Becca

 

“See you at lunch?” Evan entwined our fingers, pulling me back in for a kiss. My hands went to his chest to steady myself. Since Teller’s two nights ago, he was different. Sure, to everyone else, he was the same brooding guy, but with me, he was more at ease. I’d gotten a glimpse of a completely different Evan—playful and lighter—and I liked it. 

“Go, go.” I shoved him away. “I need to stop by my locker, but I’ll be fine. Go.”

He studied me for a second, trying to see past my front. Finally, after a couple of seconds, he relented and headed in the opposite direction. The hallway was emptying, and I hurried to my locker to grab the textbook I’d forgotten. When I opened the door, a white note fluttered out, landing at my feet. My heart had sunk for a second before I snapped it back into place. 

 

 

I stared at the handwriting, my eyes lingering on every word as I read them again. Was she crazy? She was; she was batshit crazy. I would not play this game, and she had to know that. With one last disbelieving glance, I crumpled the paper, stuffed it in the nearest trashcan, and headed to class.

~

“Watch it, bitch.” Kendall’s shoulder collided with mine, and I righted myself, shooting her a glare to rival the one etched on her face. Her eyes narrowed, burning with hatred as she leaned into me. I was aware people were watching us. Probably expecting a girl fight.

“You know, Becca”—her voice was low in my ear—“you really should watch where you’re going. Who you’re hanging around with. We wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to them.” 

I reared back, pressing my lips together. I would not engage her; it was what she wanted. Finally accepting my silence, she said, “See you around,” and carried on walking. 

I jammed my trembling hands into my pockets and kept my head low, avoiding the stares of my classmates, but when I rounded the corner, my body smacked straight into Malachi. 

“Hey, you okay?” he asked, studying me. 

“Fine.” My voice was clipped, and I flashed him a quick smile to disguise the turmoil running through me.

His head tilted. “Are you sure?”

I nodded, moving around him to go to my locker. 

“Porter said to tell you to wait for him. He’s ... right here.”

“Hey.” The sound of Evan’s voice settled me a little, and I turned to him and Malachi. I didn’t miss the knowing expression on Malachi’s face, but I ignored it and focused my attention on Evan. 

“Hi.” I smiled, leaning up to kiss him. He looped his arms around me and drew me closer. 

“Hi,” he murmured. “I missed you.”

“And on that note, I’m out. Catch you guys later.”

We ignored Malachi, too lost in one another. 

“Is everything okay?” he asked, pulling back, his gaze searching my face.

“Fine,” I said. “Everything is fine.” As long as we were okay, then nothing else mattered. Kendall was just a girl—albeit a crazy one—and I could handle her. If ignoring her didn’t work, then I’d deal with that when the time came. 

“What are we doing tonight?” He leaned in and grazed my lips with his, and my body shivered. “I thought you might want to hit Rogues?”

I reared back, eyes wide. “You’d come?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, I go there sometimes anyway.”

A smile broke over my face. He was so adorable like this. Vulnerable. God, I was a terrible person. I didn’t deserve him.

“It’s Tuesday. I have to work and then ...” I hesitated. “Then I thought we could go to Teller’s?”

Evan broke his hold on me to scrub his jaw. “You want to go to that dive bar?”

“I kind of liked it. I felt, I don’t know, like I could be myself.” Not that I knew who I was anymore, but I didn’t have to worry about anyone’s judgment there. It was refreshing.

Evan looped his arm back around me and pulled me flush to his body, lowering his mouth to my ear. “I didn’t like seeing you in the middle of that, being pushed around by guys twice your size.”

“Guess you’ll just have to protect me then.” My voice was light and playful, but I realized that I was silently asking more of him. He laughed, kissing my cheek, and mumbled something about me driving him crazy. 

And for the first time since arriving here, I felt like maybe, just maybe, Credence was exactly where I was supposed to be.

~

“I’ll see you later,” I called, grabbing the spare key off the sideboard. Mom’s head appeared around the kitchen doorway at the end of the hallway. “What time will you be back?” 

“My shift finishes at eight thirty, but Evan is picking me up.”

She bristled, disapproval sparking in her eyes. “Becca, I’m not sure I like the idea of you going off with that boy at all hours.”

“It isn’t all hours, Mom. I’ll be home before eleven thirty.”

“Becca—”

“Bye, Mom.” I didn’t look back as I slipped out of the house. 

The diner was only a fifteen-minute walk, and despite the chilly afternoon, I decided to walk. Mom was still sulking over Evan, and Dad was at work, like always. By the time I entered the diner, my hands were numb. 

“Hey, sugar,” Cindy called as she dashed through the swinging door, hands full of plates. 

I gave her a small wave and headed into the back to get ready. Two minutes later, I joined her out front. 

“Come here,” she said, beckoning me over. 

“What?” I eyed her warily; she had that look, the one that meant she was up to something. 

“Just get over here.”

With a heavy sigh, I mooched over to her, letting her place her hands on my shoulders. Her eyes roved over my face, twinkling with mischief. “You had sex.”

My jaw dropped open, and I shirked out of her grasp. She giggled, clapping a hand over her mouth, while I stood there glaring at her. “Sugar, there is nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“We’re at work,” I hissed, nodding over to the table of diners in the corner. 

“Oh now, now, don’t go getting your panties in a bunch. They can’t hear us.”

“I’m not discussing this with you,” I groaned.

She held up her hands, stifling her laughter. “Fine, fine, but please tell me it was Evan?”

