Change of Heart (The Flanagan Sisters, #2) (25 page)

Evan walked away from the paintings. He had to get a grip. He should go for a swim, clear his mind, before the anxiety overwhelmed him.

He headed out to the pool and when his phone rang, he grabbed it out of his pocket. He had to distract himself.

“Evan, it’s Carly.”

He breathed out a sigh of relief. She believed in him, she’d help calm him down. He paced along the pool.

“Hi. I thought you were busy all week.”

She sighed. “I am, but I have to tell you something quickly.”

He stopped walking. Her tone made his stomach squirm. “What is it?”

“I can’t come to your exhibition.”

Lead dropped into his gut. “What?” He hoped he’d misheard her.

“I’m
so
sorry, I feel really awful about this, but I can’t make it to your exhibition. I’ve been invited to speak—”

He didn’t let her get any further. All he heard was she had somewhere better to be. All his insecurities rushed at him at once, making him lash out. “I get it. There’s something more important going on. Something more interesting than a bunch of paintings you’ve already seen. Don’t worry about it.” He turned to pace along the pool again and tripped. As he fought for balance, the phone slipped out of his hand. It hit the edge of the pool and slipped into the water. “Damn!” No. It didn’t matter. He couldn’t bear to hear Carly’s excuse anyway. It hurt too much. She didn’t really believe in him, she didn’t think the biggest exhibition of his life was worth her time.
He
wasn’t worth her time.

His throat burned and he blinked away the tears in his eyes. Carly knew how much the exhibition meant to him, but it didn’t matter. She was just like his parents. She’d had a better offer.

He should have realized what she was like when she’d stood him up for their lunch date.

His laugh was bitter. To think he’d been about to tell her he loved her, had considered when it would be right to ask her to marry him.

He was a fool. He sunk down on the pavement and put his head in his hands.

And let his insecurities beat him.

***

“E
van?” Carly stared at the phone in her hand. He’d hung up on her. She quickly called him back.

No answer.

Her heart dropped. He hadn’t let her explain. There was no way she would have missed his exhibition if it hadn’t been for the symposium. If it had been virtually anything else she would have canceled, but this wasn’t about her, this was about the lives of so many people. She had to make attendees realize that helping these people wasn’t a burden on the government or society, it was for the betterment of everyone.

The nausea in her stomach swirled, making her feel ill.

She wanted to jump in her car and go to him, but her whole day was booked solid. And tonight she had the meeting with the refugee advocate group. It would be tomorrow before she could go to him; she’d just have to keep calling him in the meantime.

“Carly, your ten o’clock is here,” Hayden said through the intercom.

She sighed. “Send him in.”

***

I
t was almost dark by the time Evan roused himself. McClane came padding out to the pool looking for food, and shoved his big head into Evan’s lap. He hugged his dog. “You understand me, don’t you?”

McClane licked him and Evan grimaced. He pushed himself to his feet and stared at his phone on the bottom of the pool. It was bound to be ruined, but he slid into the cold water to retrieve it. The screen was black. He’d have to wait until he got paid to replace it. With a sigh, he got out, wrapped a towel around himself and trudged into the kitchen.

He fed McClane and switched on his laptop. There was an email from the estate agent telling him his lease here would expire in a month, and asking him if he would like to renew.

Did he?

Was there any point staying here if what he had with Carly wasn’t going anywhere? If she didn’t love him? No. He closed his eyes against the heartache. It was time to move on. He didn’t belong here. He’d be in New York for a couple of weeks during his exhibition, so he could pack up his things beforehand, put them in storage, and then arrange for them to be moved when he decided where he was going next.

He replied to the estate agent and then turned on the video chat app so he could contact his brother, Karl.

“Hey, Evan. I got the invitation to your exhibition opening. Congratulations, man.”

“Thanks.” He couldn’t work up any enthusiasm right now. “Actually, that’s why I’m calling. I figured I might as well stay in New York after your engagement party. Have you got a spare bed for me and McClane for a couple of weeks?”

“Sure. There’s always room for you. When are you coming?”

