by E. L. Todd
He sniffed then blinked his eyes quickly, trying to dispel the moisture that had flooded them. He did everything he could to make sure the tears wouldn’t fall, but one broke through his defenses.
I stared at him in shock, unable to believe what I was looking at.
He took a deep breath, steadying himself before he spoke. “I…I can’t believe I did that to you. I can’t believe what I did to my kids…” He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger and closed his eyes. “God fucking dammit.”
I was still speechless, having never seen Evan break down in my life.
“I’m so sorry, Amelia. I…I wish I could take it back. I hate myself for hurting you…knowing what you went through when I ran off with a woman who didn’t compare to you. I can’t believe I hurt the woman I promised to love forever because I was thinking with my dick instead of my heart. I just… I’m ashamed of myself.”
My heart must have been bigger than I thought, because I reached my hand across the table and rested it on his. I wanted to tell him it was okay, but those were words I could never say. His behavior was unacceptable. I pitied him because he was finally understanding the grave mistake he’d made, but I would never give him vindication for it, only forgiveness.
He pulled his hand away and left the table. “I should go. I don’t deserve to be here.” He walked to the front door with sagging shoulders and dragging feet. He didn’t turn around before he walked out, and he didn’t close the door behind him.
I didn’t go after him because I didn’t have anything to say. Now he knew the truth of what his actions had caused. He knew his decision to leave me had consequences. While he was fucking around with a young woman, living the good life, I was struggling to get by.
It would never be okay.
But I was glad he finally took responsibility for what he did, acknowledged his behavior was wrong. He showed remorse for the mistake and finally stepped up to be a father. He could have easily never figured it out. He could have stayed with her forever and disappeared from our lives.
I thought I would be satisfied when his relationship fell apart. I thought I would be happy when he wanted me back. I thought I would feel ecstatic when he walked out of the house in tears.
But now I wanted to cry too.
Because I would always love him.
* * *
I walked into the office in the morning and found Ace sitting at his desk. He gave me an apologetic look, knowing I was still going through a hard time. I would love to be greeted by his strong embrace instead, but I needed to let that go.
He’d probably slept with a dozen women by now.
I took a look at the schedule, assuming I was downstairs.
“Blade purposely put Bree downstairs today. Well, we both did it on purpose.”
I looked at him with an eyebrow raised.
“She thinks you’re at Olives today, but I’ll say we switched it up at the last minute. If we can get you two in a room together, maybe something will happen. She can’t avoid you any longer. It’s gone on long enough.”
“I don’t want to piss her off, Ace.”
“Who cares? Go down there and get to work. She can leave if she really wants to. You’re just testing out the waters.”
I’d never been so nervous to be in the same room as my sister before.
“How are you doing otherwise?”
Ace used to be my greatest confidant, but I hardly saw him anymore. “Evan came by last night. I told him I kissed Cypress and everything I was going through at the time to explain why I did it. He broke down in tears and left.”
“He did?” Ace asked quietly.
“Said he’s ashamed for putting me through so much pain.”
Ace straightened in his chair, his gaze stoic. “I’m glad he finally realized it.”
“Yeah…”
* * *
He looked at me when he asked his next question. “Are you two working things out?”
“Not romantically. I’ll never take him back after what he did. I just hope we can be friends and partners again.”
He turned back to me, looking me in the eye inquisitively. “And he accepts that?”
I shrugged. “He wanted to get back together, but when I told him about everything he put me through, he walked out. He said he didn’t deserve to be there. I suspect that’s the end of him trying…at least I hope so.”
Ace continued to stare at me, his gaze intense like it used to be before we made love.
“Well, I should get to work… Wish me luck.”
“Yeah…good luck.”
I walked downstairs and stepped into the diner I’d worked at almost every morning since I could remember. Everything was exactly the same, except my sister was there, and she was still angry with me.
She was taking an order at a table when I walked inside. She didn’t notice me until she headed toward the kitchen and the cooks. She stopped in her tracks when she saw me, her eyes narrowed in anger, and then she pretended I didn’t exist.
It never got easier. I wanted to cry at that reaction. I missed the warm way she used to look at me. I was a role model to her, the older sister she always looked up to. Now she looked at me like I was dirt on the floor.
I hated this so much.
I tried to focus on my job so I wouldn’t think about the hostility in the room. The only thing that made me feel better was the fact that Bree didn’t leave. She could have walked out and gone to the café instead. She could have even gone home if she wanted to.
But she stayed.
I waited on the tables and hustled through the breakfast and lunch rush. The diner was usually packed from open to close since we shut our doors at three in the afternoon. It was the perfect shift for me since I needed to pick up the kids when they got out of school.
Bree was helping a large party of eight people when a young woman walked inside and waited at the counter to be seated. I finished up taking an order from a customer before I walked toward her. The closer I got, the more familiar she looked.
She stared at me with such a heated expression I was a little scared. Her eyes were narrowed with malcontent, and her lips were pressed so tightly together I worried she might break her jaw.
