CHAPTER 18
“Evy, please don’t feed my son all these unhealthy snacks. You know how much I condone it. I gave you a chance to work again, but you’ll be of no help to me if you don’t do your job right. I hope you make better choices next time, or else I might have to let you go,” Amelie stated in her even-toned voice that never went out of pitch.
I curled my fingernails on my palms as I plastered a sorry smile across my lips. “I apologize, Amelie. It won’t happen again.”
She nodded as she regarded me with her cool eyes and swished off to greet her posse of plastic friends.
“Is my mom mad at you, Evy?” Theo inquired, engrossed in his toys.
“No, baby. You go ahead and play.” I wiped the remnants of the sweet stickiness off his face.
I gave that kid one popsicle after he told me he’d never had one in his entire life. What cruel mother didn’t let her kid not even taste a popsicle once in his life? Wasn’t that what being a kid was all about? Having popsicles and running off in the park during the summer. But I guess it was a different story when you were a rich person’s kid.
I sighed, internally. I was lucky to land this job. Even though Amelie was a complete bitch, Theo was such a sweetheart, and I loved taking care of him.
It’d been a week since Jay left me. Well, not really left me since we were never together, but we were something. We could’ve had the chance to be everything.
But now it was all gone.
Covered in furious flames and burnt to ashes, the embers now fell deep down the darkest oceans.
We were never coming back from this, that much I knew.
I think it was a much-needed wake-up call to focus on my actual life. I’d never written as much as I wrote last week. I wrote it all down and actually completed the book. A flicker of pride lit within me; I did it. I’d actually written a book. My heart soared. Auntie M would be so proud of me.
I couldn’t wait for it to see the shelves of my favorite bookstore one day. I knew I had a long road ahead, but it excited me.
I sidestepped the fast-moving cyclist as I entered the sidewalk after work. God, with my clumsy feet and my fucked-up knee, I had to be careful of every step I took in the bustling rush hour of NYC.
Tonight, Lily and I planned to meet up for dinner. It was around seven when I reached the restaurant. It was a dingy hole-in-the-wall Chinese place that served some of the best beer and greasy food. I waited at my favorite booth by the far wall while I sipped on some much-needed beer. The feeling of the cold lager hitting my throat and the alcohol rushing to my head was everything. God, I loved it.
“Hey, Evy,” a quiet voice greeted me.
My head snapped up to Lily, peering at me with a weird look on her face.
I frowned.
“Hmm, I hope you don’t mind.” She shrugged, twisting to the person behind her.
My hand gripped the neck of my beer bottle. “What is she doing here?”
“Don’t blame Lily. I actually wanted to see you.” Katy attempted a small smile.
My eyes widened as I watched her slide into the booth next to me while Lily eased in opposite us.
“What are you doing?” I mumbled.
Katy swallowed visibly. “I’m here to apologize.”
I stilled.
She wrung her fingers in knots over and over again, her eyes downcast as she started. “I shouldn’t have said those things, especially when you were grieving. That was wrong of me.” Her glossy pale greens met mine. “I also shouldn’t have been rude to you. It was uncalled for me to say all those things or hurt you intentionally all the time. I hope you forgive me. I’m so sorry, Evy.” A single tear slid out the corner of her eye.
My heart picked up a notch as my eyes softened. “It’s alright, Katy.” I brought my hand to her wiggling fingers and squeezed.
A slow smile lit up her face. “I still don’t forgive you for all the things that you put us through. I know that whatever happened is between you and Emmie, but I lost my best friend too.” Tears now streamed over her luminescent cheeks. “And I miss my best friend.”
A sob broke out of me as I hugged her tight. “I miss my best friend, too.” I cried in her shoulder.
She tightened her arms around me as she cried along with me.
Katy was the first friend that I made. She was outspoken and loud and the complete opposite of me, and at times, she reminded me of Auntie M. But I loved her. And I missed her so much. She was someone who added color to my life.
