Page 86 of Hero Unbound

For the first time in his adult life, Theo wished that he hadn’t always been such a loner. He wished he’d been more interested in dating over the years so he would know how to handle this situation better. Wished he knew what to say, like Tucker or Bear would. Either of them would know how to start this conversation in a way that would not immediately turn it into a battle.

Battling was the only thing Theo knew how to do.

When he didn’t say anything about the food, she laughed nervously. “Hopefully it will be edible. If not, I guess we resort to takeout, or I might have some sandwich stuff.”

She walked toward him with the obvious intent of giving him a hug. Before he could stop himself, he shifted away from her touch.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to touch her—he did more than anything. He wanted to pull her into his arms and get her to tell him that nothing he’d heard today was the truth, but that wasn’t going to happen.

She stepped back with a flinch. “You know.”

“About cheating on your veterinary exam?” he asked. “Yes, I know.”

She flinched again. “You saw Gareth. He told you.”

Theo walked around to the other side of the table. He needed to put distance between them. “No. I was actually searching for dirt on Gareth, and that came up. But does it really matter who told me? Damn it, you should have been the one to tell me, Eva. A lot goddamn sooner than this.”

“I know,” she said in a small voice. “That was what I kept telling you I wanted to talk about. I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time, but at first, I didn’t think I was going to stay here long enough for it to matter. And then when I thought maybe I would, telling you was difficult.”

She’d wrapped her arms around her waist like she was fending off a blow. It gutted him to see how small and defeated she looked, but he didn’t know what to say or do.She should have told him, damn it.

“Do you want me to leave?” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

He clenched his teeth so hard his jaw hurt. “What I want is for you to tell me why you did it. Why would you cheat on an exam that had so much of your future resting on it?”

“I—I don’t know.” She stuttered the words out.

I don’t know.As always.

That was even more frustrating. He wanted answers. “Could you only take it one time? Was that it? If you failed it, did you not ever get to be a vet?”

She shook her head, looking down at the floor. “No. If you fail it the first time, you can take it again a few months later. Up to five times.”

“Then why didn’t you do that? Why would you cheat?” He leaned forward, gripping the table, trying to work this out in his mind. “Hell, why would youpubliclyadmit that you had cheated? If you’re going to cheat, at least keep it a secret.”

She didn’t look up at him. “I don’t know.” When he growled at that damned phrase, she wrapped her arms tighter around herself, like she was trying keep herself together. “I don’t know what happened.”

“Yeah.” He ran a hand through his hair, wanting topull at it. “Youdidn’tknow. You don’t remember. You’re not sure.”

Except now he didn’t know if that was the case because of Gareth’s gaslighting, or if it was her default setting so she didn’t have to take responsibility for her actions.

“I know it sounds…crazy.”

“No, what it sounds like is a complete waste of your talent and calling, Eva. You could’ve had what you wanted most in this world. For those of us never given that option, that’s a big deal.”

“I know.”

“I’ve seen you with animals. You have such a gift and passion—why would you throw that away?”

“I-I didn’t want to. I didn’t mean to.”

“You didn’t mean to?” His eye twitched, and he could feel heat flushing through his body. “What—you just accidentally cheated enough to be banned from veterinary practice forever? How exactly does that happen?”

“I don’t—”

He slammed his fist down on the table. “Don’t fucking say you don’t know! Were you sick? Nervous? Had a panic attack?” He tried to go over all the possibilities in his mind to find one that could make him understand. “Hell, Eva, give me something. Even saying you decided to go get sloppy drunk an hour before your exam would be better thanI don’t know.”

“It’s… I… It’s unclear in my mind.”

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