by Amber Lacie
“Another note? Eve, how many is this now?”
“I don’t know. I don’t keep track, Kayla. I just throw them away.”
“You throw them away? Have you even told anyone else about this, yet? Does Theron know?”
“No, he doesn’t and he doesn’t need to. They are just harmless notes.”
“Harmless? This one says ‘I’m watching you. It’s my turn next.’ What the hell, Eve? That’s not harmless.”
I snatch the note from Kayla’s hand and toss it into my back seat. “Stay out of it, Kayla! I have enough going on. Don’t create problems where there aren’t any.”
“Damn it. I’m going to drop this for the time being, since we have other problems to address, but we are not done with this conversation. We are leaving. I’ll follow you home.”
“Done with this conversation? You are not my mother, Kayla.”
“No, I’m not, but since you are deciding not to tell anyone about this I’m going to act like it until you pull your head out of your ass.”
“Fine. Whatever. Let’s just go.” I slide into my seat, slamming my door. Who the hell does she think she is?
I pull up in front of the guesthouse and Kayla is right behind me. My intentions were to jump straight into her car, and just shoot Theron a text, but my plan goes out the window, as I rush inside to the bathroom. I pass Evan on my way, but I don’t have time to explain.
I’ve thrown up everything I had in my stomach for the entire duration of my life in the last fifteen minutes. I am lying on the bathroom floor, absorbing the feeling of the cool tile on my face. I roll over to allow the other side of my face to rest on the tile. I never thought I would enjoy tile flooring so much in my life. Thoughts are crashing through my mind right now. A tear slips from the corner of my eye, rolling over my nose and down my other cheek. My hands immediately cover my stomach. I don’t need a test. I have no doubt in my mind that Kayla’s right, but I’m going to take one anyway. I think I need to see it for the idea to really set in.
Taking a couple of deep breaths, I sit up on the floor. I pull a towel down from the sink and dry my face. I couldn’t even make it to our bathroom, I’m sitting in Evan’s, completely grateful he’s a messy slob, so I don’t feel so awful about any mess I made. I make my way to the living room, but stop just short of the entranceway. I can hear Kayla and Evan talking in low whispers. Great. That’s all I need is Theron to find out, before I can figure out for sure what’s going on. I tip toe a little closer, trying to keep my body as flat to the wall as possible. I am eavesdropping and I don’t care.
“So, he doesn’t know?”
“No, she’s never said anything to him. Look, I know you all have a crazy amount of Days of Our Lives drama going on, but someone is watching Eve. The note I saw today is the final straw. I assumed she told someone, or she stopped getting them because she hasn’t mentioned them to me. But today, I saw that note on her car and she just tossed it in her backseat like it was nothing.”
“What do you want me to do? He’s going to flip shit because she didn’t tell him.”
“I know. That’s why you can’t tell him. I’m going to make sure she tells him, but in the meantime, someone needs to keep an eye out for her.”
“Okay. I’ll keep my eye out, but if she doesn’t tell him soon. I will.”
Shit. Kayla just told Evan about the notes. I swear if she told him about the pregnancy test, I’m going to kill her. I’ve had enough of being the topic of conversation, so I walk into the room. Of course, all conversation ceases, but I act like I don’t notice.
Evan’s expression is nothing but pure pity. “Everything okay?”
“Um, I think I might have some food poisoning. Have you seen, Theron?”
“Not today. He texted earlier and had me email him some documents, but I think he’s in meetings.”
Tears spring to my eyes. I really need him and he’s not here. I can’t be mad at him though. It’s not like he knew. Right? Right. Shit. Did I just ask and answer my own question? I’m losing it. “Okay. I’ll just text him. I’m going to go with Kayla for a little bit. If I need a ride later, can I call you?”
“Sure. No problem. You have my number?”
“Yeah, from when you called me from the hospital.”
“Okay. So, just call me if you need me.” Evan stands, giving Kayla a knowing look before walking out of the room.
