Chapter Nineteen Evie
Chapter Nineteen
Evie
I look down at my phone again, seeing there’s still no text back from Chase.
It makes me wrinkle my nose before a half-frustrated huff whooshes out.
He was supposed to be here. And I texted him hours ago to let him know I’d be off soon, but he hasn’t gotten back to me yet.
He must still be caught up at the restaurant.
Truthfully, it’s not unlike him to get sidetracked by food . . . or maybe Goldie and Noah got in already. I look down at my phone again to check the time. No, they should be landed or landing right now.
I’m about to send him another text when I’m interrupted by Derek’s voice. “Hey, boss.”
I look up and smile. “Hey back. Where’s your sidekick?”
He grins, hitching a finger over his shoulder. “Helping Erin with some lighting. He’ll be here soon. She’s actually had us doing a bunch of shit today. We didn’t want to tell her it wasn’t in the intern contract because, honestly, neither one of us read it.”
I laugh. “Well, if you had, you’d know chasing tail all day wasn’t in there either.”
He laughs, looking guilty. “Yeah, Devin said you caught us. He saw you see him.”
I shake my head, handing him my masticated brush clumped full of fake blood, and point to the tree I was decorating.
“When Devin makes it here, you guys finish that off. I need to grab a cookie and make a call.”
He gives me a thumbs-up before I chuckle, walking out just as the man of the hour comes running in.
“I was just talking about you. The orders are with your brother, Romeo.”
He shrugs in an excited, boyish way. “Just say I’m your favorite already. Don’t worry, I won’t tell the others.”
I leave my puppies behind, my phone already in hand, ready to call Chase.
I know I’m being ridiculous, but I don’t like that he’s not calling me back. It makes me worry. His number’s already ringing in my ear as I see Rick, the security guard, wave me over to his trailer. So I nod, taking a detour heading over.
Chase’s voicemail comes on, making me groan as I end the call at the same time Rick looks down at me.
“Uh-oh, bad time?”
I shake my head. “No, it’s fine. I’m just mad at everyone. But that happens all the time.”
He chuckles, opening the door to his trailer. “Well, come on in, and let me show you that video I was talking about earlier.”
My brows rise in agreement as I walk up the stairs and inside, the door clanging shut behind me.
Rick leans in like before when he was telling me a secret. “Don’t worry, I don’t think it’s weird you have such affection for fish. Plenty of people are lonely, and animals, even fish, can help get us through hard times.”
Fantastic. Somehow, this feels worse than being called a crazy cat lady.
“Thanks, Rick. I’ll really keep that one deep in my heart.”
He smiles like he’s done his good deed for the day as he walks over to a laptop.
I point to it. “I have to be honest, I pictured, like, multiple screens and a whole setup for security.”
He shrugs. “That’s only in the movies and TV . . . and maybe on sets with an actual budget. You know I still moonlight at OfficeMax on some nights.”
I press my lips together before I say, “You know, Rick, I didn’t know those were still around.”
He nods as he settles down in his chair, opening his laptop.
“You’d be surprised how many people try to break in for some Post-its.”
The device comes to life, and I have to smile at his screen saver—RuPaul’s Drag Race. Love that for him.
I stand behind him, looking over his shoulder.
“Now, the picture’s a little small, but I bet I can . . .”
I jump in before he finishes. “No worries. I’m just hoping I’ll recognize him so I can track him down and get my goldfish back . . .” Now’s the time to slip in that I’m not sad. “You know, my boyfriend actually got me the—”
“Okay,” he rushes out, cutting me off, finally figuring out how to make the picture full screen.
Looks like I’m doomed to stay the lonely fish lady forever. It’s just remarkably sadder and weird.
He hits Play, so I watch the screen before I hear him grumble to himself about needing to fast-forward. There’s no way I’m jumping into this generational gap and helping him figure it out.
The man is owed his dignity.
I brush my braids over my shoulder, watching as people come and go on the screen and costumes are carried, all at six times speed, before he says “Dang it,” followed by “Well, shit. Now it’s too far forward again.”
I’m trying so hard not to laugh, but I’m failing because this couldn’t get any more zany if it was written. God, Chase is going to eat this up when I get home tonight.
“Here we go. It’s right here,” he levels.
I lean in closer over Rick’s shoulder, my eyes trained to the screen as I see a guy in a black hoodie turn the corner, holding my damn fish tank.
I gasp. “There she is. What a motherfu—” I catch myself, not wanting to say that in front of Pop-Pop.
“Mmhmm,” he hums, making me like him even more. “Here it comes. When he turns this corner . . .” He’s pointing to the corner of the screen.
My eyes narrow as I stare intently.
“There.” He pauses the video right as the man’s face comes into view.
Rick is talking, asking me questions. I hear him, but I don’t. Because the hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end, and my breath . . . Oh god.
I stumble back away, my hands shaking. There’s no way. I’m not seeing what I think I am.
A memory hits, taking me back to that night.
Remus looks up and smiles at me before the man steps in behind him and takes him by the chin. And the knife slices straight across his throat.
Rick turns in his chair, making it squeak, pulling me from the recesses of my mind. He looks at me, confused as he stands and reaches for me. But I step further away.
My throat is tight as I shake my head and scramble in my pocket for my phone, pulling it out and trying to swipe it open.
“Are you okay, honey? What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I blink up at him, the frame still frozen in the background, before I look down at my phone again, just as my sister’s name populates.
Everything in my head comes out in a stream of consciousness. There are no breaks between my words as I tear out of Rick’s trailer, hearing him yell to me, but I’m already heading to my car.
“Goldie, he’s alive . . . He’s fucking alive. I can’t believe this—I saw him on the video . . . I saw his face. He was supposed to be dead, and he’s not dead. You need to get here. And Noah needs to get Chase. He’s not answering. Noah needs to call Chase because oh my god, he’s alive, Goldie . . .”
“Evie!” she screams, snapping me out of my panic and stopping me in my tracks. Her voice is laced with tears, unsteady as she levels, “Open the message.”
My blood turns to ice as I swallow the lump already formed in my throat. It’s as if my mind’s already figured out something important I’m missing in the moment.
“Goldie . . .” I whisper, but she repeats herself, so I pull my phone away from my face. My hand’s still shaking as my chest begins to tremble with the sobs gathering there.
There’s one unread message. What the fuck? I didn’t even hear my phone ding. I swipe it open, hitting the video link.
And the world around me goes dark, until every single piece of me feels like it’s shattered, so I look to the sky and scream.