by L A Cotton
I nodded my appreciation, but she hung around. “Took you long enough,” she said to Evan.
He turned to face her, arms still wrapped around me. “What can I say? I’m a slow learner.”
A hint of a smirk played on her lips. “Yeah, you are. I’ll leave you guys to it.” Her eyes met mine, and the faintest of smiles broke over her face. “See ya around, Becca.”
“Bye,” I said, a little confused.
When she disappeared, Evan leaned into me and whispered against my hair, “You should smooth things over with her. It wasn’t her fault; she only did what I asked her to.”
I tensed in his arms, and he let out a heavy sigh. His hold on me tightened as if he thought I might run at any second.
“You and me, remember? Nothing else matters.” His voice was low in my ear, and I nodded. He was right; we’d made our choice. I had to put the past behind me—as much as I could.
“Come on, class calls.” Evan looped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his side, but when we turned the corner, I stiffened. Kendall’s eyes narrowed as she took a step forward, hand cocked on one hip.
“Ignore her.” Evan kept walking, half dragging me, as my eyes stayed firmly locked on Kendall’s. I refused to back down, and anger and hatred burned through me. It filled my chest until I thought it might explode, splattering blood and bone across the hallway. As we reached her, Kendall inched forward, forcing us to veer around her. “How cute,” she snarled. “The rich girl slumming it with the likes of Evan Porter.”
Evan slammed to a halt and swung around to face her. “Back off, Kendall.” He glared down at her, pushing me back slightly. Shielding me. But I stood firm, refusing to hide.
“I’ve got to say I’m kind of surprised, Evan. Of all the girls in school, you pick her? I mean, you do know she’s a liar and a fake, right? All this”—she swept a hand through the air—“is just for show.”
Evan stepped forward, almost toe to toe with her, and I could feel the anger radiating off him. He didn’t speak—he didn’t need to—but the look on his face was thunderous. It said everything it needed to. And I didn’t know whether to be relieved or terrified. Because Evan had just openly declared war on Kendall.
On his family.
~
“Hey, Becca.” Lilly smiled sheepishly as we waited in the lunch line.
“Hey.”
“So I heard that you and Evan ...”
“Yeah, I guess.” I helped myself to a sub and a juice carton.
“That’s great. You two were good together, and you know he only did what he did to—”
“I know.” I cut her off; I didn’t want to get into it again.
“So how’ve you been?” She waited for me to pay, and we walked out together. A few people watched with interest, probably looking for Evan, but he’d texted me last period to say he’d see me after school.
“I’m okay.” This was awkward, and it was all my fault. Lilly had been a good friend, and I’d pushed her away. “Look, Lilly, I owe you an apology ...”
“Don’t even.” She smiled wider. “I’m just glad you’re back.”
I frowned. Was I ... back?
“So where is Evan?” I followed her out of the cafeteria and onto the courtyard. It wouldn’t be long before it was too cold to sit outside, but I couldn’t imagine eating lunch with hundreds of eyes staring in my direction every day.
“He’s, hmm ...” I had no idea. “He got called in to see the guidance counselor.”
I didn’t know why I lied; it just rolled off my tongue. To be honest, I was still pretty blindsided by the whole going public thing.
“Oh man, the dreaded ‘your future awaits’ talk. I swear Miss Panagon has no clue. Like most of us will be going anywhere other than Credence Community College.”
Jay waved Lilly over, and she shot me an uncertain glance. “Hmm, do you want to join us?”
My eyes ran over the small group. Jay, Vin, and Scarlett all sat huddled around the table arguing over a box of fries. Mischa and Eric were there as well, too engrossed in one another to notice the food fight going on around them. I hadn’t seen them around much lately.
“Hmm, I don’t know, Lilly.”
“Come on.” She elbowed me playfully. “I know they’ve missed you. Especially Vin.” Lilly laughed, and surprisingly, I found myself smiling along with her.
“Okay.” It wasn’t like I had anywhere else to go, and with Evan MIA, I could use the company.
