Evie's Knight (26 page)

The woman informed him they’d have to make a full report if they wanted to press charges for the assault. Reluctantly, he agreed to bring her to the station and slid the phone back into his pocket. Calvin didn’t want Evie to have to go to the station, discuss what had almost happened to her. But he’d be leaving this scumbag alive now, and he needed to be put away.

As he stood up, Calvin noticed his baseball cap lying in the field; must’ve come off in the scuffle. He looked at it expectantly with his hand held out, watched it splash through the hovering drops until it hit his palm, and set it backwards on his head.

He straightened back up then, gripped Evie tighter, and sprung. Legs warm with strain, he leapt into the sky, bounded toward the lot, and landed over the fence, steps away from his Jeep. He turned back in time to see the sluggish drops roll like maple towards the ground.

As he gently placed her in the Jeep, Evie jolted into consciousness, her pretty eyes wide with fear. When she tried to speak, Calvin placed a soft finger over her dampened lips, kissed her cheek. “You’re safe. Stay here.”

The sound of sirens filled the air as Calvin watched to ensure the man did not get up. Red slowly began to ooze from his forehead, revealing a C-shaped wound on his head. As the speed of the rain increased, so did the flow of his blood. Rain merged with the crimson flow, causing a diluted stream to wash over one side of his face. Calvin wished he would lose enough blood to kill him, that the wound could drain him completely, leaving a pale corpse in its wake. Yet he knew he wouldn’t be so lucky.

Chapter Twenty-nine

“How are you feeling?” Calvin asked. “Are you doing alright?”

Evie rolled her eyes, pulled her knees to her chest, and looked out the Jeep window. “Yep.”

“It’s too bad that your dad’s in Idaho right now.”

She gave that some thought. “Is it?” Why did
he
care that her dad was gone? Did it complicate his plans for breaking up with her? Just like the stupid attack?

Drops of rain thumped at the windshield. The wipers squeaked in their vain attempt to clear them away. All of it added to her aggravation. She’d waited long enough at the station, kept quiet while they filled out paperwork, answered questions as best she could. Now she wanted answers of her own. Time to find out what had Calvin so anxious to talk with her. So much that he’d come to the track in the pouring rain on a Sunday morning.

Though she was itching to strike up the dreaded conversation, Evie forced herself to keep quiet. Better to wait until they were back at the house.

“You were pretty quiet in there,” he said. “And distant. It didn’t seem like you were even listening to that officer.”

More rain. More wipers.

His grip tightened around the wheel. “Did you hear me?”

The agitated sound of his voice fueled the frustration boiling inside her. “Yes, I heard you. And I’m sorry if I didn’t respond the right way at the station, Cal. But I heard every word.”

“
Did
you?”

“Yes! His name is Frank Pilger. He was out on bail because of his stupid, rich stepfather. But now he’s in jail again.” At least until they followed through on proceedings with the other crap they had on him.

The veins on the back of Calvin’s hands bulged. And though his clothes were drenched like hers, she could feel the heat coming from him. “I could have killed that guy. I wish I would have.”

She might not have taken him seriously, but the threatening tone of his voice, the sheer hatred burning in his eyes said it all. She turned away from him once more, recalling the way that revolting man had thrown her to the ground, climbed on top of her.

“Can’t believe I passed out.” She shook her head in disgust.

Calvin exhaled, the sound of it loud and irritated. “Are you sure you’ve never seen that guy before? At the track or anywhere?”

“Not that I know of. I don’t pay much attention.”

“You should. And you shouldn’t run outside anymore. It’s too dangerous.”

As silent tears slid down her cheeks, Evie shut her eyes, wishing she could stop the trembling of her bottom lip. She wanted to cry. Cry about everything taking place in her life. A man had just attacked her in the one place she turned to when she needed solid ground. A place she’d relied on for comfort since her mother left. A place to rebuild, reflect and heal. Some sick creature had taken that from her. And who knew when he’d be released. Or when she’d be forced to testify against him. The thought made her sick. But worse–much worse than all of it–was Calvin. She wiped at her tears with the back of her damp sleeve as they poured soundlessly down her face. Calvin Knight was going to leave her.

