Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
W hat had just happened? Mercedes bit her lip to stop it from trembling.
She’d never seen Evan like that. Oh, sure she’d seen him hammered before, and it was apparent he’d imbibed quite a bit tonight, but he’d never gone off on her like that.
Never even done anything like that to his siblings, who teased him incessantly.
Playing back his words, she tried to decipher what they meant. Their relationship seemed to be going great, and suddenly he had a huge chip on his shoulder like she’d done something behind his back.
Charity case? Helping the Deaf guy? Yes, she’d been helping him understand and study his Level Two book, but he was hardly a charity case. Where had he gotten that notion?
A hand on her shoulder had her spinning, hoping he’d come back and was going to tell her he only said those things because he was drunk.
But it was Wardell. Not the person she wanted to see right now.
He’d been hitting on her big time tonight, no matter how many times she told him she was in a committed relationship.
“Not now, Wardell. I’m not in the mood.”
“Why?” He sneered. “Now that the idiot is gone, we can finally have some fun.”
She spun toward him, heat rising inside. “He’s not an idiot. He’s a better person than you. Haven’t I told you no enough times tonight?”
He lifted one side of his mouth. “I figured you were trying to be true blue to the deaf guy. He’s gone. He’s holding you back. You can do better than him. Like me. Or anyone else, really.”
“You’re hardly a better person than Evan.” She was starting to get a bad feeling that Wardell had been partly to blame for Evan’s weird behavior.
Wardell rolled his eyes. “Right. He doesn’t even know how to talk or read. What would you call him other than idiot?”
This man had gone too far. “I’d call him my friend and the man I love.” Crap, Evan should have been the first person to hear her say that, but she had lost her chance earlier. “Did you have something to do with him leaving?”
Wardell actually laughed. “I hope so. He probably realized I was far more advanced than him.”
“What did you do? Or say to him?” God, she hoped it wasn’t too bad.
“I didn’t say anything to him.” The smug look on his face told a different story.
Ayanna popped up behind Wardell and grimaced. “He was talking about you teaching Evan how to read. Is that true?”
“Where the heck did you hear that?”
Wardell preened like a peacock. “Tasha said you’d been helping him with some reading. Like the guy’s in third grade or something.”
Where had Tasha found that information? With the way she constantly hovered over her shoulder, it would have been easy enough to peek at her computer screen or phone. She wanted to murder Tasha, but she’d have to deal with that later.
“I can’t believe you, Wardell. First, what business is it of yours what I do with my boyfriend?
” Poking her finger into his chest, she didn’t let the man get a word in.
“It isn’t. At all.” Her voice was low and dangerous.
She poked again for good measure. “None of your damn business, so keep your nose and your comments to yourself.”
She turned away, then whirled back. She wasn’t finished. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you that, if you can’t say something nice, not to say anything? If she didn’t, then she did a piss poor job of raising you. Maybe you should heed that advice.”
He started to open his mouth, but she rounded on him again.
“And last, do you get a kick out of putting down and insulting someone with a hearing loss? Are you planning to go to the nursing home next and push some seniors out of their wheelchairs? Sounds about on par with your behavior tonight. Now get the hell out of my sight, and don’t ever ask for any favors again at work.
Don’t even talk to me when we’re there, unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Do you understand? Because if you don’t, I might just have to let slip to Saundra about all the time you spend on the computer looking at dating sites. ”
Mercedes stared at Wardell intently until he backed away and headed to the bar. It felt good to tell him off. Still, it wouldn’t erase what he’d done.
Ayanna sidled up next to her and patted her shoulder. “I’m sorry about your boyfriend. He seems like a good guy. I hope he’s not too mad.”
She glanced at Ayanna, who looked completely sympathetic. “He’s probably not my boyfriend any longer.”
Tears threatened to fall, but she squeezed her eyes shut to keep them at bay. She couldn’t do this right here. With a nod toward Ayanna, she made her way to the bathroom and locked herself in a stall. She typed up a text to Evan, hoping he’d see it and return.
—I found out what Wardell said. I’m sorry. I didn’t tell him. I have a feeling Tasha must have said something.—
No, that sounded like she’d told Tasha, which she most definitely hadn’t. Try again.