“I swear, Kayla, if you told him I’m pregnant…I’m going to kill you.”
“I didn’t. I take it that you’ve accepted it as a possible outcome?”
“I don’t know what I’m doing. Let’s just go get the tests.”
“Okay, but there’s been a slight change of plans. I can’t do this at my apartment. Paul will flip shit. He will think it’s me. So, I kind of called your mom.”
“Have you lost your fucking mind? What the hell, Kayla?”
“Stop. Don’t freak out. She doesn’t know. I told her I needed a mutual meeting ground, and she didn’t ask why. She just said she’ll make us some snacks. Now, we have to go there because you know her version of snacks is going to be some incredibly delicious cookies or something.”
Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I shoot Kayla a look that could kill. “Fine. Can we please go now?” I send Theron a text that I’m spending the afternoon with Kayla, since it was slow at the store. It is not a complete lie. It’s just a little omission. I follow Kayla to her car and we head to the store. I had no idea how many different kinds of pregnancy tests there are. I hand the clerk my credit card and she raises her eyebrows at my purchase. Don’t judge me. I make a mental note never to shop here again.
“Down, killer.”
“What?”
“You looked like you were going to kill that cashier. Just relax.” Sliding into Kayla’s car, I get an incredibly bad gut feeling. I don’t see this going well.
Kayla is sitting on my mom’s bathroom floor. I’m lying at her feet. Her floors aren’t as cold and smooth as mine, but the tile still feels great on my cheeks. “How many more should I take?”
“Honey, I don’t think you need to take anymore. I think we bought every kind the drug store had. You’ve taken seven already. The results aren’t going to change, Eve. What are you going to tell him?”
“I don’t know. What if he freaks out? What if he doesn’t want a baby right now? What am I going to do then, Kayla? Fuck. It’s not like this was planned. I don’t know what to say or think. My head is swimming right now. Just let me lie here on the floor, I’ll be fine.”
“I would totally be okay with that if this was my house. However, we are at your mom’s. She already knows we are up to something. She’s not an idiot. We’ve been hiding out in here for almost an hour now.”
“I know. I just don’t want to move. The floor is so cold, it feels great.”
“Oh, sweetie. That’s just so sad. Come on. If you don’t want to say anything right now, I’ll just tell your mom you’re sick. Come with me and I’ll get you a cold rag for your face. You’ll feel better.”
“Promise?”
“Sure. It’s worth a shot, right?”
“I guess.” Kayla stands and pulls me up off the floor. I follow her into the kitchen where my mom is sitting at the table with three different kinds of freshly baked cookies in front of her. I guess we were really in there for a long time. She pats the chair beside her. I plop down in the chair and almost gag when she offers me a cookie. I’ve never been able to lie to my mom. She has always seen right through the webs and plots I’ve tried to construct. I give up trying to pretend nothing is wrong. I lay my face down on the kitchen table, taking turns laying each cheek down for a few minutes. The tabletop feels so cool against my face.
Kayla gently places a wet washcloth across my neck, as I lay there looking at my mom. She doesn’t say anything, but she pulls the cookies away. Kayla opens a can of ginger ale pop and sets it beside me. My mom watches Kayla’s movements and raises her eyebrow at me. “Are we going to
pretend this isn’t happening?”
“What?”
“Don’t ‘what’ me, Evelyn Davidson. You damn well know what I’m talking about. How long?”
“Mom, please, less riddles.”
“How far along are you, Eve?”
My eyes go wide when she guesses my secret. I don’t know why I’m surprised. I know I can’t lie to her. “I don’t know.”
“Okay. So, what’s the plan?”
“Plan? My plan right now is to stop throwing up every five minutes. I also want to stop crying all the time. I want to feel like myself again.” My eyes water and I refuse to blink. I’m not going to cry, damn it.
