My Demons (The Angel Trilogy #2) (8 page)

“What do you want me to say, Abby? What can I do to say I’m sorry in a way that you’ll accept?”

There’s little Evan can say right now that’ll make me forgive this childish behavior.

“I want you to say that you understand that I need time, Evan. I want you to say that you’re willing to be my friend while I get this figured out.”

“Marco? Of all people he can’t possibly be one that you would want to talk to? Do you want him the way that you wanted me?”

I cross my arms over my chest and push my hips to the left narrowing my eyes. “Really Evan? Do you want me to be mean to him?” I huff. “You think this is easy for me? To have this confusion smothering my brain, to have every thought be a stranger?” A tear runs down my cheek and for the first time this week I don’t hide it.

Evan approaches me immediately bringing his hand to my face wiping the tear away. “I would die for you, Abby. I will do anything for you, be anything you need me to be and if you need me to be your friend then that’s what I’ll be.” He closes his eyes to blink holding them closed a few extra seconds. As his eyes open and a smile lifts at the corners of his mouth.

“Evan I… ” I hesitate. “You think that I don’t want you the way that you want me? I get why you think that. But, I have
amnesia.
I have these intense memories of you and of Marco. I know that you don’t get it. Hell, I don’t get it.” I swing my arms to my chest.

“Do you think about me when I’m not with you?”

I feel like he wants to ask me something else, but he’s holding back and I’m not going to push.

I don’t answer right away, but instead bring my hand to his cheek. I don’t know why I’m doing this. I feel all of the stress burst through and a moment of relief washes over me. Evan’s body tightens in response to my touch.

He doesn’t speak he only shakes his head in such a subtle way that I almost don’t catch it.

“I know it’s there, Abby and I’ll be right here when you know it too.” His smile is flat and it worries me for some reason.

He must catch my concerns because he grabs my face in his hands and kisses me. I don’t feel fireworks or any unrealistic feelings for him. I feel something stronger, but I don’t know what that is. It’s the confusion I was talking about.

“Ahh…”
I sigh.

“Ok, I’ll go.” I shake my head. “I shouldn’t have come here and I’m… I’m sorry that you have to put up with me.” I shake my head again.

Evan doesn’t say a word, but the look he holds on his face says everything that I need to hear.

I know that I’ve got feelings for him. I just can’t get away from the guilt though. The guilt of knowing that I remember Marco and that I don’t remember Evan. The guilt of knowing that Marco left me and Evan has stayed by my side throughout everything and yet I’m doing this to him.

I turn to walk to the front door when I feel Evan’s hand make contact with my elbow.

“I have to go out of town, Abby. I don’t know when I’ll be back and—”

I turn in the flats that I forgot to take off when I came in. And that’s when it hits me like a punch in the gut.

“Wait!” I hiss cutting him off. I turn toward the front door then to the kitchen and then the living room.

“What’s wrong?” Evan jumps like he’s going to tackle someone.

“I… ” I whisper.

I remember my shoes against the wall and the kitchen, I cooked in this kitchen. I begin my slow tippy toed journey to the kitchen. My hand slides across the smooth cold countertop as I make my way through the kitchen.

I see myself standing in front of the stove. I’m cooking something, but I’m not sure what. I grab hold of the towel that sits next to the vase on the counter with the dried flowers it holds.

I tilt my head and take a deep breath.

Evan’s arms slowly wrap around me. “You’re the best cook in the world. There’s nothing better than watching you in here doing your thing. Well, besides eating it I mean.”

“I remember being here, Evan,” I whisper again.

He tucks his head into my neck. “I knew you would.”

“I remember cooking in here and… ” I’m beginning to have other memories, but I’m scared because as quickly as I grab hold of the thought with the net I’ve been trying to catch them with, I can’t get past the fear that there’s a hole that they’ll escape from.

I turn my body inside of his hold. “Everything’s a blur, but I know it’s there somewhere.” I smile.

His hold on me tightens and he kisses the top of my head.

“I want to remember everything,” I say excitedly.

“You will.”

I break from the hold jogging into the living room. “This couch?” I point to the couch and then sit on it smoothing my hands over the cushions on either side of me. I jump up feeling elation about the fact my memories may actually come back. I approach the window looking down to the street. “Is that?” I can’t ask, but I know. I shake my head when Evan starts to speak. “I know.” I raise a hand.