The sooner he left Houston behind, the better. He still had a bunch of packing boxes in his spare room from the last move, so he could start packing now, tonight.

“I’ve got a couple of things to arrange tomorrow,” said Evan, “and I need to change my flight. I’ll let you know the details.”

“Great! Sarah or I should be able to pick you up from the airport.”

He ended the call.

The sooner he left Houston behind, the better.

C
arly’s phone rang. Her first thought was Evan, but one look at the phone left her disappointed. Zita.

She hadn’t heard from Evan in three days. She’d tried to call him multiple times and on Tuesday she’d gone to his place but he hadn’t been home. How was she going to make up for missing the exhibition? Maybe Zita could think of something. “What’s up, little sister?”

“Is Evan moving in with you?”

Carly frowned. “No. Why would you think that?”

“His house has a big For Rent sign out the front. I peered through the windows and it’s empty. I figured since he didn’t mention it when I dropped him at the airport today, he might have wanted you to break the news.”

“You took him to the airport?” Carly’s mind was whirling.

“Yeah. His brother’s engagement party is this weekend.”

She’d forgotten about that. But why would he pack his things?

“If he’s not moving in with you, where’s all his stuff?”

“I don’t know.” She couldn’t comprehend it. He hadn’t mentioned moving.

“What happened with you two? I thought you were close.”

“We had a fight Monday.”

“So he’s just left Houston?”

“I don’t know,” she repeated. “He was planning to stay in New York while his exhibition is on.” She was grasping at straws.

“He wouldn’t have packed up everything if he was coming back.”

Zita was right. Evan had left. He hadn’t cared enough about her to even say goodbye.

Had she only been a distraction for him? He’d mentioned he liked to move around, and she’d ignored the warning.

Andrew had disappeared without a word as well.

She froze. Was that what this was? She’d given Evan her car and he was gone. Had he sold it, taken the money and run?

Had she been played again?

“You’ll see him at the exhibition, won’t you?” Zita asked. “You’ll get answers then. He wouldn’t leave if it wasn’t important.”

“I’m not going to the exhibition.”

“What? Why not?”

“It’s the same day as the refugee symposium.”

“
Feck
. Really? I didn’t notice the date. That means I can’t go either. Is that what you fought about?”

“Yes.” She didn’t want to talk about it now. Not when her eyes were getting watery and her throat was closing over. “Sorry, I’ve got to go, Zita,” she said, and hung up.

The computer screen in front of Carly blurred and she blinked to clear her eyes, but hot tears ran down her face.

“Carly, I’m heading off . . .” Hayden’s eyes widened as he entered her office. “Shit, are you all right?” He closed the office door behind him and strode over.

She wiped her face, and tried to clear her throat to speak but it was impossible. The lump refused to move.

“What happened? Has someone died?” Hayden sat on the edge of her desk and took her hand.

Carly shook her head, heat rising to her cheeks at having him see her like this and being unable to control it. She grabbed a tissue from her desk and blotted her eyes, trying to stem the flood. She breathed in and out, in and out, and swallowed. “It’s nothing.”

“Don’t lie, Carly.” He was angry. “You don’t have to tell me, but don’t lie to me. I’ve never seen you this upset over anything.”

She grabbed hold of his anger, and tried to channel her own. “I said it’s nothing. Evan has left, but it doesn’t matter because it obviously didn’t mean anything.” She pushed back her chair, determined to get out of there.

“I’m so sorry. I thought he was better than that.”

The soft words dissolved her anger and the tears came again. Hayden opened his arms and Carly stepped forward into them.

He held her while her heart broke in two.

***

C
arly didn’t know how long she sobbed for, but eventually the tears stopped and the embarrassment set in. She drew away from Hayden. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, Carly. This is what friends do.”

Could she really count him as her friend?

“I know what you need – a night out to drown your sorrows. We can both lament lying, cheating men.”

His tone had Carly looking up. “The guy in the bar didn’t work out?”

“Caught him cheating on me,” Hayden said with a shrug, but his eyes were hurt.

Carly didn’t feel like drinking, she didn’t ever get drunk, but Hayden seemed to need it. “All right. Let’s go.”

