Only then did her gaze meet his. Only then did he see how torn up she was. Only then did he realize there was nothing he could do to stop her.
She made the right choice.
That didn’t stop Hayden’s heart from breaking. “You said you loved me,” he managed to choke out, hoping for…something. Some sliver of opportunity to salvage the situation. For both of them.
“I said I loved you and you didn’t say it back,” Evie said, again without any malice. Just an accusation in her eyes that he couldn’t defend against.
Hayden stared at his hands, wanting to say the words now. Needing to say the words. But what good would it do? Steven had boxed her into a corner and Hayden… Hayden was powerless. A lump formed in his throat.
“It’s okay to admit that your feelings for me are still…” Evie swallowed, looking away. “Well, in your eyes, I’ll always be your almost-little-sister. Just Evie, nothing more.”
That’s not true.
Pain lanced through Hayden’s chest, stealing his breath, his courage, his resolve. Evie had stopped being Violet’s kid sister the moment he’d kissed her to seal their wedding vows.
“Hayden.” Evie took both his hands in her cold ones, staring at him through teary eyes. “I chose Katie over you. And I’m sorry I had to make that choice but…” Her thumbs brushed over the back of his hands. “That doesn’t mean you don’t have love in you to give to someone else.”
Everything inside Hayden clenched in denial. Oh, he had love to give. But only to Evie. If only telling her would make a difference. He clung to her hands.
“What if I can get Gran back into Oak Hill?” Desperation sped up his words, forcing them past the lump in his throat. A lump he suspected was a chunk of his breaking heart. “She won’t put Katie at risk anymore.”
“Irene would hate that.” Evie shook her head. “You can’t do that to her. And you can’t say something like that to me. You’re placing a condition on our relationship, Hayden. It wouldn’t be love if it required a condition. And…I can’t stay here if you don’t love me.” Her voice grew very small. “Or us.”
On some level, Hayden recognized the truth to her words. But in his heart, Hayden vehemently rejected that statement. He reached for a lock of her silky blond hair, committing the feel of it to memory.
“You know I’m right, Hayden,” Evie said softly, barely above a whisper.
He did. He hated it. But she was right. Katie came first and love had to be given freely, without strings. Without prenups or six-month divorce dates. He’d learned about love too late.
I should have known…
I should have realized…
But he hadn’t.
Hayden managed to swallow his heart back where it belonged, in his chest rather than his throat. “You’ll keep in touch? Let me know if you need me?”
Evie blinked back tears, shaking her head.
Hayden couldn’t accept that. “I’ll be there if Steven tries to bully you. You know I will.” At the drop of a hat.
Evie turned away, nose red and sniffing. “I can’t ask that of you. I should never have asked you to marry me in the first place. I thought it was kismet…me finding you at the Coffee Corner. But it was just an accident.” She sniffed again. “I would have latched on to anyone. I just…saw you first. The man who couldn’t love me.”
He rejected everything she said. They were meant to be together. But he couldn’t seem to find the strength to argue.
Because he knew deep down that she was right. About everything.
Even me.
Chapter Nineteen
“You’ve only been married a few weeks.” Mom was flabbergasted when Eve showed up with her things. She followed her to and from her car. “Why are you getting a divorce? Don’t you love Hayden?”
Yes. He’ll never know how much.
“It’s not about love, Mom. It’s about safety. Katie’s safety.” And making a show of that taking precedence to her love life. Eve carried in another suitcase from the car, setting it on the floor of the small bedroom she was to share with Katie again.
Her daughter was out on the back patio, playing with Poppy.