A Prior Engagement

by S. L. Scott

  Tracy gave her the courtesy of interviewing her though she gave her a hard time, her expressions showing empathy for her situation. Tracy may have been the one to broach the subject of Evie’s engagement with William, but Evie was to blame for not telling him in the first place. She owned up to her lies and decisions.

  After a short chat about her past experience which was none and then to personal business to see if they could even work together, Tracy hired her. “I’m going to give you a chance because . . . well, I’m not really sure why. Maybe it’s because I’ve realized everyone has problems and I like the way you’re handling yours.”

  “Thank you. You won’t regret it,” Evie said, shaking her hand then grabbing her into a hug because she was so excited.

  “You can start when school starts. Business picks up then.”

  “Thank you again.” Everleigh jogged out of the shop, anxious to get home to William and share the news, but stopped a few blocks down. She needed to catch her breath before continuing when she was startled, her hand covering her heart as Tom stepped out in front of her from an empty storefront's doorway. “Don’t come near me!”

  His hands went out in front of him, attempting to calm her. “Everleigh, I just want to talk to you.”

  Her body started shaking, fear overwhelming her.

  “Sweetheart, I need you. You’ve had your fun. Come home with me now. I’m better. I’ll be better, I promise.” Thomas Whitney was begging. He stepped forward, and she stepped back.

  “I’m not going back there. I don’t care what you do to me. I won’t go. I’ll fight this time.” Her voice betrayed her words. She squeezed her eyes closed trying to gain physical strength just in case she needed it.

  “I love you, Everleigh. My life is nothing without you. I can’t think. I can’t work.” His hands went to his hair and he was falling apart in front of her eyes. “I’ll lose everything if you leave me.”

  “I’ve already left,” she stated, feeling stronger. “I don’t care if—”

  “I won’t lose you and I won’t lose my company!” His words were baffling. What did she have to do with his company? He continued talking, turning back into the possessive, overbearing Tom she knew. “I want you to come with me. I’m asking you. I’m being a gentleman about this. You’ve embarrassed me, and I think I’ve been reasonable. You need to be reasonable, too. You can’t live like this. What will people think? What will they say? Don’t throw everything I care about away on an affair. I’ll forgive you. It will take some work on your part to convince me of your re-commitment, but I’m willing to try. Our wedding date is still secure with the deposits we put down. We can move past this.”

  Evie stood there flabbergasted. “You’re insane!”

  He slapped her across the face, making her stumble to the side. Through gritted teeth he threatened her. “I said I’m willing to try and forgive you. Don’t turn this ugly. This is your only warning.”

  She grabbed her face and turned to walk away. She didn’t have to listen to him anymore. She wouldn’t. She refused to give into him any longer. He would have to kill her first.

  He grabbed her arm and twisted it as he pulled her into the doorway. When she started to scream for help, he slapped his other hand over her mouth and whispered in her ear. “You’ve got one day to return to my apartment. You do not have your parent’s home as an option any longer.” He pushed her hard against the brick of the building and walked off.

  Beyond being stunned by his threat, it amazed her that several people had walked by and no one offered to help her. Was this the reality of the world she lived in?

  Tears filled her eyes and streamed down her face as his words sank in. What she hated most was that he didn’t tell her what would happen if she didn’t. He was unpredictable. Unpredictable meant dangerous. Her hand covered her cheek again. It was still heated from the slap, and she started back to William’s feeling that maybe it wasn’t going to be her home after all.

  Chapter 31

  When Evie arrived back at William’s apartment, he wasn’t home. She splashed cold water over her face and patted it dry with a towel, hoping to erase all traces of Tom in her expression and from her skin. Fortunately, her face had cooled and the slap mark faded.

  When she walked out of the bathroom, William was walking in the front door. He smiled at her. “I love coming home to you.” She smiled, but it was small compared to the ones he’d grown accustomed to. There was something noticeably different in her eyes, an obvious sadness. “What is it? What’s wrong, baby?”

  She went to him, both of them wrapping their arms around each other in a full embrace. Tilting her head down, she leaned her cheek against his chest, needing the security his arms offered. “Nothing,” she replied, needing more time to process what happened, time to figure out if Tom would follow through with his threat even though deep down she knew he would. It would be best to be honest with William about what happened despite her fears. “That’s not true. There is something.” His arms rubbed her back as she confessed, “I saw Tom.”

  His body tensed around her, but he loosened to look her in the eyes. “What happened?”

  She didn’t want to tell him he hit her, knowing he would go after Tom. That was the last thing she wanted William to do. If he did go after him, he would end up in jail with assault charges against him. Wanting to protect him however she could, she wouldn’t put him at risk again. She wanted to keep William as far from Tom as possible.

  “Evie, tell me right now.” William was demanding. He was also sick to his stomach by the thought of that bastard anywhere near her.

  She gulped before she spoke, needing to phrase it the right way. Backing away, she sat on the corner of the bed. He stood where she left him, but crossed his arms over his chest while staring at her, worry eating away inside. “He said he wants me back.”

