I shake my head with a sad smile. “He was fine until Damon, Hawk, and Cam started paying attention to me. Because someone else wanted me, he suddenly started being more aggressive. He never hurt me physically.” I rub my arm absently. “But that night he drove me out to look at the stars and then wanted to do more. When I said no and told him I knew he was cheating on me, he tried to talk me down, but then he scared me, so I took off into the woods.”
I release my breath and meet Mom’s gaze. Her hand twitches like she wants to reach for mine. So I take it and squeeze it.
“Instead of chasing me, he left me there. I called Hawk, and he came and picked me up.”
I shrug like it isn’t a big deal.
“I would have come for you, Evan. You could have called me,” Mom tries.
“But you were out with Adam, and I didn’t want to bother you.”
Mom tears up. “He’s right. I did this to you. Evan, you aren’t a bother. You aren’t some obligation I have because I’m the only one left. I wish I’d been stronger. I wish I could have told you how strong you were. But I was sleepwalking through life, trying to find that spark that always guided me home. But by the time I finally woke up, you were doing so much better without me. I should have tried harder. I’m going to try harder. I want a relationship with you so know I’ll be there when you need me.”
I don’t know what to say to that.
“Please say you’ll go to therapy with me.” Mom clutches my hand like a lifeline. “I don’t know how to fix this, but I want to.”
“We can try, Mom.”
CHAPTER 22
Damon
The campus is large,with five schools under the university. As we follow the tour guide, I stay in the back with my dad and watch Jackson. If I do decide to go here, I’ll be back with the others for a tour, so I can ignore the interesting tidbits about the campus.
I can’t say it surprised me that Jackson is here. He’s been one of the guys to watch since we were kids.
I am surprised he didn’t go off to the USHL honestly. But maybe something here held him back. Maybe someone like Evan would have been enough to hold him back from chasing his dreams.
But even that doesn’t make sense.
He was interested in her two years ago, and he only found her now? We live in a decent-sized city, but it wouldn’t have been impossible to track her down. Fuck, he knew her name, which isn’t common, and that she was interested in acting. All he had to do was look at high school plays if he was that obsessed.
If I wanted to find Evan, I would know how to go about it. I wouldn’t just let her ghost me. So why did he really stay behind, and why did he all of a sudden redevelop an interest in Evan?
I clue in to the tour when my dad mentions something. I nod at how the law library is one of the biggest in the US. We continue through the campus. When the tour finishes, the parents are ready to leave.
“I’ll see you in a week.” Dad and I stand outside the rink.
I nod and give him a look. “Are you going to move Evan while I’m gone?”
Dad shakes his head and pinches the bridge of his nose like I’m giving him a headache. “What would be the point? If I thought it would stop you two, I might.”
“It wouldn’t stop me.” I shrug because he has a point.
“I don’t know how Heather feels about it, but I can see that being with EvanAnn makes you less angry. And before I caught you, EvanAnn looked happy at dinners. So no, I won’t make any changes until after you come home and we have a chance to all talk together.”
I nod and something loosens in my chest. “Thank you.”
“If EvanAnn asks to be moved though...” He lets it hang there, but she won’t.
“Make sure she’s okay.” I clutch my phone, feeling like it’s a lifeline between me and her.
Dad studies me and almost seems to want to ask something, but instead he grabs my shoulder. “I will. It’s only a week, Damon.”
Even as I watch my dad’s car pull away, I know it’s going to be a long week. I turn and head into the rink to get ready to show them what I’m made of.
It’safter dinner when I follow Ivan down the stairs to the living room. Ivan walks over to Axel, who’s talking to Riordan, and clasps his hand.
