Page 42 of Chalk It Up

“What are you even talking about? And who could possibly be a witness to anything?” As if on queue, a call comes through on Larissa’s phone. She fishes it out of her power, business woman pocket and smiles at the contact she sees on the screen.

“Hey, Lorraine.” Lorraine. I know that name. It absolutely cannot be the same person. “Yeah, I’m actually talking to Evangeline and August right now. I just let them know all my conditions if they don’t give me full custody of Adeline.” Conditions. What a polite way to say manipulations or blackmail. Because that’s exactly what this is, blackmail. Lorraine says something on the other line that Larissa just nods to even though Lorraine can’t see her. “Yeah, okay, thanks for the heads up. I’ll be by for dinner after I set up the ‘for rent’ sign on this cottage. I don’t think they’re going to bend. See ya soon.” And she ends the call with the person I’m one-hundred percent sure is my boss.

chapter 29

August

“Who’s Lorraine?” I turn to Evie because the last thing I really want to keep doing is acknowledge Larissa’s existence, and by the shift in her body language she seems to know who it is.

“My boss.” She whispers, mortified like she’s just seen a ghost and everything seems to slat into place. Constantly looking at me, rude to Evie, the weird feeling I got on our date like someone was watching. I’m waiting on bated breath for confirmation that Evie’s boss is in fact secretly disrupting Evie’s whole life.

“Mrs. Johnston?” I ask in confirmation even though I already know that’s exactly who she’s referring to. This time my question is directed at Larissa. “How do you even know Mrs. Johnston? And why is she involved in any of this? Why do you want Adeline so badly and for Evie and I to not be together?” The questions shoot off one right after another. I’m doing a horrible job at playing my cards close to my chest, but I’m bursting at the seams. I need to fix all of this before Evie is sent into a panic attack over it.

“C’mon eldest son of the golden family. Isn’t it your job to know everyone in this ridiculous town?”

“I don’t make a point of getting to know many people.” I shoot back at her.

“You don’t seem to have wasted any time getting to know the teacher.” Her disrespectful tone that she keeps throwing at Evie is about to stop. “Anyway, Lorraine is my aunt. You never met her as my aunt while we were married because my family likes to treat her like the black sheep. They don’t trust her as far as they can throw her. But I developed a relationship with her anyway.

I saw the benefit to growing close to someone who was ostracized by everyone. People who are kicked aside tend to have a savior complex and do whatever you ask them.” The way she talks about Lorraine absolutely does not sound like someone who loves their family member, but rather uses them for their own personal gain. I somehow suddenly feel very badly for Lorraine even though she is the one who got us into this mess.

“Regardless, Lorraine is involved because I allow her to live in her house rent free, and there’s very little people won’t do for money and to maintain their lifestyles.” This woman is so grossly manipulative, I can’t believe I fell for her once upon a time. “She also has a problem with the dynamic of a single dad and his daughter’s teacher being together.” I’d also bet Lorraine’s rent-free living that she’s jealous of Evie, and that’s why she’s always rude to her and staring at me. “I had a problem I wanted solved and she could easily do that for me and that made her feel valuable.” Vile. Absolutely vile.

“Larissa, you’re easily one of the most disgusting human beings I’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting. Why do all of this to get Adeline back? You’re the one who decided to walk out and move on.” I'm absolutely fuming over all of this.

“Because quite simply, August, I don’t want another woman in Adeline’s life. And I certainly don’t want another woman in your life.” I have to reign in rolling my eyes because how annoyingly cliche is that? ‘If I can’t have you then no one can.’

“That makes no sense.” I’m attempting to not yell because the last thing I want is for Evie to think I can’t control myself. “Larissa, you left. Did you think Adeline and I would just sit around twiddling our thumbs waiting for you to have your little fun and come back to us? You don’t get to have your cake and eat it too. You can’t set people aside, and just pick them back up when it suits you. We’re not disposable, and you’re revolting.”

“All of that may be terribly true, but the situation still stands that the cards are all in my hands and if you two don’t want everything to blow up in your faces then you’ll hand over Adeline and stop seeing each other, or the teacher doesn’t have a house or job anymore.” Her blackmail hangs in the air like the branches on the pines surrounding the lake.