It took me a second to realize who she was.
Rebecca.
I saw her and Evan together once before at a restaurant. They were together in a booth in the corner, sharing a bottle of wine. It was the first time I saw them together after he left me. I’d walked back to the parking lot, got in my car, and cried.
It was definitely her.
I slowly walked up to her, knowing she knew exactly who I was. She must have known I owned this restaurant. Evan had to have mentioned it to her. The fact that she wasn’t with anyone else told me she had a very specific reason for being there.
I stopped seven feet away from her, leaving much more space than I would with any customer. The gang and I always treated guests like family, making them feel welcome in our relaxed atmosphere.
But something told me she was dangerous.
“Can I help you?” I still held the notepad in my hand because I’d just taken someone’s order. She would be stupid to attack me in the middle of a crowded room with witnesses. I assumed she just had something mean to say.
She kept glaring at me.
I waited for her to say something, but nothing was forthcoming. I had work to do, so I couldn’t linger and wait for her to put words together to form whatever insult was on her mind. I turned around and headed to the kitchen.
“You fucking whore!” Rebecca grabbed me by the back of the hair and threw me hard onto the ground. I fell on a table and a chair first, hitting my elbow and thigh before I hit the floor. “Stay away from—”
“Don’t touch my sister!” Bree came out of nowhere and yanked Rebecca off me. She punched her right in the face then threw her on the ground. “Touch her again, and see what happens. Look at her again, and see what happens.” Bree grabbed Rebecca
by the neck and strangled her as she pulled back her right arm to punch her in the face.
I finally recovered from my fall and grabbed Bree’s hand before she could kill the girl. “Bree, don’t. Stop.”
“No, this bitch is gonna die.” Bree pushed me off and held Rebecca by the throat.
“Bree, no!” I yanked her off and dragged her away. “She’s not worth it. Let her go. She’s obviously got a pathetic life to come down here and assault us like that.”
Rebecca finally scooted away, coughing and gripping her throat.
Bree didn’t fight me anymore, but she looked maniacal. “Touch my sister again, and I swear I’ll kill you. I’ll bury your body so there’s nothing but your teeth left.” She leaned forward and spat on her.
Damn.
Rebecca finally got up and left the restaurant, walking as fast as she could without running.
Jose helped us both off the ground. “Should we call the cops?”
“Yes,” Bree said. “I’m pressing charges on that bitch.”
“No,” I said. “Bree, you nearly choked her to death. If we file a report, she can file one too. I say we drop it.” I grabbed Bree by the elbow and took her out back where the employees had their breaks. We both needed some privacy after that blowout.
“Are you okay?” Bree asked immediately. “How’s your arm? Your leg?”
“I’m fine.” Maybe it was just the adrenaline, but I didn’t feel any pain. “She just caught me by surprise.”
“You shouldn’t have turned your back on her. Never turn your back on a psycho bitch.”
“Lesson learned,” I said with a weak chuckle.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Bree, I’m fine. Thanks for having my back in there.”
“Of course. You’re my—” Her eyes fell in sadness when she realized we hadn’t spoken in two weeks.
I’d forgotten about it for the last few minutes. Despite being terrorized by Evan’s ex-girlfriend, it was nice to feel close to my sister again.
Bree finished what she was saying in a quiet voice. “You’re my sister. I’ll always have your back.”
“I know.”
Bree stared at me in silence, a vulnerable look coming over her face. “I’m sorry for not talking to you for so long. It was stupid. I love you.”
Now Rebecca wasn’t on my mind at all. Nothing but happiness lived in my body. My chest finally relaxed now that the stress had disappeared. I was finally happy. “I’m sorry too. I love you.” I hugged her next to the dumpster, grateful to have my sister back in my life. “I’m sorry about what I did. It was stupid—”
“Forget it,” Bree said quickly. “It’s in the past, and let’s leave it there.” She pulled away with a smile on her face. “I’ve done stupid stuff too. No one is perfect.”
I pinched her cheek, just the way I did when we were kids. “You’re perfect to me.”
* * *
I called Evan when the girls were in the other room. We hadn’t spoken since he walked out of the house in tears the other night. He answered the phone in a quiet voice, not as confident as he usually sounded. “Hey. What’s up?”
I’d never heard him sound so low. “If you aren’t doing anything, can you come by? I need to talk to you about something important.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. But I have something to tell you.”
He sighed into the phone. “I know I’m gonna sound like a jackass for saying this, but I hope you’re pregnant.”
If I were pregnant, then that would strongly increase his chances of getting back together with me. That was the only explanation I could think of. “No…I’m not.”
“I’ll be right there.”
He arrived at the house fifteen minutes later, probably driving straight from the office. He left his BMW at the curb then walked inside. He didn’t look the same as he did before. There was a darkness to him, a shadow in his eyes. He leaned against the counter and didn’t come anywhere near me. “What’s up, Amy?” He hardly ever used my nickname, but he probably did it because baby was no longer available.
