by Maegan Abel
“Fine,” I said, giving in, at least to an extent, so Gavin would release me. As soon as his arms loosened, I backed away and turned my attention to the living room. I walked that direction, spotting Dom and Cara sitting close together on the couch, both of them blushing. It would’ve been cute if I weren’t so irritated. “Dom, can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure,” he said, following me as I headed back into the kitchen. I ignored the warning look from Cara, giving her a small smile. “You and I are going to have words.” Dom directed this to Gavin, pointing at him as he passed, but Gavin laughed.
“I’ll take it, but all I’m going to say is look at where you are,” Gavin responded, still grinning widely at Dom. Grabbing Dom’s arm before the situation could dissolve any further, I nodded toward the front door. As we made our way there, I paused to root through my purse for a second and grab my cigarettes and a lighter. I heard Gavin’s frustrated huff as he headed to the living room.
“He hates when you smoke,” Dom said, smirking at me as I shut the door and walked across the porch, hopping up to sit on the wooden rail.
“I know.” And I did. I’d learned quickly over the last few weeks exactly how to annoy him and I used it to my advantage at times. Childish maybe, but it was always funny to see him struggle to keep from getting too aggravated.
I pulled a cigarette from the pack and lit it, offering one to Dom out of politeness, but he shook his head. It wasn’t a habit I gave into regularly, but at times, I needed the nicotine to calm me.
“Do you just do it to annoy him?” Dom asked, amusement clear in his eyes, and I tilted my head to the side while I studied him.
“Do I do that a lot?”
“What?”
“Do things just to piss him off?” I asked, genuinely curious. Something about the way he asked made it sound like this was a normal thing for me.
“You like to…” he trailed off, thinking about his word choice, “challenge him.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, taking a drag from the cigarette. “That sounds about right. But no. I smoke because it’s the only way to relieve stress sometimes. Well, aside from sex, and I can’t exactly do that at the moment.”
Dom looked down, unable to meet my eyes as his cheeks darkened, and I realized there was quite a difference between him and Gavin. But Dom had been straight with me, and I needed to be straight with him.
“Look, we need to have a chat about Cara,” I said, cutting to the chase. He raised his eyebrows and his expression went from embarrassed to amused. “You left her in a hospital bed sobbing and screaming your name.” The red left in his face drained as his expression darkened. He looked down, upset at the memories. “I’m the last person pushing this whole Infinity thing on anyone else, but she’d just been through a traumatic event. Okay, so our lives have basically been a traumatic event, but you walked away from her. You walked away when she needed you behind her. How is that okay?”
“It’s not. It wasn’t then and it’s not now. I know that, but she was protecting a man who did horrible things to her. I tried to stand in the background and prove to her there were better men out there, to get her to choose me, but every time I got close, she just pulled back again. It was like she was afraid.” He pressed his fingers into his temples and groaned in frustration. “I don’t know if she was afraid of him or afraid to lose him, but either way, that day, seeing her in that hospital bed with broken bones and more bruises than I could count, it was too much.”
I remained quiet and took another drag from my cigarette, letting the smoke out slowly as I spoke. “And that makes it okay in your eyes?”
“No.” He dropped his arms, his shoulders tensing. “Of course it doesn’t. I feel like shit and I will always feel like shit for it, but I have the chance to erase those bad memories with her and prove she is my everything. I’m not going to fuck it up again.”
She is my everything.
Something inside me squeezed tight at those words and I wasn’t sure why. Whatever it was felt a lot like jealousy, but I shook it off.
“You better not. She really cares about you and I’d hate for Gavin to have the chance to arrest me for murder.”
Dom laughed and I dropped to my feet, snubbing off the end of my cigarette.
“Okay, I’ve gotta say, I’m liking you having a sister for more than one reason,” he said, tossing an arm over my shoulder as we headed for the house. It was weird, but only because it didn’t feel odd for him to pull me close.
“Oh?” I looked up at him, lifting an eyebrow.
“It’s nice to see you care about something this much.” His smile was sincere and it reminded me of something.
“One more thing,” I said, pausing. He dropped his arm, his face shifting into concern. “The girl you were with on the boardwalk today, if I see you with her again, I’m not going to keep it from Cara.” It was a threat, but his expression morphed from concern to amusement again.
“By all means, tell her,” he challenged, smiling widely. I narrowed my eyes at him. “The girl is my sister, Angie.”
I took a step back, my mouth dropping open. “You have a sister?” How did I not know this? Had I really never asked?
“Yeah. Why is that such a surprise?” He was grinning through the words, but before I could reply, the ground beneath us shook. The sound of an explosion came from somewhere close and both of us turned at once.
“Wh—” Dom grabbed my arm to steady me as a second explosion sounded, knocking us both to the ground. I shook my head, rattled, and was pulled to my feet quickly as Dom started us toward the door.
I glanced back over my shoulder, pausing when the orange light of fire glowed in the sky over the trees to the north. We both stared in that direction.
