Page 198 of Irreversible

“There’s one more thing.” The admission sounds as raw as I feel on the inside. “When I met you, I was at my lowest point. I’d spent my whole life building a wall around myself, but somehow, you got through it.” I take a deep breath and let it all out. “And now, I can’t fucking stay away from you.”

Everly’s face crumples; a sob breaks free.

That’s when I pull her body into mine.

All the resistance in her muscles dissolves and she collapses against me, pouring the emotion into my chest.

My breaths are shaky, but I keep calm, so she doesn’t have to.

I don’t know how to do this. I’m not good with women’s tears, or emotions in general. Not even my own. But here we are, sitting on a bed in this motel room where I just unleashed my filthy fantasies on this girl, and she accepted every one of them.

Now, I’ve shown her the final pieces of me I’d been holding back.

There’s nothing left to do but tuck my face against her hair and let her fall apart.

When she’s wrung out, she backs up enough to look me in the eye. “I don’t like feeling lied to this whole time…but I’m going to try to understand.” Leaning in, she rests her foreheadagainst mine. With her cheeks streaked with tears and her eyes rimmed red, I’ve never seen anything so damn beautiful.

My phone chimes through with a text. I glance at the bedspread; it lies forgotten where Everly tossed it, a message waiting on the lock screen.

Tanner

I have an update. Call me if you aren’t dead.

“You should talk to him. I’ll go get cleaned up.” Everly leans back, rubbing her index fingers beneath her eyes. “Tell Tanner I said hello.” The last part is delivered with a smile that promises my friend will eventually be getting more of an earful thanhello.

I hit the call button, and he answers on the first ring. “On a scale of one to ‘I’m in danger of losing a sensitive area of my anatomy,’ how fucked are you right now? I mean that in a bad way.”

“I’m in one piece. Everly says hi. What’s going on?”

“Sure she did. Remind me to wear a cup when I see her next.” He switches me to speaker, suddenly sounding farther away, and I do the same. I’m not going to hide this from her anymore. “I’m about to send some information over and wanted to give you a heads-up. Nothing earth-shattering, but IthinkI’ve tracked Vincent to Belgium. No further signs in your area. It’s possible he sent that picture to keep you distracted with the girl so he could move.”

“He sent a picture? Of me?” Everly emerges from the bathroom, wiping her face with a washcloth. The fresh cloud of fear I see there burns through my veins.

Thiswas what I’d been trying to avoid.

“Oh, hey, Everly.” Tanner’s voice is tinged with wariness. “Don’t hate me, okay? Your man’s a handful; I’m just trying to keep him safe.”

“Isaac, The Time—” She’s ignoring Tanner. Needing confirmation from me. “Vincent… Is he?—”

“I’m not letting anything happen to you.”

“Are we in danger now?”

“I’ve got a handle on it. That’s why I?—”

“Holy shit. Oh, my God.” Her panic is snowballing by the second.

“Everly.” Her name comes out sharply. “I am not going to let anything happen to you.”

“You can’t watch me every minute.” When I merely raise an eyebrow, her eyes widen. “Oh… You alreadyare.”

Tanner breaks in, reminding me he’s still on the line. “I’m going to go. Best of luck there, buddy. I’ll check in when I know more.”

My eye contact with Everly doesn’t waver; she needs to know she’s safe. “Listen to me. I won’t be responsible for someone I care about getting hurt ever again.” When she moves closer, I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her toward me so she’s standing between my thighs. “I don’t care what it takes.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to wipe him off the face of the earth. He’s as good as dead right now.”

---