“Cindy!”

“Your face says it all; you have it bad. About time, sugar. That boy is ass over elbow crazy about you.”

I rolled my eyes and began wiping down the tables. I loved Cindy, but she lacked personal boundaries.

For the next two hours, a constant flurry of customers meant I avoided Cindy’s inquisition. She meant no harm, and I knew that, but I just didn’t feel comfortable discussing Evan with her. So when he walked into the diner and made a beeline for me, I knew I’d never hear the end of it.

“Hi.” He looped an arm around my waist and drew me near.

“Evan,” I hissed, my hand flying to his shoulder to steady myself. “I’m at work. I’m working. You can’t do that here.”

“Don’t mind me,” Cindy said, winking as she passed us. I groaned, burying my face in Evan’s shoulder. 

“I couldn’t wait to see you,” he whispered before releasing me. 

“Your mom’s watching Eli?” I asked.

Evan nodded. “She’s trying.”

“Good. That’s good.” I checked my watch. “I have another thirty minutes before I get off.”

“That’s okay; I can wait. Bring me a shake?”

“Okay.” Neither of us made an effort to move. His eyes drank me in, hooded with desire. ”Okay,” I repeated with a shake of my head. “I need to work.”

His laughter followed me back to the service counter. 

“He’s so dreamy,” Cindy crooned. 

“Stop. Please, stop. I have to work.”

“Sugar, it’s dead. Get out of here. Go have fun. And then come back Thursday and tell me all about it.”

I shot her an incredulous look before putting Evan’s order through. Cindy laughed, insisting she could make his shake while I got changed. I didn’t argue because there was no point. 

When I joined Evan at his table, his eyes swept down my body, and his lips tugged up in an approving smile. “Hi.”

“Hi. I hope Cindy didn’t talk your ear off?” I slid in beside him. 

“She’s harmless. She cares about you.”

I smiled. “I know.” In a strange way, Cindy had become like a surrogate aunt to me. 

Evan’s eyes darkened; his gaze lingering on my mouth. “Are you sure you want to go to Teller’s?”

My lips pressed together, and I nodded. He looked at me like he wanted to devour me, and I wanted him to. God, did I want him to. But I also wanted to go out with him. Somewhere we could enjoy each other’s company without being scrutinized and judged.

He leaned in close, brushing my hair off my shoulder, and tingles rushed through me. “Anything for you.” Evan pressed a quick kiss to my lips.

~

Teller’s was busy. Jace informed us that the band playing pulled a rowdy crowd and advised me to stay off the dancefloor. Of course, I didn’t listen. Bodies pressed against me, caging me in, while I bounced to the beat. I cast a backward glance at Evan and Jace. They’d insisted I stay near the edge of the crowd. Evan had wanted to tell me not to go—I saw it in his eyes—but he didn’t. Deep down, he knew I needed this. I needed to feel free, and the only place I could do that was here. 

The beat thrummed through me, vibrating in my bones and pulsating through my chest. Tiny beads of sweat trailed down my neck. The noise was intense. Loud and intrusive. But I soaked it all in, letting it silence my mind. The guys here looked a little scarier tonight. More piercings, hair angled into spikes, and lots of black and leather. But oddly, I felt safe. Safer than I did at school. 

Unable to stand the stifling heat any longer, I wound my way through the wall of bodies and sagged against the bar. “Water. I need water.”

“Here you go.” Jace unscrewed the cap and handed me a bottle. “Looking good out there, Becca.” He smiled, and I felt Evan tense beside me. I laughed, throwing him an eye roll.

“They’re intense.”

He nodded. “They pull in a crowd, though.”

Evan wrapped his arms around me, pulling me back between his legs as he perched on a stool. “Are you okay?” His breath tickled my neck.

“I’m good. I just needed to rehydrate.” I placed the bottle on the stool and turned in his arms. “A couple of more songs?”

He searched my eyes, and I could see he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. Evan nodded, capturing my lips with his. “Two more and then I’m coming to get you.”

Jace laughed as he wiped down the bar. “You have your hands full with that one.”

Evan cracked a small, tentative smile. “Something like that.”

I went back to the dancefloor and threw myself into the crowd. I jumped and swayed and rocked as much as every person around me. Before I knew it, I’d been jostled farther into the crush. I spun around to find Evan. He wasn’t at the bar. My eyes darted around the room and landed on him talking to an older guy by the door. I didn’t recognize him, but it looked serious. Evan’s jaw clenched as the other guy got in his face. I started to move, pushing my way through the crowd, but the song switched, and the whole room exploded. I was knocked back by a hulk of a guy pounding the air with his fist. My body collided with a group of younger guys all slamming into one another, and I reached out, grasping for something to steady myself as panic rose through me. 

And then I felt him.

Evan’s arms slipped around my waist, pulling me into him. My back pressed against his solid chest, and I could sense his agitation as his mouth dipped to my ear. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

I folded my arms on top of his, hugging us tighter. Everything slowed down. The music, the crowd around us.

“You don’t need to do this anymore. I’ve got you, Becca.”

The adrenaline drained out of my body, and I felt exhausted. I thought I’d wanted to come here to be with Evan, away from prying eyes and mean whispers, but was Evan right? Was I here because I was still running? 

Evan turned me in his arms, sheltering me from the riot unfolding around us. “Come on,” he said, taking my hand in his. “It’s time to stop running.”

All I could do was nod.