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“I’m standing right here.” I won’t let anyone trash me to my face. My father raised me better than that.
“You can go.” Nora steps away from the door and sweeps her arm to gesture outside. “And don’t come back. Our contract is void. I can’t have a homewrecker for a maid.”
Her words pierce my chest like a knife. Not that I particularly liked her, but this job nearly got me on my feet. The loss of it will knock me down again.
I step into the open door. “For the record, I didn’t ruin anything. You did that all on your own before I got here.”
“Just go, Evie.”
I’m shocked silent. The blistering demand comes from Rhett. When I force myself to meet his gaze, he glances away and rubs his hand over his lined brow.
As I turn my back and limp away, I tell myself not to jump to conclusions. They clearly have unresolved issues to work through that don’t involve me.
That doesn’t mean that as I climb in my car and drive back to the hotel, tears don’t silently fall down my cheeks the entire way.
His words fucking hurt me.
21
Rhett
The walk down the hall to Evie’s room feels like trudging through wet concrete. Each step is leaden. Though it’s nothing compared to the weight in my gut. Raising my fist to knock takes more effort than I’ve ever exerted to announce my arrival. The two pounds of my fists seem inadequate and over the top at the same time.
The door swings open. Eric blocks my entrance with an angry scowl slashing his brows. I’m struck again at the similarities between the siblings. That is, until he opens his mouth.
“You fucked up.”
“I know.”
“I haven’t even left yet, and you already fucked up.”
I want to sag in defeat, but I remain rigid in my posture. “I need to talk to her.”
“She’s had quite the amount of time to contemplate whatever just happened. Are you sure you don’t need to take an hour or two to do the same?”
Not what I was expecting from the overprotective bro. “Aren’t you supposed to be on her side?”
He laughs without humor. “Sometimes, being on her side is forcing her to see what she refuses to. I only have half a story here, but I’m thinking that conclusions were rushed to.”
I run a hand over the back of my skull. “You could say that.”
He silently leans against the doorjamb.
“She won’t answer my calls.” Three hours and what feels like a hundred texts have passed since I ordered Evie out of that house. The instant she turned her back, I was consumed with regret. The desperation to wrap up my divorce kept my feet planted instead of chasing her like I wanted. Miracle of all miracles, that aspect worked. Now I need Evie to understand the choice had nothing to do with her.
“I suspect not since she’s with Caiti, and when she gets going…if you thought Evie’s a firecracker, you might not want to see the two of them riled up.”
“Fuck,” I mutter.
“Yep.”
“Are you going to give me your room number so I can talk to her?”
“I don’t think so. You need to heed my advice and think on it before you force this conversation.”
“Thanks for the help,” I mutter. I walk a couple of paces down the hall while Eric watches from the open doorway. Even without hearing his door shut, I know he’s still there with his eyes on my back.
I bracket my hands on either side of my mouth. “Evie!” I bellow down the hall.
