Still don’t get it. “Your parents?”
She shakes her head. “I’m sure I’ve let them down, too, but they’ll survive. No, that’s not what I mean. People I helped on the street and didn’t manage to save.”
My heart thumps too fast against my ribs. “Like who?”
“A couple old people. You wouldn’t know them. They usually were close to home, not around here.”
I want to ask her if she remembers me at all—if she remembers a man who was sick, a man she saved. But she doesn’t mention me, and I don’t know if to feel relieved or disappointed. Don’t know if to just throw caution to the wind and tell her the truth or wait until I know the cause of her fear.
Yeah, isn’t this just great? Turns out I can’t even predict myself.
Chapter Ten
Evangeline
Leaving Micah in the morning is hard. It seems to get harder every day. Sleeping in his arms is the best place in the world.
But now reality crashes down on me. I have several missed calls on my cell, from Mom, Joel, even Dad. Oh shit.
I call Joel first, figuring it will be easier to deal with him, but boy was I wrong.
“What do you think you’re doing, Evie?” he demands, his voice sharp. “Where are you?”
“I’m an adult now,” I say through gritted teeth. “I don’t have to give a report to you.”
“Is that right?” His tone chills me. “You really don’t care that we’re worried about you?”
“What do you have to be worried about? I told you, I stayed with a friend.”
“A friend? Are you sure? Because Blake told me you were wandering the streets again and talking to shady people.”
“Shady people? Are you kidding me?” Anger rolls through me like fire. “Blake followed me and threatened to hurt anyone I’d talk to on the street, and you listen to him?”
“Oh, come on, Evie. Blake wouldn’t do that.”
“So now you’re saying I’m lying.” My eyes burn. “I don’t lie, Joey. He’s scaring me.”
A silence greets my words. Then Joel says, “Blake isn’t like that. You know that. He saved your life, Evie. He’s the one who called the ambulance for you, you—”
“I know, all right? But how did he know where to find me?”
“What? You’re being paranoid. He just happened to be there!”
“I don’t trust him, Joey.”
“Dammit.” He sighs. “Mom and Dad want to have a serious talk with you.”
Crap. “I can’t do this anymore. Having to explain my every action… I need out.”
“What do you mean?” Quiet. Resigned. I think he knows what I’m about to say.
“I need to move out.”
This time the silence stretches far longer.
“Evie…” He grunts, and I hear a sound as if he’s kicking something. “Will you be careful?”
“I’m always careful,” I say. “I didn’t cause the accident. You know that, right? It could have happened to anyone.”
He sighs again. “I know. Can’t help worrying about you, sis.”
This makes me smile. “I worry about you, too. Hey, did you finally ask that brunette out yet?”
“What brunette?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know who I’m talking about, Joel Kingsley. The girl working on campus, in the library. Ethel?”
“Ellen.” He chuckles. “No progress on that front.”
That’s my brother. I missed him. Before Blake and the accident, things were always like this between us: easy.
“I’ll talk to Mom and Dad,” I say. “After work today.” I tug on the sleeve of my jacket. “Will you be there?”
“Maybe.” He tsks. “What will you give for me to be there?”
It startles a laugh out of me. “You’d extort your own sister?”
“To get you to bake me those chocolate brownies of yours? You bet. At least two dozens, sis.” He’s still chuckling as he disconnects the call.
Bastard. But I’m grinning as I head to work, patting down the new jeans and blouse I bought yesterday with Cassie. I refuse to acknowledge the swarms of butterflies in my stomach.
This is me, getting my life back. Finding happiness. Finding me.
“Micah works at Damage Control?” Cassie’s cheeks flush. “Really?”
“Yeah.” To say she’s reacting strangely is the understatement of the year. “Why?”
“Oh nothing.” The blush turns crimson. “Nothing.”
“Who else works there?” I lean toward her, curious in spite of myself.
“Just this guy I’ve met a few times when I go out with the girls. His name’s Jesse.”
“And he’s hot, huh?”
She giggles, then claps a hand over her mouth. “Oh God, this is so stupid. He doesn’t even know I exist.”
“Then talk to him.”
“I can’t.” She fans herself. “He’s got girls all over him, like, every night. He’s just cute, that’s all. Now stop talking about Jesse and tell me about Micah!”
I don’t know what to tell her. I don’t know where to start. “He’s great. He’s just…” Familiar heat floods my face.
“Oh God, you’re in love with him, aren’t you? I knew it.”
I don’t know where to run and hide. “I’m so not.”
“Sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Good.” She still looks worried, but she smiles. “You can’t fall in love so quickly, Ev. It’s dangerous, especially with these gorgeous ones. They change girls like socks.”
I make a face. Micah doesn’t seem that kind of guy… Does he? I mean, he is gorgeous but…
“Which is why you should go in with your eyes open,” she goes on, eyes bright. She really believes this stuff. “Have fun, but don’t be exclusive.”
Not be… I blink. I realize with a jolt I don’t really know Cassie at all. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. The main thing is, is he good at sex?” Cassie asks, her face serious.
I gape at her for a good five seconds. In the end I give in. “Yeah, he’s…” I wave a hand.
“Big?”
I can’t help it. I start laughing.
“What? It’s an important question!”
“Yeah, I guess he’s big. God, Cassie.” I wipe at my eyes. “Don’t tell me. You’ve checked Jesse’s package out already, haven’t you?”
She shrugs, a glint in her eyes. “I won’t lie to you. It’s pretty much outstanding.”
I laugh again. I can’t believe this discussion. “You blush like a little girl when you talk about Jesse, but have no trouble talking about his size. Isn’t there something wrong with this picture?”
“Size, sex… These things are normal. It’s just that…” She tucks her hair behind her ears. “Well, Jesse, he’s…”
“He’s what?”
She sighs. “I don’t know. Hard to read, I guess. Joking about, fucking all those girls…”
I wince. “Uh-oh.”
Cassie goes on, seemingly oblivious. “Every night he has a different girl, and I kinda know if I approached him he’d sleep with me, you know?”
Do I? This all sounds so strange to me. If Micah slept with other girls… Just the thought makes my hands curl into firsts, even though I know realistically that he must have had girls before he met me. After all, he seems to know what he’s doing.