“Damn, Evan. That’s awful.” Now I’m pissed. I’d like to meet this Mike guy and beat the shit out of him. “No one deserves to be treated that way. You are an amazing person. I’m sorry he did those things to you.”
“It’s my own fault. I knew he was a crappy boyfriend from the beginning but felt like he was the best I could do, so I stuck around and allowed him to treat me like crap.”
“Not to be overly confident, but I’d say you definitely upgraded.” Evan laughs at my words.
“Conceited much?”
“Confident,” I correct.
“Keep telling yourself that.” Evan sighs heavily and snuggles closer to me. “You’re right. I upgraded quite a bit. Isaac,” Evan says, pushing himself up so he can look at my face. “I love you, too.” Then his lips are on mine. We kiss for several minutes before he scoots back and runs his hand along my jawline. “Thank you.”
“For what?” I inquire.
“For being a great man. For having the confidence to tell me how you feel. For listening to me talk about my past. For making me feel safe and loved and giving me the encouragement to tell you what I’ve been thinking for weeks. I. Love. You.”
SEVENTEEN
EVAN
Last night took its toll on me and today, I’m exhausted. After the heart to heart with Isaac, he invited me to spend the night. We still haven’t had sex, but the foreplay is definitely moving in that direction and it’s getting harder to stop. Part of me is ready to take that next step with Isaac, but a bigger part is worried about how he’ll react. I wasn’t lying when I told him I don’t have much experience. Other than my college boyfriend and a couple of one-night stands, Mike is the only other person I’ve slept with and he tore me down to the point where I’m not sure I’ll ever be whole again.
Isaac is patient and says he’s fine with taking things as slowly as I want. Mike would say similar things then rip me apart when he changed his mind. Every time I put Isaac off, I wait for him to get mad and tell me he’s had enough of my crap.
It doesn’t help my self-confidence to know I’m keeping a big secret from Isaac. If it ever comes out, it will be the end ofus. No matter what, I have to keep my ever-mounting debt from him.
“Good morning,” Hope calls from the other room when she arrives thirty minutes earlier than her eight-thirty start time. I’ve already been here an hour. I couldn’t sleep so I got up early, left Isaac a note, and rushed home to shower and change. There was no reason to sit around the house waiting to begin my day, so I came in early.
“Good morning,” I respond, walking into the larger room. “You’re early.”
“I have to leave a little early today for that appointment.”
“Oh, yes, sorry, I forgot.”
“It’s fine. Here, I brought us a treat from the new bakery down the street.” Hope hands me a coffee and a small, white bag.
“Thank you. What do I owe you?”
“Nothing. My treat. Enjoy.”
I open the bag and see a cherry Danish. One of my favorites. “I appreciate it. This looks and smells wonderful.”
“I ate my Danish in the car. It was divine. I considered eating yours, too,” she admits.
“Hey, no backsies,” I tease, hugging the bag close to me.
“You’re a mess,” she laughs.
My phone dings with a text, so I set the bag on the edge of Hope’s desk and dig out my phone. Not even technically at work and I’m already getting texts. When I slide my phone open, I see Isaac’s name instead of an employee needing something. I don’t even try to hide my smile as my heart races.
Isaac: Good morning, Sexy. I missed waking up next to you.
Isaac: Thank you for the sweet note.
Me: Good morning. Sorry I bailed. I couldn’t sleep.
Isaac: Are you okay?
Me: Yeah. Last night was… a lot.