“New girl, what gives?” Vin flashed me a bright smile, patting the space beside him. Lilly wedged herself between Jay and Scarlett, leaving me no choice but to sit by Vin.
“Hey.”
“Good to see you, Becca,” Jay said through a mouthful of food, earning him an elbow to the ribs from Lilly.
“So you and Porter, huh? I gotta say, Becca, I did not see that one coming.” Vin sounded completely sincere while the rest of us gaped openly at him. He shrugged his shoulders. “What?”
“You’re joking, right?” Scarlett scoffed. “They’ve been sneaking around since she got here.”
His eyes snapped over in my direction, burning into the side of my head. “For real? I thought it was a one-time deal or something.”
Scarlett groaned, face planting on the table while Jay snickered and Lilly hushed him. It was Mischa who came to my defense. “Leave them alone; it’s cute.”
Vin scoffed. “I never stood a chance, did I?”
“Ya think?” Scarlett was looking right at Vin now. “It’s good to have you back.” She turned her gaze on me, a hint of a smile on her lips.
“Thanks.” Maybe we still needed to have it out and clear the air, but for now, it felt enough.
“You know, while I’m not against the two of you going public, you know she’s going to step up her game now, right?”
I bowed my head, pretending to be unwrapping my sub, not wanting my face to betray me. Kendall never quit—she’d just lulled me into a false sense of security. I should have known better. But it didn’t change anything. If I didn’t give her power, she would be nothing more than an irritating whisper in my ear. That was all. She could threaten me and leave notes and send ominous texts, but that was all they were … threats. Meaningless and petty words. She’d pulled her ace card when she’d plastered my face all over school. Everyone knew who I was now—the rich girl from Montecito. I was the outsider again. But I was done chasing their acceptance. I didn’t need or want it.
“Speaking of the devil.” Vin whistled low through his teeth, and our heads all turned to find Kendall across the lawn. She paused, her friends coming up behind her. If looks could kill, I’d have a death sentence.
“Geez, what is her problem?”
“She’s never liked outsiders,” Scarlett answered. I knew it wasn’t a dig; she was just stating a fact. But what they didn’t know—and I couldn’t tell them—was that Kendall had another reason to keep up her hate campaign. Scarlett probably knew enough since she and Evan seemed to be tight, but I didn’t know how much the others knew, and I wouldn’t betray Evan’s confidence.
“Hey, what’s happening?” Malachi appeared. When his eyes fell on me, his face gave nothing away. He lifted his chin in a curt nod and dropped down on the end of the bench beside Jay.
“Kendall’s out to destroy Becca, who, by the way, went public with Porter.”
We all looked at Vin. He was such a gossip, but if Malachi was surprised, he didn’t show it. He didn’t really show anything.
The rest of lunch passed with them talking about the upcoming weekend. I ate my lunch quietly, avoiding eye contact with anyone while checking my cell phone for messages from Evan.
There weren’t any.
By the time everyone got up to return to classes, I was restless. Lilly and Scarlett walked ahead while Jay and Malachi goofed around with the trash. I lingered behind, still not entirely comfortable with being back in their group. Someone fell into step beside me, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ma
lachi.
“I only told him because I was worried.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” I said quietly, not wanting to draw an audience. “You don’t owe me anything.”
“Becca, come on. It was only time before you let him back in.”
I paused and turned to face him. “Excuse me?”
“Porter is a good guy.” He ran a hand over his head. “He cares about you, and he can protect you. Teller’s is a good place, but I was wrong leaving you to it. I’m sorry.”
This was ... weird.
“You don’t need to apologize to me, and I’m not really mad that you told him. If it wasn’t for you ...” My voice trailed off. Did I really want to admit that if it wasn’t for him, Evan and I would have never had smoothed things over? But Malachi beat me to it. His lip quirked up.
“Yeah, yeah, you would. I may not talk a lot, but I see everything.” He brushed past me and headed inside the building. I stared at him, wondering what the hell that was supposed to mean.
~
When I left school, Evan was waiting, leaned against his Impala, looking all kinds of serious
“Hey.” I approached him. “Is everything okay?”
