“Nothing.”
Ryker shot me a hard look. I didn’t know if he disapproved, or he didn’t believe me, but I didn’t have time to question him. The waitress appeared. I hadn’t looked at the menu, which didn’t matter because Ryker ordered the tasting menu with the wine pairing. After she had taken our order, our conversation shifted to small talk about my plans to finish my graduate degree and his work as a campaign bundler.
“So what do you want to do when you graduate?”
I took a sip of my wine. “In a perfect world?”
He smiled. “Sure.”
“I used to want to work for the United Nations.” Now, I wasn’t sure what I wanted. My old goals lost some of their appeal over the last two months.
He scoffed. “You can’t be serious.”
I leaned forward. “What’s wrong with the UN?”
“Call me crazy, but there’s something fundamentally wrong with an organization that allows countries with repeated human rights violations to sit on the Human Rights Council.” I frowned. “Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, China…just to name a few. There’s nothing like an honor killing or imprisoning your political opposition that says we respect human rights.”
“Well, it’s a starting point to open discussions with those countries on human rights. You never know. They might change. Evolve.”
“Unlikely.”
“Hey, you’re a campaign bundler. You shouldn’t be so cynical about the political system.”
“It’s because of my profession that I’m cynical. Money and greed rule politics, not ideals and lofty visions of utopia.”
“Maybe you’re right,” I conceded. “Lately, I’ve been rethinking my career choice.”
“Why’s that?” he asked with one eyebrow lifted.
“With my background and family, everyone assumed I’d pursue a career in politics, so that’s the course I chose.” I shrugged. “After everything I’ve gone through, I want to make sure I pursue my dream, not my mom or dad’s dream.”
“And you’re not sure?”
“It’s still up for debate.”
***
By the time our dessert arrived, I was stuffed.
“I can’t eat another bite. I’m done,” I declared, leaning back in my chair.
The waitress placed the check on the corner of the table. “So where to now?”
“I’m going to use the bathroom, then home, I guess. Can you ask our waitress to call me a cab?”
“I’ll take you home. It’s bad enough you wouldn’t let me pick you up.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Vera—”
“Not a problem. I won’t get out of the car,” he countered.
This was why dating Ryker would never work. I’d always be wondering when someone would puzzle everything together. I glanced over my shoulder, gathering the courage to do what needed to be done. Dissolve all my ties to him once and for all.
My stomach plummeted along with all the blood in my head when my eyes connected with Evan’s. “Oh shit,” I whispered, abruptly severing eye contact. “We have to go.”
Ryker followed my line of sight. Then, he grabbed my hand. “It’ll be fine. Just act naturally. You’re not doing anything wrong.”
“But…But,” I stammered.
He raised one eyebrow, searing me with his gunmetal gray eyes. “Hi, Evan,” he said as he released my hand.
“Ry,” Evan said through clenched teeth as he laser focused all his attention on me. “I didn’t realize you were already dating other people. It’s been what,” he lifted one shoulder casually, “three or four days since you broke off our engagement?”
I bounced my leg up and down under the table. “That sounds about right.”
Evan folded his arms across his chest. “I thought you needed space to figure out your life.”
“I do,” I snapped. “That’s what I’m doing.”
“Just tell me how long you waited.”
I blinked. “How long I waited for what?”
Evan’s eyes cut to Ryker. Then, he leaned forward, bracing his palms on the edge of our table. “Did you start fucking him immediately after our engagement party, or did you wait until we broke up?”
My eyes flared as I sucked in a breath, but I didn’t get the opportunity to respond. Ryker jumped out of his chair and grabbed Evan by the collar of his shirt, yanking him forward so only inches separated their faces. “Apologize.”
“Apologize?” Evan laughed bitterly, his face hard, his eyes dark and narrowed. “Why? She’s the one who needs to apologize. She’s the one who ended our engagement and moved on five seconds later.”
Ryker’s fist twisted in the fabric of Evan’s shirt. “She’s not your concern anymore.”
Evan tried to grab my hand, but I lowered it to my lap and out of his reach. “I love you, Hattie. I stood by you. I accepted you back into my life. I didn’t even make you explain anything. Is this how you repay me?”
I popped out of my chair, and it tumbled backward. He said those three words with conviction, but I didn’t believe him. Not anymore. I saw a man who loved the idea of us, and what we could do together, but he didn’t love me. “Accepted me back into your life? I didn’t do anything wrong. I was a victim.”
“Did you tell him what happened?” Evan asked, his eyes narrowed into dark slits.
Ryker released Evan’s shirt. “I know everything,” he said, answering the question for me.
“You hardly know him.” Hurt flashed across Evan’s face. “You told him, and you wouldn’t tell me anything. Not a single fucking detail. Why? Don’t you trust me?”
Guilt dissected my heart like a sword. “Evan,” I said, holding my hand over my chest. “Can we talk about this later? This isn’t time or the place.”
Evan surveyed the restaurant. Everyone was watching us with a mixture of horror and excitement. What a disaster. He squared his shoulders and took a few steps back. “You’re right.”
I nodded. “I’ll call you soon, okay?”
Without responding, he spun around and headed to the entrance. He whispered something to a blonde woman in a short emerald green dress. Her eyes flashed to me. Then, Evan threaded his arm through hers, and they strolled out of the restaurant as though nothing had happened. I guess he could date, but I couldn’t. Typical Evan logic. He had the audacity to accuse me of moving on too quickly and act as if I had wounded him when he brought a date too.
For a frozen eternity, I didn’t have the energy to do anything. I exhaled shakily. Fatigue had settled into my bones, and I wanted to go home, climb into bed, and forget about everything…everyone. Tears beaded in the corners of my eyes, but I refused to cry over Evan. He had already claimed too much of my life and wasted too much of my time. I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. “Well, that was awkward.”