Chapter 40

The next few days passed fairly normally. Kat had ventured into my thoughts only on rare occasions, and in the way that I was used to... mostly. There had been a moment, a dream where she had appeared. She'd done a number of irritating me, but rather than my usual replies and backbiting, I'd thrown her against the wall and kissed her. I guess the shock I felt, even in the state of sleep, must have been severe, as it jolted me awake to find that I had a raging hard on. I couldn't blame it on the drink that night, not having had a drop, so instead I tried to push it out of my head, and convince myself that it was just a random moment of temporary insanity. Something that is not very easy at three a.m when you wake up confused and horny. I shook my head at the unwelcome memory, and continued to file away the blueprints I'd just finished using, the sound of approaching footsteps causing me to look up just in time for Jamie to stroll in, holding a piece of paper.

"Hey, I need you to sign off on the new materials order for the twelfth floor."

Taking the sheet he handed me, I crossed over to my desk, leaning over it, I grabbed a pen and pulled off the lid with my teeth, then scrawled my signature at the bottom of the page and handed it back.

"Thanks. Fancy a drink later?" He asked on the way towards the door.

"Raincheck, I'm busy tonight." I said, slumping down into my chair and pulling up a document on the computer.

"Sure, date?"

I looked up, seeing the smug smirk on his face as he leant against the door.

"Actually, yeah. She's a beautiful girl, always makes me smile. Has the best laugh I've ever heard, and has me wrapped around her tiny finger."

I watched Jamie think it over for a moment, amused, I tented my fingers under my chin and smiled, laughing as the penny dropped.

"Everly."

"Everly. I'm babysitting for Rox and Sean whilst they have a date night."

"Well, good luck with that. I'm glad it's not me."

"I wouldn't leave you in charge of a rock buddy."

"Good point." He shrugged, walking off along the hall with a laugh.

I blew out a breath, unbuttoning the cuffs and rolling up the sleeves of my pale blue shirt. I pulled out my phone, scrolling through the message list on the screen. I deleted the multiple ones from the various girls that I'd stupidly given my number to, and pulled up my email account, ready to finish up the replies I had to do before leaving.

It was dark by the time I made it to Roxy's that evening. I'd been stuck at work longer than I hoped to be, and ended up not even having time to go home and change.

"Rox! I'm here!" I called, closing the front door behind me and walking through the hall.

"Be right down!" Her voice shouted from upstairs.

I turned into the living room and saw Sean sitting on the sofa, wearing a smart suit, minus the tie, and making playful faces at baby Everly, who was laying in his arms.

"Hey."

"Hey man." He replied, looking up and nodding his head with a smile.

"How's my little angel?" I asked happily, brushing my fingers over Everly's little cheek, and adoring the sweet smile she made as she looked up at me.

"She's my little angel actually, she's a daddy's girl." Sean cooed at her.

"Boys, behave," Roxy's voice came from behind me, "Everly is a mommy's girl, and she's going to grow up to have both of you wrapped around her little finger." Roxy bent over and pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead, then scooped her into her arms, allowing Sean to stand up.

"You look beautiful." Sean whispered, kissing her cheek and wrapping his arm around her waist, admiring the simple yet sexy black dress that clung to his wife's body.

"Alright you two, I'm here for Evie, not for tickets to this love fest. Hand the baby over and go."

They laughed as I stepped forward and Roxy placed Everly into my arms. I felt the familiar warmth of affection and love in my heart as I felt her weight and caught the sweet scent that lingered on her onesie. The sound of the doorbell rang through the house and Everly wriggled slightly, her dark eyes glimmering with curiosity as she looked up at me.

Rox's completely right, this little miss already has me under her thumb.

"That's probably our taxi." Sean said, making his way out of the room.

I heard the front door open and then voices. The sound of the second voice sent an unwelcome shudder through my body as I clenched my jaw. Kat.

She rounded the corner and stopped in front of us, her eyes landing on me and doing a quick sweep from head to toe.

"Kat." I managed a small smile and a small nod of acknowledgement.

I thought I detected a minor change in her expression. A small flicker of something unusual in our interactions. I couldn't stop myself realising that she looked good. Casually dressed in dark blue skinny jeans that were tucked into black ankle boots, and a cream, loose fitting, off the shoulder jumper. Her dark hair flowed freely, and she had elegantly simple make-up.

"Evan, babysitting duty I see." She smiled, gesturing to Everly.

I nodded, and sank down onto the sofa, nudging Everly's bassinet closer for when she would go to sleep later.

"I didn't know you were coming by Kat." Roxy smiled, grabbing a jacket off the chair.

"I forgot it was your night out tonight, thought it was tomorrow. Fancied some company."

"Well I'm sure Ev won't mind you sticking around." She shrugged, throwing a warning glare in my direction.

I suppressed a laugh, trying to not immediately throw out a snarky comment.

"Taxi's here, we should go." Sean called from the hall.

Roxy swept over towards me, planting a gentle kiss on Everly's head and one on my cheek, then rushed out to meet Sean at the door. Both of them calling goodbye before they left.

"I should go." Kat mumbled, gesturing behind her in the direction of the door, her eyes skipping to the side as if she didn't dare look at me.

"Up to you, I was gonna order some food, you can stay if you like."