His hand looped around my neck, drawing me close as his lips slanted over mine. The kiss was quick and hard and left me breathless. When he pulled away, his hard features had softened a little.
“I am now.” He smiled and some of the anxiety churning my stomach most of the afternoon ebbed away.
I smoothed my hands over the hard ridges of his stomach. “I was worried.”
“I’m sorry.” He pressed a kiss to my head. “I didn’t want you to worry. Everything’s okay, I promise. I was wondering if you’d want to come get Eli with me? I know he’d love to see you.”
“I don’t know. Will your mom be there?”
He tensed, his jaw clenching. “She’s at the store. She managed to change around a couple of shifts now that Mellie is out of town. She’ll be gone until eight thirty.”
I still wasn’t sure. She had made it clear she didn’t want me in her house or around her boys.
Evan dipped his head, brushing his nose along my jaw. “Becca, she can be difficult, I know that, but I’ve set her straight about you. About us. She doesn’t have to like it, but I won’t hide you away either. I’m done hiding you.”
Maybe it was the intensity of his words or the way he looked at me like I was the air he breathed, but I found myself saying, “Okay.”
Evan
“Becca!” Eli squealed, running toward us with a huge smile on his face. It was a good thing he was only four and not older, or I might have been jealous. As it was, I could only smile along with him.
“Hey, buddy.” She bent down, and he threw his arms wide. Becca laughed, catching him. “I missed you too.”
Why did those four words make my heart quicken?
“I’m glad you’re back in the cwub.” Eli shoved his lunch bag into my hand, insisting on holding Becca’s hand as we walked to the Impala.
“Me too.” Becca glanced at me, and I shook my head with laughter, mouthing, “I think someone has a crush.”
“Can we get ice cweam?”
“Not today, E. Becca’s going to come back to the house with us, though.”
His cheers filled the air, and a couple of parents looked in our direction. In a town like Credence, people talked. I knew it was likely the staff had put two and two together given that Mellie and I dropped off and picked Eli up more than Mom. They didn’t ask, though. Eli was a happy kid, had a smile for everyone, and that was all that mattered. He arrived for pre-K on time, and someone was always around to pick him up. Which was more than for some of the kids in his class.
“How was pre-K today?” Becca buckled him in his safety seat and climbed in the passenger seat.
“Okay. Tobin’s dad came to talk to us. He’s a fireman.”
“Wow, and how was that?”
I eyed Eli in the rear-view mirror. Something wasn’t right. His eyes were downcast as he chewed his lip.
“E? Everything okay, buddy?”
“Why don’t I have a dad, Ev?”
My hands tightened on the wheel, and I felt Becca’s eye burning into the side of my head. It wasn’t the first time he’d asked, but it had been a while. When he was younger, it was easier to twist the truth. I didn’t want to lie, but how did you tell a three-year-old his father left because he didn’t want him?
Becca shifted beside me, twisting her body so she could see Eli between the front seats. “I bet Tobin’s dad was pretty cool, huh?”
Eli nodded.
“I bet he does lots of cool things like rescue cats from trees and save people from fires. I bet he works really hard and is out of the house a lot.”
“I guess.” He shrugged, refusing to make eye contact. It twisted something in me.
“Tobin’s dad probably doesn’t have much time to play. I bet he doesn’t take Tobin to the park every week to play ball or get ice cream.”
I kept one eye on the mirror. The beginning of a smile tipped the corners of his mouth.
“I bet Tobin doesn’t have a big brother around to keep him company.”
Please let there be no brother.
“He has a sister. He said she’s annoying.”
Becca laughed, and I smiled. I couldn’t help it. She was so good at this. It wasn’t her job; she didn’t owe the kid anything, yet here she was, mending his little broken heart.
“See. You might not have a dad, but you have Evan, and he loves you so much. If I were you, I’d feel lucky to have him.”
“I do, I do,” he shrieked. “Evan is the best.”
