Chapter 4

At the sink he scraped the plates clean and tried not to think of his friend out there in his dining room, turning on the Madison charm and winning his daughter’s heart as easily as he had won Evan’s years ago. He tried to tell himself things had changed between them, they weren’t the same as they were before, hewasn’t the same—he had been married and he had a child. He was no longer the star-struck young man who stuttered whenever Charlie looked his way. He wasn’t in love with Charlie anymore, he wasn’t.It’s been years,he told himself as he flicked on the garbage disposal. I’m not falling for him again. I won’t let myself.

Evan heard laughter from the dining room, Kasey’s sweet giggle mixed with Charlie’s voice, so melodic and still boyish at his age—what was he now, thirty-four? Had to be, older than Evan himself and so damn invincible in Evan’s eyes. No matter what he told himself about not falling again, Evan knew it was probably already too late.

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