“Hey,” I say softly.
“Essence,” he says on an exhale. “Where the hell are you? Are you okay? Lunchbox and I have been worried about you.”
I chew on my bottom lip. “I know, I’m sorry. Something really bad happened last night, and I don’t have my phone anymore.”
“Where are you?” he asks.
“My sister’s house.”
“Give me her address. I’m coming to see you.”
My cheeks flame at the thought of seeing him again. “But, what will your boss say?”
“I’ll just let him know it’s an emergency,” he says matter-of-factly. “He’s understanding.”
I smile and give him Ebony’s address. He promises to be here soon before he hangs up.
“Who was that?” Ebony asks as she comes back into the living room with a bowl of soup and a cup of tea. “You must be crazy about him if he’s got you all red-faced like that.”
I chuckle and take the food from her. “You know that firefighter I’ve been talking about? Dante?” She nods. “I was staying with him yesterday after Evan and I had a fight, and he’s on his way here. He’s going to bring Lunchbox so I can see him, and I gave him your address—I hope you don’t mind.”
She waves a hand dismissively. “If you trust him, I trust him.”
I smile and blow on a spoonful of the chicken noodle soup she made me before taking a bite. It’s so delicious; I settle deeper into the couch and sit with my legs crossed while I eat.
Ebony runs a hand through my hair and down my arm, lightly grazing my skin with her fingernails. “How are you holding up, Essence?” she asks softly.
I shiver from the tingles her soft scratching gives me. “I’m conflicted,” I answer honestly.
“About what?”
Should I say it out loud? I feel like a terrible person for eventhinkingit.
“Sis?”
“I’m relieved that Evan’s dead,” I blurt out quietly so Matthew doesn’t hear, but he’s having so much fun with his doctor kit that he’s not even paying attention. “He made my life an absolute hell, and I’m glad that I don’t have to deal with him anymore. But the more humane part of me realizes that he died a gruesome death, and I’m not sure he completely deserved it. I didn’t want him dead, I just wanted him out of my life, but a part of me feels like I should thank his killer. I’m a monster, aren’t I?”
She shakes her head. “Of course not. Evan put you through a lot. Whoever his killer is had no business doing what he did, but I do have to admit that I’m happy you’re finally free.”
“Yeah…” I trail off. My mind drifts back to all the abuse I suffered from Evan, the yelling and screaming, the gaslighting, the physical violence…
I don’t have to endure that anymore. Though the circumstances aren’t what I’d wanted them to be, I finally got out.
I made it.
“Essence?”
I sit up and look at Ebony. Her dark brown eyes—exactly like mine and Mom’s—are filled with concern.
“Where’d you go?”
“Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind is all.”
Ebony nods. “Of course you do. I want you to get some rest for the day. We’ll figure out the next steps when you’re ready.”
I take another bite of the soup and nod. “Okay.”
Ebony kisses my cheek and goes back into the kitchen. I spend the rest of the day right where I’ve been wanting to be for a while now—with my family. Even though I wish my parents were here, I’m glad that I have my sister and Matthew living so close by so I can see them whenever I want.
