Her eyes widen, but the hope fades quickly. “I can’t work in nursing. They made me sign something. I wouldn’t be hired.”
I catch Micah’s serene eyes. “I know you have to go, but I want you to consider coming out here. You tell me when you have time off and we’ll get you and Mia out here. Stay for a few days, explore your options, then make a decision. I’ve made some really amazing friends out here Evie, and they’ll make that contract, and the whole incident, disappear.”
Her eyes fill with hope, tempered by suspicion. “W…How? Why would they do that?”
“They looked into your life because I asked them to. They’d help you fix it, because they’re good men. Promise me you’ll consider coming out. It won’t cost you a penny. We’ll cover everything.”
She brings a hand up to cover her face. “I’ll think about it. I promise.” She drops her hand. “I’m sorry, I have to go. I’m so glad that you’re ok. I’ve thought about you every day.”
“I’ve thought about you too,” I whisper. “Goodbye.” She smiles, hints of her old warmth still there, then disconnects the call.
I sit, staring at the phone in my hand, wishing that she’d said yes. Wishing that she could be on a plane out here tomorrow.
Something they said earlier clicks. “You guys have extra apartments in this building?” I ask, looking between the three men.
They all nod. “We have the floor below our gym floor. There’s four two-bedroom units there.”
What would it be like to have so much money you can have a few million dollars in real estate sitting empty? “Has anybody lived there? Why didn’t you sell them?”
A smile finally cracks the granite of Colton’s face. “We did sell them. Fuckers that bought them complained about the noise from the gym. The floor is a fucking foot of concrete. Made no sense. Anyway, we bought them back and we’ve kept them. We use them sometimes for guests or business associates. But no one full time for the last few years.” Colton runs his palm roughly down his face. “We could have one ready for Evie in a day. We could fix up a bedroom for her little girl, paint it. Maybe buy a princess bed or something. You think she’d like that?”
I swear I never used to cry. Now, I just can’t seem to stop. These men are too good. “I think she’d probably love a princess bed Colt.” He grunts, deep in thought, then pins me with a firm look. “You have my number. You let me know when she gets back in touch with you, yeah?” He seems satisfied with my nod, turning back to Declan. “You have access to Evie’s accounts? Can you drop a hundred grand in there for me?”
I choke on my sip of coffee, spluttering and gasping. All three of them hover around me, yelling and patting my back. “Stop. I’m ok. Stop. Just went down the wrong way.” I pin my stare on Colt. “You can’t send her that much money.”
He crosses his arms, glaring at me. “Why not? It’s my money. I can do whatever the fuck I want with it.”
“Yes, you can. But…I’d really like her to make the decision that’s right for her. Selfishly, I want her here. I’m never going back to Ohio. And I don’t think she has a very nice family, so there’s really nothing keeping her there either.”
“I’m not hearing the problem here.” He says, scowling.
“She’s proud. She’s paid her own way her whole life. She started a family on her own. Dropping a hundred thousand dollars into her bank account is going to bother her Colt. She’s going to end up pushing back.”
He drops his arms. “She deserves some fucking help.”
“I agree—.”
“How…much,” Micah interrupts, sitting down at the table again. “How much did she give you? Maybe you can pay her back with interest. It should be enough to tide her over for a month. Give her a bit of breathing room while she thinks about things?”
What a brilliant man. I give him a huge smile. “She gave me $650. I don’t think she would ever turn that away, or deny me the chance to thank her by paying her back.”
Colt grumbles, but gives in. Declan makes short work of transferring $800, and I send her a text.
Me:I sent you some money. Your money helped me escape. Now that I can, I need to pay you back, with interest. Please don’t say no.
22
MICAH
She’s smiling as she texts on her new phone. I only mentioned it to Colt last night, so I’m glad he was able to get it for her so quickly. I hated the idea of her not being able to call one of us if she needs us. I’m still with her all the time, but I know that won’t always be the case.
Evie’s texted back a bit, thanking Holly for the money, and she’s been back and forth with Robyn a lot today. She’s done a lot of crying and it’s worn me the fuck out. I hate seeing her cry, even if they are happy tears. But maybe she’ll let me hold her again tonight, help her feel better. Because after falling asleep next to her last night, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sleep any other way again.
“Micah,” she says softly. The phone’s face down on the coffee table and she’s settled back into the corner of my sectional. I picked it because it was huge, and comfortable, but I hate it now. I have no valid excuse to sit close to her because there’s so much room, so there’s way too much space between us. I know I should have sat down closer, but things have felt…off…today. She’s felt far away, lost in her thoughts, or her past. I’m not even sure she was aware of me most of the day.
“Come sit,” she asks, patting the cushion next to her. I leave my end, moving to sit closer, turning my body so I can look at her over her extended legs. I’m nervous, but I can’t pinpoint why exactly. It just feels like something monumental is about to happen. I put my hand on her foot, needing some small connection, and wait.
“Today has been…a lot.” She licks her lips and I bite back a groan. “And we never finished our conversation this morning.”