“Evelyn, you won’t ever feel like you did before and that’s okay. You are going to grow and change with this baby. You are going to experience and learn things you never knew were possible. Now, for the sickness you can either take some ginger pills or drink some rosemary tea. The tea always helped when I was pregnant. The crying, I can’t fix. Your hormones are all over the place right now, and you are under a lot of stress. My suggestion would be telling Theron as soon as possible.”
“I know. I will. I just…I’m afraid I’ll lose him. What if he leaves me?”
“I don’t know what has happened between you two, but I know he loves you. I can tell by the way that he looks at you when you are not paying attention. He’s completely aware of you at all times. Someone doesn’t search for someone they met over fourteen years ago because they just want to be friends, Evelyn. That’s what you call love.”
I sit up and take the cup of tea that Kayla has made me. This girl is a fucking saint. My drama keeps spilling over into her life and she doesn’t even bat an eye. She’s right there with me, taking on everything as it comes. I love her so much. She’s such an incredible friend. Kayla sits down across from me, and eyes me over her cup of tea. I know she has questions too, so I don’t hesitate to go first. “Mom, how did you know Theron and I met before.”
“I had a hunch because I recognized his face from somewhere, but I couldn’t place it. That night his grandma came over with her gentleman friend, asking for your number so she could call you, put all the scattered puzzle pieces together. I recognized her instantly. I remember sitting off to the side, reading my books in my lounge chair, and watching you guys play on the beach. When Theron came around, you were so enamored with him. You looked at him as if he walked on water. I knew then, he would be someone special to you, but then his dad sent him away.” She wrings her hands in her apron, and tucks a few stray strands of my hair behind my ears. “You were so heartbroken; you couldn’t understand why he wasn’t coming back. After he left, you sulked in your room for a couple of weeks before Matt came and forced you to go back to the beach. You were so young, and your life was in front of you. I told you to forget about him. I just didn’t think you would actually forget. Do you still dream of him?”
“How did you know about the dreams?”
“At first, you would cry in your sleep, but then you started waking up talking about a boy in sunglasses. I convinced you it was just a dream, and you would fall back to sleep. I never thought you would see him again. I think after a while, you blocked it out of your memory, so you wouldn’t feel the pain anymore.” She sweeps her hand across the table, wiping away imaginary crumbs and completely avoiding eye contact.
“Wait, I remember him now. He always wore those black sunglasses and board shorts. He used to show us tricks on his skateboard. I had no idea that was him. Did you know, Eve?” Kayla watches me intently, making circles with her fingers along the edge of her cup, waiting for my answer.
“No, well not at first. I started figuring things out, but then I found out about him and Bridgette. I kind of flipped shit and ran.”
My mom stands and sets her cup in the sink. She looks over at me, as if this is all my fault. “Like you’re doing now?”
Not being able to ignore her accusing look, I fire back at her. “I’m not running. It’s not running if no one knows you’ve left or notices you’re gone.”
“Eve, that’s all in your head. Don’t let your emotions create a problem that isn’t there.” Kayla pipes up, but I shoot her down with a glare.
“You know what? Right now, I feel like shit. Right now, all I want to do is lay down on something cold and not cry. Right now, I just want to be alone.” Knocking my chair back, as I stand up, I grab my purse and head outside. I need some fresh air to cool down. I can’t handle anymore of Kayla or my mom’s accusations. I send a quick text to Evan letting him know that I need him to come and get me. It’s not long before he pulls up into the drive. I don’t bother going inside to say goodbye because I know they are watching me from the window.
Evan walks around the car to open my door for me. “Miss Evelyn.”
“Really, Evan? I think we are past the stage of you calling me, ‘Miss Evelyn’. Just take me home.”
“Is everything alright, Eve?”
“Yes, no, I don’t know. I just want to go home.” Tears slips from my eyes and I take a steadying breath. I slip into my seat. Laying my head against the car window, I close my eyes, trying not to focus on the motion of the car.
“I know.”
My heart slams in my chest. Fuck my life. “You know?”
“About the notes, Eve. Kayla told me.”