Somehow, that one detail took precedence over all else.

***

Calvin trailed down the stairs behind Evie, mind plagued with conflict.

The pressing quiet in Evie’s home was far from comforting. Of all the days in the year, why did her dad have to be gone today?

He followed her into her bedroom, took a seat on the chair while she grabbed dry clothes.

Evie sped past him, headed into the bathroom, and closed the door. “Your cargo shorts are in the laundry room if you want to get out of those clothes,” she hollered. “Just throw your wet jeans in a grocery sack. Since my dad’s gone, you can just change up there.”

Calvin shuffled up the stairs. Muted grey from the clouded sky crept through the window, matching the tone of the day. He stripped off his wet clothes, pulled on the cargo shorts and threw the sack on the small square of tile behind the door.

When he returned, Evie was lying on her bed, wrapped in a thin velvet throw, the color of deep plum. She was no longer quivering. Her face was still, her hair damp, and her cheeks a flushed tone of rose. A word floated to the surface of his mind. Stunning.

A flood of ideas rushed through his head, things he’d like to do at that moment, and not one of them involved leaving. But that was exactly what he had to do. He had to leave; he couldn’t break up with her right now, not after what happened. He’d have to wait.

“Hey,” he said. “Why don’t I take you to Jessica’s?” He hoped she would agree to it. Her sister would be good company for her right now.

When no answer came, Calvin took a seat in the wooden chair at the foot of her bed, watched as she sat up, pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She glanced over his bare chest, paused before looking away.

He shrugged. “I didn’t have a shirt.”

Wordlessly, Evie slid off the bed and strolled toward him.

His pulse quickened.

She bent over to the dresser and opened the bottom drawer. “Here,” she said flatly, handing him a familiar sweatshirt. One she’d fished out of his closet one night, borrowed to keep her warm on the drive home.

“Thanks,” he said, after pulling it on.

Evie sat on the edge of her bed, facing him with a pained expression. “Last night you said there was something you needed to talk to me about.”

What was she doing? “Evie, you want to talk about last night? Don’t you want to talk about what happened today? That was pretty frightening. You don’t have any questions about how all that happened?” Not that answering any of those questions would be easy, but he’d rather talk about anything other than the fact that he’d be leaving her, for good.

She rubbed her lips together before releasing a long sigh. “I’m more concerned about what you have on your mind, Calvin. What is it?”

Moist heat gathered on his palms. He smeared them against his shorts. 

“Calvin,” she said. “You’ve been acting strange all week. You’ve been distant and cold. What are you trying to tell me?” Though her voice remained quiet, it carried a certain edge, sharp and pointed.

Why was she making this happen now, after what she’d just been through? He should have anticipated this, that Evie would challenge him. He knew her. Knew she wouldn’t be satisfied until she had answers. He remained quiet, watched as she pulled in a long, slow breath, blew it out through pursed lips. Though he could see that warm shade of green in her eyes, there in the lamp’s yellow light, the emotion behind them was colder than ever.

“I feel like you are trying to break things off between us,” she said. “Am I right?”

He opened his mouth for a quick reply, but then shut it. An audible gulp sunk past his tightened throat as he dropped his gaze to the floor. The beige strands of carpet looked oddly foreign. Had he never noticed it before? What else hadn’t he noticed?

His mind shot into overload. What else pertaining to Evie’s life had he missed? Yet with his next labored breath, Calvin realized it didn’t really matter. He forced a mental lid on his rambling thoughts and focused. “Just let me drive you to Jessica’s and we’ll talk about this later.”

She shook her head. “No. Let’s talk about it now. It takes a few short words, Calvin. So let’s hear them.” Her bottom lip quivered as she glared at him, daring him with the calloused look in her eyes.

“Evie…” He couldn’t remember what to say, how to think even. He could only think of the deep love he had for her. That, and the violent tear at the pit of his chest.

“Calvin, don’t try to let me down easy. If you still wanted to be with me you would’ve stopped me by now, so I know that I’m on the right track. Don’t try to put it off because you feel sorry for me, because of what happened today.” She stood up, moved closer to him as her voice rose. “You actually think that will be
hard
for me to get over? Is that what you think? I’m going to be up at night crying because of what
almost
happened to me at the track?”

