Page 68 of From You to Me

Her beautiful lips wobbled, and tears gathered in the corner of her eyes.

A sight that sent a sharp jolt down my ribs.

“I have to go see her.” A sob broke out of her body as she babbled. “I have to go see Auntie M. I can’t believe I forgot, Jay. How can I forget? I’m such a bad niece.”

I swiped my thumbs over her cheeks. “I’m sure Marie doesn’t think you’re a bad niece, Evelyn. She loves you very much.” I gave her a reassuring smile.

“What?” she mumbled, her eyes shooting straight at me. “Auntie M is dead, Jay,” she said in a broken whisper as sobs quivered her body.

I stilled.

“She died six years ago today,” she wailed, sobbing in my arms.

It took me a moment to shake out of my shock and gather her close to me as her sobs filled the room. She repeated over and over again what a bad niece she was while I tried to calm her down, whispering soothing words in her ears.

The shock about Marie’s death was still reeling through my system. I’d thought she was in Seattle probably married to Liamand started her own family. But never in a million lifetimes did I expect her to be dead.

Evelyn must have been crushed by her death; I knew how much Marie meant to her. She was all she had. A sudden clawing feeling nagged me. She said Marie died six years ago. It was right around the time we broke it off. It meant that Evelyn had been alone all this time. I knew I shouldn’t care, but my mind took me right back to the promise that I made Marie, that I’d take care of Evy forever, but somehow, I’d failed.

It only made the nag claw deeper, drawing blood at the thought of her loss.

I thread my fingers through her velvet locks when she finally quieted down. I picked her up and settled her on the bed against a mountain of pillows.

Her teeth clattered as shivers wracked her body, her nipples hard against the thin tank and tiny sleep shorts that exposed the jagged scars standing stark against her ghastly pale skin. Knowing Evelyn, she never would’ve walked out baring them if she was in her right mind which only made me worry further not knowing what was going on inside her head.

A soft hand clasped mine as I turned to get her something to wear. Gleaming tears of diamonds coated the tips of her lashes as she peered at me. “Jay, I have to go to see her.” Her voice cracked. “But I don’t know how,” she said in the saddest tone that I’d ever heard her speak. It only made the pressure behind my eyes heighten.

I cupped her cheeks, gazing into those browns that kept this dead man alive. “Don’t worry. I’ll take you, okay?”

Something akin to life returned to her eyes as she nodded.

I couldn’t help but press a soft kiss on her forehead.

I gently pulled one of my hoodies down her trembling body. Something about her wearing my hoodie made my blood burn. She looked so small and delicate.

I shook out of it and called Tyler to get the jet ready. I didn’t have a show until the weekend, and it didn’t sit right with me to leave Evelyn alone at this time. And I wanted to pay my last respects to Marie because she meant a lot to me too.

“Here.” I handed Evelyn a steaming mug of her favorite black coffee, which I knew would make her feel a bit better.

She mumbled thanks as she sipped. Some color returned to her cheeks, and although she was still distressed, she seemed a lot better now.

“The jet will be ready by afternoon. Since our time is ahead, we can make it to Seattle by today.”

“Okay,” she whispered, clenching her hand around the hoodie.

I pried her fingers and smoothed them out, running my thumb along her soft creases. “How did she die?” I asked her softly.

“Car accident.” Her lips wobbled once again as she darted her browns to me. “I called you, but you never came.”

My brows furrowed, confused as I gazed at her.What was she talking about? When did she call me?I shook my head. “When? I didn’t get any of your calls, Evelyn.”

She gave me a slight nod. “She must have done something,” she said as a far-off look crept over her face.

An uncertain unease hit me as my confusion furthered. “She?”

Before she could give me an answer, Katy barged into the room, followed by Matt and Mikey.

“Please tell me it’s not true, Emmie?” she steeled out.

---