  “No shit!” He raised his voice, stressed.

  Evie was stunned by his harsh remark. She stood up and walked to the window giving him more space. He needed time and space from her, at least that’s how she felt.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice lower, concerned he upset her as he watched her move away. “I didn’t mean—”

  “I understand. He worries me, too.”

  “Please, Evie, tell me what he said to you.”

  “He said I have one day to be back at his apartment or else.”

  “Or else what?”

  She shrugged, knowing she didn’t have the answers they both wanted. “I don’t know. He didn’t say.”

  “You’re not going back.” William looked at the wall closest to him in thought. “You’re not going back.” He repeated this more for himself than her. “I don’t care what he said or what he does. He can come after me. I can handle him, but I don’t want you alone anymore. Tomorrow, I want you to come to work with me. You can get a jump on some of your school work.”

  “William, I won’t hide and I would never go back.” She rushed to him, placing her hands on his chest. “Never. He would have to take me kicking, screaming, and fighting the whole way because he would never get me willingly.”

  They locked eyes as she said this, the assumption not far from the truth. William needed to reassure her. He refused to let that monster dictate how they would live their lives by keeping them in fear.

  He took her by the arms and though it hurt her from being twisted earlier by Tom, she wouldn’t flinch from William’s touch as he reassured her. “He will not hurt us. You don’t ever have to go back there. Don’t ever go back, Evie.”

  “I won’t. I will never leave you.”

  As he hugged her, she could feel his heart pounding though he tried to sound calm. “I’ll figure something out. I need you to be safe. Please be careful. Okay? Promise me you’ll be careful and you’ll fight if you have to.”

  “I promise,” she said, tears slipping from her eyes. “I promise.”

  William kissed the top of her head and took a deep breath to calm down. He would spend
all night thinking about beautiful Evie and he would try his damnedest to protect her always.

  * * *

  It was official—William had earned his Bachelor of Arts degree. Even though he had walked with the May class, he now held his diploma and his family wanted to celebrate because they were proud of his accomplishments. Evie and William, his family and best friend, along with Audrey as Dallas’ date all celebrated over lasagna at the Ryder residence with a champagne toast and dessert. The Wright sisters felt welcomed and as Evie helped William’s mom in the kitchen, his mom stopped twice to hug her. Thanking her for coming over and being there for her son.

  This is how family was supposed to be Evie thought more than once that day. She also teased her sister for falling for the Ryder charms.

  With only one week before school started back up, William walked Evie to the library then he went to work in Lang’s office. They would meet again for lunch most days. They made dinner together in the evenings, and love at night.

  The last day in August, school started. Evie stayed tucked against William’s side as they went to the university. He walked her to a lecture being held at the library that morning and left his class a few minutes early to meet her before she came out. They danced around the subject of the monster, not wanting to give him a second more of their time. She attended William’s next class, sitting in the back row and studying her own school work.

  She enjoyed watching him, but found him distracting. She also noticed he was a big distraction to several of the other female students in the class. She tried not to get upset over his extra attention, but she couldn’t help it. She glared at the girls, trying to burn holes into the back of their heads.

  Once she even caught William chuckling off to the side of the auditorium after he caught her. While the students worked on developing a theory Lang had proposed, he made his way to the top of the room and slipped Evie a note.

  They touched hands as he dropped it on her desk then returned back down to the front and took his seat off to the side. She opened it and smiled when she read it.

  No one else. Only you. You’re my heart and I’m in love with you, xoxoxo.

  She swooned a little as she slumped down in her seat, holding the note to her chest. Glancing up, her eyes met his and they both smiled. He had fallen in crush with her early on in their relationship when they were “just friends.” But over the course of getting to know her, he had fallen in love with her. He knew this was the woman he was not only supposed to be with, but would marry one day. She was love in the truest form.

  Every night they sat in silence as if waiting for the world to come to an end. It didn’t. Nothing happened the first day. They did the same thing the next day and again the following. They didn’t know if they should be relieved or nervous. Friday, without a discussion, they went to school together and spent the day within each other’s line of sight. Once again, nothing happened.

  In bed, William kissed her and brought up the much dreaded topic. “We’ve got to live life like we always do. If we don’t live our lives, he wins.”

  “I agree,” she said, rolling onto her side and snuggling against him.

  “Do you think he’ll do anything?”

  “I don’t know. My gut says yes and my head says no. I don’t know anymore. I know he considers me his property and he doesn’t share his toys.”

  “Maybe he finally realizes that you don’t love him and he’s moving on.”

  She knew he wouldn’t move on that easily. He didn’t give up, ever, but she hated worrying William more.

  The next Monday, Evie started her new job, and by the end of the day she was promoted to barista. Yeah, she would still be mopping the floors and cleaning off tables, but now she also knew how to work the complicated professional coffee machine as well.

  By the second week of school, her schedule was class three times a week and working five. She hadn’t found her groove yet and yawned when she sat down to lunch with William at a table in front of Bean There. He’d raced over from campus to visit during her break.

