Chapter Twenty-Two: Entitlement

Evelyn’s POV

The cold night seemed to seep into my skin as Caleb stared at me down. His frustration was practically tangible, but I refused to let it shake me. This wasn’t the first time he’d tried to demand explanations from me, and I was determined it would be the last.

“Why were you with him?” He threw at me the moment he was sure it was just us. 

“With who?” I asked, feigning ignorance. It was deliberately instigated to anger him. 

“Don’t play with me, Eve. Why were you with my uncle at a restaurant today?” Caleb’s tone was sharp, his words clipped.

I sighed heavily, crossing my arms. “Does it matter?”

“Yes, it does,” he shot back, his voice rising slightly. “And why did I have to hear about your trip from a coworker instead of you telling me yourself? Do you have any idea how that made me feel?”

I took a step back, needing to put some distance between us. “Caleb, this is too much. You’re not entitled to an explanation about my every move.”

His expression darkened, the muscles in his jaw tightening. “What do you mean by that, Eve? We have a thing going on between us. For Christ’s sake, we almost got engaged the other day.”

“We’re just friends now,” I corrected, keeping my voice firm. “And if you ever want to rebuild trust between us, you need to stop acting like you’re tracking my every step. It’s suffocating.”

He looked taken aback for a moment like my words had physically struck him. But the anger in his eyes quickly returned.

“You think I’m tracking you?” he asked, his voice low and accusing. “I only came here because your father was worried. He asked me to find you. A case that wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t sneak off like you had something to hide.”

I raised an eyebrow, skepticism lacing my tone. “Something to hide. Well, I would first forgive you said something like that and what sort of finding would require invading my privacy. What kind of search would require you using my phone’s GPS? That’s an invasion of privacy, Caleb.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off.

“I mean it. If you really cared about me, you’d trust me enough to let me live my life without you constantly breathing down my neck.”

Caleb exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “You don’t understand, Evelyn. I’m trying to protect you.”

“From what, Caleb?” I asked, genuinely curious now. “From Leonard? He’s done nothing but be kind and supportive, which is more than I can say for you lately.”

His eyes narrowed at the mention of Leonard, his posture stiffening. “You don’t know him like I do. He’s not—”

“Not what?” I challenged, stepping closer to him. “Say it, Caleb. If there’s something I should know, tell me.”

He hesitated, his gaze faltering for the first time. “I can’t.”

I let out a humorless laugh, shaking my head. “That’s convenient. You want to plant doubt without giving me any reason to believe you. It’s manipulative, Caleb.”

“It’s not. It shows my care and concern for—”

“Care and concern my foot,” I raised my voice, unsure of what prompted it. “Know this, Caleb, I would rather take my chances with someone I don’t know or trust than with someone as insecure as you.”

His face hardened again, and he took a step toward me. His movements were deliberate, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

For a moment, I felt a flicker of fear, but I refused to let him see it. Instead, I smiled coldly. “And now you’ve shown me exactly who you are.”

He stopped short, his expression a mix of anger and pain. “Evelyn—”

“No,” I interrupted. “We’re done here.”

Turning on my heel, I walked briskly toward the house. The sound of my boots against the pavement echoed in the silence, but I didn’t look back.

Once inside, I closed the door and leaned against it, my breath coming in uneven bursts. The warmth of the house was a welcome reprieve, but it did little to calm the storm brewing inside me.

I made my way upstairs, my feet dragging as exhaustion began to set in. When I reached my room, I shut the door behind me and sank onto the edge of my bed, burying my face in my hands.

The events of the day played in my mind like a relentless loop. This morning, I’d been so sure of myself, so focused on the presentation. Then, Leonard had stepped in—literally saving me when I couldn’t save myself. The memory of his calm, steady presence brought a small smile to my lips.

He’d gone above and beyond for me, even using his private jet to ensure I didn’t miss my moment. And then there was the easy conversation over pizza, the way he made me laugh without even trying.

But Caleb... Caleb had managed to sour the evening with his jealousy and mistrust. I couldn’t ignore the stark contrast between the two men. One gave me space to breathe, while the other tried to control my every move.

As much as I tried to push the thoughts away, they kept creeping back in. Why had Leonard left so abruptly tonight? Was he giving me time to deal with Caleb, or was there something else on his mind?

I reached for my phone, debating whether to call him. The thought of hearing his voice was tempting, but I didn’t want to seem too eager. What would I even say? Thank you for the pizza, and by the way, where did you disappear to?

No. That would sound ridiculous.

Instead, I set the phone down and lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The silence of the room was deafening, but it gave me a moment to reflect.

What was I even doing? My life had become a whirlwind of emotions and tangled relationships, and I felt like I was barely holding on.

A sudden knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts, and my heart leaped into my throat.

“Evelyn?”

Leonard’s voice was unmistakable, low, and steady.

I froze, unsure whether to respond. Part of me wanted to let him in, to let his presence chase away the way my feeling were scattered tonight. But another part of me hesitated, unsure of what his arrival meant.