“What the hell was that?” I asked. It was a stupid question because obviously Dom had no idea what it was either, but in the moment, they were the only words I could think.
The door opened behind us and I glanced back at Gavin, watching him clip his badge onto his belt as he jerked his head toward the house. “Get inside. Dom, stay with them for a few.” I noticed the gun already on his hip and it struck me that he was heading toward whatever was happening.
“Gavin,” I said, feeling Dom’s hand at my back, twisting into the material of my shirt as I started after him. “Wait.”
“I’ll be right back,” he promised, pausing only long enough to kiss my forehead and then my lips before jogging toward his car.
I watched him go, but somewhere inside, I felt it. Something about what happened, about that scene, was…off.
“I’ll be right back,” Gavin promised, kissing the top of my forehead and then my lips before moving toward the door.
“You don’t have to go,” I laughed, turning my head to watch him.
“Oh, but I do. My girl wants ice cream, and I’m going to get her ice cream.” He gave me a wink and swung out of view. I heard his car engine rev and shook my head.
I stared down at the glittering ring on my finger. It was perfect. Everything about this day had been exactly what I’d always dreamed of. Actually, it had been so much more. That was ridiculously silly to think, but what little girl doesn’t dream about the moment the love of her life asks her to marry him? I’d dreamed of this day since he pulled me from the burning car when I was fourteen. He lost everything in that crash, his whole family, but even as he mourned them, he’d been content with the life he’d been given. There was sadness, but he also found peace. I always admired that about him.
He’d been taken in by my neighbors who had a son his age. My neighbor’s dad was a doctor at the hospital and he was the one they called in when the accident happened. It was icy and Gavin’s dad lost control of their car. At least, that’s what the police thought happened. I’d been asleep, stretched out across the backseat and woke to screams and then screeching metal and shattering glass. I’d been thrown into the seat in front of me and then lodged on the floorboard. My back had been broken.
I sat at the table for quite some time before I realized how long Gavin had been gone. I looked at the clock, trying to remember what time he left, but I honestly had no idea. I rolled my chair out, deciding to put away the leftovers from the amazing meal he prepared for us. I checked the time again when I finished and that something inside of me twisted painfully. Panic started bubbling up, but I tried to stay calm. Yes, it had been too long, but that didn’t mean the worst, right? I didn’t realize I was trembling until I tried to close my hands over the wheels of my chair. My heart was heavy and sluggish, not pounding the way it should have been if I were scared.
What was happening to me?
Something wasn’t right.
But it wasn’t me. It was Gavin.
He’d been gone at least forty-five minutes and the store was only five minutes up the road. I wheeled over to the phone and when the operator answered, I recited the number I knew by heart. It was late, but he’d always answer.
“Hello?” He sounded like he’d been asleep. I hated to wake him.
“Dom? Have you heard from Gavin? Is he over there?” I jumped right in, hearing the tremor in my voice. I cleared my throat.
“No. I haven’t seen him today. Why? What’s wrong?” he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
“I…I’m not sure. He left to get ice cream, but that was almost an hour ago and I just feel… something’s not right, Dom. I need you.” And that was true. I could feel it. Something wasn’t right.
Dom was my best friend. He’d been my neighbor growing up and since his parents adopted Gavin, I guess that meant he’d be my brother soon enough. If Gavin was okay, that was.
“Yeah. Okay, Ev. I’m on my way,” he said, but there was something in his voice I didn’t like. It sounded almost resigned.
That didn’t help the panic raging inside me.
Not at all.
I sat up, giving a little gasp as my eyes adjusted to the room. Gavin’s living room. My head twisted, pain shooting through my back and I told myself it was because I’d fallen asleep in an uncomfortable position in the chair.
“Easy, Ev.” Dom’s voice filtered into my head and it was hard to tell the dream from reality for a second. A shiver slid up my spine and wrapped its gnarled fingers around my still pounding heart. I glanced to my right, spotting Dom sitting on the couch, Cara’s head in his lap as she slept.
“Is he back?” I asked, pushing to my feet. The room spun and I staggered left a few steps before catching my hip on the edge of a table.
“Shit. Sit down before you fall,” Dom said quietly, visibly torn between wanting to catch me and staying still so he wouldn’t wake Cara.
Taking a breath, I made my way back to the chair, using the arm to steady myself, and turned to face him. “Where’s Gavin?” The panic from the dream, that sense of absolute dread, it wouldn’t go away.
“He’s working. You need to calm down,” Dom replied, but something in his expression bothered me. His features were tight, almost like he was in pain, and I lost my grip on the panic for a moment.
“Have you talked to him? Do you know he’s still working? Is he okay?” I shook my head and took a deep breath, but Dom’s eyes were careful, searching my face for something, though I wasn’t sure what he expected to find. I was sure the fact that I was losing my mind was perfectly clear.
“Yeah. I talked to him.” The hard way he said it made me still.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, and he shook his head, looking down at Cara to hide whatever emotion I saw flash across his features. “What’s wrong, Dom?”
