I can hear Evan scrambling after me, but I’m sober and fueled by rage. I take off at a swift run, my feet sure as I make my escape. I can hear Evan crashing after me, cursing as he bangs into stuff.
Hitting the stairs, I jog down them and risk a quick look over my shoulder to see Evan’s already in the living area. My foot hits the pavement just as I turn my head back around, but not quickly enough to see my rolling case there and definitely not deftly enough to miss it.
I catch it with my shin, try to step over it, but catch it again with the toe of my tennis shoe, and I go sprawling right over it. I crash to the pavement, my hands coming out automatically to stop my fall, and then get shredded on the pavement.
A cry of pain pops out of me and the tears that had been threatening to fall turn into rivers over my cheeks. I hear Evan’s feet hit the pavement and his anguished voice say, “Oh, baby… Jesus, Emma…”
I pop back up to my feet, enraged again, and spin on him. He’s walking toward me, undaunted, but before he can even touch me, I snarl at him as my palms smack against his chest to stop his progress. He goes completely still, his face awash with sorrow and guilt and anguish and…
Fuck him!
My hands pull away, leaving spots of blood from my torn palms on his skin, and I tell him, “You stay the fuck away from me.”
He leans toward me. “Emma… for fuck’s sake, I have no clue what the fuck happened last night or who that is, but I swear I didn’t do anything.”
My nose wrinkles and I take a step back from him. “God… you stink, Evan.”
“I think I threw up last night,” he says, his voice sounding so lost.
I shake my head violently. “No, I mean you stink of her perfume.”
Evan’s face blanches and he reaches his hands out to me. I notice they’re shaking.
I take another step back.
“Emma,” Evan pleads with me. “I seriously don’t know what the fuck is going on. I was out with some college buddies last night, and we were at a club drinking… and honestly, I don’t remember much after that.”
This enrages me, that he’d be so irresponsible. “Save it, Evan. I don’t need to know a fucking thing about what happened last night, because I already know.”
Evan’s eyes flash and he grits his teeth. “You know, do you?”
“Yeah, I know,” I say nodding my head effusively. “Tyler told me all about you at that Phoenix party. Said you were just infatuated with me, but that I shouldn’t take that to mean you wanted something permanent. He told me that if I’m not around, you’d be balls deep in another woman. Apparently, he was right.”
“He’s fucking wrong,” Evan yells at me, his arms outstretched. “I don’t want anyone else. I want you.”
This infuriates me so much that a red hazy film seems to descend over my vision, and I scream at him. “You want me? You want me? Well, tell you what, Evan… if you want me so bad, then why don’t you walk away from this? Walk away now and come live a sedate life back in Raleigh with me. Choose your schoolmarm little girlfriend who wears granny panties over this life?”
Evan just stares at me… speechless. I can see his throat working, but nothing comes out.
“Exactly,” I hiss at him as I lean in briefly. “You want your cake and you want to eat it too, Evan. But guess what? This menu is closed.”
I spin away from him and immediately come to a halt as I see Red standing there with Sirius on his leash. His face is dark with worry as his gaze cuts between Evan and me.
“Red,” I call out to him, my voice cracking, and he takes one step toward me. “Can you take—”
Evan grabs hold of my arm and turns me toward him. I go apeshit and try to wrench free.
“Jesus, Emma,” Evan says as he grips one of my wrists and turns my hand up. “You’re bleeding.”
And then, I do the most unlike-Emma thing ever. I tear myself free of him and kick him in the shin. Evan grunts and doubles over to rub his leg while I scream at him like a banshee on an acid trip. “Don’t you fucking touch me ever again. I want my fucking dog back and I’m leaving, and you can go to hell, Evan.”
Evan stands up straight, but his shoulders sag. His eyes are glassy and moist as he looks at me with a pathetic amount of regret.
Too fucking bad.
Scrambling around Evan, I grab my rolling case and upright it, then, with my head down, I brush right past him. He doesn’t make a move and I’m grateful for it. I’ve caused enough of a scene, but I’m prepared to go crazy on him again.
I walk right up to Red, who puts an arm around me. He shoots a venomous look at Evan and turns me toward his bus as he murmurs. “Let me get my wallet. I’ll grab one of the security guys’ cars and we’ll get you out of here, okay?”
“I don’t even know how to get Sirius home,” I murmur, and then I give out a little sob.
“We’ll figure it out,” he assures me.
“Okay,” I say with a small voice, and I trust that Red will help to get my dog and me back to Raleigh.
CHAPTER 25
Evan
My phone rings, but I ignore it.