CHAPTER 33
Eve
T he next day, I'm reminded about the article when we're out to lunch with Cotton and Adam flips him off across the table.
"So that reminds me, did you see the Campus Sleuth article featuring you and your love life?"
Adam stills beside me. His eyes narrow to slits and I can see that he has a stranglehold on his anger. "Show me." He grits out.
I take out my phone and pull up the article before I hand it over to Adam.
He instantly softens when he sees the picture of us.
I don't know what he expected to see but I do know that he's happy and relieved to see that it's us.
He doesn't seem bothered at all that his bird salute was caught on camera.
He takes a moment longer to read the article and then looks up at me.
His mouth is pursed, but he's smiling with his beautiful dark eyes. "Problem?"
"Well to start, you flipped off Alton for absolutely no reason."
"You know very well why I did that. You also know he's lucky to be alive."
Cotton clears his throat before speaking. "What exactly was the reason that you flipped him off?"
Adam's voice quivers with renewed rage when he responds. "He was touching her."
I quickly cut in. "My elbow, barely. He touched my elbow so softly that I almost didn't register it."
"You went rigid instantly, you felt it and you knew he was in danger." Adam bites out, daring me to deny it.
I remain silent because he's right. I had no idea that he noticed how uncomfortable the touch had made me.
The thing is, I like Alton. He's a nice person.
I just don't like to be touched. I'm getting better though.
I don't mind when Cotton, Cal, or Ada touch me, and Eli and Vaughn have been able to manhandle me from the beginning.
I just need to have time to get comfortable with someone. I need to know they aren't a threat.
I'm lost in my thoughts when Adam grabs me by the face with one hand and presses an aggressive kiss on my cheek. I squint my eyes and laugh out loud. When I open my eyes, I see him pulling his phone back. He took our picture and now he's tapping around on his phone.
"Is that your Instagram?" The question isn't necessary because I see the pictures he's posted of us there on the screen, but I ask it anyway.
"Whoa the fuck? You have Instagram? That can't be right. My brother wouldn't get Instagram and not tell me about it."
"I follow you, Brother," Adam says back lazily with emphasis on the brother.
Cotton hurriedly pulls out his phone and looks at his Instagram. "Oh, shit. Okay. I follow you too now. You know I never get on that thing."
Adam chortles under his breath. I look at his phone again and notice his follower count. I don't know much about social media, but I know that's a lot of followers. He's posting the picture he just took of us. It's actually really cute. We look happy. It's the caption that makes me squirm a little.
'My girl, volleyball superstar and all-around otherworldly perfection, Eve Mason, soon to be known as Eve Davenport.'
"Really, Adam?"
He doesn't respond and instead leans over, looking at my lips, silently asking me to meet him halfway. I do. Of course I do.
......................................
We walk into the cozy apartment to see Eli and V sitting on the couch watching TV.
Vaughn is on Eli's lap per usual. I swear he's afraid her ass will disintegrate if he allows it to touch a surface that isn't his body.
They look at me and flash their 'we're happy you're home' smiles.
Eli's smile dims a bit when he sees Adam, but it doesn't drop completely, and I take that as a good sign.
My phone rings and I look down to see that it's the police station.
"It's the police station. Do you think something happened? "
"Answer it," Vaughn says impatiently.
I tap the green button and clear my throat. "H-hello, this is Eve."
"Eve Mason?"
"Yes, this is her."
"Miss Mason, this is Detective McCleary. There has been a development, and we need you to come down to the station." His southern drawl is comforting but I'm instantly on edge about coming to the police station.
I place my hand over the phone and tell everyone, "He says there's been a development in the case. He wants me to come to the station."
Vaughn mouths 'when' without actually speaking.
I put the phone back to my ear. "When do you need me to come?"
"The sooner, the better Miss Mason. Could you come now?"
"I uh sure. Yeah. I'll be right there."
I drop the hand holding my phone to my side.
"He wants me to come now," I say the words without really speaking to anyone.
What could he possibly want? Would they have set a trial date already?
If so, why would I need to go all the way to the station for him to tell me what it is?
It's something else. Something too sensitive to share over the phone.
Adam must sense my inner turmoil because he grabs me around the waist and pulls me into him. "I'll drive you. Everything's going to be okay." I nod absentmindedly. "Let's go." He says to me before turning his attention to the couple on the couch. "We'll be back whenever we finish at the station."
Adam pulls out his phone and appears to be texting.
Two seconds later, I see V pull her phone out in my periphery.
She looks at Adam briefly and gives a quick nod.
I'm too caught up in all the possibilities of what McCleary could want to question me about to wonder why he texted her instead of just saying it out loud.
I still don't even know how he got Eli and V's phone numbers.
When we walk into the bustling police station, we see a young guy at the front desk. He doesn't look much older than me. He's tall and lanky with an innocent smile. "How can I help you two?"
