A Twist of Fate (Complete)

Ch. 62 - The Date

"Like on a date?" Everly asked, scrunching her eyebrows.

Brad let out an exhale and said "Yeah. Like on a date. Look, I know I can't compete with what you had with Keaton. He's crazy rich and he's gonna be the CEO of some big ol' company and he's from a big city and here I am. I'm just a simple country boy that doesn't have table manners or wear fancy suits. All I've got going for me is that I know how to play baseball," he said, looking into her eyes. "But I still love you Ev. I always have and I always will."

She broke eye contact and looked down at the ground, the silence hanging between them for a minute. "I was just thinking I should be single for a while and have some time to myself you know, to figure everything out."

He stepped forward and reached out to take her hands in his. "I know you need time. All I'm asking is for one date. I'm not asking you to forget the past and pretend it didn't happen. All I'm asking for is one date. Just one chance to see if you still feel something more for me than friendship. If you're not feeling it, we can go back to being just friends again, no questions asked."

She hung her head and let out an exhale. "I don't know," she said softly. 

"Everly, I know what I did with Amber broke your heart and you have no idea how much I wish I could take it back. It was the biggest mistake I've ever made in my life and I'm sorry. Can't you just please give me one more chance? I'm begging you."

She studied his eyes and thought about what he was asking. Maybe things would be different this time. Then she remembered what Amber told her earlier. 

"I couldn't do that to Amber," she said quietly.  "She's in love with you. She has been since before I even moved here and you have no idea how bad you broke her heart when you left and stopped talking to her after you guys slept together."

"Do you know why I stopped talking to her?" Brad asked, with his nose wrinkled up. "She's hit on me so many times throughout the years, even when you and I were together, and I always turned her down. I told her no because I was in love with you, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. She was so damn persistent. Just when I would think she had finally given up she would hit on me again. She was relentless," he said, letting out an exhale and running his hands over his face, shaking his head. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" Everly asked, swallowing hard and trying to wrap her head around the fact that Amber would do that to her.

"Because I didn't want to mess up your friendship and she knew that. That's why she kept on doing it because she knew I wasn't gonna tell you because it would break your heart. She also knew damn well that I didn't want her, so she got me wasted drunk when I was vulnerable and heartbroken and took advantage of the situation. I was too drunk to fight her off this time. If that happened to a woman, people would call it rape but when it happens to a man, he's made out to be the villain for sleeping with another woman. I can't even look at her without getting sick."  

Everly looked into his eyes and she could tell that he was telling the truth, because she always knew when he was lying. He was a terrible liar just like she was. He was right. What happened to him was horrible. If something like that had happened to her, she would've pressed rape charges and here she was making Brad out to be the bad guy this whole time. She felt so guilty for giving him hell for what happened with Amber, when he was actually a victim. 

She stepped forward, giving him a hug. "I'm so sorry," she said softly. "I had no idea."

He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a minute. She started thinking about it and maybe going out with him would be a good distraction. She couldn't have Keaton, the man she really loved, so what would be the harm in giving Brad a second chance and just seeing what happened?