“Oh.” Thank God, he only knows about the notes. My heart calms down, just not entirely. I want to be the one to tell Theron about everything that’s going on. I just want to make sure I do it right.
“I know things aren’t going as planned right now. I know more than most, but you can’t keep it from him, Eve. If you don’t tell him soon, I will. His dad is a crazy motherfucker. If he’s behind this, you could be risking your life. It’s not something I can just sit by and watch.”
“I know. I will.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“No. Thank you for helping me the other night. I was in an awful place—”
“Evan, stop. I don’t need an explanation. You lost your other half. You’re allowed to fall to pieces after something like that.”
“You knew?”
“Theron told me. I’m sorry, Evan it must be hard. You seem better today, though.”
“I am. Theron slapped me around yesterday. He made me wake up and see the bigger picture. Isa wouldn’t want me laying around drunk, she’d want me to keep going. She left Theron the business because she wanted to protect me from Thomas…he offered me a partnership.”
“Who, Thomas?”
“No, Theron. I don’t think he felt right taking over, since Isa and I worked so hard for everything. I told him I can’t do it.”
“Why? He said you started it from scratch?”
“I did with help from her, but without Isa being here, it just feels wrong.”
“Oh, Evan. I don’t know what to say. Sorry doesn’t seem to be good enough for all of this.”
“Don’t worry. I took another offer from, Theron. I’m going to be his head of security, which is where I feel more comfortable. So, as of now, I am taking your safety very seriously. I don’t know who’s leaving the notes, but I’m going to find out. In the meantime, it will be your job to tell, Theron.”
“Fine, Evan. I already said I would.”
“I know, but I’m just making sure, Miss Evelyn.”
Great. Now we are back to Miss Evelyn again. We are almost to the house, when I get a text from Theron.
Hey, babe. How was Kayla’s? You coming home soon?
Yeah. On my way now.
Is she bringing you back?
No. Evan is.
Why?
Because I asked him to.
I realize that I am being a complete bitch. I just can’t stop myself from feeling pissed off at him. Putting my phone on vibrate, I drop it back into my purse. He will see me soon enough. I have no idea what I’m going to tell him. We pull up and I don’t wait for Evan to open my door. Stepping out of the car, I he
ad straight inside. I plop my purse down onto the dining room table. Badass is parked outside, so I know Theron is around here somewhere. I start heading for the bedroom when Evan stops me, grabbing my shoulder.
“You will tell him.”
“I said I would. Let me go. Do not ever touch me again!” I pull myself from his grasp and slam our bedroom door.
“What was that about?”
Looking over at the bed, every emotion, every thought I had scatters. Theron is leaning back against the headboard, with a book in his hand. I have never seen anything so sexy in my life. Dragging my bottom lip through my teeth, I run my eyes over his body. He’s only wearing a pair of flannel pants, even his feet are bare. Why do I suddenly find his feet attractive? One arm is bent behind his head, his muscles flexed. My eyes meet his, and I am drawn to him. I start taking off my clothes before I even make it to the bed.
“Beautiful, what are you doing?”
I crawl up onto the bed in only my blue lace bra with matching panties. I need his touch right now. Making myself comfortable, I straddle his lap, my fingers tracing his tattoo. “This.”
“I see and what is ‘this’ exactly?”
“It’s me needing you.”
He tosses his book onto the nightstand and runs his fingers up my arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. I shiver, and swirl my hips, grinding into him. I need him so bad. I want him to take away all of this confusion.
“You need me?”
“Always.”
“Well, then. I’m not one to turn down the love of my life. What shall I do first?” His hands cup my breasts, rubbing his thumbs over my nipples through my bra. My breath stutters as I arch my back, pushing my breasts into his hands. With a quick movement of his fingers, he has my bra unclasped, sliding the straps down my shoulders. My breasts are free and feel heavy in his hands. His touch is just added heat to my flame.
“Ahh.” I moan, as he rolls my nipples between his thumbs and forefingers.
