Hold on to Hope

by Jackson, A. L.

  Okay then.

  Sighing, I pulled out my phone to read the string of waiting messages.

  Evan: I can think of all kinds of places for us to go, Frankie.

  Evan: My bed.

  Evan: The kitchen.

  Evan: The shower.

  Oh, it was a fine time for desire to spark right in the middle of the morning rush. Memories of his mouth and those hands and that body.

  Evan: The park with my son.

  Evan: Dinner.

  Evan: Go to dinner with me, Frankie. A date. You and me. Let’s start again. Figure this out together.

  Evan: I’m finished living my life without you in it.

  Another had come in behind it. It was a selfie. Evan and Everett with their faces smooshed together, the cutest thing I’d ever seen. Green eyes matching, sweetness gushing out from the lens.

  Evan: Someone has been asking for his Fi-Fi.

  Evan: And you’re right. He is a miracle. Just like you.

  My chest squeezed so damned tight I was wondering if I’d up and developed myself a severe case of asthma.

  Because feeling like this shouldn’t be right, and I was a little worried that it wasn’t healthy.

  Falling so hard and so fast.

  One thing for certain, Evan Bryant was not fighting fair.

  I hesitated, searching for the right thing to say. I let my fingers tap out the message.

  Me: Dinner would be nice. I think it’s a great idea to get to know each other again. Talk. Take some time to reconnect.

  He’d know it was code for I thought we should maybe put on the brakes. He’d know he’d completely knocked me for a loop. That I was terrified I was going to get sucked right back into his vortex. Problem was, the whole other side of me was thinking I wouldn’t mind that one bit considering all that talk about his bed and the shower and the kitchen sounded really damn nice.

  Me: And if you’re having fantasies about a kitchen counter, I think you’re gonna need to figure out some other living arrangements because I’m pretty sure your mama and daddy wouldn’t be all that keen to finding us buck naked on the island in the middle of the night, and I’m afraid Carly might like it too much.

  Maybe I was askin’ for it, but I couldn’t help myself. Bantering with Evan had always been about as easy as it’d come. Teasing each other. Laughing constantly. Making each other blush. It was pretty much our favorite game until those blushes had grown into flames.

  Evan: I think that can be arranged.

  I bit at my lip like it was goin’ to stop my grin while I typed away.

  Me: Getting your own place or dinner?

  His response was instant.

  Evan: Carly watching.

  I busted out laughing.

  Me: Um . . . not in your dreams, big boy.

  Evan: You’re my only dream, Frankie Leigh.

  Damn him.

  I was giggling like I used to, having the urge to do a couple twirls and a skip and a jump or two.

  The door swung open, and I shrieked in surprise, so wrapped up in the two of us. Which basically was the way it’d always been. Evan and I living out those fantasies.

  Innocently.

  Maybe even naively.

  But that was okay.

  We’d deserved those years.

  “Aunt Hope.” I fumbled to get my phone back into my pocket. I pinned on a bright smile, rocking back on my heels and huffing a piece of hair out of my face.

  She waved a flippant hand in the air. “Oh, don’t even try to play coy, Frankie Leigh. You think I don’t know who you’re talking to? You should see your face. And believe me, it looks way happier right now than it did when you were sneaking out Evan’s window at the crack of dawn this morning.”

  She cocked a brow.

  A gasp of guilt and shock and oh shit blundered out of my mouth.

  “Wha . . . I . . . I just . . .”

  Well, that wasn’t helpin’ things.

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, Sweet Pea. You think I don’t know you’ve been in love with my son for his whole life? Same as he has been with you? You think it was some kind of secret? Because I promise you, it was not.”

  Unease shivered.

  “You knew?”

  I guessed the question was, how much? What did Uncle Kale tell her? Because I’d wanted to spare her that grief, too.

  “I’m his mama. Of course, I knew. Not sure why you two thought you needed to keep it a secret.”

  “We were gonna tell y’all.”

  I mean, I’d just turned eighteen. My daddy wasn’t gonna be all that thrilled about it, but he would have gotten over it.

  She seemed to war with what to say, hesitating before she seemed to decide differently and headed for the door, only to pause to look back at me from over her shoulder. “Just . . . be careful, Frankie Leigh. For both of you. There are a whole lot of hearts at stake right now.”

  Without giving me time to respond, like I even would have been able to with the instant pressure crushing my ribs, she disappeared back through the door.

  I fought my own war, pulling out my phone and looking at it again before I typed out another message.

  Me: Dinner. Friday. Let’s talk.

  I went to chewing at my lip again, added a couple more words.

  Me: And just . . . watch out for Jack. Let me know if you see him. I don’t trust him.

  * * *

  I was the last to leave that evening, closing up the café, making sure the front doors were secured and double-checking that the ovens were off and the refrigerators were running.

  When I verified everything was set, I flipped off the lights and stepped out the back door, locking it up tight.

  Gravel crunched under my shoes as I made my way to my car, clicked the lock, and got inside. I pushed the button to turn the ignition, the headlights instantly coming to life, and I put it in reverse and started to pull out.

