Page 101 of You've Got Male

He rested his palms on either side of her thighs, bending over so that they were sharing space. “The truth?”

“That’s what we promised each other.”

His eyes fell to her lips and back up. “I think we’re falling in love, sunshine.”

He braced himself for her to throw those walls back up and hide from what he knew was the truth. Afraid that she wasn’t ready to acknowledge it.

She cupped his face between her hands. “I think so, too.”

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Evie

A new doubt popped into her mind for every flashcard she turned over.

Today was test day and Evie was a mess. So much rested on the outcome of a single test. It would decide where in her academic career she would start. As a junior or forced to take 101 classes to refresh before she could move on. It would determine how long it would take to earn that diploma and walk across that stage.

It would also determine how love was going to fit in her life. She hadn’t meant to fall, she hadn’t meant to even care, but she cared so much it was a physical ache when she wasn’t with him. But feeling it and saying it were two different things. One scared her, the other terrified her—made something that was supposed to be straightforward into something that had so many strings it was a gigantic knot of emotion in her belly.

What have you done? Traded in every ounce of common sense for complete chaos, that’s what.

“Whoa, I know that look. What’s going on in that head ofyours?”

Evie looked up to find her parents standing at the counter, both looking concerned.

Moira was dressed in a silk robe with cream feathers down the trim and matching kitten heels that doubled as slippers. Her face was made up, her hair perfectly coifed, and her eyes were luminous. This was Moira in the morning.

Lenard was in rainbow-striped pajama bottoms and a shirt that read “Glam-Pa Noun: /Gla`M/Paw. A Regular Grandpa, Just More Fabulous.”

Evie, on the other hand, was in the sweats and oversize T-shirt she’d slept in. Her hair a riot of curls and a hint of toothpaste on the corner of her mouth. But it was the bowling ball wedged in her gut that was the most obnoxious thing in the room.

Evie could play this one of two ways: pretend everything was fine—like she always did—or actually let the two people who loved her most in the world help. Between them they had thirty-five years of love. Perhaps strictly platonic and not the conventional. But her parents’ relationship was one of the healthiest she knew. Maybe it was time she absorbed some of that knowledge that came from decades of wisdom.

Evie walked to the counter and sat on the stool. Dropping her notecards to the table, she said, “I think I blew it last night.”

Moira snorted. “I bet Jonah woke up a very happy man.”

“You knew?” Evie felt embarrassment creep up her cheeks.

“Honey, anyone who was a hundred yards from the office knew,” Lenard said. “So, do I need to sterilize the desk?”

“Dad. Seriously?”

“Lenard,” Moira chafed and Evie was happy to have at least one parent on her side. “Back to you and blowing.”

Or not.

“I think I told Jonah that I was falling in love with him.”

“You think, or you did?” Moira asked.

Moira’s smile racked up some serious wattage and Lenard clapped his hands in front of his mouth. Evie covered her face. “I so did. I ruined it.”

Moira placed a hand on Evie’s. “Honey, the only way you can ruin love is if you aren’t honest. With yourself or your partner.”

She looked up. “I don’t have time to take care of anyone else.”

“Who are you taking care of?” Lenard asked. “Because from my point of view Jonah is a big, strapping, responsible man who can take care of himself.”

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