by Scott, S. L.
38
Evan
“Evan, Stop!” I hear my dad yelling as I make a dash from the hospital to the car. I see red after what that hospital clerk told me and I’ve got to go and now!
Zach and Murphy catch up to me. They block my path, and Zach, the voice of sanity says, “Kalei’s entire family will be there. We’ll be out numbered.”
Murphy hits him in the chest. “You chickening out, brah?”
“Fuck no, but he has a big fucking family and I don’t feel like spending the next week in the hospital.”
I fume, no reasoning left in my mind. I’m ready to take Noah on once and for all. “This has been a long time coming. I’m going with or without you.” I cross my arms over my chest and throw down an ultimatum. “You in or out, Z?”
“If you’re going, you know I’ll be there, man.”
I shake his hand and nod once.
“Evan!” my dad calls just as I’m about to leave. He walks with purpose with his eyes focused on me. “I know you’re angry, but is chasing Noah down really going to give you the answers you need to feel better? The result you want?”
“Absolutely!” I lock eyes with his, trying to match the intensity I’ve seen him use many times in the boardroom.
He grabs me, pulling me by the neck toward him, forcing my forehead against his. With our eyes still engaged, he lowers his voice and says, “You’ve been absent from my life for too long. Don’t go waging a war that could end in your demise. I don’t want to lose you a second time.”
I reach my arms around his neck and nod in understanding. “You won’t. We’ll win this round. I need to do this, but I need to know I have your support.” In that moment, I realize I’m about two inches taller than him. He’s right. I’ve been so absent from my life that I don’t remember growing up? “Are you with us?”
“I can’t support violence, so I hope you cool down. But you’ve been hurt. We all have, so there’s nowhere else I would be right now. If you’re there, I’m there, but I’m driving.” He backs up and starts for his car.
Murphy says, “You’re really going, Hugh?”
He stops and smiles. If I wasn’t paying attention, I might have missed the devious glint in his eyes when he says, “Yes, I am. Not the smartest decision I’ve made recently, but my boy has been wronged, so I need to be there for him.”
Trying to keep my mouth from dropping open, I tense my jaw instead. I hold back the feelings of joy wanting to overcome me, trying to save it for later. As much as I want to savor in the fact that my dad is willing to go to protect me, to help me, and to support me simply to be there for me, I can’t get lost in the niceties of the moment. I need to hold onto the anger and pain I feel inside by being broken by the Kalei family.
Murphy and Zach chuckle. Murphy says, “Don’t worry. I’ve got your back, Sir.”
“That’s good to know because I’ll probably need it.”
I know my best friends well enough to know they’re in the car behind us psyching themselves up, probably placing a wager on who gets the most hits in. I can appreciate that. But my father and I sit in a tension-filled silence. As we pull into the parking lot, with my hand on the door lever, I whisper, “Thank you.”
He looks over at me and nods his head. I jump out and start running toward the gathering of Noah’s family. I hear Zach behind me yelling to my dad, “You sure you’re ready to fight.”
“Damn sure, but try to talk first, boys. Always try to talk it through first.”
“Okay, old man. Let’s go serve some justice,” Zach says, patting my dad on the back.
“Well, all-righty. Let’s go get those lying bastards,” Murphy says, elevating his voice as we jog to the luau on the beach.
A commotion up ahead draws my eye. I spot Mallory…in Noah’s arms, but I can’t hear what’s being said as she pushes him away and slaps him across the face. “Holy Hell!” she screams as she stumbles backward. He’s laughing at her, which pisses me off even more, but then the scene before me registers.
I stop shocked by what is playing out before my eyes. “Holy shit,” I say, stunned when I see Mallory slapping Noah Kalei. That’s my girlfriend taking care of herself. And to think I foolishly thought I’d be saving her. I knew I loved her, but that right there shows me the firecracker that she was that first day I met her. My girlfriend is a fucking badass.