  It was just a flash of something that I caught out of the corner of my eye.

  A shadow.

  A vapor.

  A horrible, terrible premonition.

  The hairs lifted at the back of my neck, and I struggled to see into the darkness, the shape gone as fast as I’d noticed it.

  Shaking it off, I hit the road and headed for home.

  But that sensation wouldn’t leave me. The phantom feeling that I was being watched.

  Tailed.

  Tracked.

  I slowed my car, searching through the rear-view mirror. The car right behind me slowed, and when I made a sudden left, it did the same.

  My heart rate spiked and dread slicked my flesh in a sticky sweat.

  I made a quick right.

  The car did the same.

  I made another, then rasped out in relief when it went left.

  With the headlights shining bright, I could barely make it out, the black car that could be anybody’s. But something about it felt familiar. Like I’d seen it before.

  I gave a harsh shake of my head. I was being paranoid.

  Winding back to my normal route, I drove the rest of the way toward home and took the last right into our neighborhood.

  Everything was quiet, the sun giving up its hold on the day, twilight sinking into the atmosphere.

  Strewing the sky with blues and purples and one twinkling star that made itself known just above the horizon.

  I made the left into our duplex. The front porch light was on, but the lights were out. Carly and Josiah would be off doing their thing for their bowling league which basically was slamming more drinks than pins that they would topple.

  My gaze moved to the duplex to the left that was just as vacant. Jack’s car was nowhere to be found.

  Blowing out a strained breath, I came to a stop, killed the engine, and cranked open the door.

  Shivers rolled across my flesh the second I stepped out.

  That creeping dread chasing me home.

  I slung my bag up high on my shoulder. Well, that was right after I’
d fumbled around to find the mace that Dad had insisted on when I started driving and had been sittin’ in the bottomless pit of my bag for the last five years.

  My footsteps were slowed, and my breaths were heavy and hard, punting into the air.

  I was being ridiculous.

  Completely ridiculous.

  That was until I took the two steps onto the porch and my eyes hit the disgusting words that had been painted in huge letters across the wood.

  FREAK FUCKER.

  My hand flew to my mouth to try to stop the sob from ripping out. It got loose anyway, my vision blurry from the instant tears as I stumbled around and searched the dusky vacancy.

  Only the howl of the trees murmured back.

  I fumbled for my phone and typed out the text.

  Me: I need you.

  Twenty-Two

  Evan

  I flew the streets of Gingham Lakes in the direction of Frankie Leigh’s house.

  Pulse pounding so fiercely it was making it difficult to see. Difficult to think.

  Rage flooded my bloodstream as streetlamps flickered to life above. Day fading to darkness and night settling in a dreary cloud over the city.

  Every second that ticked by made me feel like I was going insane.

  Felt hostage to this mess I wasn’t sure how to get out of.

  How could I ensure that the ones I loved weren’t getting put in the path of a firing squad when I had no fucking clue what the sin had been?

  Mind going crazy trying to figure out why the fuck someone would do this.

  Unless it was Jack.

  Violence skated the surface of my skin at the thought.

  Still, my mind rejected it. I knew Frankie thought he was responsible, but hadn’t this been going on before I’d met him? That note in the diaper bag? The word on my car? Or were they separate? A coincidence?

  Either way, knew the Jack was pissed.

  I didn’t trust him for a second.

  Second the text had come in, I’d rushed downstairs and asked my parents to watch Everett, told them something was going down at Frankie’s place, my fingers tapping out a quick message to Seth to let him know there had been another message.

  He’d texted back that he would head over to check it out.

  Didn’t matter that I knew he was going to be there. Couldn’t stop myself from speeding down the streets to get to her.

  Needing to know she was okay.

  That she was fine.

  Squeezing the steering wheel, I took a right a little sharper than prudent, tires skidding through the curve, the vibration of the pull at the rear of my car filling my nerves with another shock of aggression.

  The silence in my head screamed.

  I had to get to her.

  Had to.

  I slowed only a fraction when I hit the neighborhood street, eyes scanning the house numbers that whizzed by.

  Guessed I already knew which address was going to be hers, the way I was jerking the car to the left in a sharp turn, jamming on my brakes in the gravel lot in the front.

  I hauled out of my car the second I put it in park, jumping out, noticing the black muscle car that was sitting at an angle in front of the duplex attached to Frankie’s.

  Shit.

  Frankie had said that bastard wasn’t there. That his car was gone. Told me she was fine, she just needed me there.

  Fury lit. Hands in fists as I started up the two steps onto Frankie’s porch, vision going red when I saw the entirety of it covered in the two words. She was jerking the door open like she’d been standing on the other side waiting for me to get there, my heart nearly cracking in relief at the sight of her before I sensed the movement coming at me from behind.

  I glanced over my shoulder to find that piece of shit charging for me.

  Rage pumped out of control.

  A shock of adrenaline to my system.

  Before I could get turned around, asshole grabbed me by the shoulder and yanked me back down the steps.

  Jack was this beefy motherfucker.

  Twice as wide as me.