Calvin watched as the passion, the rage inside her grew, spilled over into her words.

“There’s nothing that compares to losing you, Calvin. Not one thing.” She paused and looked him up and down. Her voice, only a whisper. “Yet, here it is.”

As tears slipped down her cheeks, a burning wave of guilt-ridden heat rippled over his skin.

Evie wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand. “What are you waiting for, Calvin? Let’s hear it.”

The sight of her was too much, so he looked away, focused on a withered plant just outside her window. “I think we were moving too fast,” he blurted. “You shouldn’t be in such a committed relationship, Evie.  I mean, I’ve actually been waiting to buy a house because I’ve wanted you to have a say in it–like we’re ready to get married or something. I’ve practically planned out your entire life.” He shook his head in disgust, feeling the truth of that statement. “You’re too young for that.”

A glimmer of something new–something he couldn’t quite discern–flared beneath Evie’s gaze. “Am I?” Her voice was flat and cold.

“Yes.”

Silence followed. A pressing sort of quiet that urged him to ramble.

So he did.

And with each passing word, he felt more and more like the dying shrub outside the window, a lifeless shell. Evie was his sun–his most brilliant source of warmth and light–and he was cutting her out of his world completely. 

“I should date other people too,” he said numbly, glancing up at her. “Plus I need to worry about work and finishing school. And I don’t want to hold you back if you want to switch universities, go out of state.”

She tilted her head. “Why would I want to switch universities?”

When he didn’t answer, her eyes grew colder still. An expression he didn’t recognize. A look reserved for someone else. Anyone but him.

Calvin held still as she stepped toward him and rested her hand along the edge of the open door. “I’ve heard enough,” she said. “You know, Cal, I don’t even recognize you right now.” She let out one, hard chuckle. “I mean, who
are
you right now? Seriously.”

He shook his head, glanced down for a moment, and saw her fingers curl up into fists. He forced himself to look back up, struggling to match the cold resolve in her eyes.

“I never figured you for a coward, but I guess I was wrong. You can’t even tell me the truth. You want me gone? I’m gone. But watching you flounder from one stupid excuse to the next is making me ill. So just get out.” Her anger was winning now, and for a second, Calvin faltered.

“Evie–”

“Calvin,” she interrupted, voice razor sharp. “Are you going to tell me the truth right now, or is it still going to be
crap
?”

Colossal hurt showed in the raging seas of her eyes. “Answer me.”

He forced himself to shrug, indifferent, knowing the gesture would enrage her further.

“Get the hell out of here, Calvin. I mean it.”

This was it. No turning back.

“Go!”

Calvin felt his body come to a stand. Somehow his feet moved forward–one after the next. He watched the shoes that carried him, wondering if it was really over. Something in his head, a foreign voice, spoke to his laden mind,
you just broke up with Evie Wylder,
the voice taunted.
She’ll never be yours again.

He had to make it out of her room, get to the Jeep. Then he could pause, break down if he had to. But just as Calvin strode by her, took the final step beyond her room, Evie’s warm hands gripped his forearm. 

Shock pulled the air from his throat. “Evie.”

“Don’t go, Calvin,” she said, face wet and blotchy.

Her cry–raw and exposed, thick with panic and grief–made the words even harder to hear. “Don’t leave yet. Wait.” She shook her head, gasped in a jagged breath. “Just. Just stay.”

He nearly gave in. Nearly pulled her into his arms and begged for forgiveness. He wanted to erase the horrid look of desperation from her face, tell her he felt the same. And for just a breath of time, he considered doing more. Imagined leading her to the bed, taking liberties he hadn’t before, taking all. He wanted to own her in every possible way. To make it definite, irreversible, and dare anyone to even try to take her away from him.

“I’m sorry.” Bringing Evie’s hands to his lips, Calvin kissed the back of her fingers, forced his gaze away from her face, and walked away.

Chapter Thirty

When she was younger, Evie had a favorite crystal drinking glass. Tall and elegant, she’d never owned anything so beautiful. The set, an heirloom passed down to her mother, had disappeared along with her. But she’d left one behind. When asked, her father said Evie could have it, call it her very own.