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We were sittingin the window of a café a block from the building. One of those way-too-cute places where hipsters and trust fund babies frequented. Not that there was anything wrong with being a trust fund baby—I was one of those myself. But I didn’t walk around in ratty-ass clothes to make myself look poor the way some of these people did.
“There’s one good thing about having a cane,” Evelyn murmured once we sat with our menus. “It can help you get a table a lot faster.”
I probably shouldn’t have laughed, but I couldn’t help myself. “Shit. Maybe I should get one of those for myself.”
“I’m allowed to make that joke. You’re not.”
“Understood.” If anything, I liked her more when she was blunt, but I especially liked that wicked streak in her. I looked up from my menu and found her gazing at the cane, gripping it tight enough that her knuckles were bone white against her skin. “I shouldn’t have laughed,” I murmured.
“No, no, it’s not about that. I guess I was just asking myself what life is going to look like once I don’t need this anymore.”
“It can look like whatever you want it to,” I encouraged.
“I’ve had it for so long, you know? Leaving the house without it… I mean, I tried to do that in the Hamptons, and I wound up regretting it. If I really don’t need it? I’d feel naked without it.”
This was not the time for me to make a joke about wanting to see her naked. “Only for a little while. You’ll get used to it.”
“Fifteen years. It’ll take time, I think.” She stared down at her menu, pressing her lips together like she was trying to hold something back.
“Are you okay?”
“It’s so funny. Not in a ha-ha kind of way. I’ve never wanted to tell anybody how I ended up with this. I just… never wanted to talk about it. I was ashamed. That’s what this cane means. Shame. It’s so heavy. I don’t want to carry it anymore.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I can’t believe we’re having this conversation in the middle of a restaurant.”
What was she trying to tell me? I wanted to know. I wanted it with everything I had. Whatever it took, I needed her to know she could trust me. That the bullshit that happened with Leila had nothing to do with her and everything to do with my past.
I wanted to know because I wanted to know everything about her. Front to back, beginning to end, all of it. I needed to know.
“What did Barrett tell you? I don’t remember.”
“He said it was a drive-by. You were shot in the leg.”
“Right.” Her lips twitched before she shrugged. “I mean, that’s not the kind of thing you could research, I guess.”
“Is that… not the way it happened?”
She shook her head slowly, and her throat worked. “What is taking them so long? I could use some water.” The way her voice trembled spurred me to action, and I lifted a hand to signal for the slow-ass server. Once that was settled, I turned my attention back to Evelyn.
“I told you about him. You know who I mean.”
“Yeah. I remember.” How could I forget that fucking monster?
“Please, don’t tell Barrett I’m telling you this.” She reached across the table and squeezed my hand tight. “Promise me.”
“I promise.”
“It wasn’t intentional. He didn’t mean to do it. He got the… gun,” she whispered, eyes darting around. “He was going to shoot him. Our father. Barrett was doing it to protect me and Mom. He was just a kid, sixteen years old. He thought he was doing the right thing for us.”
“What are you telling me?”
Her eyes filled with tears as she fought to blink back. “It was Barrett. Dad grabbed for the gun they were fighting over it, wrestling on the floor. He had his hand over Barrett’s. He was the one in control. Instead of pointing it at the ceiling or the floor or the window, my father chose to aim for me before forcing Barrett to squeeze the trigger.”
Her voice cracked, but she fought through it. “Barrett might think it was an accident that I ended up wounded, but I know better. Dear old Dad couldn’t exit this world without inflicting more pain. He made sure one of those bullets pierced me, then Mom, before taking his own life. That’s how it happened. And you can never tell Barrett you know. I don’t even know why I’m telling you. I guess I needed to get it out.”
A chipper voice broke through the dark hell my thoughts had become. “What can I get for you guys? So sorry it’s been so busy today. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting this long.”
