Page 55 of Written in the Charts

“You want to help?” His eyes were on fire, burning through my helpful heart like a wildfire. I wouldn’t let him burn out of control.

“I do.” I squeezed his hand. “Is it the promotion? You didn’t get it? What is it? I want to know.”

“Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” He turned on me, taking his hand back. “I’d just be overseas for nine whole months and you’d be alone.”

“What does that mean?” Hurt, I backed away, wanting to see his entire person so I could read his body language. Something was seriously wrong, and it was more than just his promotion.

“It means I’m on to you.” I watched his hands turn to fists and his cheeks flush pink. He was angry.

“What do you mean, ‘on to me’? I didn’t do anything.” My mind raced with possibilities, but I came up empty.

“Cut the crap, Gypsy. I saw you with him. I know what you’re doing. You can’t keep lying to me and believe that I’m just going to keep trusting you.” Evan pushed past me, heading toward the barn door. “You wished I’d have taken that promotion so I’d be thousands of miles away without the ability to watch you.”

“What the fuck?” I didn’t understand what he was talking about. “Saw me with who? What have I done?”

“Your preciousCameron.” He emphasized Dr. Marshal’s name. “I saw you, all flirty and smiling with him in his office. You were supposed to call me, come home to be with me, and you were there past eight. I went there and saw the two of you. What did you do, fuck him in his office? Is that his kid too?”

My shoulders tensed, my chest suddenly pounding. He thought I was with Cameron? “Dr. Marshal is tutoring me for my classes, nothing more. And that is over now that finals are done. Why are you so upset? You actually think I’d sleep with him?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time a bitch has done that to me.” Evan’s nostrils flared. His face was red, his eyes practically bulging out.

“Evan, why are you saying this?” My voice came out in a timid squeak. “I have never done anything like that—would never. You can’t project your pain from previous relationships onto me and expect me to just put up with it.” I grew bolder as I spoke until I was almost shouting. “I deserve more respect than that. I told you I’d never do that.”

“Then why the hell didn’t you respond to any of my messages? You were in the office with him alone, and your phone was off. What the hell was I supposed to believe?”

“Is that why you have been sulking with your head up your ass for weeks?” I shouldn’t have said it. I knew that the minute it came out of my mouth. It was the key that unlocked the caged beast.

Evan’s eyes bulged further and he marched toward me. I scurried backward, not thinking for a minute that he’d hurt me, but I was scared. He picked up the plate of dessert and threw it, smashing it against the barn wall and making a few birds in the rafters take flight.

“I love you, goddammit. How can’t you see that!” I trembled, praying he would just understand that he was believing a lie.

“Whoa!” Derek rushed in, grabbing Evan from behind and holding him back. “What’s going on? I heard shouting.”

“Ask him.” I sobbed, gesturing at Evan as I walked past him. When I got to the barn door, I turned and saw Evan wrestling himself away from Derek’s bear hug. “I’d never do that to you, Evan.”

“Then do a paternity test and prove it.”

His words stung. He didn’t believe me. How could he think for a second that I would cheat on him? My heart belonged to him the minute he came back from overseas and saw me at Maggie and Derek’s wedding. I left the barn door open, charging over to my car and climbing in. The brownies were ruined. my night was ruined, and now my relationship with Evan was likely ruined too—all because he had a trust issue I couldn’t control.

If he needed a paternity test to prove that I hadn’t fucked Cameron, I’d give it to him, but it would likely be the last thing I ever shared with him. I couldn’t be with a man who didn’t trust me. I peeled out of the driveway, accidentally squealing my tires on the road. I hadn’t meant to show my rage in a way that others could tell I was angry, but I wasn’t embarrassed that it happened. I’d never been so angry with someone in my life.

Evan and I had a way of fighting so passionately that we hurt each other. It equated to really fucking awesome sex too, but it wasn’t worth it. The depth of love—when it was there—might have been enough to keep me, but this yo-yo was exhausting. I had to think about myself now, my job, my career, my baby. If he wanted to be a part of my life, I would demand that he make huge changes.

And apologize.

CHAPTERFORTY-ONE

Evan

I sat behind the large desk, typing away at my computer. Three hundred new recruits were incoming, and I was tasked with organizing their assignments and making sure all the paperwork was in order. It was more desk duty than I wanted, but I had to admit, the bump in pay and set schedule were nice. And not having my knee aggravated twice a week was a bonus, too. Serah would never let me live it down if I told her I enjoyed it, so I never told her. But the new job was okay.

For two days, I’d been in the new role, wishing the newness of it would distract me from the old shit I was going through. After the fight Gypsy and I had, neither one of us had attempted to contact the other. Derek and Maggie told me what an ass I was, but I didn’t care. Her reaction to my accusation only proved my point. She was guilty and she knew it.

I tried not to let the anger distract me from my job. The last thing I needed was to start off on the wrong foot. So I took a deep, cleansing breath and pushed the thought of Gypsy away for another time and focused on the files in front of me. I had to assign recruits to instructors and get their bunk assignments set. It wasn’t as difficult as it was boring.

I heard a ruckus in the outer office but leaned into my computer, squinting at the screen, trying to find the best place to put our only female recruit for this flight. The door burst open. Thurlow barged in, followed by Serah.

“Miller.” Thurlow had his hat tucked under his arm. I stood to greet him, offering a salute. The way he entered felt too formal to be just a social visit. “At ease, soldier.”

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