“Ok,” is all that he says.

I turn my body to see a print of white roses hanging on the wall next to the eight-person dining table. “That’s beautiful,” I gasp. The flowers seem so alive in this picture.

“Thank you.” He chuckles quietly to himself as his hand crosses his sexy facial hair.

Mmm, I love watching him do that.

“No problem.” I wink.

“It’s just that I bought it for you on one of my work trips and I never got to give it to you. I wanted to wait, but I needed to hang it. It just reminds me of you so much and…” he hesitates. “It’s been so quiet here that I needed a piece of you here with me.”

Evan’s sitting backward in one of the eight chairs at the table. He’s barefoot and the sleeves of his white Henley are pushed up. His hair has a messy just fucked look it’s so sexy.

I smile.

“Can I?” I point in the direction of the hallway.

He nods as he stands from the chair.

I slip out of my ballet flats and pad down the wide hallway. I don’t see Evan, but I know he’s walking close behind me.

I stop at his bedroom door holding onto the door frame. I’m terrified to enter, I don’t know why. Well, I know why, but…

I stare at the huge bed thinking about the dreams I’ve been having. I’m wondering if he and I had done anything like that in here. My heart begins to pound against my chest and butterflies swim in my tummy. A smile forces its way to my lips and I lay my head against the door frame.

“This is our room,” Evan whispers as he leans into me.

I melt, my body and mind are abandoning me and the plans I had.

Damn them!

I want to speak, I do, but I can’t and if I’m honest I’m not going to say anything that I want to hear myself say anyway, so I better just keep my mouth shut.

“Our room?” I ask, finally speaking.

“Mhmmm.” I feel him nod against me.

“I didn’t live here.” I furrow my brows in question.

He laughs. “I pretended that you did. I asked you too, but yea you didn’t technically live here. This room and this bed though…” He breaks his hold on me to walk in and he sits on the edge of the bed. “This was always ours, never anyone else’s.”

I lift my head and look down at my bare feet as I step inside. I take a deep breath as my foot touches the cold floor stepping into the room.

“I won’t bite,” Evan says and I feel bad that he has to say that to me.

“I don’t think you’ll hurt me Evan, I’m just… It’s just a lot, ya know.”

“Mhmmm. Anything?” he asks.

“Sorta, it's familiar, but no memory yet. Can I look around?”

“Like I said before, this is our room and that’ll never change, Abby.”

“Evan?” I need to talk to him about his father. Hopefully, he doesn’t try to avoid the conversation this time.

“Yeah?”

“When are we going to make your father pay?” I’m walking through the room and I’m not making eye contact, for good reason.

When Evan’s eyes pierce mine he could pretty much get what he wants, well within reason of course, and even though he said that we’d deal with his dad, he has yet to make good on that promise.

There’s a loud noise from the other room and Evan stands from the huge bed with a freaked out look on his face. “Abby, stay in here. No matter what, do not come out,” he commands.

He runs to a shelf near the bathroom door and opens the drawer pulling out a gun. “If anyone comes in here you fucking shoot.” He stares me down. “Abby! Do you hear me?”

I’m frozen in my bare feet. I can’t move let alone speak.

“Abby!” He shakes me by the shoulders.

“What are you talking about?” I demand.

He grabs me hard and forcefully by my shoulders. “Listen to me…” he pauses and looks up. “Do not come out of this bedroom until I tell you to, and if anyone comes in here...” He grabs my hand that holds the cold metal he’s put there. “Flip this, aim, point, and pull the fucking trigger. Do you understand me? Nod if you understand.”

I nod.

“I love you, Abby.” He kisses the top of my head and then walks out of the bedroom closing the door behind him.

“Yes, I’ll stay here.” I nod.

I don’t know what’s going on, but Evan is freaking out and by the look on his face something serious is going on. I don’t know what it is, but if it has anything to do with Marco, and if they’re going to fight then I’m going to have to intervene. Although, I don’t think he’d actually tell me if there
was
a problem, but if there is I
will
know.

I slowly walk toward the door to see if I can figure out what’s going on. I don’t hear anything.
Why would Evan give me a gun if nothing’s going on?

