I didn’t mean to raise my voice at her, but I couldn’t help it. This whole plan was collapsing around us, and she was just ready to give up. A firefighter never leaves their squad member behind. There was no way that I was going to sit by and let a madman take her.
Evelyn didn’t cower from me, though. There was fire in her eyes as she faced me.
“You’re not thinking clearly, Parker. We can’t just keep running. I’m tired of looking over my shoulder. He’s already here.”
Grabbing her hands, I tried to reason with her again.
“My dad has already kicked us out, we can’t stay here any?—”
“No, Parker.Youdidn’t get kicked out. Your father toldmeI had to leave, and he’s well within his rights to do that.”
Was my hearing fucked up? Was Evelyn agreeing with my dad?
My mouth moved to speak, but she cut me off again.
“Wherever I go, he’s going to follow me. I don’t want to live like this anymore. Can’t you see? Things were just starting to go well. There seemed to be light coming through this godforsaken darkness. Charles wants to destroy any happiness I might find in this life. He won’t stop until we meet again.”
She grabbed my face, forcing me to hear everything she was saying.
“You have your family to protect. Things aren’t good here, and they need you more than ever. You can’t leave things unfinished. Aja and Janae miss their brother. Your mother is going to need support. Let me go. You have to let me go, baby.”
Our eyes were locked in. My ears were hearing the words, but my mind refused to wrap around the concept of letting her go. We were just getting started. I felt a pinch in my chest. Just the thought of her leaving had my heart in a vise.
One moment she was looking into my eyes, and the next her lips were on mine, her hands roaming all over my body. Her hands descended on my buttoned shirt, rushing to get the shirt open with one hand as the other caressed the growing bulge in my pants.
This wasn’t right. Evelyn was the woman of my dreams. I wanted her more than anything, but not like this.
I pulled back from her.
“Baby girl, are you okay? It’s okay if you aren’t. We’re going to figure this out.”
We had to. The last thing I wanted was to be separated from her.
“I’m okay, I just need you.”
We stared at each other for a moment.
“I’m yours, Ev. Always. But are you sure this is what you need?” I asked again cautiously.
She clutched my shirt as unshed tears gathered in her eyes and her breath hitched before a sob broke free.
Loud cries echoed in the pool house as she broke down. So much had happened to her, and tonight reminded us we weren’t safe as long as Charles was alive. She was tired, and the only thing she needed right now was my support.
Standing, I pulled Evelyn up with me, lifting her into my arms. She wrapped her legs around my waist as I carried her into my bedroom. Once we were in the en suite bathroom, I set her down on the countertop, stepping away to start the bath. Her tears fell silently as I checked to make sure the bath water was warm enough before removing her shoes. Gently, I undressed her, layer by layer. Her body called to me as it always did, but my only interest was taking care of her.
Once she was undressed, I helped her step into the bath. I made sure she was settled in the water before turning around to leave. Although I would never put ‘Evelyn’ and ‘weak’ in the same sentence, I knew she liked her space when her feelings got to be too much, so I turned to leave her to her privacy.
“Don’t leave me,” she whispered the words, but I heard her loud and clear.
Taking a seat on the lid of the toilet, I made sure her eyes met mine. “Never.”
She looked at me for a minute or two before dissolving into tears again.
I’ve never felt more useless in my life.
Kicking off my shoes, I strip down to my boxers before climbing into the tub behind her and taking her in my arms.
Holding her, we stay like that as her tears fall like rain into the tub. Before the water runs cold, I take the warm washclothand run it over her skin. Next, I grab the brush she keeps in my bathroom, and I start to brush through her damp waves.
