Page 67 of From Us, Forever

“Why didn’t you sleep?”

Fuck.“I couldn’t.”

“I know that, but why?”

“I just couldn’t. Maybe because of all the caffeine I had yesterday to make it through this drive. Only if someone knew how to drive.” I played it off nonchalantly to evade the real reason.

She didn’t say a thing.

My brows knotted as I peered at her, looking outside the window.

“No one taught me,” she said quietly after a beat. “I always thought it was a dad thing to do—teaching their daughters how to drive, and I don’t even know who my dad is.”

Now I felt like crap. My thumb smoothed over the back of her hand. “I would’ve taught you.”

“I know.” She gave me a sad smile. “But I didn’t want to, or else I would’ve asked you.”

“Do you want to find out about him?”

She shook her head. “I used to, I think. Now, not so much. He didn’t want me anyway. They both didn’t, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have a family. I have the best family I could ask for, and I’m very blessed that you came into my life, Jay.”

I brought her hand to my mouth and placed a soft kiss. “I think it was inevitable. I love you, sweetheart.”

“Hmm, I know.”

Hours later, I pulled up around a curved driveway with nothing but plain fields for miles to see.

“Are you sure we’re in the right place?” I asked, fiddling with the GPS.

“Yes.” Evelyn nodded, pointing at a small gate with a Private Property sign. “It’s through there. We need to drive a bit until we get to the actual entrance. Will wanted to keep the farm’s location private.”

We drove for a bit before coming across a huge ranch gate that said “Sunnyhill Creek.” It was already wide open, embellished with wedding decor and hosts greeting the guests.

The driveway stretched farther upon massive lands of rolling fields and lush greenery with a massive ranch-style home in the middle.

I pulled up to the curb around the corner, which was already filled with several other trucks.

“When did you come here?” I cast a side-eye to Evelyn.

“A few years ago.”

I hefted her heavy suitcase and my small one out of the trunk and walked up to where she was leaning over the rails, watching the horses run around the field with sparkly eyes.

“Why?”

“Why what?” she mumbled, her eyes fixed ahead.

“Why were you here?” I hated that she spent time here with him. I knew they were just friends, but thinking about him with her only brought me back to the day that ruined my life.

“I was visiting. Will wanted me to come for a long time, and I thought I’d go, have a break from the city and all.”

“Are you two close?”

A small smile lit up her face as she glanced at me. “Yeah. Will helped me a lot. I know what you think, but we kinda bonded in a way with the whole thing back in LA. He was hung up over his high school sweetheart, and I was hung up over mine, and I trusted him, you know. I never would’ve pretended if it wasn’t for him. Thinking back,shesuggested I act with someone else. Who knows what the hell might’ve happened with me being in such a vulnerable state.”

I nodded just a gentle breeze carried through the air, whispering over our skin as if washing away the painful memory. “Come on, let’s go.” I held out my hand.

She laced her fingers with mine as we entered the huge door with excited people milling about. No one even batted an eye at us. I guess Texas wasn’t really for rock stars.

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