Evin's Fight (Southern Charmers 3)

“Shut it, Poppy. Don’t finish that sentence.”

I jerk at the abrasive and coldness of his tone. He tosses his jacket to the chair and takes his phone out of his pocket, scrolling his screen. “Unfuckingbelievable. If the roles were reversed, I’d be a madman. Some man sends you a message at midnight telling you they want to see you? I’d lose my mind. Right now, I’m so fucking pissed I’m trying to hold it together.”

“Truly, Evin, I shouldn’t have seen that.”

His head snaps up, his eyes blazing with anger. “Baby, I’m not mad you saw it. I’m furious she upset you, put doubts in your head, and made you cry. She doesn’t have that right nor that power. She’s not a part of my life.”

“Then why did she send that? You said you didn’t date anyone recently. She obviously thinks differently.”

He scrubs a hand through his hair and exhales loudly. “Goddammit.”

His attitude and expression are all I need to see the picture. “Oh,” is all I say at first, then I remember her words. “Was it easy to walk away? She mentioned you seeing her with another man. Did that bother you?”

“No, it didn’t bother me. Whatever you’re thinking is nothing like what happened. Rina and I had a casual thing. We didn’t date.”

“I may be inexperienced, but I’m not naïve. This was more than casual. She had deeper feelings.”

“I swear this makes me the biggest asshole on the planet, but I have to set your mind straight. You asked if it was easy to walk away and the answer is yes. There was absolutely no emotional entanglement on my end. We’d meet up once in a while. It was convenient and simple until it wasn’t. She wanted more and gave me an ultimatum. I ended things.”

“How long did you… ummm… see her?”

“Apparently, long enough to give her the impression she could pressure me.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“Does it matter how long it went on? It’s over, it’s been over for a while. Her trying to pick back up isn’t happening. I’ve told her that.”

“Her messaging you in the middle of the night doesn’t look like she got the message.”

“No, it looks desperate.”

“Is there any chance she’s—” I trail off, not able to stomach the words.

“Hell, fuck, no.” His face morphs into horror and disgust. “Get that out of your head. If that woman is pregnant, it’s not by me.”

A small amount of relief washes through me.

“I’ve never wanted to lay into a woman in my life, but that look on your face is threatening my temper.”

“Maybe we should change the subject.”

“Wish I could, but what she did tonight put a black cloud of suspicion in your head.”

“I told you, I overreacted.”

“No, what you did was react. There’s a difference. Hours ago, we sat on that sofa and you admitted something special and valuable to me. You gave me your trust. She planted seeds of doubt. That pisses me off. She made the mistake of giving me an ultimatum, but if she hadn’t, there still wouldn’t be anything between us.”

I flinch at his bluntness and drop my eyes to the floor. “Ultimatums are a deal breaker, I guess.”

In an instant, he’s in my space, lifting my chin and giving me no choice but to face him. “Ultimatums are shit anyway you word them, but you want something from me and it means a lot to you, I’d work my ass to the bone to make sure you got it. She would not get that. No one but family ever has.”

As much as this thrills me, I can’t hide my curiosity. “What did she want from you?”

“We had different views on our situation. I thought we were on the same page. In her mind, her pussy had more control than it did, and she tried to use it.”

“I’m not like that. I’d never assume my…” I swallow hard, hoping I don’t sound foolish, “… my pussy controlled you.”

At my words, all the frustration drains and his beautiful lips curve up. “Another reason you’ll get anything from me. You don’t realize it but already have the power. The big difference here is nothing about us will ever be casual.”

“I’m sorry,” I repeat.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. Except for my texts with Ryanne earlier today, I have nothing to hide.”

“I acted like a total bitch.”

“No, you didn’t.” He pauses, his thumb rubbing along my chin and eyes filling with concern. “But, baby, we have to talk about what happened back there. I understand it upset you, but your first instinct was to run. You went into fight-or-flight mode quicker than anyone I’ve ever seen. You also made a snap decision to end things without giving me a chance to explain. There was a second I didn’t know if I could get through. I swore I’d never pressure you, and I’m sorry, but time isn’t on my side here. Let me in on what is in your head.”