Chapter 30
RHETT
I lift my hand to knock on the door but freeze before I can go through with it. I can’t remember a time in my life where I’ve been so nervous. Hell, not even when I lost my virginity.
I’ve come this far, and I’m not about to back out.
“You’ve got this,” I whisper to myself as I knock on the door.
I hear movement on the other side of the door, and as it opens, Evie says, “You’re early.”
For a second she looks so happy, and her eyes sparkle. I drink in everything about her in a split-second. Her hair is longer. There’s a glow to her that I’ve never seen before, at least, not one I can remember.
But fuck, she’s even more beautiful than I remember.
Then her face freezes and the joy fades away, the light in her eyes dim, and I know it’s all because I’m standing in front of her.
“Hi, Evie,” I whisper. When she takes a step backward, I dart forward and place my hand on the door so she can’t slam it in my face. “Just give me five minutes.”
She looks visibly shaken from seeing me, and I hate that I’ve fucked-up so badly.
She steps to the side and whispers, “Come in.”
That’s a good sign, right?
She doesn’t close the door behind me but instead leaves it wide open.
My eyes dart around her home. I smile when I see Evie’s things everywhere.
“I know it’s been years,” I say as I bring my eyes back to her, “and that we didn’t part on the best of terms, but I’d like to explain myself.”
“You don’t have to,” she says. “You don’t owe me anything.”
“I do, Evie. I owe you an apology.”
She furrows her brow. “For what?”
“You can do it,” I tell myself silently. “Be honest with her.”
“For not believing in you,” I say. I clear my throat, and then I get it all off my chest. “For not trusting you when you never gave me any reason not to. For being stubborn. For being self-absorbed. For not loving you the way you deserve to be loved when I had the chance. Mostly, I’m sorry for letting you go. I’m sorry it took me six years to realize what I have lost.”
She wraps her arms around herself. “It’s okay. It’s been six years.”
Things are taking a turn for the awkward, so I quickly ask, “How have you been?”
A small smile tugs at her lips. “Actually, things have never been better.”
Dreading the answer, I ask it anyway, “Have you met someone?”
She chuckles, but it’s a sharp sound. “Does it matter? Why are you doing this, Rhett? You’ve been in LA for over a year. Why reach out to me now?”
“Because I was scared out of my mind.” The brutally honest words leave my mouth before I’m even done thinking them. “I have thought of you every day since you left. Watching you drive away, it ripped my heart out. I kept pushing you away because I wanted to save myself from that kind of pain, but in the end, it happened anyway.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispers.
“I might not get this opportunity again, so here goes nothing. I don’t trust easily. You know that” I add more for myself than for her. I’m messing this up. Fuck. I suck in a deep breath and try again, “After my parents died, none of our family wanted to take care of Mia and me. If it weren’t for Mr. Hayes, we could’ve ended up being separated, or worse. The second they found out that the wealthy Christopher Hayes was taking care of us, they all were suddenly very willing to take us in. For a price of course. That was my first lesson on how people only saw dollar signs when they looked at me.”
I can see that I’m getting through to Evie, so I continue, “I never knew whether someone really cared about me, or whether they were only interested in what they could get from me. Besides that, no one ever stuck around. My parents died. Jaxon and Logan’s dad ran off with Carter’s mother. Marcus’ dad killed his mom and sister. My entire life people were hurting each other. Girls only wanted to be with me because I was good for their social status. I could never trust anyone.”
Evie stares at me for a while before she whispers, “I wish you had told me all of this before I left.”
“I was a coward, Evie. It was easier to hide behind my bullshit jokes and hardass mask.”
I can’t take my eyes off of her as I watch her process everything I’ve just said.
I know my time is up. Whoever Evie’s waiting for will be here any moment.
I place my business card on her coffee table.
“I’d like to have coffee with you, Evie. It would be nice to catch up.”
She nods and draws her bottom lip in between her teeth as she glances at my card.
“I miss you,” I whisper.
She smiles sadly, and I’m surprised when she admits, “I’ve missed you too.”
“When you’re ready to have coffee with me, please call or text. Hell, you can send a smoke signal.”
She lets out a little burst of laughter. Fuck, I’ve missed that sound so much.
I walk to the door and turn back one last time. “You look happy, Evie. I’m glad. No one deserves it more than you.”
“Thank you, Rhett. I’ll be in touch.”
Taking one last look at her, I turn around to leave, but instead, I come face to face with the scariest looking man I’ve ever laid eyes on.
I can hold my own in a fight, but my gut tells me that few have gone up against him, and survived to tell the tale.
“Hi,” he says, reaching a hand out to me. “I’m Hayden Cole. Who are you?”
Holy fuck. He’s intense.
I take his hand and say, “Rhett Daniels.”
Evie pops up next to us and the huge smile I saw when she opened the door is back on her face. She stands on her toes, and I watch as the man leans a little down so Evie can reach his cheek where she plants a firm kiss.
She takes hold of his arm and pulls his hand out of mine, then locks it in a tight grip to her chest.
“Morning, Daddy,” she says, and the two words send ripples of shock through my entire body.
“Daddy?” I echo her like an idiot.
Hayden’s eyes snap back to mine, and I quickly explain, “Sorry, the last time Evie and I spoke, she didn’t know who her parents were.”
“How do you and Rhett know each other?” he asks Evie, but he never takes his eyes off me.
I have never been so intimidated by a girl’s father before.
Evie clears her throat, and her cheeks flush pink, as she says “He’s the guy I told you about. Rhett helped me get off the street.”
Hayden’s facial expression changes so fast, I actually blink to make sure I’m not seeing things. It’s as if he just threw an off switch. Gone is the Hulk and he’s back to being Bruce Banner.
“Thank you,” he says, as he pulls his arm free from Evie’s death grip, and holds his hand out to me once more.
I shake his hand, and this time he doesn’t try to break any bones.
“Thank you for taking care of my daughter when I couldn’t.”
I have a million questions but now is definitely not the right time to ask them.
I nod because saying something as stupid as you’re welcome or it’s a pleasure, doesn’t sound right.
My manners haven’t entirely up and left me. “It was nice meeting you, Sir,” I say.
I smile at Evie. “Talk to you soon.”
Not waiting for them to reply, I walk away.
Fuck, that was unexpected. Evie found her dad. I wonder what else has changed in her life.