“She did.”
“Why do you think she did that?” he asks me.
“She loves my daughter.”
“Nah! Try again,” he says.
“It’s true. She’s told me multiple times that she loves Lexi, she would do anything for her, and I love her for that,” I tell him.
“Just for that?” he asks.
“Are you fucking kidding me? You know better than that shit. I already told you I love her.”
“Yes, but did you tell her?”
“No, she didn’t give me the chance.”
“No, instead you told her you need her. Did you give her a reason?”
Oh shit. I think I’m starting to see where this is going. “No.”
“Right.” He smirks. “Do you have a reason?” he counters.
“Of course, I do. I can’t fucking breathe without her. I couldn’t even sleep in my bed last night, our bed, because the sheets smell like her,” I all but scream at him.
Aaron grins. “That’s what you need to tell her. She thinks the only reason you asked her to stay was you’re afraid you can’t raise Lex on your own. You didn’t give her a reason to believe it was more than that,” he points out.
Fuck me.
“She loves you, Evan. Her heart is breaking just as much as yours. You have to show her you need her, not because of what she can do for you, but because she is the other half of you.”
I stare at him. “When did you get so good at relationships?”
He shrugs. “I’m not really. It’s easy to see it from the outside looking in. You both are head over heels, but you can’t see through all the bullshit to work it out. She’s my sister and you’re my best friend. I want to see you both happy.”
“She loves me?” I ask, needing his reassurance.
“Irrevocably.”
She loves me. I think about everything he said and it makes sense. I never told her how I feel, but begged her to stay because I needed her.
Shit.
“Hey, man, can you do me a favor? Can you keep her busy? I know she mentioned coming to get her stuff, but can you keep her occupied until I text you? I need to do a few things first. Give me a couple of hours?”
“She tossed and turned all night. My guess is she’ll hole up in her room most of the day anyway, but I got you covered. Can I do anything else?” he asks.
“No, just when I text you, bring her here.”
Aaron stands. “You got it, man.” He claps me on the back and waves goodbye.
A plan forms in my mind as Lexi babbles, letting me know she’s awake. Baby girl needs a diaper change and some breakfast; then we have things to do.
Chapter 57
McKinley
“Come on, sleepyhead, get up,” Aaron says, shaking my arm.
“Go away.” I throw the covers over my head.
“Nope, I need you to wake up. It’s three o’clock in the afternoon, lazybones.”
“Really, Aaron?” I pull the covers back down and glare at him.
He grins. Then sends a message on his phone. “Yes, really. Now get up. I need you to ride to town with me.”
“No.”
“Yes, come on, get up. We’re going to go grab something to eat.”
I start to tell him I’m not hungry, but my stomach betrays me and growls. “Fine, but I need to shower first,” I relent.
“Twenty minutes, I’m starving,” he says, typing into his phone.
“Who are you texting?” I ask.
“Just the guys. They have some questions about the sale next week. I left early to come and take you to dinner.” He grins.
Twenty minutes later, we are in his truck and on our way to town. “I see you kept the ring on,” he says. “I went to see Evan this morning,” he tells me as if we’re discussing the weather.
“How are they?”
“He misses you.”
“He’s fine.”
“I really don’t think he is.”
I don’t reply and he doesn’t either. We are silent the remainder of the drive. He pulls into Subway. “This okay?”
“Yeah, I’m not that hungry anyway.”
“You think your belly got the memo?” he asks as it growls just as loud, if not louder, than before.
I smack his arm and climb out of the truck. We make small talk while we eat. I get a six-inch and can only eat half. It took effort to get that down. Aaron, on the other hand, ate his twelve-inch and the other half of my six.
“You have anywhere you need to go?” he asks.
“No, just home.”
He drives us toward home, only he turns down the road leading to Evan’s place. “What are you doing?” I ask him.
“You need to talk to him, McKinley. I’ll wait outside and I promise, as soon as you want to leave, I will drive you home. You will regret it if you don’t at least hear what he has to say.”
“What could he possibly say that hasn’t already been said?”
“Did you tell him you love him?” he asks.
“No,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Sounds like a good place to start.”
“I can’t—”
“Don’t,” he cuts me off. “Don’t make excuses,” he pulls up in front of the house I’ve called home the last few months. “Drop the pretense. Just go in there and talk to him. Listen to what he has to say. Be honest with him, and if you all are still in this same place after that, you will at least know you tried.”
“Fine.” I climb out of the truck slamming the door. As I walk up the steps, Evan opens the door before I even have a chance to knock.
“McKinley.” I can hear the pain in his voice. Was Aaron, right?
“Hey, uh, Aaron thought we should talk.”
“Yeah, I asked him to bring you here.” He opens the door wide. “Come in.”
I step toward him and, just as I’m about past him, his arms snake out and pull me close. The door slams shut, but it doesn’t faze him as he holds me tight.
Lexi babbles “Dada” from the living room, causing him to release me. “She’s going to be excited to see you,” he says, lacing his fingers through mine and guiding me into the living room.
“Can I hold her?” I ask as tears fill my eyes. It’s only been a day. Not even a full twenty-four hours and I miss them both so much.
“You never have to ask that question.”
I rush to her pack-n-play and lift her out. I breathe in her baby smell and more tears start to fall. She watches me as if she knows I’m upset. “I missed you, Lex.”
Evan turns on cartoons and her eyes are suddenly glued to the television. He reaches for her, sets her in her exer-saucer, and looks up at me. “I’m not going to be one of those guys, the kind who places their kid in front of the TV or video game, but right now, I need to. I have some things to say and I need to know I have your attention while Shrek has hers.”
I nod.
Reaching out for my hand, he guides me to the couch, I sit and he kneels in front of me. “I’m sorry. When you told me you were leaving yesterday, I panicked. I didn’t make myself clear.”