Sins from Her Past (Scandalous)

by Jules Bennett

  Her eyes misted as she met his angry gaze. “I’m not. I’m just explaining why I didn’t say anything at that time. I was scared, I’d lost my parents and the one man who was my only hope of healing was running for a major political office. I just couldn’t.”

  Vin nodded. “Okay, I’ll buy that. You were young, but why didn’t you tell Dylan?”

  Evelyn bit her lip and glanced away. “Because Alan was his best friend. They were going off to college. I thought everything would just go away.”

  “What do you mean you thought everything would go away?” He took another step forward, cupping her chin and turning her to face him. “Evie?”

  “It wasn’t just a one-time occurrence,” she whispered. “After that first time…he came to me several more times over the course of that two years I lived with Rick.”

  Vin dropped his hand, rubbed his face and stalked across the room. He stopped, rested a hand on the tall chest of drawers as he looked out into the night through the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the pond. Evelyn watched as his back muscles tightened and before she saw him even move, he’d picked up a picture frame from the dresser and hauled it across the room, away from her, but enough to make her jump when it busted into shards and fell to the carpet with a crackling.

  Evelyn sank onto the end of the bed and stared at Vin’s back. “That’s why I didn’t say anything,” she told him softly. “I didn’t want to divide the only family I had left. I just wanted it to go away.”

  “Did you honestly think it would?” he asked, turning to face her. “Is that why you went away when you graduated?”

  Evelyn nodded. “I couldn’t stand the thought of Alan coming home anymore when I was there. I would try to make sure I was always with someone, but at night…”

  The muscle in Vin’s cheek ticced. “Go on. Unless it’s too painful for you, but I can handle it, Evie.”

  She took a deep breath and continued. “At night he’d come into my room. Sometimes, most times, he’d been drinking. He’d tell me how he loved me. How we were meant to be together. When I’d put up a fight, he’d remind me that his father was paying for Dylan’s school, for my school, and that he’d taken us in as a favor to my parents. I’m ashamed to say, after those first couple times, I just gave in to what he wanted.”

  Vin walked forward, sank to his knees in front of her and rested his big, strong hands on her thighs. “Don’t even, for a minute, think that this is your fault.”

  Evelyn swallowed. “Maybe not at first, but I condoned what he did to me. I had this crush on him and a part of me even thought it was love, before he took my innocence. That vision was skewed and I honestly just didn’t know what to do. My silence only aided my nightmare. I was a coward.”

  Vin gripped her arms as he gave her a shake. “Never say that again. Ever.”

  “What would you call it?” she cried. “Seriously, Vin. I let him do that to me. I can only blame Alan for so much.”

  Vin shot to his feet, raked a hand through his hair and cursed. “Are you listening to yourself? He took advantage of you, Evie. He’s made you think all this time that you had no choice but to go along.”

  Evelyn looked up at him. “Did I? Honestly?”

  “You know Dylan would’ve done anything and everything for you.”

  Evelyn nodded. “Including give up his college. Then where would that have gotten either of us? Besides, it would’ve been Alan’s word against mine. He was a politician’s son, gorgeous, and I was—”

  “Don’t say it,” he growled. “You were and are amazing and beautiful. So don’t give me this shit about how you looked compared to him.”

  “Whatever you’re going to say to me I’ve heard before from the psychiatrist I frequented after I left.” Evelyn stood, clasping her hands in front of her to stop the trembling. “I know I’m technically not to blame, I know Alan is sick and has problems, and I know I should’ve said something then, but I didn’t and when I returned I was hoping Alan would just leave me alone.”

  “But he didn’t.”

  Evelyn shook her head. “He stopped by my house last week and was very upset about our being together. He…threatened you, not in so many words, but the implication was clear.”

  Vin studied her face for a moment before saying, “Those bruises. Those were from him?”

  Evelyn didn’t say a word, her eyes darted down to the plush carpet. God, she felt positively sick, not only that she was reliving all of this, but also because Vin was living everything for the first time.

