Evan

 

I’d fucked up.

Peters was right; I let it go too far. In the beginning, I just wanted to protect her and keep her from Kendall’s sharp claws, but then we’d ended up in a few classes together, and she intrigued me. The prim and proper girl from the right side of the tracks trying to keep up with Credence High’s finest. When I’d watched her stroll right up to Kendall and her crew, I’d almost intervened. But for a split second, the look on Kendall’s face was worth it. Of course, it only raised the stakes. No one tried to play Kendall’s game and walked away unscathed.

No one.

“Earth to Porter. Seriously, where the fuck are you right now?” Peters paced in front of me, sucking on her joint like it was a piece of candy.

“You need to quit that shit.”

She flashed me a wry smile. “Don’t start. Besides, we’re here to discuss how we fix your mess, not my extracurricular activities.”

I scrubbed a hand down my face. Over a week had passed since Becca discovered the truth about everything. Eleven days without talking to her, holding her … tasting her. She’d buried herself so damn deep under my skin that not being close to her physically hurt. And to make matters worse, Peters thought it warranted regular discussion as if we were more than just acquaintances who helped each other out occasionally.

“She won’t talk to me.”

“Me neither.”

“Lilly?”

“No go. She’s taking Becca’s side. Something about me pulling a bullshit move.”

“She’s not wrong.”

Peters stopped pacing, and her head snapped up. “Are you fucking kidding me? I only did this for you.”

“Bullshit. One way or another, you would’ve stepped in. After what went down with—”

“Yeah, yeah, but you didn’t have to go and fuck her.”

“Peters,” I growled, clenching my fists at my sides. It was never just about that with Becca.

Never.

“Oh.” She stared at me and then choked on her laughter. “Don’t tell me you actually went and fell for her?”

I glared at her, not liking where this was headed.

Peters’ eyes widened to saucers. “Holy shit, you did.”

“Shut up.”

“I thought you were just fooling around. Itching a scratch.”

“Peters,” I growled again. “I like her, okay? She got under my skin. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but it did.”

I more than liked her. I had ... Shit. I couldn’t be, could I? Not that it mattered now; Becca wouldn’t even look at me.

“So what’s the plan, lover boy? Because if word gets back to Kendall that you and Becca are ... Things are going to turn to shit pretty quick.”

“She already knows.”

“Well, shit.”

I nodded, offering her a tight smile.

“So what’s the plan?”

Well, that was the million-dollar question, wasn’t it? Because I wasn’t losing Becca to Kendall’s bullshit. My family’s bullshit.

No fucking way.

~

“Becca, wait up.” I pushed off the wall and jogged up beside her. She tensed and kept her head down, quickening her pace.

“Becca, please.”

“Go away, Evan.”

“Not going to happen. Not until you talk to me. Please.” My voice was low. I didn’t want to do this here, in the crowded hallway under the curious stares of our classmates, but she wasn’t giving me another choice. I’d tried texting and calling. Even hung out at the diner on Sunday, hoping she would spare me five minutes, but in the end, Cindy had asked me to leave.

Nothing was working so I’d resorted to stalking her at school, waiting for my opportunity.

The doors grew closer, and I raked my hand over my head, feeling the pressure. If she walked out of school, I would lose my chance.

“Becca, come on, you have to talk to me eventually.”

She ground to a halt and spun around so quickly I stepped back to avoid crashing into her. Her hardened gaze met mine. “Evan, how many times do I need to tell you? Leave. Me. Alone.”

My hand instinctively reached out for her, but she jerked back. Shit. That hurt. “Becca, come on, this is me. I didn’t mean to—”

“Hey, Becca.” Vin Stokes appeared at her side. “Everything okay here?”

I glared at him, wondering what the fuck he was playing at, but it rolled off him as he glanced back and forth between us. “Becca?”

“Could you drive me home?”

He shrugged. “Sure, come on. Later, Porter.” Vin hoisted his bag further up his shoulder and motioned for Becca to lead the way.

Fucker. Anger boiled through me, and I clenched my fist. “B …” The words died on my tongue because what was the point? She wasn’t ready to hear what I had to say, and I couldn’t blame her. But it didn’t mean I was ready to give up.

I watched her leave the building with Stokes. He stood a little too close for my liking, but in a weird way, I was glad she had him, and Lilly, and Jay, even Malachi. Kendall promised to back off now that she’d ruined Becca’s shot at an easy ride through senior year, but I didn’t trust her. If Kendall saw an opportunity to make someone hurt, she’d take it.

I kept walking, taking a left when I exited the school. Mellie collected Eli from school on Thursdays, so I took the shortcut through the track field to get home quicker.

“It’s so sad,” a voice said, and I turned to come face to face with Kendall. “Watching you mope after her like a sick puppy.”

“Fuck you, Kendall.”

Her eyes sparkled with something, and she chewed her thumb. “Just say the word, Evan.”