I slowly crack the door open to see if I can hear anything. I still don’t. I slowly and quietly shut the door back closed and walk toward the bed laying the cold metal down. The weight is a little bit too much for me and I hope I never have to use it.

I look around the room while in here. I might as well. My heart’s racing, I need to keep myself busy.

I walk over to the large window next to the bed and that’s when it hits me. One quick flash. I was here with him. I don’t know what happened or specifics, but it’s there somewhere.

I hear someone walking down the hallway and I panic. I think Evan’s coming back, but what if he’s not?
What do I do?
I search the room for somewhere to hide.

I grab the gun, but I’m not going to use it. I can’t, there’s no way.

I sprint to the closet and gently close the door.

Oh my God, what do I do?

“Abby? It’s Evan.”

I release the breath I was holding onto and collapse from the pure adrenaline that’s just passed through my veins. I gasp for air because the closet is closing in on me.

The door cracks. “It’s me, angel.” Evan appears through the light that’s coming in from the other side of the door. I tilt my head from the place I’m sitting on the wooden floor.

“Abby, I need you to get up.” His shoulders are held tightly, and his lips are pressed in a hard line.

Inner sexy girl shakes her head, probably because I’ve never seen Evan with any kind of a look that says he can’t handle something.

I stand slowly taking my time and dust off my jeans as I do. I feel like something bad is about to happen and I don’t like it. My heart’s pounding and the blood that runs through my veins is hot in my cheeks.

I approach Evan in the closet doorway and his hand grabs my wrist, his eyes close tightly, and his lips are in a flat line. “Don’t say a fucking word, do you hear me?”

“Evan?” I blink my eyes confused.

Evan quickly jerks me out of the closet. “I’m so sorry, I have to do this. Say nothing, Abby,” he whispers. Instantly my body goes cold as fear rips through me. You know that fear that comes when you think you’re in danger. Yeah, that kind of fear.

Evan drags me down the hall squeezing my wrist in a clenching grip.

Chapter Nine

Abby

We enter the livingroom and four men are standing at the four points around the room. They’re all wearing suits, very nicely tailored suits and my memory is suddenly bringing me back to Club En Fuego and Mr. Mysterious.

I feel a little dizzy, I need to sit down.

“Oh good, how nice of you to join us,” a man speaks. I turn to my right and spot him.

He’s sitting on the couch in the same kind of suit as the other men. He’s an older man, gray hair, and very well kept. His leg is crossed over the other and his hand is resting on his knee.

“Join us, please.” He smiles.

“I’m frozen to the floor and Evan’s grip is so tight on my wrist I think he’s literally about to snap it. I want to scream for him to let go, but again, I’m frozen and I can’t.

“I insist.” He smiles again holding his hand up toward the couch across from him.

I turn to my left to see Evan’s face hard and cold. No expression nothing. My heart beats faster seeing him act like this toward me.

I jerk my wrist and he loosens his grip but doesn’t release it completely. I don’t know what to do.

“Evan?” I whisper in a shaky voice.

He looks away and releases me. I grab my throbbing wrist with my right hand and begin to rub out the sting. I move forward toward the gray couch that this man had gestured for me to sit on. I look back to Evan as I begin to sit, but he isn’t looking at me.

“Ah Abigale, it’s so nice to finally meet you. Evan why would you keep such a beauty away from your family.”

“Ah, ok.” I look around to the men that are hovering.

“Where are my manners? I’m Evan’s father Thomas Carter,” just as he speaks he snaps his fingers at the man standing to my left and he heads toward the kitchen. “Son, come and join us,” he says in a polite voice, but I know different.

“You’re Evan’s fath—?” I turn to look at Evan. He looks pained like someone's ripping his insides out or holding fire to him.

My eyes furrow because I don’t like the thought that something’s wrong.

This man that sits here speaking to me is definitely the conservative type. A brandy glass in one hand and a smug look on his face.

“Evan sit,” Thomas says, but this time the
‘nice’
guy is gone.

Evan meets my gaze as he walks to the couch I’m sitting on. When he finally sits, he grabs my hand in his and squeezes hard. I can tell he’s saying something to me with this gesture, but I don’t know what it is.