EVAN

Peter was sitting at the dining table, reading a book when Evan came downstairs.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Hi, son. What are you doing up? Can’t sleep?”

Evan sighed and sat down across from his father at the table.

“I actually came to talk to you because I need some advice.”

“Oh? About what?” Peter closed his book and set it aside.

Evan’s heart was pounding. He actually felt kinda shaky, too.

“How about I put some coffee on, then we’ll talk?” Peter shuffled off to the kitchen, giving Evan time to collect his thoughts.

There was a small fire burning in the fireplace. Evan crouched beside it and opened the grate, then started working some new logs into the fire.

“Quite a blaze you got there,” Peter said when he returned with their coffees, carrying the mugs carefully in both hands.

Evan looked at the fire.

Oops. He’d made it huge. Just got carried away.

“Sorry about that. I’ll go grab some more wood from the pile, before I go to bed.”

“It’s alright,” Peter said. “The house was feeling pretty cold, anyway. Now, what was it you wanted to talk about, son?”

Evan sipped his coffee with cream, enjoying the feeling of the hot liquid falling down his throat. Finally, he said, “It’s Yena.”

Peter nodded. He didn’t look surprised.

“I missed my chance with her the first time,” Evan continued. “We were still so young, and the prince came out of nowhere. I thought Yena was gone forever, but now she’s back, and I’m just not sure what to do now…”

He stopped talking and realized that he hadn’t actually told his father the main problem.

That Evan was in love with Yena. He wanted to marry her. And he didn’t know how to figure out if she loved him, too.

But even though Evan glossed over those important facts, Peter was already on the same page.

“Do you remember when you were young,” he asked, “and your mother dressed you and Yena up, and performed a pretend wedding in the back yard?”

Evan smiled and flushed red. “Yeah, I do.”

“Your mom always said that she wanted you two to wind up together. You were so close in childhood, and it was a nice thought, but then in your teen years you and your sister did grow apart…”

Evan nodded.

His teen years, when he started having all those feelings for his sister that he could not handle, did not know what to do with.

“We felt disappointed, too, Evan.” Peter set down his coffee cup and pressed his hands together. “When Yena left for her new life.”

“And now she’s back, though,” Evan said quietly.

“Yes, she’s back. For now.”

“You don’t think she’ll stay with us? You think she’ll go back to him?”

Peter met his son’s eyes.

“I don’t know what Yena will do. None of us could guess what that incredible girl is capable of. She is her own woman, and all we can do is let her follow her own path.”

Evan shifted around in his chair anxiously, then stood and paced over to the fireplace.

“I wish I could encourage you, son,” Peter continued. “But you should remember, too, that right now, Yena is still married, and she needs time to work through her feelings.”

Evan stopped pacing.

He actually had forgotten about that. He’d gotten so swept up in Yena being here with him, separated from Nolan.

He remembered when she put her hand on his, in the car, and he realized she was wearing her wedding ring still.

“If it is meant to be with the two of you,” Peter said, “then it will happen in time. You need to be patient.”

“I can do that,” Evan replied.

He stretched his arms and neck, trying to loosen the tension he was feeling at the top of his spine.

His father was right. Evan was getting way ahead of himself, trying to make a plan for his future with Yena, when she wasn’t even legally divorced yet.

Yena needed time to get over Nolan.

But it could happen someday.

Evan could be patient.

He had to be. It was the only move available to him.

YENA

Nolan had me in his arms… the feeling of his hands encircling my waist was so familiar and comforting. He pressed his big hands all over my back… my arms… my hips…

He bent his face to mine and kissed me hard. I pressed my tongue into his mouth, and he sucked on it, sending shivers through me, and then his mouth was on my neck, and his sharp teeth grazed my skin… I held a fistful of his soft hair in one hand…

Then suddenly I woke up, gasping.

I was alone in my little twin sized bed in Tina’s drafty house.

I grumbled, rolled over, and pulled the blankets over my head.

My body was all agitated.

That dream was fun while I was in it. But now that I’d woken up before the good part, I just felt frustrated and restless.

My stomach started growling, too.

I got up and got dressed. It was too early for Tina’s daily breakfast service, but there was always something good in the fridge.

I started a pot of coffee first, then did a thorough inspection of the refrigerator.

A few minutes later I found myself sitting at the table with a cup of coffee, half an apple pie, and a fork.

I sighed. This was my downfall here at Tina’s. Too much good food to resist.

It was a quiet morning and the rest of my family was asleep, so I was alone with my thoughts. And my pie.

The day I spent with Evan at the waterfall had been… confusing.

It was so sweet of him to take me there. And pack a picnic lunch.

Evan made me feel wanted and loved. And he was so handsome.

Lily started laughing… “Not just handsome. You liked to look at his body…”

Alright. He was sexy, too.

But even all of that wasn’t enough.

Every time Evan touched me, what I hoped would feel good just wound up reminding me of how different it was with the prince.

Nolan was so powerful and poised. He commanded authority.

I pictured Nolan naked, lying beside in the cave the night we met. He looked like a god, shiny with the blood of battle…

And I pictured him clothed, looking sharp and graceful in a tailored suit. With his stoic, handsome, princely face on.

Nolan was special.

I’d started taking him for granted when we were together. I lost sight of how good he was to me. And what magic we had together.

There was nothing like that in the world.

When Nolan and I were together, it was like a force of nature took over our bodies. It was impulsive and primal. Simple and irresistible.

I missed him. I wanted him badly. Like I wanted no one else.

I had to admit to Lily that she had been right, at least about one thing.

That I regretted leaving Nolan.

“I told you so…” she said, laughing.

I couldn’t even argue with her.

I just started wishing that I could take it back.