Page 30 of The Archer Brothers

“Are you really my son?” her voice cracks as I nod.

“He is,” Ryley says. “And before you go assuming anything, you should know that Evan and I started therapy this week, and we’re trying to find a peaceful resolution.”

I shrug. “Ryley’s may be peaceful. I intend to fight.”

“They’re getting married, Evan; surely you don’t want to ruin their wedding.”

I glance from Ryley, who knows exactly that’s what I plan to do, to my mother who is going to bat for Nate and realize that everything Ryley has said is true. “Mom, when I left she was my fiancée. We didn’t break up, so as far as I’m concerned she’s still mine.”

“Oh, Evan, everything is so much more complicated than that.”

“I know about EJ and Nate. EJ also knows that I’m his dad. I’m not expecting things to change overnight, but I am expecting some changes. I didn’t die, mom. My life didn’t stop. I didn’t lose my memory, and I wasn’t held captive. I came home and thought my family was waiting for me. I was wrong, but my family is trying, and that’s all I need right now. You can be on Nate’s side all you want, but as far as I’m concerned he’s dead to me. All he had to do was protect Ryley and EJ. Instead, he thought he’d take advantage of the situation.”

“He thought you were dead,” she roars, protecting him. “We all did.” She points to the mantle behind me. “It’s not like he made a conscious decision to go after Ryley. Believe me, Evan, I begged him not to. I begged her not to. But as I’ve been reminded many times, they’re adults and they fell in love. Don’t blame your brother when he’s not here to defend himself.”

She stands and glares at Ryley before leaving the room. This homecoming isn’t going like I thought it would. Hell, none of them are. Maybe I was better off being dead.

The tug on my shorts cuts short my pity party. I look down to find EJ staring at me. “Hi, EJ,” I say, unsure of what I should call him. I’d like to call him buddy or junior, but don’t want to if that’s what Nate calls him.

“Can you come outside and play wif me?”

I glance at Ryley, who’s nodding. “You bet,” I say to EJ, who takes my hand and pulls me through the house to the backyard that holds a nice-sized jungle gym.

I DON’T KNOW IF Iexpected Julianne’s icy demeanor toward me to change when she saw Evan, but I definitely didn’t expect her to sling a verbal attack my way to take the blame off of Nate. When Nate and I were growing closer, no one more than me tried to put the brakes on our relationship. It just grew, everything just happened. You reach a point where there’s no turning back because if you do, you lose your best friend and I couldn’t afford to lose him too.

I still can’t afford to lose him. I know I will eventually. There’s only so much one person can take, and the moment he finds out that Evan is alive it’s going to be a fight or flight situation. He either stays and fights for EJ and me and could lose us all, or he leaves and it’s EJ and I losing. We’re in a no-win situation and have the Navy to thank for it.

Someone is to blame for Evan being gone for so long. Someone needs to explain why we were told he and everyone else was dead. Someone needs to pay and take the blame for this mistake or whatever it is they’re calling it. We need answers and guidance. We need reassurance that this will never happen again. I need to know why they sent care packages on my behalf but watched as I mourned the love of my life. Who does that to people?

“Mom kick you out?”

Livvie comes into view. She looks more like Evan than Nate and it used to be hard to look at her. When she was younger, we got along well. She was the sister I always wanted, but never had. I used to have her antagonize the girls Nate would bring home. I never thought any of them were good enough for him except for Cara. She left when he wouldn’t leave the SEALs after Evan died. I know she was scared – I was too – but it’s no reason to turn your back on the one you love.

I look away from Livvie and roll my eyes. I don’t want a confrontation with her, but I know one is coming. She hates me. I don’t blame her. Not only did I give Nate the green light to go back to active duty, I did the incomprehensible to her by being with him. She told me that I was desecrating Evan’s memory. She’s probably right, and it makes me wonder if that is how Evan feels now.

“Is EJ here?”

“Yeah, he’s here… with Evan.”

Livvie pauses mid-step. She sets her foot down and slides into a sitting position. “What’d you say?”

I sigh and lean back so we can make eye contact. “I know you’re angry with me and I don’t blame you, but I need you to hear me out before you walk inside that house. The other day I came home and Evan was there.”

She gasps and covers her mouth.

“He was walking toward me like he had done so many times before when he’d come back from deployment. Except as soon as she saw my face, he knew something was wrong. As far as he knew, we thought he was alive. He was getting care packages that were marked from me, from you and your mom. He had no idea we had buried him years ago.”

“You’re telling me that my brother, who we buried, is alive and in my house?” she points the house and I nod.

“With his son.”

“What?” her voice breaks. “You told EJ that Evan is his dad?”

“What was I supposed to do, Livvie? Tell Evan that since he died he doesn’t get to know his son? He died, we moved on. We all agreed that we’d let EJ call Nate dad because we didn’t want him to feel left out in school. Well, now look at us. Evan isn’t dead, Nate’s not home and EJ has no idea what the hell is going on!” I throw my hands up exasperated. It’s been a constant battle with her and Julianne. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. It doesn’t matter what I do, they’re never satisfied with the results.

The screen door opens and I know it’s Evan before Livvie realizes he’s standing there. “Hey, Tink,” he says from behind us. I look over my shoulder and smile. He’s standing there with his ball cap on backwards and his hands pushed into his pockets.Thisis the Evan that left us all those years ago. We’ve lost so much time and because of that lives have been damaged.

“Evan, is it really you?” Livvie asks as she stands on shaky legs. She climbs the few steps to where he’s standing and he pulls her into his arms. She’s crying into his shoulder and this makes me realize that this is the first emotion he’s received from any of us. The rest of us are too shocked by his return to let this side of us show.Thatis how my reunion should’ve been with him. Instead I threw myself a pity party and didn’t invite him.

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