Becca sat back in her seat, and I glanced over at her. She smiled, and my hand found her knee across the stick, squeezing gently. “Thank you,” I mouthed. I was beginning to wonder what I’d do without her.
~
“Five more minutes,” I called to Eli while I washed the dishes. Becca had helped me make spaghetti, and the three of us had eaten around the small table. Then we’d played Chutes and Ladders before I bathed Eli while Becca watched television. He was now curled up beside her, reading one of his favorite books.
I dried my hands as I leaned against the wall, watching them. Becca was reluctant to come back to the house at first, and I didn’t blame her. But I wanted her here—so did Eli. I glanced at the clock; it was almost seven thirty. Mom would be home in an hour, which meant my time with Becca—alone—was seriously running short.
“You in the Paw Patrol pajamas, let’s go, buddy, bedtime.”
Eli groaned, wrapping himself around Becca’s waist. “I don’t wanna.” She leaned down and whispered something to him, and he giggled. “Good night, Becca.”
“Night, night.” She ruffled his hair as he climbed down and came over to me, arms wide. I scooped him up and carried him to his room, tucking him in like a burrito.
“Sleep tight, E. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
He yawned. “Wuv you, Evan. Night.”
I hit the switch and closed his door, leaving a small enough gap to let some light seep in for him. Back in the living room, Becca had sprawled out on the couch. I took a second to watch her; she looked comfortable. I liked it.
“Hey,” I said approaching her. She smiled, reaching for my hand. “Hey.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?” Becca asked innocently.
“Coming back with us. Eli’s loved having you over.”
Becca’s smile grew, and she started to shuffle into a sitting position, but I beat her to it, bending down to kiss her. “Come on.” I tugged her up, needing to feel her close.
“Evan,” she whispered. “Eli only just went to bed.”
“He’ll be out like a light. Come on; we don’t have long.” Precisely forty-five minutes before Mom walked through the door. Fifty, if we were lucky.
“Maybe I should go. I don’t want to—”
I spun around, crowding her against the cou
nter. “Don’t do that. I want you here. Just you and me, remember?”
Becca searched my eyes, but for what, I wasn’t sure. “And when your mom gets home? It’s her house, Evan; I have to respect that.”
My head lowered as I inhaled a calming breath. When I looked up and found Becca’s eyes gazing at me, my mouth tugged up in a smirk. “Thirty minutes.”
“What?”
“Give me thirty minutes.” Hands placed either side of her hips, I caged her in, sealing my lips over hers. Becca let out a soft moan, slipping her hands underneath my t-shirt, her touch burning my skin.
Pulling away, I grabbed her hand and yanked her in the direction of my bedroom. She hovered in the doorway as I made quick work of making my bed, still crumpled from the morning.
“Evan, I …” The words died on her lips as I tugged my t-shirt over my head and stalked toward her.
“Thirty minutes,” I repeated.
Her eyebrows knitted together, and she gulped, trying hard not to look at my chest. My hands skated down her waist, and I slipped my fingers into the waistband of her jeans, anchoring us together.
“Your mom will be home any second.”
“Thirty minutes. Now stop complaining. There are far more important things we could be doing.” My face hovered close to hers, and she let out a small breath. “Oh, yeah?”
I pressed a kiss to her lips, guiding her away from the doorway and into my room. I pushed the door shut with one hand while the other remained in her jeans.
“You’re wearing too many clothes,” I said, tracing my mouth over her jaw and down the column of her neck as my hands dipped to the hem of her sweater.
“Evan.” She sighed, her hands digging into my back.
Slowly, I dragged the material up her body, only breaking away from the kiss to yank it over her head. My eyes traveled the length of her body and back up again, landing on her lacy black bra. Heat exploded in my stomach, a direct line to my dick. Becca was something else, and she was mine.
“I want you,” she purred, hands fumbling with my zipper, but I caught her wrist and held it there. “Not yet.”
Becca pouted, but she didn’t have time to protest as I pulled her down on the bed with me. We landed in a tangle of limbs, and I rolled her onto her back, hovering above her with my body pressed into hers at the perfect angle. “Hi.”