But there’s no time to revel in her greatness because the damage he’s caused me and my family weighs heavy on my mind and my hands fist. I start running again, ready to settle all past pains and lies. And as much as I love that I didn’t have to point out what an ass he really is, it also doesn’t change my feelings of wanting to punch his face in for touching my girl.
When I reach her, I take her hurt hand in mine and kiss it gently. Looking at it, it’s red, but she’s gonna be fine. I place another kiss on her knuckles and whisper into her ear, “We’re gonna talk, but right now, I need you to back away, baby.”
“Why?” she asks, her gaze shifting to Noah then back to me.
Keeping my voice low, for her ears alone, I kindly ask, “Will you please back up for your own safety?” I turn ready to attack Noah, verbally first.
Mallory grabs my arm and moves closer. “No! Why? I don’t want you fighting.”
I turn back to her, hearing the plea beneath the demand. “Can you please listen to me and not be so stubborn this time. This isn’t about you…Well, it is about you, but it’s mainly about the lies these motherfuckers had me believe.”
Noah crosses his arms after taking a step forward. “Who you calling motherfucker, fucker?”
“You, because you are,” I spew back at him.
“Actually, speaking of motherfuckers,” he starts smugly, “your mother does have a fine as—”
My dad cuts in, his face as stern as his tone. “That’s my wife, Noah! Kindly refrain from talking about her.”
Kekoa Kalei, Noah’s father flanks his son’s side, as well as a few of his cousins that make up his gang of misfits. Kekoa tries to reason with Noah. “Son, he’s right. Don’t be disrespectful.”
“That’s a joke.” I step forward pointing my finger between Noah and Kekoa. “How could you do it? Lani loved me and you let me think I killed her, like it was my fault she died. I didn’t have a chance and you knew that all along. That’s disrespectful to her memory.”
“What are you rambling about, Ashford?” Noah asks, his feet anchoring into the sand with his body on the defense.
“I know about Lani’s heart. I know how she really died. The tear in her heart caused her death, not my inability to save her.” My hands fist at my sides. “You knew and you didn’t tell me. We used to be good friends, Noah, best friends. How can you be so fucking cruel?”
“Listen, Hugh, I don’t know where you and Evan got this information, but it’s not—” Kekoa starts.
“Don’t, Kekoa! We know the truth now. We settled with you out of court because I believed your pain, I saw the anguish in my son as you let him believe he caused your daughter’s death. I wanted to end his suffering in public. He was persecuted in the papers and you allowed that, you lied.” I watch my dad standing tall and powerful, sure of his every word.
I nod, agreeing with him when I’m struck by a surprise blow to my left cheek and fall to the ground, sand flying into my face.
“Evan!” Mallory screams.
When I look up, all hell breaks loose. The cousins attack Zach and Murphy, and I snap up, putting my hand on Mallory’s middle to push her behind me. “Move back, baby!”
I run forward, landing a right hook across Noah’s shocked face and follow through with a left punch to his stomach, which sends him stumbling backward. I see Murphy in my peripheral tossing one guy into the sand. I glance to my right and find Zach already rolling in the sand with another, appearing to have things under control. I look for Mallory, who’s standing there horrified with her hands over her mouth. When I turn back, Noah is in full swing motion. I’m too fast for
him and I duck. He stumbles a bit, landing his fist straight on my dad’s jaw. My dad flinches, but quickly resumes his composure and swings, taking Noah down with one smooth direct punch.
Kekoa rushes to his son’s aid while yelling profanities. All the fighting ceases and the cousins, bloodied and breathing heavy, return to their side of the respective line drawn in the sand.
Kekoa helps Noah to his feet and gripes at my father. “You hurt him. You should be asha—”
“You’ve ruined my son’s life for the last four years. The truth is out and you no longer have him to carry your daughter’s death as his own burden anymore. Descended from royals my ass!” He looks at me and smirks then turns back once more to Kekoa. “I expect my money to be returned. If you need to make payments then contact my lawyer and he’ll set that up. It’s blood money now. Please do the right thing here and remove the guilt that weighs on my son’s heart by paying it back or we will sue you for everything you own and more.”
