The back of my neck instantly heats at the memory and her confession. At the explanation she tried to give me that night but I wouldn’t hear because I was exhausted and so damn tired of being hurt. If only I’d know the hurt wouldn’t end when we did, maybe I would have heard her out.
“I didn’t get offered the New York position,” she continues. “I barely got offered a Montgomery position. My boss had wanted to sack me altogether. Said I had the talent but obviously not the commitment or professionalism that it took. That I obviously didn’twantit enough. But, my numbers didn’t lie. She knew it would be a mistake to get rid of me. They wanted to keep me on as an extended intern, but with Mom leaving and Dad struggling at the store all on his own…I couldn’t take it. I knew he’d never ask it of me, but he needed my help. So I quit Briar & Brooks to work at Jacks. To help Dad.”
That answers why Evangeline temporarily put her career goals on pause, but she has yet to explain one very important piece of this screwed up picture. As if reading my mind, she addresses it.
“Remy,” she whispers. “He came into Jacks a few months after my parents split up, a month after I started working there full time, trying to convince me to let his family buy our store. Chuck had been round and round with Dad over it throughout the previous few years, but now Remy was working with him and in the mix of it all. I told him initially to screw off, but he was persistent. He knew we were struggling. He somehow knew we were on the edge of going out of business financially. He ended up coming up with an investment offer. A way to pump some money back into the store and help Dad and I with the behind the scenes business aspects. I still told him no, but he wouldn’t give up. He just kept coming into the store. Slowly, we became friends, and then it became more. And we accepted the offer.”
I register my head shaking when Evangeline’s eyes narrow at me. I look away from her, needing a moment to process. I hear what she’s saying, but I also hear what she’s holding back. What she’s not willing to admit.
“I know you may not understand it, but he was there for me when no one else was,” Evangeline says. My gaze snaps back to her.
When no one else was.
“When I needed someone the most,” she continues. “He helped keep the store afloat. He cared for me. He welcomed me into his family.”
I just stare at her, my jaw flexing.
“What, Blake?” Evangeline begs, exasperated, throwing her hands in the air. “I mean, you’re the one always telling me to speak my mind. So go ahead. What do you have to say?”
“You ran away.”
Her mouth falls open. “What?”
“You heard me, Evangeline,” I say, dipping my head.
“What did I run away from, Blake? Tell me,” she growls.
“Yourlife! Because it got hard, because you lost one ounce of control, you gave it up all together.” Evangeline flinches, but I carry on. If we’re putting it all on the table, now’s the time. “I understand your dad needed help. I understand your wanting to find a solution. Butthis? Getting with this guy? Falling for his shit? Letting one thing permanently derail your entire life plan you’ve had written for as long as I’ve known you?”
Evangeline’s lips press together, her arms crossing.
“One bad day at work and you give up on the job you’ve always dreamed of andknowyou’re great atforever? Your family falls apart, so you just join a new one? One that’s hatedyourfamily and tried to take away everything they’ve worked for?”
“What should I have done instead?” she fumes, dropping her arms to her side and closing the distance between us. “Just opened up a bottle of whiskey and drowned my sorrows in that every night? Yeah, maybe I should have donethat.” The harsh truth of her retort pricks at my chest, but I don’t falter, hearing her out. “But you know what, Blake? I never even blamed you for that. I never held it against you, and I still don’t. You were hurting. You lost your dad and I know that was horrible, and I understood. But, even though the two situations are entirely different…I still lost my mom. We haven’t spoken a word to each other since she walked out that door. I–I just–” Her voice cracks, and she swallows against it. “I needed somebody.”
I let out a harsh sigh, my shoulders tightening. “You don’tneedanybody, Evangeline. But…you could have had me,” I grit, my head shaking. “You already did.”
“Well, obviously not. And donotput this on me,” she glowers, shoving her finger in my direction, it poking into my chest from how close we’re standing. “You’rethe one who put the nail in the coffin. You’re the one that told me to leave. You’re the one that said fate breaks–”
I grab the wrist of her hand that’s poking at me, pulling it to the side so I can take a step closer to her. “I fucked up, okay?” I rasp. “I admit it. I should have heard you out. I should have known something was wrong. I should have asked more questions. I know that and I have regretted it every day since. But don’t act like you did nothing wrong. You should have told me. At any point over the last six yearsbeforetwo weeks ago, you should have freaking called me, Evangeline. That’s all it would have taken. You shouldn’t have left me in the dark. You shouldn’t have left your whereabouts and feelings that night to my imagination. But, most importantly, you you shouldn’t have walked away–
“You shouldn’t haveletme!” Evangeline cries.
“Annie?”
Evangeline jumps back from me, only to realize I’m still holding her by the wrist. I drop her hand, letting it fall and allowing her to fully escape me. She quickly raises her hand to wipe a frustrated tear from the corner and her eye and smooths her hair down before turning back towards the direction of the voice. We’re both breathing hard and clenching our fists at our sides when Steph comes into view.
“Oh, there you are. Dad was looking for you. I think he’s ready to head out–”
Steph breaks off suddenly, looking between us and obviously sensing the tension.
“Oh. I’m sorry,” she says. “I didn’t mean to interrupt–”
“You weren’t. It’s nothing. I’ll go say goodbye to Dad. Thanks, sis,” Evangeline says, plastering on a fake smile, attempting to compose herself, and taking off towards the back entrance of the building. She brushes a hand over Steph’s shoulder as she passes her, not looking back once as she disappears into the night, leaving me and her sister alone.
One hand goes into my pocket while the other one fists into my hair. “Steph, I–”
“I know.” She smiles sadly, looking me over for several seconds before following after Evangeline and leaving me alone to wonder how the hell any of us got here.