12. Levi
Chapter 12
Levi
C arter’s laughing with someone downstairs about how he cleaned me out tonight.
I’m not sure who he’s talking to, but whoever it is sounds like an overnight companion.
Typical Carter.
Between him and Brody, I’m pretty sure they’ve dated every single woman on the island.
I check the time on the computer I’ve been staring at instead of actually working. 2:13 am.
And Theo’s Jeep Wrangler still isn’t back.
I look out the window for what seems like the hundredth time.
Why am I so worried?
Theo is eighteen. He has a job. He’s almost as old as I was when I joined the service after finding out I was going to be a dad. He’s fine. I wish he’d get his life in order and stop hanging out with those boys from the tattoo studio. But it’s his life.
A redhead with knee-high boots fills my thoughts again.
Maybe it’s not Theo I’m worried about. I think back at the sight of him and Sienna at Rusty’s earlier.
My son and Brody’s daughter. There’s no way, right? He can’t be interested in her.
Who am I kidding?
Of course Theo would be interested in her. She’s stunning. She’s smart. She’s more than capable of handling herself. There aren’t many girls her age that just radiate confidence and can go toe to toe with guys twice her age and twice her size.
Maybe she’d be good for him. Maybe a spitfire is just what Theo needs. But what about Sienna?
She’s still so young, too. They both have so much life to live.
I sigh, staring at the spreadsheet I told myself I’d finish tonight when my phone goes off.
“Who the hell is calling at this hour?”
I turn the phone over to see the screen lit up with my ex-wife’s name.
This can’t be good. I take a deep breath before answering.
“What is it, Evie?”
“Well, hello to you, too.”
“Is there a reason you’re calling me in the middle of the night?”
“Levi,” she sighs out.
I take off my bluelight glasses and pinch the bridge of my nose.
“Evie, what is it?”
“You know I wouldn’t call you unless I didn’t have any other options.”
I don’t say anything. Instead, I just wait for her to get to the point.
“It’s Josie.”
“Is she okay?”
“She won’t sleep, Levi. She just keeps crying and crying. And you know how she is, she can’t tell me what’s wrong.”
I reach for my shoes and start pulling them on, the phone wedged between my shoulder and ear.
“Is she sick? Does she have a fever?”
Evie hums to herself.
“Umm… I don’t… I don’t think so.”
In the distance I can hear Josie’s cries.
“Evie, where are you?”
“You don’t need to–”
“Where are you?” I ask again, this time with more bite.
“I’m at Matt’s place,” she finally admits.
I bristle at the mention of that asshole’s name.
“So your using?”
I grab my keys and forgo the coat. The heat rising up in me coming from the anger boiling inside is enough to keep me warm. I march down the stairs, startling Carter and his guest that were just making out on the couch.
“It’s not like that,” Evie says.
“If you’re with Matt, then I can only assume it’s like that. I’m coming now.”
I don’t bother answering Carter when he asks me where I’m going. I can only think of one thing.
“It’s fine, Levi. You don’t need to come all the way—”
“Bye, Evie.”
I hang up the phone and turn the ignition on, my truck roars to life on the quiet neighborhood street.
Six fucking years since this woman left me. And I’m still having to rescue her.
Though now, it’s not even about Evie.
It’s not about her fight with addiction. It’s not even about saving her from herself.
Now, it’s about a four year old girl who doesn’t deserve to be in the middle of all of this mess.
Josie deserves so much better. And the fact that her own mother can’t see that, is so disheartening.
If I could, I’d adopt her.
Carter and Theo would be fine. Hell, Theo’s not even around anymore to care if there’s another person living in the house. Especially since Josie is his half-sister.
An hour later, after a drive across town the pass that helped my boiling anger settle down to a low simmer, I’m banging on Matt Wallis’ door.
The disheveled dumbass opens the door. He’s still wearing his work clothes from the docks and I push my way in without saying a word.
“Hey, this is private property, Steele. You can’t just force your way in,” he says, slurring his words.
He follows me down the hall as I search room by room looking for the little girl.
“I can call the cops on you, you know that!”
I turn on him, grabbing him by the shirt and pushing him up the wall.
“Where the hell is Josie?”
He cowers, putting up his hands to protect his face. He smells like whiskey and cigarettes. It’s guys like him that made me want to give up both.
“She’s up here,” a faint voice says from the top of the stairs.
I let the man go abruptly and take the steps two at a time.
Evie waits for me, wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt that barely covers her thighs. Her hair looks like she hasn’t washed it in a week, and small pieces are covering her eyes. Like she doesn’t want to be seen.
“She’s fine, Levi. She finally fell asleep,” she says, stopping me from entering the room.
“What was wrong with her? Why was she crying?” I growl out.
Evie shakes her head. “You know I can’t answer that.”
Her eyes are sunken like she hasn’t slept in days.
And I rub a hand down my face.
“Evie, we can’t keep doing this.”
“I didn’t ask you to come all the way here. I was just… tired. A–and I didn’t know who else to call.”
“Did she eat? When was the last time you fed her?”
“I-I..” Evie rubs her arm, looking down at her bare feet. “I can’t remember.”
“You–” I curse under my breath. “Goddammit. You need help, Evie.”
“I’m fine,” she says.
“You are not fine. Look at you! You’re strung out, aren’t you?”
She swallows and takes a step back, stabilizing herself on the wall behind her.
“Jesus, Evie. This can’t keep happening. You can’t keep calling me and expect me not to do something.”
“I’m trying, okay,” she whispers out. “I don’t know how to do this right, but I am trying, Levi.”
My heart shatters.
What do you do when somebody you used to love, can’t help themselves? What do you do when they can’t take care of others because they themselves are too broken?
And what if the choices you made drove them to that brokenness?
In an instant, I know what I need to do.
“Pack her a bag. She’s coming home with me,” I say, stepping past Evie and opening the door to the room she’s blocking.
Inside, on a mattress on the floor with no sheets on it, sleeps the little brown haired girl.
She has a baby blanket draped over her that’s not nearly big enough to cover her entire body. She’s sucking on her thumb, holding onto a baby doll whose hair looks like a rat’s nest all it’s own.
I can’t let her live like this.
I won’t. I don’t care that she’s not my kid.
I scoop the sleeping child into my arms, and she only opens her eyes to see that it’s me, before she snuggles against my chest and falls back asleep.
Evie stays staring at me.
“Pack her a bag, Evie.”
Without another word, Evie nods and pulls a backpack out of the closet, stuffing it with unfolded clothes from a hamper that’s sitting next to it.
I can’t even guarantee that the clothes are clean, but come morning, I’ll make sure Josie has everything she needs.
Enough is enough.
She hands me the backpack with limp arms.
Blinking at her daughter asleep in my arms. Then as if she suddenly woke up, she pushes her hair out of her eyes and bends down to give her a kiss on the cheek.
“Momma’s gonna get better, okay Josie girl,” she whispers. “I’m gonna get better.”
If I wasn’t so damned pissed, I might feel something. But in the moment, I can only hope that her words are true.
“She can stay with me as long as she needs to,” I tell her.
Evie nods, tears welling up in her eyes.
“I”m not taking her away from you, Evie. I’m giving you space to get clean. Do you understand me?”
She nods again. The broken woman in front of me isn’t the same girl I fell in love with in high school. She’s the shell of someone that I used to know.
“Goodnight, Evie.”
I make my way down the stairs.
Matt is already back on the couch, passed out with an empty bottle of whiskey hanging from his hand and touching the floor.
I hope Evie gets help. But even if she does. Even if she manages to stay clean.
Josie can’t stay here.
I’ll make sure of it.