"We're here to see Detective McCleary. He's expecting us.
" I keep my indifferent expression in place and control my tone to mask the anxiety I feel at being in this building with so many potential threats.
It isn't real, Eve. None of it was ever real.
The young man is back within a couple of minutes and leads us to what appears to be an interrogation room in the back.
McCleary is already seated when we walk in, so he rises to greet us.
The room is cold and not just in temperature.
"Miss Mason, thank you for coming down here so quickly. I apologize for the short notice."
We shake hands and I introduce him to Adam while trying to remain stoic. "Uh don't worry about it. This is my boyfriend, Adam. Adam, this is Detective McCleary."
The men shake hands and greet one another before we all take our seats in the metal chairs. Adam pulls my chair closer to his and grabs my inner thigh.
"Miss Mason I'm just goin' to get right down to it. Paul Hastings made bail and his whereabouts are currently unknown."
His words stun me. Made bail? Why did he even have bail?
He's a violent offender. Doesn't that mean something?
As though he's reading my mind or thinking the same thing, Adam says, "He attacked her on the street and there was a witness.
Why was he even allowed bail?" He speaks clearly and with menace in his tone.
"Although we are aware of some reported assaults perpetrated by Mr. Hastings, none of them have resulted in charges. He is a first-time offender, leaving us with no cause to deny him bail. He maintained that Miss Mason was the attacker and that he was simply approaching her to see if she was okay."
Adam's eyes narrow before he asks, "And you believe him?"
The detective leans forward on the table, looking Adam in the eyes.
I have immediate respect for this man. Adam is intimidating at the best of times.
Even before he speaks, the jet-black hair, deep abyss eyes, dangerously sharp jawline, and overall murderous vibes tell a normal person to keep a distance of at least two car lengths between you and him.
If the detective is intimidated, he doesn't show it. "No. I do not. I believe that Mr. Hastings finally fucked around with the wrong girl, and he found out he's a piece of shit pansy who should learn to keep his dick in his pants."
Damn. That's it. I like this guy. I am team this guy .
The detective leans back in his chair, adopting a less threatening position.
I'm happy that he put some distance between him and Adam, but Adam could not have been less affected by their proximity anyway.
"I believe that Miss Mason is our best chance at finally putting this violent offender behind bars. "
Adam stares back at the detective, appearing to study him. "What do you want from her?"
"At this moment in time, we want you to be careful, Miss Mason.
We believe that Paul Hastings has intimidated his victims in the past and that this is the reason they've all recanted.
Unfortunately, we don't know if he has done the intimidating himself or if he has friends that have done it for him so, at this time, we would like you to be wary of anyone that you don't know. "
I'm quiet for a while, processing his words. Threats. He's explaining that everyone I don't know is a potential threat. Got it. Business as usual.
"Okay. Careful. Got it."
Both men look at me like I just announced that I'm Robin Hood, the Disney fox version, and will soon begin robbing the rich to feed the poor with my posse of talking vigilante forest creatures.
I quirk my brows in question to their ongoing stares.
The detective clears his throat. "Ah Miss Mason, I have to admit that I expected a stronger reaction from you.
I'm a little concerned that you aren't taking the potential threat here seriously. "
"Oh. I see. I am. Taking it seriously, that is. It's just that...well, I kind of always perceive threats in strangers, so it kind of feels like I'm already prepared for this potential threat." I place potential threat in air quotes and it's clear that the detective doesn't appreciate it.
"I see. You mentioned on the night of the attack that you were going home to a live-in significant other" I feel Adam's eyes on me, but I choose to ignore his attention.
He wasn't home on the night of the attack, so he knows that I lied to the detective.
"I assume this means that you spend most nights together.
I think that it would be a good idea to have someone with you at all times until we're able to locate Mr. Hastings. "
"Got it. No problem." My response clearly comes too quick for the detective's liking.
The detective furrows his brow, and I know he thinks that I have agreed too readily to his terms. "It's just that, I don't think we," I gesture between Adam and myself "could possibly spend more time together than we already do.
If we aren't together, I'm with my roommates.
I just don't spend much time alone, so none of your requests seem to deviate much from my normal day. "
Detective McCleary places both hands on the edge of the table in front of him and gives me an 'alright then' expression before saying, "Alright then.
That's really all I had to discuss with you at this point in the case.
If I'd been aware how well you were going to take the news, I could've saved you the trip and told you the information over the phone. "
I hear the detective mumble under his breath, "always something new with this job," as he pushes his chair away from the table and stands. Adam drags his hand from my thigh to my hip opposite him as we stand together. He pulls me into him and the detective tracks the movement.
"Thank you both for coming in. I'll keep you updated as much as I can and, when we find Mr. Hastings, you'll be the first to know."
I smile and thank the detective before we turn and walk toward the exit.