Page 57 of Sure, Pal

When it was almost midnight, Charlie stood and announced. “I’m going to bed.”

After she stalked up the stairs, Evan turned to me. “Thank you for coming tonight. I’m…” He gazed into my eyes. “I’m sorry for everything, Sienna.”

“Don’t.” I shook my head. “You don’t need to apologize. And, and you don’t have to be anything to me right now that you’re not ready to be. I’m here for you, and I’ll always be here for you in any way you need.”

Evan gave me a sad half-smile. “So, I can use your body?”

I blinked in surprise but nodded. That wasn’t really what I wanted to hear, but hell, I meant what I said. I’d be anything he needed.

Evan’s smile grew a little bigger. “I’m not going to do that. And that’s not what I was doing after the funeral either, in case you were wondering.”

I waited for an explanation, but he didn’t elaborate. Evan shrugged and said, “Well, I guess I am going to use your body tomorrow morning, but just these.” He smiled and gave my arms a light squeeze. “I need that muscle to get the backyard cleaned up.”

I smiled back at him and said, “Deal.”

We sat in silence for a moment before I said, “I should go. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I squeezed his hand and then stood to leave.

Evan stood, too, and pulled me into his arms for a hug. “Sienna, I want to be more for you, but I’m pretty fucked up right now. I won’t ask you to wait around, either. You deserve the best.”

I held his face with both hands and smiled. “You don’t have to ask.” I ached to kiss him, but I knew we weren’t there yet. We wouldn’t be there in a week, either. Maybe not even a month. Our love story was a long and flawed one, but it was going to be worth the wait.

I walked back to my car with steady hands and a calm feeling in my chest.

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