Page 17 of The Duke's Accidental Wallflower
Ashford laughed, leaning forward. “Come on, Colburn, spill it. She has you tied in knots, does she not? I have never seen you miss a shot like that in the ten years I have known you.”
Evan let out a slow breath, his irritation growing as the two of them continued their banter. He wanted to deny it, brush it off, but their teasing hit too close to the truth. His thoughtsweredistracted. The memory of Minerva Bellington’s defiant gaze, the way she had refused him, lingered like a thorn he couldn’t remove.
Cedric took another shot, sinking two balls at once, before standing back and surveying the table. “Who is she, Evan? Someone we know?”
Evan’s eyes narrowed, annoyance flashing across his face. “I told you—there is no woman.”
Ashford grinned, clearly enjoying the situation. “Do not feign innocence, the truth is evident. I can see it. Who is she, Colburn? Someone scandalous?”
“Or perhaps,” Cedric interjected with a smirk, “someone who has actually gotten under that thick skin of yours? That would explain the brooding.”
Evan shot him a sharp look. “You are out of your mind.”
“Then why are you so rattled?” Cedric asked, casually leaning on his cue. “You have been a mess for days. I have not seen you gamble so much since Budapest, or drink so much since Oxford. The only times I have seen you like this is when something does not go your way.”
Ashford laughed, leaning back in his chair. “Wait… do not tell me—the lady in question snubbed your affections! That is it, is it not? She did not fall for your charms!”
Evan set his drink down with more force than necessary, the sound reverberating through the room. “Enough.”
“Oh, we have hit a nerve!” Ashford crowed, laughing as Cedric joined in with a low chuckle. “You are rattled because sherefusedyou.”
Evan’s jaw tightened, his silence giving them all the answer they needed.
Cedric’s smirk deepened. “Ah, so that is what is bothering you. She did not play along. Not used to that, are you, Evan?”
Ashford shook his head, clearly enjoying every moment of Evan’s discomfort. “I have never seen a woman turn you down before This is unimaginable.”
“Neither can he,” Cedric added dryly, leaning on his cue. “That is why it has been gnawing at him. He did not get what he wanted.”
Evan’s patience snapped. “She did notrefuseme,” he growled, standing up straight. “She resisted. There is a difference.”
Ashford and Cedric exchanged amused glances, but neither said a word, letting the silence do the work. Evan clenched his fists, the memory of Minerva’s cool rejection flashing in his mind.Her refusal–her rejection—had thrown him off in a way he had not expected. It had left something unfinished, something that nagged at him.
“So that is what this is all about,” Cedric said, his tone now teasing but less biting. “It is resistance, I think, to which you are unaccustomed. .”
Evan let out a slow breath, running a hand through his dark hair. “It is not about that.”
Cedric took another shot, the balls scattering across the table as he sank two in a row. He stood, casually glancing over at Evan, who was brooding at the far end of the room, nursing his drink. “Make yourself plain, Colburn.”
Evan’s jaw tightened, but he did not respond, staring into his glass instead.
“Do not tease us, Colburn,” Ashford chimed in, ever the instigator. “Who is the lady in question? You may as well tell us. It is not like you to get so worked up over a woman.”
Evan scoffed, trying to brush them off. “You are both making a far bigger fuss than necessary.”
Cedric raised an eyebrow, leaning on his cue. “We would not be making anything of it if you were not so determined to brood in silence. What happened?”
Ashford smirked. “What did she do? Or better yet—what did you do?”
Evan shot him a sharp look, but the playful glint in Ashford’s eyes did not waver. He knew his friends wouldn’t let it go, not until they got answers. With a resigned sigh, he finally relented, though his voice was low and curt. “It was nothing. Just... a moment. Nothing came of it.”
Ashford grinned, sensing weakness. “A moment? We are getting somewhere! What kind of moment?”
Evan ran a hand through his hair, glaring at the floor. “I almost kissed her. It was not planned.”
“Almost kissed?” Cedric straightened, setting his cue aside, then teasingly added, “That is hardly nothing, Evan. Who was this almost-kissed girl?”
Evan hesitated, and Ashford’s grin widened. “It must have been someone important if you are being this cagey.”
