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Chapter Eighteen
Evie
Washing the breakfast bowls, I hear Thomas upstairs talking with Louis. I can’t quite hear what they’re saying, only the deep tones of a conversation above me.
He’s taken to Louis so easily. I’m thinking it’s the motorcycle that opened him up to the possibility of Louis joining our little family. At that thought, a tinge of panic surges through me. It all seems too good to be true. I’ve always had to plod along in life, putting up with everything and dealing with it the best I can. I shouldn’t, but I’m waiting for the penny to drop.
Arms slide around my waist from behind, joined by warm lips pressing against my neck. I’ve missed these small, tender acts of love, and I feel greedy wanting them all the time. With his touch, the panic disappears, and I enjoy the moment.
“Thomas is nearly ready. He’s just got to brush his teeth,” he tells me, adding, “Do you want me to drive you to work and drop him off on the way?”
Rinsing off the last bowl, I place it on the drainer and turn off the tap.
“I’m good. I’m going to drop Thomas off, and then I’m going to visit with your sister.”
He pulls away. “I didn’t realise you two still spoke.”
“Why wouldn’t we? We write mostly, but sometimes we speak on the phone.”
“You do?”
Laughing, I throw my dish towel at him. “What’s wrong with you today?”
He seems to shake it off and tosses the towel to the side, muttering, “Nothing.”
Grabbing his keys from the table, he pulls me against him and kisses me. “Tell me, what do you talk about?”
“I just keep her informed on Thomas and us, and she tells me stories about when you were kids. I think she wants to feel like she’s not missing out.”
My stomach tightens when he narrows his eyes. I haven’t done anything wrong, but it’s starting to feel like I have, and I don’t like it.
“Seriously, what’s going on with you? She’s your sister. I thought you’d be happy we get along?”
He releases me and shrugs into his cut. “I’ve gotta go. I’ll catch you later.”
He leaves before I can question him further. He just offered to drop me off at work, so I don’t see what’s suddenly so pressing for him to leave.
During the school run and the bus ride to the prison, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve done something I’m not supposed to, which is infuriating, because I haven’t done anything that would cause problems.
Signing into the prison brings back everything I’ve been trying to lock away from being here previously myself. But to have a real friendship with Lexi, this is where I have to come to see her face-to-face. I know how important it is to have physical contact with friends and family, especially when most of the time, you’re surrounded by people you can’t trust.
I take my seat in the visitor’s room and exhale the tension creeping between my shoulders. My eyes go to the table I’d sat at a handful of months ago, remembering my mother telling me I couldn’t have Thomas home when I was released.
The door opens to my right, and Lexi is the last to walk in. She slumps into the chair and can barely lift her eyes to meet mine. The tension returns to my shoulders.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Her dark hair is down today, and I note that I’ve never seen her so casual. There are heavy bags under her eyes, and she plays nervously with a pull on her jumper sleeve.
“I’m just tired.”
I search her face, looking for some reason as to why she would be so down on herself.
“You sure?”
She finally meets my eyes and forces a smile.
“What’s been going on with you since we last spoke?” she asks, resting her chin against her palm. I really hope a conversation will distract her from whatever it is weighing her down.
