Page 50 of Meant for You

“What does that mean?”

His expression had grown more serious.

I straightened my shoulders. “It means we’re not just friends, not anymore.”

Bull walked out, brows hiked up. He’d obviously heard everything.

“You sure you know what you’re doing with her?” Cal said. “Never seen anyone as messed up as Everly when you walked away. Don’t think she could take another blow like that from you.”

Cal’s words were like a strike to the gut. I knew it was coming, of course. I’d earned that mistrust, and then some. Didn’t stop the sting.

I wanted to bite back. I wanted to tell him where he could stick his opinions. But his concerns were valid, more than valid. I had to earn their trust back as well as Everly’s. I knew that. Still sucked, though.

“Not going to hurt her, not ever again.”

Cal’s dark eyes stayed locked on mine. “She’s not the girl you fuck around with, not with the history you have, and not after I spent months watching her build herself back up after—” Cal cut himself off, jaw clenching.

I tore her down.

My brother’s gaze dropped, and when I got it back there was regret there. “Cassy and me…we were worried about her, Dane. Cassy spent nights on the phone with her before she came to us. We kept her up at the house for as long as we could…didn’t want to leave her on her own. Eves was broken. If you’re not one hundred percent in this…you need to let her go.” Those pauses, stumbles over his words, told me just how much he cared for Eves, how her pain had affected him and Cassy.

“Cal,” Bull said low.

Cal’s jaw clenched again. “He needs to know this shit, for both their sakes.”

Nausea hit me hard and fast. Hearing out loud some of what Everly went through sliced right through me and made me hate myself all the more.

I cleared my throat. “No, you’re right. I’m glad you told me.” I needed to get this fucking suit off.

“Dane?”

I ignored Cal and worked at keeping my shit tight, worked on breathing evenly, on maintaining control. The idea of Everly in that much pain was more than I knew what to do with. I wanted to protect her from anything that would hurt her and fuck up anyone who already had. What was I supposed to do when the thing that had hurt her most was me?

I needed to get on my bike. I needed to get out of there and clear my damn head.

“Dane,” Cal said again, sounding even more concerned.

I looked up, making sure he saw exactly how I was feeling. “Being away from her, it broke me, too,” I said, giving them the truth. “I’m not leaving her again. Not ever again.” Then I went and got changed.

Chapter Eleven

Everly

I stood in front of the mirror and applied some makeup—mascara, my favorite lip gloss—then got to work taming my hair.

I wasn’t sure why I bothered. It tended toward the wilder side, and no matter what I did that’s how it always ended up.

Preparations for Bull and Quinn’s wedding were in full swing. We were all pitching in getting the ranch ready for the wedding on the weekend as well as taking care of the horses.

It’d been a busy couple of days, and I’d been looking forward to tonight since Dane mentioned it. I’d walked around with an insane grin on my face all day. Grifter was back in town, and tonight he was having a get-together down by the lake to celebrate his birthday.

A party.

Dane was picking me up soon in his truck. I hadn’t seen him yesterday, since he’d been busy with Bull and Cal getting their suits, then he’d had to work until late. I was desperate to see him.

To kiss him.

To just be with him.