Chapter 8
Everly
Soft knocking meets me when I step out of the shower.
“Coming,” I call. Pulling the bedroom door open, Taya greets me with a flat-lipped smile, so I swing it wider.
I’m in a towel and it doesn’t occur to me to feel self-conscious.
But for a nanosecond it makes my radar that Taya being in my room, with me in a towel, isn’t awkward.
Almost as if it were my sister, Via. The expression on Taya’s face though pushes the assessment out of mind. “What’s wrong?”
“There was a break-in at my house. Mitch, the ranch manager, just called me. I called Jay since you were in the shower. He’s on his way home.”
“Okay. Umm, okay. Are you okay?” I’m already pulling clothes out of drawers, dropping my towel and throwing them on—no thought of my nakedness. Trauma makes you good at handling other people’s crises.
“Yeah. Just kinda freaked out. Shit like that doesn’t happen up here.
” She sits on the edge of the bed and rubs her palms up and down her knees.
It’s true. The weirdest thing I got used to in Blue Lake is how trusting everybody is.
No one locks their doors. It’s not talked about.
It just is. “He . . . Jay said we’d go check it out.
He said he’d go with me. Is that okay? With you? ”
“Of course, Taya. I’ll go, too.” I scoop my towel off the floor and move to hang it up in the bathroom. “I mean, if you want me to. I want to help, if I can.”
“Thank you, Ever. Really. Thank you for being so cool with all this. Me. Being here. I know it’s fucking weird.”
A laugh bubbles out of me before I can stop it. “You know what’s fucking weird? That it isn’t fucking weird. Like we were friends in another life or something.”
“Okay, right? So it’s not just me?”
“Nope. Trust me. It’s weird, but like . . . not.” I tie my kicks, stand and stretch my hand out to her. “Come on, Julie should be pulling up any minute.” The door closing downstairs makes my point for me.
Stepping off the bottom step into the living room, Taya a foot behind me, I clock Julian’s expression first. I haven’t seen it except in glimpses, but he looks furious.
“Hey, babe,” I try for a reassuring smile.
“I threw on some clothes. We’re ready. Should we call the sheriff’s office to meet us there?
” The second thing I track is that his eyes swing away from mine instead of landing on them, no return smile.
Sketchy. Then he turns to Taya. More sketchy.
“Taya, can I speak to Everly for a second? Alone?” He still won’t look at me. “Just, uh, wait in the Jeep. I’ll be right there.”
Taya lets go of my hand that she held all the way down the stairs, sidesteps me and slips silently out the front door, snagging her bag off the entryway table as she goes.
Once the door closes behind her, Julian finally looks at me but doesn’t speak.
I already know what’s coming and I’m not going to help him say it. I don’t move an inch except to raise my eyebrows. I know my resting bitch face is locked in and I don’t care. He’s gotta know that all things Taya are awkward and his behavior is just making it worse.
“Ever, I don’t want you going—in case it’s dangerous. Please don’t be mad.” He takes a step toward me, but I raise my hand up to halt him.
“Fine. Just go. Be careful.” I fucking hate Agreeable Everly.
That fucking girl is a pushover. Now isn’t the time for a walk down therapy lane.
I can thank my dad for the military ability to compartmentalize.
But, goddammit, sometimes I wish I were a more stereotypical dramatic, nagging female.
When Julian has the nerve to look hurt that I held off his affection or whatever he intended, I’m super fucking close to finding her.
“I’m fine. I’ll go see what Lilly, Noah and Seth are doing. ”
“I’ll be back as soon as possible. Thank you, Ever. I love you.”
I think I nod in response. I’m not sure my straight-lipped smile counts as an actual smile, but points for effort in the face of the monumental irritation. I summon my voice.
“I know.” And I do know and believe he loves me.
So why is he pushing me away, keeping me from this?
I don’t buy the safety thing. He’s gotta know that not including me, especially when it comes to Taya, isn’t going to land well.
I mean I’ve heard guys are dumb, but Julian isn’t dumb.
I turn my back and move toward the stairs.
When my foot hits the first step, I hear the door close behind me.
I stop the climb and pull my phone out and text Lilly.
Me: Hey wrud
Lilly: making food come over
Me: omw