“Hmm, guys. The server is looking like he’s ready to throw us out,” Lily chimed.
We laughed as we pulled back, wiping the messy wetness from our faces.
It wasn’t long before our food came, and one beer turned to six. But nothing stopped our giggles or our chatter as we caught up on lost time. It felt like a void coiled inside me was finally loosening up. Although my biggest heartache was losing Jay, I did lose all my best friends too. But damn, could they put a smile on this sad girl’s face.
“So what happened between you and my brother?” Lily raised a brow, clinging to my side.
“Yeah, you two were practically eye fucking each other the entire tour,” Katy added from my other side.
We were so drunk that we decided to walk back to my apartment because it was closer. We could barely walk upright, our swaying equilibrium failing us as we all held each other.
“Nothing,” I mumbled sadly. “We’re done for good now.”
Katy raised a hand, screaming to the sky, “I find that hard to believe. Not after the way he was taking care of you.”
I sighed loudly. “Unfortunately, yes. This time, it’s for good. He doesn’t trust me. It’s probably for the best. I think it’s finally time for me to move on and live my happy girl era.”
“But you guys are my favorite couple,” Lily moaned.
I side-eyed her, a smile tugging up my lips. “Someone else said the same thing to me. Guess who?”
“Who?” she muttered, scrunching up her face cutely.
“Mikey.”
A flash of red covered her entire face in an instant as she pulled her gaze away.
Katy snorted. “I swear you and Mikey are going to burst from all the tension and finally fuck each other soon. It’ll be like watching a volcano explode after years of brewing under the surface.”
If Lily’s face was red a moment ago, it was now crimson. “Shut up, you guys,” she mumbled.
I laughed. “Well, both our love life sucks, I can’t say the same for Katy here. Heard you got engaged. When’s the marriage?”
A far-off look covered Katy’s eyes. “I don’t know.” She let out a heavy exhale. “With the move and all this band business, I hardly have time to even think about it.”
“But isn’t the band taking a break now? So you must have all the time to plan your wedding. I remember you already planned most of it in high school anyway, and you’ve been dreaming of your big wedding forever.”
Katy hiked a shoulder. “Yeah, I know.But Lan and I haven’t had the time to sit down and talk about it.”
I frowned as we headed up the stairs. “Is everything okay between you and Lan?”
“Yes,” she replied too quickly, her eyes widening slightly.
I didn’t know why, but that felt like a lie.
“Oh, come on, Evy. Katy and Lan still can’t keeps their hands off each other. That ass can’t survive a day without her,” Lily pointed out.
A familiar bark pulled me away from the conversation, a heavy line marred between my brows as I watched Strawberry run to me.
Confusion swept across my mind, and a freezing chill covered my heart.
What was she doing out in the hallway?
“Fucking finally,” a voice called.
A familiar, big, burly man waited for me right outside my apartment.
I straightened as I took a step forward. “T, what the fuck are you doing here?”
He raised a brow. “Don’t act like you don’t know why. I did give you a warning not to make me come here.”
My hands trembled as I moved toward him. Only then did I notice that my door was wide open. “I paid you this month.” I pointed a shaky finger at my door, trying to put on a brave face. “And why the fuck is my door open? Did you break into my apartment?”
He shrugged, a wicked laugh bursting out of him. “It was open when I came. Not like I’m going to find anything of value in your shitty place.”
“Evy.” Katy tugged my wrist, pulling me back. “Who is this man?”
“Take Lily and stay back, Katy. I’ll be with you in a minute.”
“No, we’re not leaving you.” Katy’s voice firmed.
Strawberry wedged her way between us, barking loudly at him. I immediately crouched, pulling on her collar and dragging her behind me.
And just as I rose, T closed in on me in a quick stride. “Cut the antics. I told you again and again, not to get on David’s bad side. You’ve been wearing my patience thin, Evelyn. Bossman will wring me up my ass if you don’t give me what I need.”