  “How is your day, my love?” This was always the first thing he asked because he cared about her, but also because he still felt guilty she had to work.

  “Great.” She sometimes told fibs to make sure he was happy and wouldn’t see how tired she really was from being on her feet all day. The stress of Tom’s threat also weighed on her, but she tried to hide that from him altogether. She reasoned it was perfectly acceptable for her to work and for the first time in a long time she felt useful. This may be a far cry from her previous life, but she wouldn’t trade this life for anything.

  “How is your day?” she asked, resting her hand on his leg.

  “I have a bunch of students who think they know everything about classic literature.” They both laughed at his sarcasm, knowing that was them last semester.

  “Give them a chance, maybe you’ll learn something.” She nudged him with her elbow.

  He leaned in and kissed her. “I love you.”

  “I know you do, but do you know how much I love you?”

  “No, please remind me.”

  Evie looked around, got up and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I love you endlessly. I love you forever. I love you with all my heart. I love you, William.”

  They embraced on the sidewalk right there in public outside the little coffee shop where they fell in love. Life was perfect.

  During the afternoon, Tracy wiped down the counter and tried to sound nonchalant. “How are you doing with all this change?” Evie looked at her surprised. Tracy blushed for sounding so soft-hearted. “I’m just curious. I know you haven’t worked before and I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry for what?” Evie stopped with the mop in hand.

  “For ruining things for you.”

  Evie smiled. She had felt Tracy was a good person deep down and now she had proven it by apologizing. “You didn’t ruin anything. I did. I should have told him. I was caught up. I appreciate it though. I’m fine now and I never minded working hard. I was busy volunteering with a few charities I supported and hope one day I can get back to that in the future, but for now, I need to concentrate on school and paying bills.” Paying bills sounded foreign to Evie when she said it. Her life had changed so much over the last couple of weeks, and yet she knew it was all for the better.

  When Evie got home, William was already there. She liked how affectionate he was, greeting her with a hug. “Good day?” he asked, his nose buried in her hair.

  She smiled, nuzzling back. “Better now.”

  They ate dinner, snuggled, and talked before falling asleep all wrapped up in each other.

  Chapter 32

  William arrived home just after four in the afternoon. Evie wasn’t due back for hours, so he pulled out his papers to grade when someone knocked on the door.

  When he answered it, he was met with a very unhappy Richard Wright. “Mr. Ryder.” His greeting was formal.

  William took a breath. “Mr. Wright, come in,” he said, waving his arm like he was gesturing to royalty to enter his small abode. The sarcastic gesture was not lost on Richard. “Your daughter is not home as you can see.”

  Richard critiqued the small studio apartment then turned to William. “I’m here to see you. I’m well aware that Everleigh is working.” His tone was clipped and the words stung of distaste.

  William took another deep breath then sighed as he exhaled. He didn’t like the surprise visit although he couldn’t think of a time that would be better. “I expected you sooner. It’s been over a month since she left.”

  “I was waiting to see how this,” he said, referencing the apartment, “this played out—”

  “You were waiting to see if she would leave me and come home to you.”

  “Yes, I expected her home by now. She’s been raised in a very privileged lifestyle, including having money at her disposal.” A little stab toward William, but he could handle it and listened as Richard continued. “She
’s never been concerned about necessities, but now, now by looking at this place and discovering she has to work to survive, it makes me question why she’s still here. You’re not able to provide for my daughter. Her own life is now full of challenges and obstacles. The exact things I’ve worked hard to insure her life wouldn’t have. And yet . . . and yet, here you are, bringing her down to live in rubble, Mr. Ryder.”

  “She’s happy here. I know it’s hard for you to understand, but she likes it here.”

  “She likes having a bed that doubles as a couch?” he asked, picking up a bowl o’noodles container. “She likes eating garbage for dinner. She was raised on the cooking of French-trained chefs and maids and shopping. The girl is going through a phase. You are a phase, Mr. Ryder. She’ll soon realize how much she misses her old life and what luxuries that life provides.”

  William walked to the dining area, picked up a bottle of whiskey and two plastic cups, and poured two shots. He handed one to Richard then sipped his before speaking. “Let me ask you this. When she remembers how she woke up all alone and covered in blood on her bathroom floor, do you think she misses that life?”

  “Mr. Ryder, you’re out of line—”

  “Oh, you don’t want to answer that one? How about you ask yourself this, then? Do you hate your daughter so much, that even after knowing the truth, you continued to encourage her to go back to a man that had beaten her for years right under your own roof, right under your own nose?”

  “I wouldn’t allow her to be with Tom Whitney again even if she begged me. I didn’t know about that until recently. But, she’ll miss—”

  “She’ll miss what? Because from where I’m standing, you’re as bad as him. You buried your head in the Hamptons’ sand to avoid the reality that you were trading your daughter for a bigger piece of the pie.” William downed the rest of his whiskey and slammed the cup on the table not looking at Evie’s father. His rage was starting to get away from him, and he never wanted to be the cause of Evie losing her family. He would not be the one to cause her any more pain than she had already endured.