  “You have to talk to Rick,” Vin told her. “And Dylan.”

  Evelyn nodded. “I know. I just never wanted anyone to know what I did.”

  “Damn it, Evie. I can’t listen to this.” Vin threw his arms in the air. “The blame you’re putting on yourself, the defense you’re mounting for Alan. It’s insane. That bastard needs to be in jail.”

  “I was sixteen, Vin. There’s no evidence, the time that’s passed is so long…”

  “There’s no statute of limitations on this, Evie. I looked. You talk to Rick and Dylan. See if they don’t agree.”

  Evelyn honestly didn’t know whom she feared talking to more, her godfather or her brother. Vin had been hard enough, but she had a sinking feeling their time together was coming to an abrupt halt.

  And she’d seriously been contemplating spending her life with him. God, she loved him. More than she ever thought possible and now, because of the lies she’d kept, the sins she’d committed, that love meant nothing. There was only so much weight the bridge of love could hold.

  She moved around the bed and hoisted her bag back up onto her shoulders. “I’m sorry I put you through this, Vin. The resort is almost done. Everything I’ve ordered should already have been delivered, but I’ll make sure on Monday. I can stay out of your way and still make sure my part is complete.”

  “You think I give a damn about that resort right now?” he asked. “I find out you were not only raped by one of my best friends, but that it was more than once, and you think I care about some business?”

  Evelyn shrugged. “I’m just trying to distance what we had from the business deal.”

  “What we had?” He stalked forward until he was right in her face, glaring down at her. “You think you can compartmentalize your feelings? Well I can’t. Yes, I’m pissed as hell about this, about what happened, about your not trusting me enough to tell me the whole truth, but I can’t just say we’re done and we’re only business associates now. I don’t work that way and I know you don’t either.”

  No, she didn’t.

  “I just can’t focus on this right now,” she whispered. “I can’t worry about what you think of me or what you’ll feel if we ever try to be intimate again. It’s not fair to you or me.”

  He drew his brows together. “So that’s it? You’re going to make up your mind and mine over this? You are so in tune with my emotions and feelings you think I won’t want to be with you?”

  Even though her heart was ripping to shreds, she looked him in the eyes and squared her shoulders. “Tell me then. Tell me that when you look at me now you don’t see me with Alan. Tell me that you don’t see me giving up and being weak, letting someone else rule my life. Tell me that because I lied to you, even by omission, you aren’t angry with me, because I know all of that anger isn’t directed just at Alan.”

  His gaze held hers as tension and silence sliced right between them. The hurt seeped in deeper and Evelyn knew she’d brought every damn bit of this on herself. She never should’ve allowed herself to get involved with Vin. She’d known going in that nothing good would come of it in the end. She’d known it, yet she couldn’t stop herself from diving headfirst into love with the man.

  “That’s what I thought,” she finally said when the telling silence became too much for her to bear. “I have to go.”

  “Evie…”

  She looked up at him once more, ready for him to tell her that none of this mattered. That they could go ba
ck to the spot they’d been in this morning. In love, happy, on their way to a future together. But he just shook his head.

  “Do you need me to go with you to talk to Dylan and Rick?”

  Evelyn swallowed. “No. I’ll be fine.”

  And with that she walked away, knowing she was leaving the shattered pieces of her heart behind. Just like the shards of glass that had crumbled to the floor at Rick’s party.

  Chapter Twenty

  Telling them together was the only way she could get through this. Rick and Dylan both deserved to know the truth, all of it, but she was positive she couldn’t tell the story two more times. Because she really just wanted to crawl home and have a good cry at the mess she’d made of her life.

  But after she’d recounted the entire story—from the beginning right after her parents’ deaths to the end when she’d finally moved away—Evelyn was sorry she had been so forthcoming with the details. For the first time in her life, she saw Rick shed a tear. And Dylan looked ready to commit murder.