“It was my boat,” he said as he brushed Cara’s hair away from her forehead, his eyes studying her sleeping form as if he thought it was the last time he would ever witness such beauty.
I was so lost in the depth of their moment, it took longer than it should have for me to remember we’d been talking about something. “What?”
“The explosion. It was my boat. I don’t…” he sighed, “it was rigged with explosives and something triggered it. They’re searching for suspects, but…”
“You know who did it.” It wasn’t a question. It didn’t need to be. It was clear in his tone.
“The night before the accident, Cara had been out on the boat with me having dinner. We had a fight because I asked her to leave Shawn. She told me earlier today Shawn said he’d seen me kiss her, which means he was spying on us.”
“Oh shit,” I said, not realizing I’d slid back down into the chair as he spoke. I dropped my hands from where they’d covered my mouth. “I thought they said he left town.”
“They thought he had. But I’ve been out on the boat several times since the accident and I just got back this morning.” The pieces were falling into place and my heart stuttered a beat as the picture became clear.
“So he set it today?” My voice came out high-pitched, sounding nervous. “What if he’s still out there now?”
“Gavin’s fine. He should be here anytime. What’s going on with you?” he asked, and something in the sound of his voice and the fear for Gavin brought back the dream.
“I had a weird dream,” I said, pulling my feet up into the chair and resting my head on my knees as I wrapped my arms around my legs.
“Oh.” That was it. That was all he said in response. I scrutinized him as he turned his attention back to Cara.
“Can I ask you something?” I finally hedged, needing to know if my panic was warranted.
His eyes came back to mine reluctantly. “Yeah.”
“Was your dad ever a doctor?” I asked, hoping he might not get what I was really after if I asked something innocent.
He stared at me for a moment and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest as all the reluctance I’d seen disappeared behind a guarded expression. “I’m not going to answer questions about your history, Ev. You need to talk to Gavin about it.”
“That’s not my history, it’s yours. And your obvious discomfort at the question pretty much answered it, don’t you think?” I sat up a little straighter, trying to remember more of the dream while hoping Dom might give something away if I talked about it.
Before I could say anything else, the door opened and Gavin came in. His shoulders were slumped, his hair disheveled, and he shuffled toward the living room like it would take too much effort to actually lift his feet any longer. For the first time, I glanced at the clock. It was after three in the morning and the explosion happened just before seven. He’d been gone for hours.
I jumped up from the chair, hating how needy I looked by rushing to him, but after the dream and waking up to him gone, I didn’t care. I just wanted to know he was real. I got to him and threw my arms around his neck. He wrapped me up tight and even though I was sure I confused the hell out of him by my reaction, he didn’t ask. He just held me while I took several deep breaths. He smelled like smoke, but he also smelled like him. It was something I didn’t realize I’d become used to until just now.
“I need to shower, babe. I’m exhausted,” he said eventually, even his words coming out sluggish. He pressed his lips to the top of my head and I nodded, pulling back slightly. He kissed my forehead and held on to my hand, pulling me with him toward the bathroom, barely giving Dom a wave as we went.
It was clear Evie was upset last night, but I was too exhausted to push and find out what was bothering her. We’d showered quickly and I passed out. I was supposed to have the day off, but just after eight in the morning, I received a call saying Shawn had been picked up at a motel out
side Charleston. Evie wasn’t in bed when I got the call and I went looking, only to realize she wasn’t even in the house. Dom and Cara were up and said she took Stitch and went for a run. Her typical response to anything emotional was to get out of the house, so I let it go. I was frustrated she left alone thinking Shawn was still out there, but at least she took Stitch.
I tried to call and when she didn’t answer, I sent a text asking where she was. While I got dressed, I called again. Still no answer. I tried not to get annoyed, but I had to leave to go into the station and check on things and I wanted to know she was all right. I gave up as I was walking out the door, leaving a message telling her I was headed in to the station because Shawn had been caught and I wanted her to call me. Irritation was clear in my tone, but I was running on barely four hours of sleep and after the last few weeks, I was edgy.
But as the day wore on, it became increasingly obvious she was avoiding me. She continued to ignore my texts and Dom told me she came home to get ready for work, but she was quiet. That wasn’t a good sign, so I decided to go see her. Asking around, I got an order together for the diner and pulled up the number in my phone on my way out to the cruiser.
“Hawk Bay Diner, we catch crabs so you don’t have to. This is Evie,” she said, her voice laced with forced cheerfulness. I couldn’t help but chuckle. I remembered her laughing at the server the night of our first date. With that memory came flashes of the rest of that night. And the days since. Really, I couldn’t deny this cycle was proving to be interesting to say the least.
“Well, hello, I’d like to place a call in order,” I said, climbing behind the wheel.
“What’s the name for the order?” she asked, the trace of a smile in her voice.
“You can put it under Officer Fuck Weasel,” I said, reveling in her soft laugh. I was starting to think maybe I was making shit up in my head. Maybe she wasn’t avoiding me at all.
“What can I get for you, Officer Jericho?” The playful edge was still there, but her tone was coming across more professional.