Chapter 458

The rain grew heavier.

Evelyn Langley stood at the bookstore entrance, frowning at the downpour.

She checked her wristwatch. Only twenty minutes remained before her lunch date with Victoria.

It seemed she'd have to make a run for it in the rain.

Then her gaze caught on a figure sheltering outside.

The man stood under the eaves, shielding his forehead as he looked around.

Evelyn's heart skipped.

She pushed open the door, rainwater immediately dampening her shoes.

"Daniel?"

The man turned. Raindrops slid down his hair.

"Evelyn?"

Daniel Melville's eyes widened in surprise.

His white T-shirt clung to his skin, thoroughly soaked.

Evelyn quickly pulled tissues from her bag. "Dry off before you catch cold."

"Thanks." He accepted them. "Still taking care of people, I see."

They decided to eat at the adjacent mall.

Evelyn texted Victoria that she'd run into family and wouldn't make lunch.

The private dining room carried a faint sandalwood scent.

Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, rain fell in sheets.

A server brought two steaming teacups.

Evelyn cradled hers, studying her cousin through the rising steam.

They'd been closest as children.

Daniel always brought her treats—sometimes chocolates, sometimes jelly cups.

She remembered when she'd failed a monthly exam. He'd skipped class to comfort her, bringing her favorite strawberry cake.

Then they grew up.

She focused on romance. He pursued his career.

Later, she became trapped in that toxic relationship while his startup collapsed under debt.

Each struggling through life's mire, they gradually lost touch.

"Evelyn?"

Daniel's voice pulled her back.

"You spaced out."

She smiled. "I was remembering all the snacks you used to bring me."

"Then do you recall when you bombed that math test and I—"

"Brought strawberry cake!" they said simultaneously.

Shared laughter dissolved the years between them.

"You haven't changed much," Daniel observed.

Evelyn's eyes grew warm.

Those six years had drained nearly all her passion.

She'd thought her old self was lost forever.

"You have," she said softly.

Daniel rubbed his chin. "Gotten rough around the edges?"

"Taller."

In her memories, he'd been a lanky teen. Now broad-shouldered and long-limbed, his features carried a new steadiness.

But when he smiled, his eyes still held that familiar light.