“August has been very patient because the words I want to throw at you are far worse than anything he’s said.” Evie steps forward and somehow makes herself larger than Larissa at this moment. “I don’t know what it takes for a woman to become so abhorrent that she would use her own daughter as a pawn in a game she created, but it’s absolutely repulsive. Adeline is the sweetest little girl with deep, real feelings.

“She already carries scars at such a young age from knowing her own mom never put her first. You don’t know the first thing about her or you would never sling her around for your own personal gain. You can threaten my house and my job, but I will never let you threaten Addie. Enjoy your inspection.” I immediately catch on to the fact that this is our queue to leave and it takes all my self-control to not pick Evie up and kiss her ferociously right here in front of Larissa.

Listening to her defend Adeline took every single shattered and fragmented and jaded piece of me, and melded it back together as if nothing had ever broken me to begin with. I love Evie and she’ll never go another day questioning that.

I get her door opened and settle her into the car when she asks me to run back in and grab Maple. I don’t hesitate for a second and run back into the house to Maple’s crate, grabbing her and a couple of her toys that are around.

I thought I’d make it out of the house unscathed until Larissa comes out from down the hall. “She’s just going to leave you like everyone else. You’re wasting your time and you’re going to hurt Adeline while you’re off playing house with some woman.” Her words are venom but I suck them right out before they can do damage.

“Not that you deserve to even be acknowledged, but I love that woman with everything that I am, and I’ll never let you hurt her. You’re not even worthy to be in her presence, let alone talk about her. I'll do everything in my power to protect Adeline and Evie. I hope you enjoy your lonely misery.” I spin on my heel and leave before she can comment back.

Maple and I make it back to the car and Evie’s house gets smaller behind us. She’s taking deep enough breaths that I feel as though they’re calming me down too. I reach over and grab her hand. “How’re you feeling, baby?”

“I’m good. I promise.” She says the words on an exhale and I want to ruin Larissa for how much hurt she’s brought both of my girls. “I’m just glad I didn’t have a full blown panic attack back there. That would’ve made seeming tough a very difficult task.” She chuckles at the last part and I’m amazed by her ability to even slightly joke at a time like this. Like her living situation and livelihood aren’t on the line. I rub what are hopefully soothing circles around her hand with my thumb and we allow the silence to blanket the car while we soak in everything that just happened.

“Evie, I’m going to fix all of this. I’m still working it out, but she’s not going to touch your job or your house.” I know those are promises I don’t really have the power of making, but I’ll flip this planet on its axis to make sure nothing happens to Evie. I’ve got half an idea in my mind for taking care of her living situation, but I need to make some phone calls before I let Evie in on it.

“August, I don’t even know if I want to keep living in that house. I hate that I’m paying money each month to such an awful person. If I had known the woman who owns my house is Addie’s mom, I would’ve moved out ages ago.” She doesn’t even mention that Larissa is a generally terrible person and is blackmailing her. It’s because of what Larissa constantly does to Adeline that Evie doesn’t want to live there anymore. Despite physics I keep falling harder and faster for this woman.

“Evie,” I pull over to the side of the road and adjust my body so I’m facing her entirely, despite how uncomfortable that is in my SUV. She’s still staring out of the windshield like she can’t wrap her mind around what’s happening and I get that. But she needs to hear what I’m about to say, so I lean over and gently guide her chin so she’s facing me.

Her breathing hitches, and I love that the smallest touch has the biggest effect on her. I set my hand on the side of her face just around her ear, and the tension in the SUV is palpable in the best way. “Evie baby, I don’t know what the outcome of this is going to be, so I need you to know something before anything else happens.”

Her pupils blow out like her body already knows what I’m going to say. Our souls are intertwined, so whatever is it that tethers me to her must know instinctually what she’s about to hear, but I say it anyway. “I love you, Evangeline. I’ve loved you since the day I met you.” Her eyes are bouncing back and forth between mine like she’s short-circuiting. “Even in the worst of situations, you’ve illuminated your own path with the most beautiful silver lining. The privilege of knowing you is not something I take for granted.

“You deserve to be told every single day how loved and cherished you are, and it’s a crime that you’ve gone so many days without hearing it from me.” A single tear is streaming a path down her cheek, and I brush it away before reaching down to grab both of her hands.