“E, man, wait.”
“Evan. Fox. Whoever the fuck you are…” I shook my head as I backed away. “I just… no. You’re dead. Fox is fucking dead. I won’t tell your secret, but you’re dead to me.” My voice cracked on the words I was desperate to take back. “You’re fucking dead.”
I turned, ran back to my car, and got in. I pounded my hands on my steering wheel for a moment before I looked up to see that Evan was on his knees at his own grave, his body shaking as he cried.
Fuck him for leaving me. For leaving us. For taking Rosalie away.
But really, fuck me for being mad because he’d done what I’d have done if given the chance.
I didn’t know what the fuck any of this meant. What I did know was that I needed to get the fuck out of there before I crumbled right next to him on that grave.
12
ENZO
Ethan burst into the house, his eyes swollen. I sat up on the couch where I’d been since I’d gotten back from the office an hour before. I’d been staring at the wall, trying to forget my existence.
“E? What’s wrong?” I asked, immediately worrying that he had news on Rosalie.
He shook his head and stormed past me. I heard his soft sob as he went upstairs. Riot wasn’t home yet. Ann and Harold took him out for pizza and to see the Turtles movie again.
Cole wasn’t home, and more boxes had arrived for him.
Deciding I needed to know what the hell was going on, I went upstairs and knocked on E’s door.
“Go away,” he called out, definitely crying.
This wasn’t like him. He wasn’t this guy. He hadn’t cried in ages, so to hear him distraught had me worried.
I opened his door and went in. Carefully, I sat on the edge of his bed as he lay curled up into a tight ball, crying softly.
“E?” I asked gently. “Hey, man. Talk to me. I’m worried.”
“I-I’m fine. I just had a bad day.”
I said nothing for a moment before I stood and left his room. Quickly, I went to mine, changed out of my suit into a pair of sweatpants, and took off my shirt. I sent a quick text to Ann and asked if Riot could stay with her tonight. She replied yes, so I went back to E’s room and crawled into bed with him.
I faced him, raking my fingers through his soft hair.
I was still struggling with trying to remember the night I’d gotten high and woken up naked in my bed. I knew I’d had a bad reaction to E’s new strain. The guys said they handled it, but I just had a feeling I’d done some fucked up shit.
I had a feeling I’d done it with Cole, and he didn’t want to talk about it.
I really fucking wished he would, though, because I’d like to remember.
“E?” I asked, my voice shaking. “Please. Talk to me. Did-Did you relapse?”
It took him a moment, but he finally got himself together before looking at me through tear-soaked lashes.
“No, brother. I didn’t relapse,” he whispered. “I just had a bad day.”
“Is Rosalie OK?” I asked, my voice wavering.
“No news,” he answered.
“Was it Emily?” I ventured.
He breathed out. “Yeah, man. It was Emily.”