The murmur of his family and friends collectively gasping from this news is overshadowed by Mallory rushing to my side, whispering my name and words of concern. My father’s words of support mixed with hers make my heart and confidence soar. I feel more myself than I have in years, the weight of guilt finally lifted. I wrap my arm around Mallory’s trembling shoulders, and hold her to me. She’s crying and I love her so much that I hug her even tighter, lucky to have the opportunity again.
My dad looks at us, and a small smile plays out. “It’s time to go.”
We turn our backs on Noah’s family celebration without fear or worry of them striking because they know we now have the upper hand.
Noah gives it one last desperate attempt. “Mallory! C’mon. He’s only gonna use you and toss you aside. Come back.”
She flips him the bird over her shoulder, but never turns around to look at him. “What an asshole,” she replies without remorse.
“Guess your hand is okay,” I tease.
She wiggles it around. “I’m gonna live.”
I load her into my dad’s car then jog over to Zach’s. My father is about to sit down when I call, “Hey, Dad?”
He stops before getting in. “Yes?”
“Uh, I wanted to…” I stumble through my appreciation with my hands tucked safely into my front pockets. “…I wanted to say thank you for… what you did back there, all that you said.”
“You’re welcome, Evan. You okay?”
“I should be asking you that?” I say, looking at his jaw. My mother is gonna be pissed when she sees that.
“Eh, I’ve been in worse—”
“You’ve been in worse? You’re not really the fighting kind, Dad,” I say incredulously.
“I could hold my own back in ancient times,” he says, and chuckles.
“You still can from what I just saw.” I glance back at his car and see Mallory sitting inside, waiting for me. “Maybe we can grab a beer together sometime and you can share some of those stories.”
“I’d like that. Let’s do that when you’re in New York next month.”
I nod and we shake hands, but I pull him into a hug. We part with deep sighs, a little bit awkward from this big show of affection.
“Drive your girl home,” he says, handing me the keys.
“Okay, thanks.”
“Don’t put a scratch on that car or I get yours.” He smirks and I can see a bit of myself in him for the first time.
After I get in the car, I look over at Mallory briefly before driving away. Out of the corner of my eye I see her spreading her fingers then squeezing her hand closed, so I ask, “You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. It just stings.”
Reaching over, I’m about to touch her hand, but pause, not sure if I should go there. I sigh, tired from the day, mentally exhausted from dealing with the truth about Lani, and physically beat from the fight. But somehow I find the will to smile. The girl next to me means more than I ever thought possible and she’s here with me now.
I pull out onto the road and continue driving. It’s only a few minutes and both us seem okay with waiting to have a conversation that may define us forever. Upon arrival, I park at the beach and we both get out at the same time. I hang back, suddenly feeling awkward about where we stand, letting her take the lead. I don’t know how I’ll deal if she walks away forever. So I want her to be comfortable in her surroundings because I want this conversation to bring us back together.
With my heart in her hands, I take a blanket from the trunk as she pulls a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. Flicking one up, she pulls it from the paper container with her lips and I immediately pull a lighter from my pocket and stride over to her offering her the fire. She leans in like she did the first day, all attitude and beauty, until the stick is glowing and then she walks down to the water’s edge. I silently follow.
“I haven’t been back here since I drown…” She doesn’t finish the sentence, but exhales a deep breath. She doesn’t have to say more. I know what she’s thinking. I watch her with bated anticipation as she bends down to put out the cigarette in the wet sand at her feet.
After spreading the blanket out, we both sit, but the distance is felt between us. Apparently, she needs the space.
“It seemed fitting to come back here,” I say, keeping my voice from wavering. It’s tough because I want her back, but it’s up to her if she’s going to trust me or not. “The right place to deal with some of our… fears and issues.”
