The Player Broke My Leg

Chapter 30

Jaspers POV

Convincing Hattie to walk into the house was probably the best thing I could have ever done for her. Seeing her looking utterly defeated caused me heart to ache for her. Even though she would never know it. I knew I wasn't good enough for her, and I was okay with that.

"You know your way with words," Evan spoke up the moment that the door closed behind Hattie.

I looked over at him and shrugged. "What can I say? I have a way with the ladies."

Evan let out a laugh. "Sure you do," Evan said bitterly."

I nodded and looked back at the house. Knowing that Hattie was going to sit down and talk it out with everyone made me feel at ease. However, I really wanted to be in there with her when it all happened, but I knew I would have been stepping over the line.

I turned around to face Evan, who was leaning against the tree. His eyes were fixed on the ground in front of him, and his lips were pressed into a firm line. He looked as if he were thinking about something, and I knew what it had to be. Hattie had been the main focus for the both of us for the last few days for entirely different reasons.

With a sigh, I stepped in front of the swing and sat down. The ropes strained under my weight, but it remained in place. Noticing my sudden movement, Evan looked at me and scowled.

"If you think I'm going to push you, you have another thing coming."

I smirked as I looked up at him as I try to spin the conversation. "So how long have you liked Hattie?"

Evan sighed as he pushed himself off of the tree and then stared out to the road with his back turned to me. "Sophomore year."

I looked up at Evan with a confused look, but he didn't notice. "For two years? Really?"

Evan nodded and turned around. "But I was with Lizzie then, and I didn't even know if Hattie knew I existed. I thought that if I buried those feelings they would go away."

"And they didn't?" I asked.

Evan shook his head. "Lizzie and I broke up, and later that day I delivered to Hattie's house."

"So, it was fate?" I questioned as I started to get into the story.

Evan shrugged. "I don't know. I was sure she didn't even know who I was until I knocked on her door that night."

"Evan, I'm sure she knew who you were," I chuckle.

Evan cracked a smile, but it immediately flattered. "When her mom skipped out on her that night, I couldn't help but feel bad for her, you know?"

"I didn't know that happened," I said softly, suddenly feeling guilty that I wasn't there to comfort her, but at that moment that it all happened, I knew I had to be plotting new ways to torture her.

Evan sighed. "So I gave her my number, hoping that she would call me. Or at least send me a text. But nothing happened. A few days later I gathered up the courage to call her. Imagine my surprise when she told me she broke her leg."

"So you know, I did not mean for that to happen," I told him, knowing he knew it was all my fault that Hattie got hurt.

Evan nodded. "I know. If you knew she couldn't make it through the window you wouldn't have done it."

I let out a sigh of relief, but the memory of what happened that day ran through my head. Hattie climbing out the window. The fear in her eyes when she slipped. The crunch of bone breaking when she hit the ground. Even through all of that, I was still worried about being late to pick up the rest of the guys to go to the lake.