Page 16 of Sweet Revenge
“She’d want you to have those,” she said before turning to finish zipping the clothes into the garment bags.
“You’re sure?”
“Of course.”
They descended the stairs, that creaking step greeting them as they reached the bottom. Evie waited at the base of the porch steps for Nessa to lock the door and walked with her to their cars.
“Are you busy today? Maybe want to grab coffee?”
“No, I’m good. I’ve got to get this to McGee and take care of some other stuff. Sorry.”
“No.” Evie waved a hand in the air. “Don’t be.” She tried to ignore the guilt that squirmed just under the relief. “What are we supposed to do about the house?” Evie cast a long look over her shoulder.
“Let’s get through tomorrow. Then we can worry about everything else.”
With a nod, Evie waited for Nessa to climb into her car and pull away from the curb before turning back to the house. Looking up at the only home she’d ever truly known, grief settled like a weight in her chest. This was the last time she’d ever see it, and now her memories of this place would be forever coated in blood.
ChapterNine
Evie stood in the middle of her third store in as many hours. Christ, she hated shopping. It was even easier to loathe it when spring made it impossible to find a suitable black dress for a funeral she didn’t even want to go to.
She hooked the navy dress back on the rack with a frustrated sigh. She’d missed so much already. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—miss their funeral too. But what the fuck was she supposed to wear?
“Evie?”
The soft, familiar voice made her tense, and she forced herself to relax. In less than forty-eight hours, she’d be back in New York, and this would all be behind her. She could handle anything for forty-eight hours. She turned slowly.
“Hi, Cait.”
She expected the same awkwardness she’d gotten from Nessa, but there was nothing but warmth in her old friend’s smile. Evie’s eyes dropped to the enormous diamond on her finger, and Cait’s bawdy laugh rang out. She’d always been amazed at how someone so small could laugh so big.
“I know, it’s obscene. Finn said you were back, but I didn’t think I’d believe it until I saw it with my own eyes.” Cait smiled again, blue eyes crinkling at the corners. “You look good.”
Warmth spread through her chest, and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of the sensation. Like Declan, Cait had always felt like home.
“You look better. So you married Finn? What could you possibly have seen in him?”
Cait laughed, and Evie smiled. “Tall, dark, and handsome. What’s not to like?” she replied, using an old adage from their childhood. “Plus, he makes pretty cute kids.”
Evie’s heart squeezed in her chest. She’d dreamed about children once. They’d sit up late into the night with their friend Maura whispering about what their kids would be like and how they’d grow up playing together. They’d been so convinced that everything would be perfect. Cait, at least, had found perfection.
“How many?”
Cait’s smile softened as if she was also remembering their late-night dreams. “Just the one, but more eventually. Want to see him?”
“Absolutely.”
Cait dug her phone out of her purse and moved to stand next to Evie, swiping through pictures of a tow-headed boy with rosy cheeks and the Callahan blue eyes. He was triumphant at the bottom of a slide, fists raised in the air, sweet in sleep with his thumb half hanging out of his mouth.
“He’s beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Cait beamed, slipping her phone back into her purse. “I can’t believe he’ll be four this winter. Do you have any?”
“Kids?” Cait nodded. “No.” Her dream of having children evaporated when she left Philadelphia.
Cait laid a hand on her arm, squeezing gently. “I’ve missed you, and I’m glad to see you even if I hate the reason. And since you hate small talk, I’ll skip over the clichés about how amazing they were and instead say that it fucking sucks.”
Evie barked out a laugh. Cait had always known her better than she knew herself. “You can say that again.”
