Finding Evan (21 page)
Authors: Lisa Swallow
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Women's Fiction, #Contemporary Women, #Romance, #Contemporary, #New Adult & College, #Romantic Comedy, #Contemporary Fiction, #British, #Inspirational
“When I thought you were going to die, I swore if you came back to me, I’d never let you go again. But I understand we have our own lives to live, and we have so far to go in life yet. I want to share that journey with you because I think we’re meant to be together.”
I place my hands over Evan’s and squeeze them. I have no idea what to say, because I hate I can’t express myself as eloquently as my Byron. “I think we’re meant to be because every time we go through things that tear us apart, we don’t give up, but we come back stronger. Not everybody can do that.”
“Exactly. Besides…” His signature Evan-grin appears. “Evan fits into Vanessa.”
I gasp and smack him across the head. The evening he accosted me outside my bedroom and said those words is a world away from where we sit now.
I kiss his forehead, and then hold his face in both hands. “You’re right; I don’t want to get married. Not yet.” I take a breath. “But I do want to be your forever.”
In the dim light, I swear Evan’s eyes tear, and mine do the same. “So can I ask you to let me know when you do want to marry someone?” he says hoarsely.
“You’ll be the first to know.”
He kisses my nose. “That’s good enough for me.”
As Evan places his lips on mine, my body pulls me back to the intensity of our first kiss. Evan’s snatched kiss on the sofa before he left the house and I didn’t know if he wanted me. The guy I hated and desired in equal measures, who fills my heart with more love than I thought possible. Embracing me is the Evan who I couldn’t fix, but who I helped hold together until he was ready to mend himself. We hold each other tightly, and I know I can never let go, because something like this would never happen twice. Someone like Evan, the guy who taught me to feel the butterflies again and again and again. My forever, and my always.
Acknowledgements
Thanks again to Bec and Katie for being an email away and sharing the highs and lows of this weird thing we’ve decided to do.
Thanks to Selena for her support and advice.
And to everyone who read and loved Because of Lucy - thank you for wanting me to write more of Ness’s and Evan’s story to share with you!
About the Author
Lisa is an author of new adult romance and writes both paranormal and contemporar
y, often with a side of snark.
In between running a business, looking after her family and writing, Lisa sometimes finds spare time to do other things. This often involves swapping her book worlds for gaming worlds. She even leaves the house occasionally. Lisa loves all things from the Whedonverse and preferred v
ampires before they sparkled.
She is currently working on a number of projects including the remaining books in the Soul Ties series and a new adult contemporary romance. Lisa is originally from the UK but moved to Australia in 2001 and now lives in Perth in Western Australia with her husband, three children and dog.