  I was too goddamn pissed to even consider that he might be twice as strong.

  He dragged me backward down the steps, but somehow, I managed to keep my balance enough to whirl around and throw a punch that landed in his gut.

  Hard enough that I could feel the air gush from his lungs, asshole bending at the waist.

  Of course, he was throwing a fist at the same fucking time, clocking me on the jaw.

  Pain splintered across my face. A ringing sort of pain. Like I could actually hear the crack of agony as it fractured through my brain.

  Frantically, I blinked, fought to remain upright. To remain coherent.

  I swayed to the left, staggered forward.

  Was pretty sure it was only the surging anger I felt that kept me standing. The disgust that cleared my mind enough so I could focus on what I was fighting for.

  What had me throwing a sidekick, sole of my shoe hitting him square in the chest. It sent him stumbling back, and I was moving his way, throwing another hit to the side of his head, trying to get a hold of him so I could take him to the ground.

  He lurched forward. Rammed me in the chest with his shoulder.

  Air bashed from my lungs.

  Could feel the crazed energy rushing all over me, the dread and the fear and the horror. Frankie Leigh was suddenly a blur at the edge of my sight.

  Could tell she was screaming, losing her damn mind as she clawed and kicked and tried to get in the middle of us.

  “Frankie!” I yelled. “Get back, Frankie.”

  That was right when Jack flung an arm out and tossed her out of the way. He sent her a scathing glare as she toppled to the ground.

  He shouted something I couldn’t read.

  Hatred howled, beat through my mind and thundered in my chest.

  I flew for him, unprepared for the fist that struck me at the corner of my mouth. I barely even felt it. Barely felt the blinding pain or the blood that was gushing free. The only thing I felt was the fury. The desperation to end this.

  My arms wrapped around his waist in an attempt to tackle him to the ground. Frankie was there again, trying to get on his back, screaming, “No, no, no, you’re going to hurt him. His heart. His heart.”

  Didn’t she fucking get that it beat for her?

  Rage pummeled through my senses, a frenzy of fear spinning through the air, Frankie so terrified I wanted to weep. To tell her it was my job to protect her.

  Not the other way around.

  I came at him. One fist then the other. One clipping his jaw the other striking his nose as his head jolted one direction.

  “Get out of the way, Frankie,” I shouted as I started to go in for another hit as headlights burst across the yard. Red and blue lights suddenly whirled into action as the car slid to a stop behind my car.

  Seth jumped out with his gun drawn. I reared back, and Frankie dropped to the ground in relief. Could tell she was rasping around her shock. Completely freaked. The feel of her shaking rushed across the ground. Her fear slamming me, crash after crash.

  I wanted to go for her, but Seth was yelling, “Sit the fuck down, both of you.”

  I dropped to my ass, chest heaving from the exertion.

  The agony from the blows I’d sustained rushed me in one acute wave.

  I squinted at the lights, trying not to topple over on my side from the adrenaline bleeding out.

  From the relief that Seth was there.

  “Evan didn’t do anything, Seth. It was Jack. He came after him on my porch.”

  “Stay right there,” he told Jack. Jack who didn’t move. Jack who stood there glowering at me like he was getting ready to come in for another attack.

  I’d be happy to go another round.

  “Told you to get down,” Seth repeated.

  “Fuck this,” Jack spat as he charged for me again.

  Gun trained, Seth rushed him. “Get down. Face down. On the ground. Not joking
around, Jack. Do not make me do something I don’t want to do.”

  Seth had to grab him by the shoulder to force him down before he finally conceded, fighting the cuffs Seth snapped around his wrists. He hauled him onto his feet, saying something to him that I couldn’t see.

  Could only feel the hostility blistering from the prick who’d come undone.

  Blood dripping from a nostril and bitterness in his eyes when he glared at me.

  Guy could hate me all he fuckin’ wanted. But if he turned that aggression on Frankie Leigh? That story wasn’t going to end in his favor.

  Seth shoved Jack into the backseat of his cruiser while I sat there trying not to pass the fuck out.

  Getting in a fist fight with that asshole was like getting in a wrestling match with a grizzly bear.

  Groaning, I slumped back onto the ground, just trying to breathe.

  Unease sloshed around in the deepest part of me. Where awareness and trepidation met.

  Wanting it to be over, but none of it adding up.

  Ashley and that note and the one that was tacked to my door.

  Could feel the shockwaves of worry blast through the atmosphere, the spiral of energy and the rustle of movement vibrating the ground floor.

  I forced myself to peel open an eye, finding Frankie leaning over me, all frantic and tremoring, her fingers fluttering over my face.

  Wanted to welcome her touch, but I flinched.

  “Are you okay? God, what were you thinkin’? What were you thinkin’?” Frankie was pleading, those eyes searching my face, girl trying to hold back tears. “You’re a mess, Evan. Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.”

  “What are you apologizing for?”

  “For dragging you into my mess.”

  A frown deepened my brow, and I started to answer her until a shadow fell over us. I forced myself to sit up, fighting the rush of dizziness that spun my head.