Page 36 of Dare to Fall

“What?” she asked defensively.

The sharp tone of her voice sent a shockwave to my crotch. Her feistiness made her even more attractive—how the flecks of honey in her eyes became brighter and her dark sculpted brows arched just a hair. My mind drifted again to what that attitude might be like if she were in my bed, picturing her tanned olive skin, a beautiful contrast to my white sheets. I wanted to worship her tight little body and that wicked mouth.

I shot her a smile as I leaned back in my seat. “I like a woman who can eat.”

“I have a boyfriend,” she blurted out, pink tinging her cheeks.

I reached for the glass of water and took a long swig. “Oh, I’m well aware,” I said, setting the glass back down.

She rolled her eyes at me, and I chuckled.

“The guy at the club, right?” I asked, although I already knew the answer.

Nodding, she said, “Yeah. His name is Connor. We’ve been together since high school.”

“So, if you have a boyfriend, why did you dance with me at Bloom?”

The muscles in her jaw ticked. I knew I was pushing her to the edge, but the curiosity was gnawing at me. I held my breath, waiting for her to respond.

She fidgeted in her seat, those captivating eyes darting around as she searched for the words she wanted to speak. Patiently, I waited to see if she felt comfortable enough to tell me the truth.

Finally, her gaze settled on me. “Connor doesn’t like to dance. Normally, I just sit with him and our friends at one of the VIP tables, but I brought another friend with me, and she enjoys dancing.”

“That doesn’t exactly answer my question,” I challenged.

She narrowed her gaze at me, and I knew I was standing on thin ice. I just raised my brow in response, urging her to go on.

She crossed her arms and huffed. “I don’t even know you. So why should I tell you anything?”

I leaned forward, dropping my right elbow to the table. “Because I want to know you, Eva Barnes. I want to know therealyou.”

Her eyes grew wide as her lips parted, readying for a retort. “I danced with you, Garth Walker, because I wanted to. And I’m tired of not doing things that I want to do.” She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest.

I was taken aback by her candor. I wasn’t expecting for her to actually be honest with me, though I was hoping for it. The brightness in her eyes dulled, her shoulders drooping forward. The sight of her feeling defeated made my stomach wrench, and I wondered what kind of thoughts were running through her mind to make her feel that way.

“I’m sorry if I upset you. That wasn’t my intention,” I said carefully.

Her arms fell to her lap as she readjusted herself in her seat. “You didn’t upset me. Things have just been…difficult lately.” She bit down on her bottom lip. My fists clenched as I stared at those perfect plump lips. I wanted to be the one biting my teeth into them.

Focus, Garth.I forced myself to look anywhere but her distracting lips.

“What’s been difficult?” I asked, leaning forward again.

She let out a sigh as she threaded her fingers through her long auburn hair. My gaze flitted to her long delicate fingers before settling back on her beautiful face.

“Right now, it feels like everything is difficult. School, friendships, my relationship. Everything. I had it all planned out—the life I thought I wanted to lead. But now, things are different.Iam different, and I’m not sure if that plan is going to work anymore. I think I’m ready to move on and finally do the things that make me happy, even if they aren’t what other people expect from me.”

And there it was. The answer to the puzzle. From the first moment I laid my eyes on her, I could tell she was living her life for others. Like an exotic bird trapped in a cage, she was on display for everyone else’s enjoyment. Everyone else’s but her own. I knew the feeling, having grown up in the spotlight that fixed itself on the one percent of the world. All eyes were on me as the eldest son and heir to the Walker Corporation. Would I follow in my father’s footsteps? Or would I act as a rebel child and fight against my parents’ desire for me to be just like them?

I hated that Eva felt she had to be anything other than her truest self. The exhaustion was written all over her. I hardly knew the woman, but I wanted to help her. I had no right, but I wanted to be the one to set her free.

I looked into those piercing brown eyes and said, “Eva, you should always do what you want to do. Screw what everyone else says. Take it from someone who knows. It doesn’t matter if everyone around you is happy for you and your successes ifyouaren’t happy for yourself. Life is so incredibly short”—my mind flashed to summers filled with laughter, a time when Lucas’ sister was still alive and our families were whole—“and you shouldn’t be wasting yours doing what other people want you to do.”

Eva

The way he said my name made my core turn molten. Flushed with desire, my breaths matched my rapid heartbeat. He pinned me with his gaze, his hazel eyes glimmering with shades of green and yellow as a ray of sun shined through the glass window next to us. I wanted to get lost in his eyes. As he told me the one thing I wanted someone—anyone—to say to me for my entire life, I couldn’t help but feel that maybe he was right. Maybe this entire time, I was doing it all wrong. Living my life for everyone else had only proven to make things more difficult as time went on. Now, I was dedicated to other people’s plans for me. I committed myself to things that didn’t truly make me happy because I wanted to be loved. And above all else, wasn’t that what everyone wanted?

It was all starting to become clear. The chaos in my mind was starting to settle. It was as though the haze of a heavy mist was finally fading away, and I was able to see the path I needed to take. As I looked at the man sitting across from me, I couldn’t help but feel that maybe he was a part of this new path. Regardless of how he fit exactly, I was thankful that he was here.

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