—I’m sorry for my stupid co-workers. Please, let’s talk.—
That made it sound like she’d been in on what Wardell had said and done. Delete that one. She needed to get this right.
—Evan, please text me back. We need to talk. It’s not what you think.—
That brought her back to his misreading when she’d told Gracie she was stupid for asking about them having sex. One more time.
—Please text me back and let me know you’re okay.—
That was better. When he got back to her, they could start a conversation about what happened. If he got back to her.
She waited almost twenty minutes, then decided he either hadn’t checked his phone or was too mad to respond. As much as she hated to take the train at this time of night by herself, she didn’t have much choice.
When she finally made it back to their apartment, a huge hole had opened up inside her chest. What if she couldn’t get him to listen to her?
She loved this man, but what had happened tonight had obviously pushed him to say things he never would have otherwise.
Yes, they hurt, but he must have been hurting, too, with what he saw.
She had to convince him she hadn’t told anyone about their lessons. Would he believe her?
After locking the front door, she stood outside his room.
Knocking wouldn’t do any good. She texted one last time telling him she was here.
No response. There wasn’t even any sound coming from the room.
Was he even home? Had he gone somewhere else after he’d left the bar?
To another bar to drink even more? She hoped not.
She’d worry all night until he got back.
She touched his doorknob and turned it. She had to know if he was home safe. It didn’t turn. He was home but had locked his door. That said more than any words could, and it sliced her like a knife.
Making her way past his door, she slogged into her room, not even turning the light on. Slumping on the bed, she dropped her head into her hands and cried.
This wasn’t going to work. How could he live in the same apartment as the woman who sold him out?
The one he’d given his heart to. He’d gotten up early, even though his head was killing him, so he could use the bathroom without being seen.
After the quickest shower on record, he’d pulled on some clean clothes that didn’t smell like beer and gotten into his truck.
Mercedes had peeked her head out of her room and stomped her foot to get his attention as he headed to the front door.
He simply ignored her and left. One of the perks of being deaf.
After two hours of driving aimlessly through Boston suburbs, he parked at a diner he and his family frequented often and sat in a booth in the back.
As he waited for the waitress, he reached into his pocket to scan his messages.
A whole bunch from Mercedes. One from his sister, Carli, asking where he was.
He responded to her but let the other messages sit unread.
He didn’t want to hear anything Mercedes had to say.
How could he have been so stupid? Well, that was the problem, wasn’t it? His inability to read and his low intellect. No, not low intellect. He was a smart guy, capable in many areas, but in the world of college librarians, it didn’t matter.
The waitress wandered over, and he had his order already typed out on his phone. He ordered hot chocolate and a plate of corn beef hash, toast, and scrambled eggs. Maybe someday he’d actually attempt to drink coffee, though he hated the taste of it. Seemed like a very grown-up thing to do.
It didn’t take long for his food to arrive, and he dug in, even though food was the last thing on his mind. By the time he’d devoured half of his meal, Carli walked in and sat in the booth across from him.
What are you doing here?
“I came to talk to you. What happened with Mercedes? I wanted to get together with her today, but she said she was having a really bad day and couldn’t even think about going anywhere.”
He gazed ahead, his eyes on his plate.
Carli tapped on the table in front of him. “Did you hurt her? If you did, I’ll kill you.”
The waitress appeared, and Carli flipped over her cup and asked for coffee. When the woman left, Evan stared at his sister and said, She hurt me.
He wasn’t sure if it was his words or the fact he looked like crap, but her face softened. “What happened?”
I confided in her about not being able to read well.
He went on to fill her in on the Level Two book and how he wanted to pass the test so he could get a promotion at his job.
The many nights working together with Mercedes helping interpret and giving him tips for figuring out words and meanings.
The practice with him speaking and reading through the book.
But last night, at Deaf Night Out, some of her work friends were at the bar. I met them several months ago when she had them all over. Most of them are a pretentious bunch of snobs. The worst of the guys was making fun of me and how she’d been teaching me to read. Like a little kid.