’t think he was the one. It was for the best. I was happy for him. If she was his one true love, who was I to stand in the way? He was honest about it and broke up with me instead of cheating. I respected him for that. I’d rather be alone than with someone who’s pining for someone else. It’s like…do what you want. Just spare me from being in the middle.”

“I can relate to him somewhat, but in a different way.”

“How?”

“I was the one married and pining for someone else,” he admitted.

I swallowed. “Pining for whom?”

His eyes seared into mine. “Who do you think, Chloe?”