He obviously had no idea what happened with Rebecca. He would have said something the second he answered the phone.
“Rebecca came to the diner this morning.”
He raised his head and narrowed his eyes. His body suddenly tightened, and his spine straightened. “What did she say?”
“She called me a whore then attacked me.”
Evan didn’t react immediately because the news was so overwhelming. It would take anyone a few seconds to absorb the words and understand them. “Wait…what?” He took a step toward me and raised his palm, clearly agitated. “She attacked you?”
I nodded. “She pushed me onto a table and chair, and I fell to the ground. Bree fought her off before Rebecca ran out of the restaurant.”
He gripped his skull with both hands and nearly dug his nails into his scalp. “What the fuck? Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Shh.” I placed my forefinger over my mouth. “The girls.”
“I don’t give a shit. Rebecca assaulted you?”
“Yes.”
“Jesus fucking Christ.” He stepped away from me and walked in a circle, his knuckles white and his forearms tense. “Fucking bitch.”
“Enough with the cussing, Evan.”
He ignored me before he came back to me and circled his arms around my waist. “Are you okay? You look okay, but tell me you’re okay.” His hand moved to my neck, and he tilted my chin up to look me in the face and make sure I didn’t have any bruises.
“I’m okay. She didn’t hurt me or Bree.”
“Thank god.” He pressed his forehead to mine before he kissed my hairline. “I’m so sorry, Amy.” He pulled me into his chest and hugged me, his powerful body hiding me from the rest of the world. “I love you… I would have died if she’d hurt you.”
His affection was nice. He had the same effect on me that he always did, just like he had when we were married. I missed the way he used to love me, the way he used to protect me. “But she didn’t…so everything is okay.”
“No, everything is not okay.” He pulled away and looked at me with a furious gaze. “Did you call the cops?”
“No. I didn’t want to press charges.”
“Why the hell not? She assaulted you.”
“I know what it’s like when the man you love leaves you. She’s probably just not taking it well—”
“I don’t give a damn. You don’t go around attacking people when you don’t get your way.”
“Evan, drop it.”
“I’m not gonna drop it. I’m gonna talk to her and make sure she never bothers you again. I promise it won’t happen again.”
“I know.” I believed he would do anything to keep me safe. “And the girls—”
“Don’t even say it,” he whispered. “Rebecca shouldn’t have touched you, but she wouldn’t do anything to them. She’s a bitch, but not insane.”
As long as he thought the girls were safe, then I didn’t care what she did to me.
“I’m gonna take care of this now. I’m not gonna be able to think about anything else until it’s resolved.” He stepped back, his gaze heavy with sadness. “Again, I’m sorry…”
“It wasn’t your fault, Evan. Have the two of you been fighting lately?”
“Not really. But she’s been trying to get me back. Calls me late at night. Swings by the apartment. When she comes by my place and I’m not there…she knows I’m here. The fact that we’re getting back together just sends her over the deep end.”
“Who said we were getting back together?”
“Well…that’s how she sees it. She knows we’re sleeping together.”
I didn’t press him on it, knowing it was a fair assumption to make.
“I’ll let you know how it goes.” He opened the door and took one more look at me. “I’m sorry I let you down.”
8
Bree
&
nbsp; “What do you want to watch?” I flipped through the channels because there was nothing on.
Cypress sat beside me with his arm over the back of the couch. “I don’t care. I’m planning on making out with you.”
“We just got busy for an hour.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “You know I’m always ready for you.”
“Well, I need a break because I’m a little sore. It’s not like you’re gentle.”
He winked. “Like you want me to be gentle.”
A knock sounded on the door, and Dino sat up with his ears straight.
“I wonder who that is…” It could be Amelia. I told Cypress that we made up, but I didn’t mention the attack by Rebecca. Amelia and I decided to keep it to ourselves. If the guys knew, they would flip out.
I opened the door and came face-to-face with my old brother-in-law.
Evan.
The pig.
“What the fuck do you want?” Everything tumbled out of my mouth immediately. It was rude and cold, but I didn’t care. I didn’t like Evan. It’s not like it was a secret. Everyone had had a year to get used to their divorce, but I didn’t. It was still new to me. On top of that, his psycho girlfriend attacked my sister.
That shit ain’t gonna fly.
Evan didn’t seem offended by the cold greeting. He took the hit without reacting. “Can I talk to you for a few minutes? I have something to say.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “What makes you think I give a damn about anything you have to say?”
He took the insult well for a second time. “It’s about what happened earlier today.” He glanced at the couch where Cypress was sitting, obviously unsure if he knew anything about the episode.
I wanted to keep that a secret. “Hold on.” I shut the door and walked to the couch. “Can I speak to Evan in private?”
“Sure.” He rose from the couch, and Dino stuck to him like glue. “You want me to go home or what?”
“If you don’t mind.” I hadn’t told anyone she was sleeping with Evan again. As her sister, I had an unspoken vow to keep all of her secrets from everyone.