Page 97 of Striking Range

“I hear you,” Mom placates, looking over her shoulder to give me a smile. “We’ll hold off until then.”

Everything is coming to a close: school, my rise to being a nurse, my life as a carefree college student. Even beach volley is over, sadly, though Dante and I did own up to our A-team status and won most of our matches. Yet, even though it is borderling depressing to leave this era of my life behind, I’m excited; there are so many new possibilities that come with this change, and every single one of them involves Everett.

Everett, whom I confessed to. Shit, I’ll never get over the embarrassment of telling him that I love him for the first time, drunk off my ass.

It wasn’t a lie: I am certain that I do love him. I just wish I had been sober, or not in the throes of passionate love-making.

Mom, as if she can read my mind, suddenly says, “Oh! I saw Everett today!”

I perk up, eyeing her curiously. “Really? Where?”

If he won’t tell me his plans, I guess Mom will.

“I was grocery shopping, and I saw him across the street at D’Oro. I think he was getting an early lunch with his parents and his girlfriend.”

I almost laugh. His girlfriend? Please.

Mom will assume that any young girl with a young guy is a couple, but I’m living proof that that’s not true. Everett is mine, and he was most likely with his parents and the child of one of their clients.

“Oh, yeah?” I reply, keeping my smirk as hidden as possible. “Good for them.”

I know I could very easily come out to my parents and tell them about Evie and me, but I am not willing to risk his safety. If I tell them, they’ll want to meet up with the Carmichaels, and the only way to prevent that is if I tell them about what truly happens behind the closed doors of Everett’s childhood home.

I refuse to give them that secret if Evie is not ready for it. Therefore, I won’t tell them about our relationship. For now, we will remain a secret.

“Yeah,” Mom says with a wistful sigh. “She was so beautiful too! Long blond hair and a pretty face. Do you know her, Sky? Maybe Everett could bring her over one day.”

Long blond hair? A beautiful face?

I do know her. I’m ninety-nine percent sure that she’s talking about Ashley, the girl from the bar. The one who was touching Everett as if she owned him, kissing his lips.

The one who supposedly told him to come home to me.

So why the fuck is he having lunch with her and his adoptive parents?

“You said they were at D’Oro? How long ago was that?” I question.

Mom spins around in a hurry, her eyes wide. “A-about an hour ago? What’s wrong, Sky?”

I think she can hear the anger and the panic in my voice. I’m certain it’s showing on my face, revealing the weakest and most vulnerable side of me.

“I have to go,” I rush out, snatching my keys from the table as I hurry toward the front door.

“Sky! What’s happening? You didn’t even say hi to your father!”

But I don’t hear the rest of her panicked speech as the front door slams shut behind me. I can apologize to her later—right now, I need to see for myself. I have to understand before I make crazy assumptions that spiral me.

As I drive toward the restaurant, I try to calm my breathing. I try to remind myself of the facts and the reality I’m in.

Everett and I are official—even if in secret. Everett is not a cheater, and he would never hurt me in such a way. Even if he weren’t interested anymore, he would come right out and say it, even if only to save our friendship.

Plus, he loves me.

On Halloween, I told him that I loved him and he was so happy. He was so thrilled that he made me say it again and again.

He…

Actually, did Everett ever say he loves me too?