Chapter 86

Dylan Lowell hurried to the door when the bell rang.

His pupils constricted the moment it swung open.

Nathan Evans stood there with Chloe Valentine clinging to his arm.

"Holy shit..." Dylan gasped.

Nathan remained impassive. "Long time no see."

"Come in, man!" Dylan fumbled to welcome them, uncorking whiskey and slicing fruit.

When Chloe excused herself to the restroom, Dylan finally blurted, "I thought you two broke up ages ago. What's going on?"

Nathan downed half his whiskey, Adam's apple bobbing. "She's young. Needs time to adjust."

Dylan nearly choked.

Twenty years old was young?

Nathan must be bewitched.

"What about Evelyn Langley..." Dylan trailed off.

That bastard Ethan Winston would throw a damn parade if he found out.

Nathan's knuckles whitened at Evelyn's name. "Who said I'm giving up?"

"But this..." Dylan glanced toward the restroom, "You're stringing them both along."

"Once Chloe's settled, I'll win Evelyn back."

Dylan opened his mouth.

He wanted to say love couldn't wait, but Nathan's determined expression made him swallow the words.

By closing time, Dylan was swaying drunk.

He barely signed the check before waiters hauled him into a cab.

Julian Roscente stayed relatively sober, though reeking of cigarettes.

He had a permanent suite at the nearby hotel and walked there directly.

Only Nathan and Chloe remained on the curb waiting for their driver.

Chloe pressed against him, fingers curling around his bicep. "Let me stay at your place tonight?"

The implication couldn't be clearer.

Nathan extracted his arm. "You have morning classes. I'll take you back to campus."

Her smile faltered before she nodded obediently. "Whatever you say."

After dropping Chloe at Harvard's gates, Nathan suddenly told the driver, "Keep the car. I'll walk."

His feet carried him unconsciously to Harvard's main entrance.

Every tree and brick felt familiar.

He'd loitered here endlessly while courting Evelyn.

Sometimes she'd appear within minutes. Other times he'd wait all day in vain.

Yet he'd relished every second.

Through the dim alleyway lay Evelyn's apartment.

Nathan stumbled upstairs in the dark, kicking over empty liquor bottles.

At last he stood before her chipped security door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Evelyn, open up."