  Silence stretched from one corner of the room to the other and settled at all points in between. Rick jerked from his seat and went to the glass patio doors that led out to the pool. Night had settled in, so had a hard rain. Fitting that the night was dark and gloomy, considering her current mood.

  Rick ran a hand through his thick, silver, politician’s hair. “This is my fault.”

  Evelyn jumped in her seat. “How on earth is this your fault?”

  And why wasn’t he questioning her further? Was he going to assume his own son was guilty?

  Rick turned to face her, the lines between his eyes more prominent. “I found some very descriptive journals and drawings in his room when he was a teen. I talked with him, but also chalked it up to his age and curiosity. Then the girlfriend he had in school broke up with him and I heard her say something to the effect of him being too pushy and not taking no for an answer.”

  The more Evelyn listened, the sicker she became. God, had Alan done this to other girls?

  “He actually went to see a shrink when he was about eighteen, but right before he went to college he said he’d found a girl, but that he wasn’t saying anything because he didn’t want to scare her away.”

  “He’s a sick bastard,” Dylan chimed in with a low, angry tone. “He’s damn lucky only Vin knew tonight. I don’t know what I would’ve done had I known. Alan is lucky Vin didn’t kill him.”

  Rick’s eyes misted over and he held Evelyn’s gaze. “I don’t know what to say, Evelyn. You were in my care, your parents trusted me to watch out for you and, instead, coming to stay with me ruined your life.”

  Evelyn came to her feet and crossed the room. Without hesitation, she went into Rick’s open, always-waiting arms.

  “You didn’t ruin my life and you’re not to blame,” she muttered into his chest. “I’m sorry I let this go on. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything, but I was ashamed and I didn’t want to hurt you.”

  Rick pulled back. “Nothing, not politics or the senate seat, would’ve been more important than your safety. Nothing.”

  Evelyn sniffed, willing the tears away because, God knew, she’d cried enough recently. “I was afraid you wouldn’t believe me.”

  He pulled her back into his embrace. “I don’t want to, I’ll be honest. But all the signs were there, I just didn’t heed them.”

  “Where is he now?” Dylan asked.

  “I haven’t seen him since he left,” Rick said. “But I’m calling him now.”

  Evelyn jerked away. “There’s no need for that. Another fight won’t solve anything.”

  “No,” Dylan agreed, “but it’ll make me feel a hell of a lot better when I can pick up where Vin left off.”

  Rick held up a hand. “This is still my son. I will handle this and it will be done the proper way.”

  “Then you better call the cops to have them come haul his ass away before I get my hands on him,” Dylan growled. “I don’t care if he’s your son and my so-called friend. He’s a piece of shit that deserves to be taught a lesson.”

  Rick wiped at his eyes and Evelyn’s heart literally split. This man who’d been such a strong support for her when she’d needed him most was coming unglued…because of her.

  “Don’t, Evelyn,” Dylan warned. “Don’t get that look on your face. You’re not guilty and you’re not responsible.”

  “I never wanted you all to know,” she whispered past the tears clogging her throat. “I love you all so much, but I needed to move on and let you all live your lives without this burden.”

  “Burden?” Rick asked. “This is not a burden. This is a crime. I love you, Evelyn. I love my son, but this is inexcusable. I wish you would’ve come to me in the beginning, no matter the timing or what he blackmailed you with.”

  Evelyn swallowed. “So what are we going to do?”

  Rick sighed and crossed over to her. Resting his arms on her shoulders, he looked down into her eyes. “Are you willing to press charges?”

  “It’s my word against his,” she told him. “Why are you taking my side?”

  “I’ll talk to him,” Rick said. “But I doubt he’ll be able to defend himself. Actually, I want to talk to him before I call the cops. But I’m only moving forward with this if you are okay with testifying and dredging all of this up again.”

  Evelyn couldn’t believe Rick wasn’t backing down and was in her corner as such a strong supporter. But the thought that she wouldn’t go through this alone really helped heal something that she’d thought was dead inside.

