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When she brought her focus back to the room, she realized they were alone. “Where’d he go?”
“I sent him all the videos already. There’s nothing else he needs up here. Look at me,” he pleaded.
She did, but all that did was make her want to cry again. Evan pulled her up and into his arms.
“It’s okay,” he repeated as she cried in his arms.
It felt good, safe, to be held by him and she decided not to question it tonight. She needed strength, and he was offering his, so she’d take it.
“I need to call Jake,” he whispered into her hair.
Kayla nodded against his chest as he reached for his phone. When she tried to pull away, he tightened his other arm around her, keeping her close.
He spoke to Jake for a minute before hanging up. “They are on their way. He needs to see this.”
“Lauren is coming?” she asked, stepping out of his hold.
“Yes. I don’t know how this is going to go. If you want, I can show them. You don’t have to be in here when I do.”
“I want to be here. It’s not her fault.”
“It’s not.” He looked her over. “Are you okay?”
Kayla nodded again. “I think so. It scared me to death.”
“Me too. I was so worried.” He pulled her in for another hug, and she went willingly, her arms wrapping around him. “God, I’m so glad you weren’t hurt.”
“Thank you for coming,” she told him.
He pulled back, holding her an arm’s length away. “Don’t you ever doubt for a second that I won’t come for you. Anytime, day or night, got it?”
She didn’t have any words. The tears started again, and she tried to wipe them away, but they kept coming.
“Baby, please don’t cry,” Evan pleaded with her.
A watery laugh slipped through. “All this and it’s my tears that rattle you?”
“I don’t want to see you upset, Kayla.” His voice was firm, there was no doubting that he meant it.
“I need to see it,” she told him.
Evan blew out a resigned sigh. “Come on.”
He held her hand and led her downstairs and into the restaurant. She took in the overturned chairs and tables. Glass was everywhere from all the drinking glasses they had tossed around. Red spray paint covered every surface in some way.
“How did they do all this?” she turned to him. “Why, Evan?”
“We’re going to figure it out,” he promised.
“What the hell?” came Jake’s voice from the lobby.
“In here,” Evan called.
All his friends poured in. Even Luke had come, and she knew him less than Ryker because he had rarely shown up to things lately.
“What the fuck happened?” Ryker said, crunching glass as he walked in.
“Let’s go upstairs,” Kayla told Evan.