I swallowed the fear that was lifting my throat. “T, I understand, but I paid you what I can. I’m in a difficult situation at the moment. I swear I’ll get you the rest of it by the weekend.”
A twisted smile pulled his face as his beady eyes met mine. He hooked his grimy smoke-stained finger on my chin, getting in my face. “I don’t think you understand what I’m saying, bitch. The money you paid wasn’t even half of it.”
“Hey.” Katy pushed him away. “Don’t fucking touch her. Leave right this second, or I’ll call the cops.”
He sneered. “Fuck off, bitch.”
My eyes flashed as I got up in his face. “Look, you need to leave, T.” I tried to steel my voice, forcing bravado.
In an instant, his gruff hand clasped around my neck and spun me around, knocking the breath out of me as he slammed me against the wall. “You have one day to give me what your bitch of a mother owes us. David has been generous in allowing you to pay at a snail’s pace, but don’t fucking test him anymore.” His hand squeezed my neck so hard that the edges of my vision were blurring.
Strawberry’s loud barks filled the room as she clamped her teeth around his ankle, trying to pull him away from me, but he gave a swift kick that made her roll away with a whine.
My heart thundered as my fingers tried to claw on his forearm as I struggled against his hold.
“Hey, let her go,” Katy shouted, trying to grab his shoulder, but he was too huge and big.
Lily’s teeth gritted as she tried hard to pull on his other side. “Leave her alone.”
In a swoop, he shoved her aside. Lily cried out as she went flying from the force and landed on the floor, hitting her head.
Katy immediately rushed to her side and tried to help her up while she screamed obscenities at T.
My eyes hollowed as the blood started to leave my head, and my hands went limp at my side. “It’s your final fucking warning you bitch,” he jeered out and dropped me on the floor.
I went down on a thud as he stormed off. I brought my fingers along the burn around my neck. I knew there was an angry mark forming already.
“Evy, are you alright?” Katy frowned. I peered ahead to see Lily standing beside her, holding a hand to her head.
A swarm of guilt swam up my gut. Strawberry was immediately at my side, nuzzling her face on my lap as she gazed at me with her sad brown eyes. My hands ran through her soft fur while my eyes checked to see if she had any injuries. But thankfully, she was fine. I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to her.
Katy slowly helped me to my feet, and we trudged to my apartment. The tears that were already gathered in my eyes flowed freely when I saw the state it was in.
The couches were torn apart, the books were flung everywhere, and the kitchen was a scattered mess.
“The fuck,” Katy breathed, her eyes wide as she led Lily to the couch.
I sniffled as I trotted to my bedroom, a protective Strawberry following me.
Everything was destroyed.
My laptop. My bed. My clothes.
My eyes flew to the lone large pink box that was rummaged. It was my “Jay” box. I hurried over and dropped to the floor, my shaky fingers lifted the diaries, the pressed flowers, and his T-shirts and carefully placed them back inside as I closed the lid.
I dragged out the other boxes I kept from under my bed. A sigh of relief escaped me when I saw that they were intact. They contained some of the most precious items that I owned. Memories and trinkets I had of Grandma and Auntie M.
After a minute of lost thoughts, my wobbly feet took me back to the living room. Katy held a pack of frozen peas on Lily’s head while she furiously texted on her phone.
“I’m…” My voice cracked, and I swallowed, clearing the dryness in my throat. “Lily, I’m sorry I put you in danger like that. You should probably leave.”
Lily’s soft eyes met mine. “It’s not your fault, Evy.” At the same time, Katy spun around, frowning. “Who was that man, Evy? What the fuck was he talking about?”
I sighed. “It’s just someone I owe money to, Katy. I’m sorry to put you guys through all this. You both should leave.”
The frown marring Katy’s delicate face deepened. “Evy, don’t be stupid…”
Her words were cut off by a thunderous voice. “What the fuck happened here?”
Shivers ran through my body. I would recognize that voice from a million miles away.