  “I’m not sure that I want him in prison,” she said. “I think he needs to seek help, but I can’t take the risk that he’ll do this again. What if he has, though? What if there are more victims out there because I didn’t speak up years ago?”

  Rick squeezed her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. “I’m sure if there are, they will come out.”

  Evie pulled back. “What about you and your campaign?”

  “I don’t give a damn about this reelection. Do you think I’d put politics above my family?” His warm smile deepened the creases around his eyes. “This is taking top priority, as it should have years ago. But that’s over and done with. Right now I’m focusing on you and if the good people of this state can’t see that family should always come first, then they don’t want me in office.”

  Evelyn hugged him back and inhaled his familiar cologne. “They’re lucky to have you. And so am I.”

  “When are you calling Alan?” Dylan asked from the other side of the room.

  “Right now.”

  Evelyn didn’t want to be present when Rick was questioning Alan. She didn’t want to be that victim again and she certainly didn’t want to hear him denying what he’d done…or worse, hear him confess he’d done it to someone else.

  Knowing she needed to relax, she poured a glass of wine and shoved open her back screen door. The gentle ebb and flow of the ocean was the best backyard she could ever ask for.

  She eased onto her new wicker swing and toed off the porch to send it swaying. Could all of this nightmare come to a close or was all hell breaking loose at Rick’s house right now?

  Evelyn drank her wine in more than a ladylike sip because she was nervous. Did she really think she could sit here and relax? All she wanted was to know what was going on.

  When she heard a car door close in front of her house, she smiled. Vin had called and promised to run by. They needed to talk and she missed him. He was truly the best thing that had ever happened to her. She couldn’t wait for this new resort to open and she couldn’t wait to see what the next chapter of their lives held.

  Things were looking up and she was ready for some of her dreams to finally come true. And for once in her life, she believed she could obtain happiness with someone who loved her unconditionally.

  “Hiding?”

  Evelyn sat up straighter in her swing as Alan came around the back of her house. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “
You decided to run to my father and tell anyway. Did you think I wouldn’t confront you?”

  “You did ruin his party,” she reminded him, trying to force her fear down. He couldn’t hurt her anymore. “Why aren’t you at his house?”

  “What the hell for?” Alan asked as he came up on her back porch. “So he can tell me how worthless I am, how disappointed he is in me, or so he can have some cop waiting for me?”

  “You need help, Alan.”

  “I need for you all to stay out of my business. I need for you and my father to quit thinking Vincent is some big awesome stud. You were mine first and don’t deny you were infatuated with me when you were younger. You wouldn’t have flaunted yourself around or flirted with me if you weren’t.”

  Evelyn set her glass on the rail and came to her feet. “I looked up to you as a brother. My whole life, Alan. I had a crush on you. I even for a time thought myself to be in love with you, but you took my innocence, my beautiful image of love and destroyed it the second you attacked me.”

  “Attacked?” he repeated with a snarl. “You keep acting like what we did wasn’t enjoyable. Do you forget all those times you agreed to it? All those times you took me into your room?”

  “I’m sickened at what I did, at what you made me do.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Your father wants to press charges.”

  “For what?” he laughed. “It’s been so damn long since we slept together, and who would believe you?”

  “Your father believes me, so do Vin and Dylan. And there’s no statute of limitations.”

  Alan’s lips thinned. “You all think you’re so damn brilliant. I did nothing that you didn’t ask for.”

  “I never asked for what you did to me. Never. You took our friendship and turned it ugly. You scarred me, you ruined my adolescence and you murdered any chance I had at a normal life.”

  Alan turned, facing the ocean, and raked a hand through his hair. “My dad never thought I’d amount to anything. He was so much more proud of Dylan for knowing what he wanted to do with her life. And when Vincent came onto the scene in college, my dad thought he was so damn amazing because he’d overcome a poor childhood and had his future all planned out.”