Page 115 of Tangled in Vows

A deep voice sounds in the background. Phoenix, I’m guessing.

Evie waves him off. “I’m okay. Just spilled some tea on me.”

Her eyes come back to me before snapping behind the camera again. “Actually, babe. Would you mind grabbing me another shirt, please?”

“Sure.” Footsteps come closer, and Phoenix appears in the frame. “Hey, Olivia.”

“Hey.” I give him an awkward wave, but his focus has already shifted back to his wife.

“Do you want me to get you another tea too?”

Evie blinks up at him as he looms over her. “Would you?”

He only raises his eyebrows in answer and kisses her. I was expecting a quick peck, but I should have known better. Phoenix is incredibly tense, and I’m never a hundred-percent sure where I stand with him, but when it comes to Evie, there’s no doubt he worships the ground she walks on.

He devours her mouth so thoroughly I avert my gaze.

After a moment, Evie clears her throat. “Ha, sorry about that.”

I shake my head. “No worries.”

She peeks around the phone again, then pops back and stares straight at me. “Okay, he’s gone. I’m guessing we have about ten minutes before he’s back, so spill. Did you and Holden . . . you know? Did something happen? Did you guys talk? I know he wanted to talk to you, but I wasn’t sure if he went through with it.”

“Evie.” I laugh.

She purses her lips. “Ah, dang it, sorry.”

She mimics locking her lips and throwing away the key.

I clear my throat. “Yes, we talked. And yes, something happened.”

Evie makes a squeal-like noise but doesn’t say anything.

I manage to balance my phone on the flowerpot a few feet away and fidget with my hands. “I take it you know about his prison sentence since that’s where he met Phoenix?”

Evie heaves a breath. “Yeah.”

“I thought so.”

“I’m sorry for not telling you, but I promised him I wouldn’t. It wasn’t my story to tell.”

A hollow ache settles in my chest, but I force it away. I can’t fault Evie for her loyalty. Holden earned it tenfold, and I would have done the same thing in her position.

I hold up a hand. “No. I understand why you didn’t tell me. It’s okay. It took a while to digest everything, and I’m sure plenty of questions will still pop up. Right now, I’m just happy it’s all out. That there’s nothing between us anymore, and we can work on healing together.”

Evie wipes under her eyes as a tear spills. “You love him.”

“I do.” The emotions press against my ribs, too big to contain. My hands tremble in my lap, and a shaky laugh escapes. “I really do, but I’m not sure it’s that simple. So much happened. So much is going on still. What if he doesn’t feel the same?”

Evie sniffles. “I promise you don’t have to worry about that. That man is gone for you. The head-over-heels, no-coming-back kind of way.” Her throat bobs on a swallow. “Even when it would have been easier to let you go, to move on from you, his heart still belonged to you. That kind of love? It doesn’t just go away. It only grows, despite the time and distance.”

A riot of emotions claws at my ribs at her words, causing me to blink rapidly, but the burn behind my eyes refuses to fade. I glance at the gray sky and press my lips together, trying very hard to avoid becoming a blubbering mess.

“Sorry for making you cry, but I’m not sorry for telling you. I love both of you so much, and I hate you’re both hurting when all you need is each other to be happy. Tell him,” Evie says.

“Okay.”

Phoenix comes back, bursting our little bubble. “Here you go, Angel.”

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