All I Have Left (19 page)

He groaned following me downstairs. “I’ll never live it down. Ever.”

Once we made it downstairs everyone was gathered in the breakfast nook at his parent’s house. Ever since I could remember, his parent’s house had been the local hangout for us. It hadn’t changed.

I glanced over at Ethan and Frankie as we walked toward the table to see Ethan licking syrup off Frankie’s arm. Wearing her light pink scrubs, she appeared to have just gotten off work.

“Morning sunshine,” Josh said, stuffing his mouth with pancakes.

Julia slapped the back of his head for talking with his mouth full. At least someone could keep him in line.

She wasn’t his mother, but she never hesitated to keep him in check. Josh needed that.

Grayson shook his head and grabbed some coffee off the counter, handing me a cup as well, then took a seat next to me.

“How’s the hands there, Grayson?” Josh asked looking at his hands as we sat down at the table beside him.

Even days later, they were red and slightly swollen. Looking at his hands up close, I noticed he had the same scars on his hands and forearms as he did on his back, new deep purple scars. Realizing I was looking at them, he pulled his hands under the table, looking away from me. I wondered where all those scars came from. They almost looked similar to burns.

Though he hadn’t come out and said it, I knew something horrible happened to Grayson in Iraq.

Just like he hadn’t asked about the things Shane had done to me. There was just some things we didn’t talk about, and might never discuss.

“Try to stay out of trouble today.” Wyatt teased ruffling Grayson hair and he walked past toward the back door.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Grayson mocked with a sarcastic laugh, smiling at me.

We sat around talking that morning before Ethan headed to work. He was taking Grayson with him for the afternoon so he could interview for a position they had open. It made the idea of him staying feel real, and I loved that.

At some point I knew I needed to get out of their house for a little while. I couldn’t stay holed up in there forever, I knew that. I had a job too.

Life wouldn’t allow us to just escape reality, as shitty as that was because I would have been completely fine just living in Grayson’s bedroom forever. I think part of him would have been thrilled at the prospect.

I had two weeks off from my job to get everything sorted out and for my body to physically heal, thanks to Frankie and talking with my boss. I needed it because there was no way I could explain these bruises to all those customers.

Later that morning, Grayson let me go over to my house and shower only because Ethan was over there getting ready for work. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be alone for a while. I wasn’t upset by it. I was okay with it.

It was actually a reminder, a painful one that this wasn’t over. Shane wouldn’t let go that easy. He wanted control and power over what he thought was his. When that was taken, I knew he wouldn’t give up. To Shane, it had nothing to do with me. He didn’t love me. He wanted control over me and confused that with love. And now that he didn’t have either of those things, regardless of my mom, I knew it wasn’t over.

As I walked back over to my house I realized that I was about to do something I should have done months ago, something I should have done when I first met Shane. I don’t know why I was ever attracted to Shane. I guess maybe I thought that he reminded me of Grayson. In the beginning, he was sweet and always a gentleman, but that turned around real fast, now there wasn’t a shred of resemblance between the two of them.

My phone started to ring just as I opened our front door as I came into cell range, but in a moment of anger, I threw it at the wall, knowing exactly who it was. Surprisingly, it still rang. That thing could be bombed and it would still ring if Shane was calling.

After contemplating how to tell him to fuck off, I thought maybe a phone call might be the best idea, guess I should have thought about that before I chucked my phone. Just as I grabbed my broken cell phone off the ground, Ethan came strolling in.

“Hey, Evie,” he sat down beside me on the couch. “How are you feeling today?” he asked looking at my swollen face, shaking his head in disappointment.

“I guess okay. I know now what I should have done a long time ago.” I held my cell phone up, well what used to be my cell phone, now it was a few pieces that were more similar to a 3D jigsaw puzzle. Gently I tried to force the pieces together but they just fell apart.

“Don’t bother,” Ethan scorned. “Mom had a long talk with his dad last night and he knows to never come near you again. You shouldn’t have to explain yourself.”

I had no idea what to say but he was right, I shouldn’t have to explain myself to Shane. The fucker hit a woman for Christ sakes. Ethan and I both knew that was never okay.

“Mom quit too, she’s going to be working as a partner with Julia and her firm.” He laughed. “Mom’s excited about it, so is Julia. You should see them over there planning, it’s madness,” he added.

“What did she say?”

“Not much. She was hurt that you didn’t tell her. You two need to talk.”

I knew that. And we would, when I was ready.

In a way, it pissed me off that it was that fucking easy. Like this would have worked all along. And all along I didn’t think it would. Looking at it now, it made me angry that I have convinced myself my reasoning was rational. It wasn’t. For that, I paid a high price, a price I would being paying on forever.

“I wish you guys wouldn’t have got involved.”

“Evie, someone had to,” Ethan pointed out, interrupting me. “I know what he was doing to you emotionally, but I thought you were strong enough to handle it yourself. I never thought he would actually hit you. When he did, that’s all it took for me to step in. I’m not losing my sister over something like this,” he paused and looked me directly in the eye, his eyes tightened and I understood the meaning. We almost lost our mother the exact same way. He was failing to realize that my reasoning here was that I didn’t want anything happening to my family. They meant the world to me. “He will pay for this Evie,” he hissed between his teeth.

“Ethan, please just let it go, for me?” I moaned, throwing the pieces of my phone on the coffee table in front of us. “We should let it go.”

“What if he comes after you?” he shook his head, “I’m sorry Evie but this is one thing you are not going to convince me on,” he got up and walked toward the door. “When the time comes, he’s going to pay for that shit.” Ethan paused before opening the door, turning around with a devilish smile gracing his lips. “I love you, Evie.”

