Page 9 of The Challenge

“That’s impressive.”

I’d never doubted that Evan was destined for great things. When I’d left, he was studying engineering and already interning at the power plant. Word around town at the time had been that they loved his work ethic and planned to try to keep him.

A question was at the tip of my tongue, and I couldn’t help but unleash it. “You’re not married anymore, I take it, if you have a girlfriend?”

He arched a brow. “How did you know that?”

“Effie. She told me you were talking to your girlfriend on the phone. That’s why I assumed—”

“Effie has a big mouth. But yeah, her mom and I officially divorced a few years ago.” He moved away from the wall and took a few steps back toward the door. “Anyway, it’s late. I’ve got to get her up in the morning, so I’d better head to bed.”

My attempt at prying apparently caused him to shut down and flee.

“Yeah. Of course.”

Then, before he left the room, Evan walked over to the closet and opened the sliding door.

That might not have meant anything to most people, but it meant a lot to me. It meant he remembered my fear of sleeping with the closet door open, and that after all these years and despite the tension between us, he still took joy in taunting me. It meant that maybe, despite the tough front he was showing me now, he hadn’t forgotten everything.

“Goodnight,” he said curtly, as if he hadn’t just done the sweetest thing, even if it was meant to be mischievous.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Goodnight.”

After Evan left, I felt empty inside again. Despite his teasing, our communication was now at a bare minimum when at one time he’d been my best friend and confidante. All these years, I’d assumed he’d stopped thinking about me. But after what Effie told me about his nightmares, I had to wonder if maybe I was wrong.

Chapter 4

CHLOE

“Oh my God. Where the hell am I?” I asked aloud as I woke the following morning. It took me a minute to recognize my surroundings when I opened my hazy eyes.

Then came the sound of Effie yapping away to her father from down the hall. I looked at the time on my phone. It was seven thirty. She’d likely be leaving for school soon. He’d probably be driving her, although I couldn’t be sure of that. Maybe she took the bus.

Pulling the covers over me, I vowed not to come out until I had confirmation that they were both gone.

Not long after that, the front door slammed shut, and then I heard Evan’s truck roaring to life outside the window. Relief washed over me as I forced myself up to take advantage of the empty house while I could. I had no idea whether Evan was just dropping her off or going on to work. Hopefully, it was the latter. I could really use some peace and quiet.

Out in the kitchen, I rummaged through the cabinets in search of coffee. I figured I’d make it as fast as I could and take it back to my room.

But I was still looking for it a few minutes later when the door opened. Shit. I hadn’t even put a bra on. “Fuck me,” I muttered.

“That would be the second time you’ve asked me to do that,” Evan cracked as a piece of his black hair fell over his forehead.

My mouth dropped open. What a jackass. “You weren’t meant to hear that,” I snapped, ignoring his jab.

Evan threw his keys on the counter. “You seem surprised to see me, like I don’t live here.” His eyes briefly landed on my chest before he returned his antagonizing gaze to mine.

I positioned my long, sandy-colored hair over my breasts. “Well, I heard you leave. I thought maybe you were gone for the day.”

“No such luck. I don’t leave for another forty-five minutes to go to the plant. I do my walk-throughs and in-person meetings from nine thirty in the morning until I have to pick up Effie, and then I work the rest of the afternoons from home. But I’m always on call.”

Now that we were alone, you could cut the tension with a knife. This might’ve been the first moment I’d allowed myself to fully appreciate how damn handsome grown-ass Evan was. It made me a bit weak in the knees. He was the epitome of sexy today in faded jeans that fit him perfectly. His brown jacket had a shearling collar, and the smell of his cologne permeated the kitchen. My nipples stiffened as he looked down at me.

I cleared my throat. “Her school must be pretty close, then?”

“Right down the road. Part of why I chose this house to stay in for now. It’s closer to her school than our old house or our new place.” He took off his jacket and placed it on the back of a chair.

There was so much I wanted to know about his life. More than anything, I wanted to ask what he’d dreamed about when he called my name. I was also tempted to ask about Effie’s mother. He’d said they were divorced, but was she still in the picture? Why was Effie living with him full time?