“You’re sick; you know that?” I hissed.

She let out an exasperated breath. “We’re barely cousins. Besides, I’ve seen the way you look at me.”

“You’re delusional. I want nothing to do with you or your crazy-as-fuck family. Stay away from me and stay away from Becca.” I kept going, knowing that if I stuck around, I’d probably say or do something I’d regret, but her words followed me.

“Her life at Credence High is over, Evan. O-ver! And you can avoid me all you want, but we’re family, baby, fam-i-ly.”

~

“Evan,” Eli shrieked as he came bounding into the house. “You’re home.”

I caught him midleap and hugged him to me. “It’s good to see you, buddy.” 

“Mom said we can go and get ice cweam after dinner if I eat all my vegitables.”

“She did, huh?”

Mom had obviously forgotten she had a shift at the store. She wouldn’t be home until eight thirty, and Eli’s bedtime was seven thirty.

“Yeah. She said I can have anyfink I want, so I’m getting the mint and the cookie dough.”

“Mint and cookie dough? Wow.” I patted his head and wrestled him off my lap and onto the couch. “Was he okay at pre-K?”

Mellie replied, “He was fine. I picked him up, and we made pizza.”

“Pizza? I hope you saved me some?”

Eli’s cheeks turned the color of beets. “Hmm, Mr. Stompy ate it.”

“Mr. Stompy?”

Mellie laughed gently, mouthing, “His latest favorite.” 

“Okay. Well, what do you say to Mellie?”

“Thank you, Mellie.”

“Thanks,” I mouthed. I didn’t know what we would do without her. She waved and let herself out. Eli switched on the television and snuggled into my side. “Can we go and see Becca again soon?”

I stifled a groan. He’d asked the same question almost every day since we last saw her. “I don’t know about that, buddy. Remember I told you Becca and I had a fight?”

“Yeah, I know, but you said sorry, wight? So now she should be your fwiend again?”

“I tried, but I think it’s going to take more than just an apology.”

“Ooh, I know! You could buy her fowers. They always make Mellie happy.”

Somehow, I suspected flowers weren’t going to cut it either.

“Or you could buy her a football. She wiked playing football with me.” He turned to me with mischief sparkling in his eyes. “Hey, I could invite her to the park again. I bet she’d wike to pwray with me and then she’d have to forgive you because I can’t go alone.”

I smiled. He was so innocent; I didn’t have the heart to burst his bubble. “Maybe, buddy, maybe.”

“Awesomes. Will Mom be home soon? I want ice cweam.”

I ruffled his hair and stood. “Mom left a note. She’s really sorry, but she got called into work.”

Disappointment flashed in his eyes, and I hated her for doing this to him. He didn’t deserve it. I’d learned to accept Mom’s faults a long time ago, but Eli was just a baby. He didn’t understand.

“But she promwised.” His bottom lip quivered.

“She left ten dollars, though, just for you.”

“She did?” The disappointment ebbed away and was replaced with excitement.

“Yeah, and she said to get the biggest sundae they have.”

“Yay.” He leaped up and cheered. “Can I get extra spwinkles?”

“Sure thing, as long as I can share.” I grabbed the keys off the counter. 

“No way! You ate it all last time.” 

I laughed. He’d ordered a fudge sundae and managed three mouthfuls before declaring himself full. “Okay, okay, come on,” I said. “The last one to my car is a rotten egg.”

~

Eli gripped my hand. “I feel sick.”

“You ate a lot of ice cream, buddy.”

“Too much.” He groaned as we walked along Main Street. “I don’t fink I can walk, Ev.”

“Come here.” I bent down and hoisted him up in my arms. He shrieked with delight, wrapping his chubby hands around my neck.

“It was a lot of ice cweam, wasn’t it? Told you I could eat it all.”

“So you did.”

“Hey, there’s the diner where Becca works. Can we go say hi?”

My eyes landed on the diner. I didn’t even know if she would be working, and it was wrong to use a child as leverage, but I’d take what I could get.

“Let’s go see if she’s there,” I said.

Eli leaned in and whispered something, and I smiled. Almost four and he already had the moves. He would break hearts when he was older.

“That sounds like a great idea. Come on.”

We stopped at the store a couple of buildings from the diner, and I let Eli choose since it was all part of his plan to get Becca to forgive me. When we reached the diner, he turned to me and said, “Let me go in first. She’ll be happy then for when you say sorry again.”

I nodded and pushed the door open, letting him duck underneath my arm. Cindy’s head whipped up, and she frowned.

I held up my hands in surrender. “We come in peace.” My head flicked at Eli who was already looking around for Becca. “Is she here?”

Cindy grimaced, but when her eyes landed on Eli, they softened, and she smiled. “Becca, you have a table.”

The door separating the front and back of the diner swung open, and Becca’s gaze collided with mine, anger blazing.

Shit. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.