Seeing her again, it’s easy to admire her beauty, but tonight I need her forgiveness. I just pray to God she’ll hear me out. “I’m sorry, Mallory,” I whisper, trying to find my voice. “I’m sorry that you have to deal with my past and for the way you were treated at the party.”
She doesn’t look at me, but her movements and tiny fidgets finally still. After another long moment of silence in the space that divides us, she says, “I’m sorry for how I acted. I’m embarrassed. I overreacted and shouldn’t have put you in a situation of having to ‘end’ us… I was trying to make you out to be the bad guy because I’m not strong enough to leave you. Forcing you to be the bad guy was easier than having to deal with the bullshit your mother and ex were throwing my way.”
I look at the water, hoping the right words come, but I don’t have the time to wait. “Don’t apologize. You have nothing to be sorry about, but I do. I want you to know I sent the text in May. I’m sorry I sent it and I regret how this has affected you. You never deserved to have to deal with my mistakes.”
She remains staring at the water in the distance. “Evan, you don’t have to explain.”
“I want you to know the truth. I don’t want you to ever doubt my intentions.”
She sounds as if she’s amused, but she’s not smiling when she says, “I wish I could have held my emotional breakdown for another time, but well, cheating is a sore subject with me.”
Averting my eyes back to the moon’s reflection on the water, I explain to ease the pain she’s feeling. “The text was sent after we’d met, but days after when we weren’t speaking. You stormed out of my life full of anger. I thought you hated me. I returned a text from her and only wrote what I did to appease her, not meaning any of it. I shouldn’t have sent it, but I did.”
“You continued the lie you like to tell the girls? The love’em and leave’em game-plan that was working so well for you?”
“Working well until I met you, yes.” I smile. I don’t think she’s mad and I realize even that short time apart has made a difference.
“I have proof of when I originally texted it, if you need to—”
“I don’t need to see it,” she says.
Looking at her, I see for the first time how fragile she really is as her eyes well with tears. Her tough exterior has broken down and her cool kid vibe has vanished. She wraps her arms around her knees and rests her chin on top. “Listen, Mallory, I’m not going to lie here. I’m not any good at this. I’m not good at relationships or fighting with girls, I
’m not good at saying I’m sorry or for being what someone else needs. I’ve been selfish for a long time now, so know that I’m trying. I’m trying to be who you want me to be and who you deserve.”
“I don’t want you to be anything you’re not. That’s part of the problem here. I’m not your parents or your professors. I’m not the outside world with expectations of you, except for one. I expect you to be true to me and being true to me means not cheating or lying to me.” Her hand touches my arm, bridging the gap. My heart races at her touch as she finally looks into my eyes. “But our friends made me realize I wasn’t being true to you. I believed Kelly’s word over yours and that’s not the person I want to be, not with you. Yet today when I woke up, I didn’t need explanations. I didn’t need you to clarify the situation. I don’t believe her. There were holes I couldn’t see yesterday in the heat of the moment. I’m sorry I questioned us when you held strong.”
She moves a few inches closer, leaning her head on my shoulder. She doesn’t make a production of it and this feels natural, like nothing bad has ever entered our world. “I’m sorry and I’m hoping you’ll forgive me,” she says.
“You have nothing to be forgiven for because you did nothing wrong. I’ve done what you did at that party. It was like if I did something extreme it would make the bad go away, cover it up, but doing that doesn’t work and I learned that lesson the hard way.” I take her hand in mine and whisper, “I don’t want anything like that to come between us again. I love you, Mallory. I’m in love with you.”
When she looks up, her lips part as her eyes glass over with tears and her words fall quiet taking in the joy of hearing mine. “Please,” she says, her request barely heard, “say it again.”
“I love you,” I say, freely without hesitation.
Weaving our fingers together, I look only at her, the sight of her the only thing that matters and makes sense in this chaotic life. “I should’ve told you before now, before the party. I felt it. I always felt it. When I made you those promises that we’d be together, that was my heart speaking to yours, not just words. I’m in love with you, Mallory, and I should’ve exposed my true feelings a long time ago instead of internalizing them.”