Page 63 of Damaged & Deadly

“I also brought you some clothes and things I thought you might need,” I say, holding up the bag in my hand. “Although, I’m not sure how well the clothes will fit or if they’re even your style.” I shrug a shoulder, feeling somewhat self-conscious and unsure of myself. “But I figured they were better than wearing your brother's boxers.” One side of my lips lifts as I gesture to the navy boxers she’s wearing.

She grants me a small, amused smile. “Thanks.”

An awkward silence passes while we both stand there assessing one another. She’s stick-thin and covered in bruises, but she looks a little better after a shower and some sleep. The bags under her eyes seem smaller, and there’s a light in her eye that wasn’t there the last time I saw her—albeit it’s small and looks like a soft breeze could blow it out.

We both laugh when her stomach grumbles, her cheeks tinging pink with embarrassment. “Hungry?” I chuckle.

“I guess so.”

“Well, I was just thinking about ordering some pizza for everyone. Do you want some?”

Her eyes light up, her smile growing. “Pizza?! God, I can’t remember the last time I had pizza.”

Her stomach grumbles again, her arms wrapping around her middle as if to quell the noise. Lifting out my phone, I wave it in the air. “I guess I’d better put that order in.”

She smiles shyly, taking the bag from me. “Thanks, I think I’ll go change while I wait.”

I watch her make her way back upstairs while I put in the order for food before heading in search of Oliver. I find him sitting on the stoop on the back porch, staring off into nothing. He doesn’t even seem to hear me as I open the screen door and step onto the porch, walking over to sit beside him on the step.

Neither of us says anything for a long moment before I risk breaking the silence. “It’s okay not to feel for her what you once did,” I say softly, hazarding a guess at what I think has been bothering him.

He just sighs, not removing his focus from where he’s staring off into the distance.

“A lot of time has passed. You’ve both grown up and become different people.”

“None of that should have happened,” he bites out angrily. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I should know who she is, and she should know me because weshouldhave grown uptogether.”

I don’t let his anger get to me, knowing it’s not aimed at me specifically. “You can’t change the past, Oliver. You have to figure out how to move forward from here.”

He scoffs, shaking his head. “That’s the problem. I don’t know how to move forward from here. I don’t know who I am when I’m around her. I don’t know what she means anymore. I don’t…” he trails off with a sigh. “I don’t know anything anymore.”

Ouch. His words drive into me like a sledgehammer, and I have to swallow back the emotion that spikes along with the flare of pain. I know he’s confused and hurting. It used to concern me that I felt like I was competing with a dead girl, but now…

Oliver is my compass. He keeps me centered, always guiding me when I feel lost. I wish I could be that for him too, but I don’t know how to be that person. I don’t want to lose him, but if Evie is who he’s meant to be with, I won’t stand in his way, even if it will break my heart to watch him walk away.

Unsure what to say, I get to my feet, pushing back the tears in my eyes. “You have plenty of time to work it out. Evie’s here now, and you should spend time getting to know her and letting her see the incredible man you have become. And if she’s the one who still owns your heart, then she’s a lucky woman.”

My voice threatens to crack, so I stop before he can see how much saying those words pains me. Turning on my heel, I head back into the house to wait for the pizza.

Chapter 24

A loud knock on the front door early the next morning stirs me from sleep.

“Who the fuck is banging on the door at this hour?” Cain growls as he rolls out of bed, grabbing his gun before flinging open the bedroom door.

Unlike Cain, who is apparently okay with answering the door in nothing but a pair of boxers, I throw on my jeans and one of Cain’s t-shirts that I find lying on the floor before grabbing one of my knives and hustling after him.

Oliver is already at his side by the time I reach the top of the landing, the two of them presenting an impenetrable wall as they approach the door. Things have been awkward with Oliver since our—well, my—chat with him last night. I’m trying to give him space, but that isn’t easy when all I want to do is wrap him up in a hug and tell him everything will work itself out. He looks so sad, but he has to figure out his feelings on his own.

“What the fuck?!” Cain gasps when he opens the door. “What the hell are you doing here?”

I can’t see past his broad frame to see who’s at the door, but whoever it is obviously isn’t here to kill us, so I curiously make my way down the stairs, still palming my knife.

“You didn’t think I’d stay away after hearing about Evie, did you?” a deep voice responds seconds before Cain pulls the door open wider, allowing me a brief glimpse at the man in the doorway. He’s tall, with neatly styled dark hair and vibrant green eyes. He’s dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, showing off his tattoo sleeve down one arm.

His gaze collides with mine over Cain’s shoulder and he quirks a brow. Noticing that something has caught his attention, Cain glances my way before stepping aside, allowing him entrance.

“Beck, this is Red,” he introduces.

---