“I feel like I should be creeped out.” He just smiles. To be honest, I’m not that creeped out. Dan has always been resourceful and practical. He’s not going to physically hurt me or anything, but I do want him to leave. It’s weird that he’s here, and I don’t want Nick to know.
“So, do you forgive me?”
I narrow my eyes at him.
“Forgive you?” I screech. “I’ll never forgive you, Dan. If that’s what you’re expecting, you should probably just go.”
I look at the door nervously.
“Understandable. I know I did a really shitty thing. I live with it every day, Ev.”
“Oh, please, don’t be such a martyr. You brought this upon yourself.”
He watches me as I shift uncomfortably.
“What can I say to make it all right?” He takes a step closer.
No.
Dammit.
He smells really good. Familiar.
“Nothing,” I whisper. He takes another step forward and brushes my hair behind my ear. “Well, you can leave,” I add.
“I’m so, so, so sorry, Ev. I only said those hurtful things because I was surprised that you’d moved on so quickly. Frankly, I was a little jealous. Of you and Nick.”
“I work for him, Dan. I’m Bria’s nanny. He was just being protective.”
“Protective doesn’t punch ex-boyfriends. Not that I didn’t deserve it, because I did.”
“Whatever. There’s nothing going on. And yeah, you did deserve it.”
He nods and takes a step forward.
I relax a little. It’s Dan. We dated for seven years. It’s comfortable being in his presence. And I know he’s genuinely sorry. I can hear it in the way his voice gets all quiet and raspy. His green eyes watch me, and I close my eyes. I feel myself lean into him, and just as he wraps his arms around me, my front door flies open.
Violet.
Only, I’m wrong again.
Nick stands there, and he looks at me, at Dan, with pure anger.
“Evianna,” he says unsteadily. “A word?” He moves his neck in such a way, beckoning me outside silently.
Fuck.
I give Dan a look, and I leave, closing the door behind me. Nick paces over to the side of the pool, and he’s not just mad… he’s fuming.
“I only had two rules, Evianna. One,” he spits, glaring at me. “Take care of my daughter. That’s a given, I suppose. You know, feed her, keep her alive, that sort of thing.”
“Nick, I—”
“Two!” he shouts. “Don’t invite guys to the guesthouse.”
I hear my front door open, and Dan stands there with his eyes wide.
“I’m gonna go…” he says, meekly. “Nice seeing you again, Nick,” he says, unsmiling. He walks quickly away.
I keep my eyes downcast because I don’t want to see the look on Nick’s face right now.
“I didn’t invite Dan,” I explain. “He just showed up. He wanted to apologize.”
Nick paces back and forth, running his hand over his mouth. He’s wearing basketball shorts, a tight, white T-shirt, and slippers. He looks so domestic. It makes my heart ache.
He looks so good.
I sit down on one of the pool loungers and put my hands in my face. I’m so confused.
Where is Violet?
“Glad he apologized,” Nick mumbles, and he runs his hand through his hair irritably. “But I still don’t want him anywhere near my fucking house.”
“Nick, I already told you.” I groan, talking through my fingers. “I didn’t invite him.”
“I don’t want him anywhere near you,” he says quietly, and my head shoots up.
“What?”
Did I hear that correctly?
He has that conflicted look on his face again. He’s still pacing. I want to know what’s going through his mind. Or do I?
“Nothing.” He shrugs and continues to pace.
“You clocked him pretty good,” I say, and he turns to face me. His face shocks me—its emotional, tortured… because of me.
“Yeah,” he whispers and sits down next to me on the lounger. He doesn’t even deny punching Dan. He just lets himself sit next to me, without boundary. Our legs are touching, and I don’t think either one of us cares. We’re past that, I guess.