He blinked. “Really?”

She nodded, turning off her computer. “Tonight I want to forget about Evan and you want to forget about . . .”

“Travis.”

“Travis,” she agreed. “We’ll find a nice bar and the drinks are on me.”

“All right then.” He held out his arm. “Let’s go forget.”

***

A
n hour later and two red wines down, Carly was pleasantly light-headed. She and Hayden had been chatting about past loves – well, he’d been talking about all the guys he’d dated, and she had made the appropriate comments.

“My round,” Hayden said, getting to his feet. “What do you want, another red?”

Someone walked past holding a cocktail glass of some kind of frozen red concoction. “That,” Carly said, pointing.

Hayden chuckled. “Frozen strawberry daiquiri it is.”

She dug out some cash from her purse and handed it to him when he returned.

“What’s this for?”

“The drinks.”

“Don’t be silly. It was my turn to pay.”

She suspected the cocktail cost more than the wine. “Take it,” she insisted.

“No, it’s fine. My boss just gave me an incredible pay raise.” He winked at her.

Carly laughed, surprised she was able to.

“So, do you want to tell me about what happened with Evan?”

His name sent a jolt of pain through her. How could he have just left like that? She took a breath. Hayden had been sharing all of his stories, it was only fair she told hers. “Zita called this afternoon to ask if I knew where Evan was. He lives next door to her, and apparently there’s a For Rent sign out front.”

“He didn’t mention he was moving?”

She shook her head. “We had an argument on Monday. He’s got this big exhibition in New York next month that means a lot to him and I can’t make it. He was angry and he hung up on me.”

“Why can’t you go?”

“It’s the same day as the symposium.”

“Damn. Did you tell him?”

“He didn’t give me the chance. I’ve tried calling, and I went around earlier this week, but he wasn’t there.” She took a long sip of her drink. “I gave him my BMW, and he moved out without saying a word.”

“He took your car?”

She nodded. “It’s like Andrew all over again.”

“Who’s Andrew?”

She was tipsy enough to want to confide in him, so she told him the whole sad story.

When she was finished, he whistled. “OK, so it looks bad, but don’t give up hope yet. A guy doesn’t spend a week nursing you if he’s not smitten.”

“He does if he’s after your money.” It wasn’t much work for a car worth over sixty grand.

Hayden shook his head. “No. I didn’t get that vibe from Evan at all. Is the exhibition a big deal? Could he be upset that you’re not going?”

She pushed through her own hurt to think about it. Of course he was upset. She straightened her posture as the realization struck. He would have seen her response as a rejection of him and his work. “Yes. His parents always let him down.” No wonder he’d ignored her calls. She let out a deep breath. “But there’s still the car.” She didn’t want to get her hopes up.

“Are you sure he took it?”

“Zita would have mentioned if he’d left it behind.”

“It’s worth checking.”

He was right. She dialed Zita’s number. “Did you see my BMW at Evan’s place?”

“No, I’ve got it here. Sorry, I forgot to tell you. I drove Evan and McClane to the airport and he told me you’d pick up the car at our next lunch.”

“Thanks.” She hung up, her mind working furiously. “He left it with Zita,” she told Hayden.

“See, I told you! He’d got to be upset about you missing the exhibition.”

“But why won’t he answer my calls?”

“Maybe he needs time to cool off, or maybe his battery is dead, or maybe he’s out of range.”

“He’s in New York.”

“OK, so scrap that last one.” Hayden smiled at her. “Is there any way you can get to New York after your speech?”

“I checked all the airlines. There’s nothing after three o’clock that will get me there.”

“What about a private jet?”

Carly stared at him, her brain not quite comprehending. “A jet?”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Most billionaires use them all the time.”

It had never occurred to her. Maybe she
could
hire a jet.

But did Evan want her there? He hadn’t returned her calls, hadn’t told her where he was going. But he’d been incredibly hurt as well.

She’d let him down. She downed the remainder of her drink and winced at the brain freeze. “I need to go.”

“Where?”

“Back to the office. I need to find a plane.”

“I’m coming with you. That’s a job for a PA.”