looked past Evan. “Where’s Erika? She couldn’t come tonight?”
Ryan put his hand on Evan’s shoulder,
propelling him further into the room. “Why don’t you let him explain to
everyone at once, Ma?”
She looked from one son to the other. “Why
do I get the feeling I’m not going to like this?”
“’Cause you’re not,” Ryan said. He shrugged
when Evan scowled at him. “It’s time someone starts tellin’ it like it is,
man.”
Marisa slipped her arm around Evan’s waist
and led him into the family room, where a dozen of their closest friends were
enjoying drinks and appetizers.
Ryan’s eyes locked with Brianna and she
smiled before stealing a quick glance at Evan. It was obvious her heart went
out to him, but Ryan couldn’t help feeling resentful he hadn’t held her
attention a little longer.
Lena sat beside Brianna. She raised a hand
in greeting. At least Brianna hadn’t invited Clint to their family dinner. That
had to mean their relationship hadn’t progressed as quickly as Ryan feared.
“Hey,” Luc said, glancing at his sons. “Where’s
Erika?”
She had been a part of their family
gatherings almost since the day she’d met Evan. Ryan knew her absence would
leave a void everyone felt, especially Lena, who was one of her closest
friends.
“Uh, I kinda wanted to talk to y’all about
that.” Evan glanced at Lena, who offered him a small smile of encouragement.
“Is there a problem, son?” Trey Turner
asked, looking up from the baby he was holding.
“Yeah, you could say that.”
He glanced at his brother, and Ryan wished
he could step in and make this easier for him, but he knew Evan had to acknowledge
the truth before he could start to move on with his life, with or without
Erika.
“Erika and I are takin’ a little break.” He
stole a glance at Lena, who was holding her fiancé, Dominic’s, hand. Evan and
Dom had been friends for years, and aside from Ryan, he was probably the only
other person who knew what this separation was doing to him. “Actually, she
said it’s over… for good.”
Ryan put a hand on his brother’s shoulder
when a collective gasp moved their group. Only those closest to the couple
would have known they were having serious problems. When they were at a social
event, they always made an effort to hide the tension so they wouldn’t make the
other guests uncomfortable.
“I can’t believe it,” Alisa said quietly.
“You two were perfect for each other.”
Evan stuck his hands in the pockets of his
leather bomber jacket as his eyes zeroed in on the baby, Alisa and Liam’s
newborn son. “Yeah, well, I guess she didn’t think so anymore.”
“I’m so sorry, honey,” Marisa said,
reaching up to hug him. “I know how much you loved her.”
“I still love her,” Evan said quietly. “I
probably always will.”
Ryan knew how hard it was for his brother
to be so vulnerable, but sharing the truth with the people who cared about him
the most must bring some small measure of comfort.
“Things may still work out,” Nick McCall,
Avery and Ty’s son, said. “Maybe she just needs a little time to sort things
out.”
Evan offered his friend a small smile of
acknowledgment. “I wish I could say I believed that, buddy. But with every day
that passes, it becomes more and more obvious that she doesn’t intend to come
back to me.”
Luc looked his son in the eye. “This was
because of your commitment to Titan, wasn’t it?” When Evan didn’t respond, Luc
swore softly. “I never meant for this company to cost you so much, Evan.”
“I made the choice,” he said with the quiet
conviction they’d all come to expect from him. “No one forced me to make the
choices I have. This one’s all on me.”
“I’m drivin’ tonight,” Ryan said, inclining
his head toward his brother. “What’s say we set this guy up with a drink… or
ten?”
Evan shook his head as a few chuckles moved
through the group. At least they could always count on
Ryan put his hand on Evan’s shoulder,
propelling him further into the room. “Why don’t you let him explain to
everyone at once, Ma?”
She looked from one son to the other. “Why
do I get the feeling I’m not going to like this?”
“’Cause you’re not,” Ryan said. He shrugged
when Evan scowled at him. “It’s time someone starts tellin’ it like it is,
man.”
Marisa slipped her arm around Evan’s waist
and led him into the family room, where a dozen of their closest friends were
enjoying drinks and appetizers.
Ryan’s eyes locked with Brianna and she
smiled before stealing a quick glance at Evan. It was obvious her heart went
out to him, but Ryan couldn’t help feeling resentful he hadn’t held her
attention a little longer.
Lena sat beside Brianna. She raised a hand
in greeting. At least Brianna hadn’t invited Clint to their family dinner. That
had to mean their relationship hadn’t progressed as quickly as Ryan feared.
“Hey,” Luc said, glancing at his sons. “Where’s
Erika?”
She had been a part of their family
gatherings almost since the day she’d met Evan. Ryan knew her absence would
leave a void everyone felt, especially Lena, who was one of her closest
friends.
“Uh, I kinda wanted to talk to y’all about
that.” Evan glanced at Lena, who offered him a small smile of encouragement.
“Is there a problem, son?” Trey Turner
asked, looking up from the baby he was holding.
“Yeah, you could say that.”
He glanced at his brother, and Ryan wished
he could step in and make this easier for him, but he knew Evan had to acknowledge
the truth before he could start to move on with his life, with or without
Erika.
“Erika and I are takin’ a little break.” He
stole a glance at Lena, who was holding her fiancé, Dominic’s, hand. Evan and
Dom had been friends for years, and aside from Ryan, he was probably the only
other person who knew what this separation was doing to him. “Actually, she
said it’s over… for good.”
Ryan put a hand on his brother’s shoulder
when a collective gasp moved their group. Only those closest to the couple
would have known they were having serious problems. When they were at a social
event, they always made an effort to hide the tension so they wouldn’t make the
other guests uncomfortable.
“I can’t believe it,” Alisa said quietly.
“You two were perfect for each other.”
Evan stuck his hands in the pockets of his
leather bomber jacket as his eyes zeroed in on the baby, Alisa and Liam’s
newborn son. “Yeah, well, I guess she didn’t think so anymore.”
“I’m so sorry, honey,” Marisa said,
reaching up to hug him. “I know how much you loved her.”
“I still love her,” Evan said quietly. “I
probably always will.”
Ryan knew how hard it was for his brother
to be so vulnerable, but sharing the truth with the people who cared about him
the most must bring some small measure of comfort.
“Things may still work out,” Nick McCall,
Avery and Ty’s son, said. “Maybe she just needs a little time to sort things
out.”
Evan offered his friend a small smile of
acknowledgment. “I wish I could say I believed that, buddy. But with every day
that passes, it becomes more and more obvious that she doesn’t intend to come
back to me.”
Luc looked his son in the eye. “This was
because of your commitment to Titan, wasn’t it?” When Evan didn’t respond, Luc
swore softly. “I never meant for this company to cost you so much, Evan.”
“I made the choice,” he said with the quiet
conviction they’d all come to expect from him. “No one forced me to make the
choices I have. This one’s all on me.”
“I’m drivin’ tonight,” Ryan said, inclining
his head toward his brother. “What’s say we set this guy up with a drink… or
ten?”
Evan shook his head as a few chuckles moved
through the group. At least they could always count on
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