“I love you too, Ethan.”

It would be a good feeling to think everything had worked out, easy, but it never could have. No, not my life. Like I said before, Shane wasn’t the type of guy to just let it go.

After I showered, I went back over to Grayson’s house just as he and Ethan left. He caught me, his arm around my shoulder walking me to the door.

“Please don’t leave without Frankie.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

I hoped he understood the bigger meaning there.

He did, and smiled with a wink.

As I stood in the living room of his house, I almost felt, relieved. I guess relieved would be a good word for my emotional state at the moment.

It had been so long since I felt so relaxed, three years to be exact. Without having to worry about pissing off Shane I was surprisingly…chipper.

I made my way up to Frankie’s room.

“Good morning,” I said, just as I opened the door.

“So…” Frankie gave me a sly smile as I closed her bedroom door.

“What?” I asked, knowing where this was going and plopping myself down on her bed and beginning to look through the newest
People
magazine.

Frankie smiled, bright and clever, and it reminded me of Grayson right then, when he wanted something. “Yes, but first we are going to a little fundraiser for the hospital, remember the baseball game? Put this on.” She threw some
really
short jean shorts at me along with a bikini top, well actually strings with two triangles.

“There is no way in hell I am wearing
that
to a baseball game, Frankie,” I threw it back at her. “You’re out of your fucking mind!”

She crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the ground, irritated. “I can’t believe you. Evie, be reasonable! This is for a good cause,” she smirked. “Besides, it will give you a chance to show Grayson what he’s been missing,” she hedged winking. “I know shit really hit the fan the other night but we promised the hospital a month ago.”

“Grayson’s on a job interview. He didn’t say anything to me about playing baseball today.”

Frankie gave me a look. “He can never say no to his sisters. You should know that by now.”

And I did.

While staring at the ridiculous bikini top, I realized Shane might be at the game and the thought gave me an instant wave of nausea. “Wait, isn’t Shane playing in that game?” I remember him talking about it the other day. Suddenly the anxiety came back and the weight I once felt lifted, had returned in a moment.

“Well, yeah,” I felt the blood leave my face. “But,” she held a finger up. “He’s on the other team and you will be well protected by our whole family. We’re not going to let him near you.”

“Do you really think this is a good idea, Frankie?” To me it seemed horrible. After everything, I should stay away from him.

“No, but we already promised,” Frankie sighed, and I knew I couldn’t let her down.

“I look like hell.”

“We’ll fix that,” her eyes took in my face, dancing over every mark I knew was there, visible to the world.

“I hate you.”

She held my face in her hands. “And I love you.”

As I looked at the bikini, it was then that I caught on to what she was implying…Grayson wouldn’t let Shane or any other man near me, not that I would mind. Grayson had always been protective of me and I could only imagine how he felt now, returning to this, seeing what happened to me.

“I don’t think
that
outfit is a good idea then,” I suggested pushing it away again.

“Evie, I know but we’re the cheerleaders and
this
is what we are wearing. You want to support the hospital, right?”

Frankie was a nurse part-time at the hospital in Dothan and was constantly convincing me to do these charities. And when I didn’t, she would make me feel guilty, like I was personal responsible for childhood cancer or something. Not that she said that, but how could you deny helping out a charity without feeling guilty?

“Frankie, what if Ethan or Grayson starts a fight with Shane?”

She laughed. “Let them. That asshole deserves to fucking die a slow painful tortured death.”

I agreed, but I didn’t want the drama of it all. I wanted to never think of him again.

Was that really too much to ask for?

After Frankie applied a thick coat of makeup to my swollen face I slipped on one of Grayson’s old baseball sweatshirts that I stole in high school. Then I added a pair of dark sunglasses before going downstairs.

Frankie smiled when she saw the sweatshirt pulling playfully on the hood. “You do realize it’s ninety degrees outside?”

I sighed and kept walking downstairs. If I was going out in public with this damn bikini on, I was wearing this goddamn sweatshirt, regardless of this Alabama heat.

“Hey,” she said as we walked through the kitchen. “I don’t want to hash out the other night or make you all weepy, but was that Jameson Riley who basically saved you from Shane?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “He walked by.”

“Wow.” She smiled, impressed. “He doesn’t seem like the dick they make him out to be.”

As far as I was concerned, Jameson Riley was a hero. There was a good part of me knew if I went home with Shane last night, I might not have ever come back.

Grayson had told me Aiden called him on Monday, at Jameson’s request, to make sure I was okay. I would never forget what he did for me. If I could have found a way to thank him, I would.

I was relieved to find Grayson wasn’t back when I got downstairs.

I decided to ride with Frankie and packed up her car with some cold drinks for the game.

As soon as we stepped outside I was regretting the sweatshirt and cursing Frankie once again. And this stupid humid state we lived in.

Damn you Alabama. Damn you.

When Frankie opened her trunk to put the cooler in the back, I noticed something rather disturbing in there.

“Um, Frankie,” I looked up her. “Do I dare ask why you have these in your car?” I asked holding up ropes, duct tape and a shovel.

She chuckled, “No, probably not.” She glanced over her shoulder. “You never know when you might need to bury a body, or tie someone up.”

When we arrived at the baseball fields a short ten minutes later. I immediately spotted Grayson on the field warming up with Josh and Ethan. I hadn’t seen him with a glove since high school. The feeling warmed me inside, like a memory hitting me in the heart.