She bit the inside of her lip, pondering my invitation. The small move instantly had me flashing back to that kiss from my dream, and an involuntary groan threatened to escape. I should have just let her leave, my mouth had formed the words before I could even think.

"You sure?" She asked clearly surprised by the unusual inclination to spend time with her.

No, not sure... this is a bad idea Ev, abort! Abort! ABORT!

"Yeah, I'm sure."

You fucking twat!! Well this should be interesting.

A short time later we were both relaxing on the sofa watching a crappy reality show, an open pizza box sat on the coffee table in front of us, and Everly was sleeping tucked up at the side of us.

"How can you say that?" Kat burst out, throwing her slice of pizza down into the box and picking up her bottle of beer.

"Easily, she's being ridiculous." I shrugged.

"He just kissed another girl, right in front of her."

She lifted her leg from the floor, tucking it under herself as she sat back down.

"They aren't even together for fuck's sake." I half laughed, gesturing at the television, where the girl Kat was defending was throwing a drink in a guy's face.

"But they were together before, and he said he loves her, so that's just cruel."

"Wasn't she just kissing that blonde guy a minute ago?"

Kat went silent, I turned to see her face screwed up in thought, her eyes fixed upwards as she searched for the right answer.

"Uhuh, exactly. I rest my case." I said smugly, taking a sip of my beer.

"So you're telling me you'd hurt someone you love, like that?" She replied, a slightly saddened tone to her voice.

I hit the mute button on the remote and turned to face her.

"No, I wouldn't. If it was the woman I loved, I wouldn't hurt her like that. For a start, I'd never let her go, I wouldn't be stupid enough to let her slip through my fingers, and I would always do my best to ensure I never made her shed a single tear."

Kat's lips parted as though she was about to reply, then closed again. My eyes locked with her warm chocolate brown ones, and I felt my heart beat a little harder against my chest. It felt like the temperature of the room was rising my skin heating up and the air getting thicker. I felt unable to look away, as though there was an invisible cord fixing my gaze to her face. This was just another weird moment, one that I had to control, I had to snap out of this.

But do I really want to?

A voice at the back of my mind threw me for a loop with that thought. Did I want to break this momentary connection. If this was a woman in a bar, any random woman on the street, I'd be lured by this intensity, I'd have her in a heartbeat, against a wall, over a table, on the bar, I wouldn't even care. This simmering tension was making my body practically vibrate, wanting, craving more. But this was Kat. This wasn't an option. My best friend's sister in law, the most annoying, snarky, pestering, nagging... beautiful... kind...

Shit, this was meant to be a bad list.

I nearly whacked myself in the head, desperate to regather my senses. I was grateful when Everly took care of it instead, her loud cry breaking the moment and causing us both to jump.

"Shhh, uncle Evan's got you." I said softly, picking her wriggling body up from her bed and pulling her to my chest. "Can you grab me her bottle please?"

Kat nodded, standing up and heading to the kitchen. Everly's cries started to subside as I smiled down at her, rocking her slightly as she clutched my finger in her tiny hand.

"Here." Kat said, handing me the bottle and sitting next to us.

"Thanks."

I tested the temperature and then shuffled Everly into a comfortable position and placed the bottle against her lips. She instantly calmed, beginning to feed.

"So, out with it. Why did you really come here tonight?" I asked with a brief side look in her direction.

"Just wanted some company."

"Right, and I wanted to come here for the great wall art." I said sarcastically, nodding at the strange abstract painting that hung on the wall opposite us.

"Each to their own I guess." She teased.

"Seriously, what is it?"

She groaned in response, kicking her feet up onto the edge of the sofa and looking down at her knees.

"I was hoping to speak to Roxy. Someone from my past has decided to pop back up."

I looked over at her, my brows raised in curiosity. She looked up at my movement and sighed.

"My ex, Travis."

I wasn't sure why, but the fact that she had an ex around, it triggered something inside me. Something that was irritating... anger? Jealousy?

"You two don't get on?" I asked, trying to sound interested instead of pissed.

She thought it over, clicking her nails together before replying.

"We do, I think. It's complicated."

"Uncomplicate it."

My words came out a little more demanding than I intended. Sounding more like an order than a request. Something that clearly didn't pass her unnoticed as her eyes widened a little.

"We were serious, happy. He got a job offer doing aide work abroad. He took it, and we ended things. We had no idea how long he'd be gone for, and now he's back."

"How long was he gone?" I asked.

"Two years."

He's fucked it then.

I felt myself relax a little, breathing out a small sigh of relief. She wouldn't be mad enough to take him back after all that time away. Surely?!

Everly finished her feed, and I shuffled her around, draping a cloth over my shoulder and rubbing her back.

"So what's the issue in him being back?" I asked.

I half wanted to shut the conversation down, not wanting to hear her say she was still interested, but the other half of me refused to allow that. Some screwed up desire to hear her actually say the words that she wasn't into him, that she would never be into him.

"I'll have to work with him every day. It's just going to be strange, uncomfortable even. I don't know where he stands."

"Where do you stand?"

"I don't know, I guess I'm fine being single for now. I don't want to go back down memory lane. He's my past. He should stay there."

I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. I felt a kick of joy at those words. Then a sinking feeling in my stomach as I thought about why I was so happy. Why did the idea of her staying single make me so happy?

I couldn't have any actual feelings for Kat... Could I?