Page 72 of Steal My Heart (Prosperity Ranch 2)

As Carson pulled into his parking space near his apartment building, he wondered if it was too late to text Evie. She’d gone completely silent since leaving Prosper. He’d texted her a couple of times, and she hadn’t responded. He called her, too, but no answer. Carson had been tempted to reach out to her family, just to make sure they’d heard from her, and that she was okay. But he stopped himself every time he pulled up Holt’s or Lane’s number. And he wasn’t about to get his grandad involved. No, Evie deserved her privacy.

Even if it was killing him. He’d felt the distance between them, growing and spreading, like a fissure in the earth widening with each passing hour.

He’d thought about going to her dorm building, knocking on her door, but now it was afterhours, anyway. She’d have to let him into the building, and why would she do that if she wasn’t even texting him back? Climbing out of the truck, he gathered his things and walked up the stairs to his place. After going inside, he put away everything, then he switched off the lights and walked out onto the narrow balcony that overlooked a campus street.

His apartment had been a safe haven during his time here, an escape from others with curious questions, a quiet place to study and to heal from losing his brother. But now, his apartment felt empty. And he felt alone.

Something that hadn’t bothered him before meeting Evie.

He’d opened his heart to her the other night, and thankfully, she hadn’t rejected him. She’d kissed him, and it was amazing, but then she’d left anyway. He got why she wanted to return early, to have some time to herself. Heck, he’d been relishing time to himself for two years. But now . . . the last thing he wanted to be was apart from her.

Carson pulled the phone from his pocket and texted her: Hey. Back on campus. Pretty night.

He waited a few minutes, but there was no reply. Okay, then. Maybe she was asleep, or in the shower, or . . . just not answering.

He sent another text: If I don’t see you before your interview, good luck. I’d love to hear about it. SEND.

Nothing, again.

He strode back into his apartment, changed for bed, and spent the next two hours staring at the ceiling. Apart from the physical pull to be with Evie, to touch her, to smell her, to taste her, he racked his mind for how he could help her.

Carson wasn’t even sure she understood the trauma she’d gone through from being bullied in school. She’d acknowledged it to him, but he sensed it was the first time she’d recognized it for what it was. And how did a person get over years of being made to feel less than?

If he hadn’t had his brother and his granddad, Carson would have been a mess. His mom had never been in the picture, his dad left early on. Despite not having functioning or present parents, Carson had been blessed with love, acceptance, friends, and accolades.

What did Evie have? Love from her family, but had that been misguided as her brothers took on the protective role? Had they not seen what was happening to their own sister? Maybe that was why they were so protective about any guys who liked her. But they’d completely missed the ball on the popular girls group.

Even though Evie had opened up on some of the ways Jana treated her, Carson sensed there was probably more—a lot more. What was his role here? How could he help? Should he say something to her parents? Her brothers? What about her sister, Cara? Where did she fit into any of this? All Carson could tell was that Evie and Cara weren’t close. As the only two sisters in the family, Carson was surprised, but what did he really know about functioning families?

Eventually, his tumultuous thoughts wore him down, and he slept a few hours.

Waking well before dawn, he decided to hit the campus gym. The team workout rooms would be open this time of the morning, and although they were relegated to the college athletes, they let Carson in. Nothing like lifting weights to get his mind off his spinning thoughts.

By the time he’d finished and completely worn his body out, he felt calmer. More focused. More . . . resilient, maybe? Whatever Evie decided about their relationship would be fine with him. Even if she wanted to end things just as they were getting started, he’d make it through fine. Maybe meeting her was the catalyst he’d needed to move forward with his life once again by opening himself up to new possibilities, new people, and new relationships.

Carson walked out of the gym into the rising dawn. The sun had yet to spill across the horizon, and no one was walking the campus yet. A few lights had flickered on in the buildings he’d passed. People were stirring, and soon, the day would be barreling forward. Carson had afternoon classes, so he’d spend the morning catching up on TA stuff for his professor.

He took the steps two at a time up to his apartment door, but stopped before reaching the landing.

Evie stood outside his door, wearing a sweatshirt and leggings. Her hair was in a snarled braid, and if he were to guess by the violet smudges beneath her eyes, she hadn’t slept much last night.

Instantly, he wondered if she’d tried to text or call him, and he’d somehow missed it. But he knew he’d checked his phone as recently as ten minutes ago.

“Hey,” he said in a soft voice, because her eyes were red-rimmed, and she looked like she was about to startle like a deer.

He ascended the final two steps until he was on the same level as she was. Evie still hadn’t said anything, but her gaze was taking in the whole of him. He knew he was soaked in perspiration, and probably didn’t smell too great, either.

“I didn’t want to wake you,” Evie said, her voice raw. “I didn’t realize how early it was until I got here, and then I thought you were probably asleep, so I was trying to decide if I should knock.”

Carson had no idea what had brought her here, or why she hadn’t texted or called him back. But he didn’t care. She was here now. “I’m not asleep,” he said, moving closer. “In fact, I couldn’t sleep, so I went to the gym.”

“It’s open this early?”

So, they were having a normal conversation before 6:00 in the morning?

“It is for athletes, and former athletes who have connections like me.”

Her gaze again perused him, and he wondered what she was thinking. Why had she been crying?

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