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But I’m supposed to be looking at the man, not his son. I stare down at the dark-haired man in his early thirties, and I’m immediately shot back in time. I only usually remember bits and pieces of that day, but it’s clear now. I know this man is telling the truth. His father was the one that saved me. He probably didn’t know it at the time, but that instance was the one that finally gave Mom the courage to take River and I and run far enough that Seth couldn‘t find us, at least not for years. By the time Seth did, Mom was already dead, and Riv and I were practically adults.
I look up at Evander, who’s watching me, his eyes full of emotion. “You’re telling the truth,” I tell him quietly.
His smile lights up his face, and I have that warm sensation again. I love that something I said made him smile, which is a strange thought. I file that away to think about later.
“Yes. Yes, I am.”
I clear my throat. “How is your dad?”
“Good. Really good. He owns a couple automotive shops now. He still lives in Brooklyn, though, and I typically see him once a week for dinner.”
I smile at that, glad it worked out for them. “My brother and I try to have dinner with our dad once a week too.” By the look on Evander’s face, I know I need to clarify. “Our step dad adopted us when we were kids. We both call him Dad. He deserves the title. Our sister Essie comes when she’s home from college too.”
Evander’s features turn serious. “I’m relieved that your mom was able to get you and your brother some security in your childhood. I know it’s something that always worried Dad—that she hadn’t managed to get away.”
I shudder at the thought. I know River thought about it sometimes: what our life would’ve been like if Mom didn’t finally run far enough and hadn’t met Luke. I didn’t see the point. I know I’d be dead by now. Seth was always harder on me than River, and I didn’t have the ability to gauge his moods and react accordingly like River always did. He’d have killed me long before I reached adulthood.
“I would like to meet your dad, if you think he’d be ok with that?”
A smile lights up Evander’s face again. It makes him look so much younger. “Dad would love that. Are you free next Sunday? You can come for dinner. He’d really enjoy that.”
I pull out my phone to look at my calendar and see that I’m free. “Yes, I’m free that day. I would like that.”
Evander sucks his bottom lip into his mouth, his tongue absently playing with his lip piercing. “Perfect. Give me your phone, and I’ll put in my number.”
I shock myself when I hand it over. No one takes my phone from me. Well, I’ll check it for any devices or tracking apps when he leaves. For some reason, I don’t believe the man in front of me is like that, but I can’t be too careful. This is my personal phone, not my work one, but I still can’t risk someone finding any type of classified information, so I always have to be cautious.
But Evander is quick. He angles it toward me so I can see him texting himself so that he has my number as well. “I’ll talk to you later in the week, and we can iron out the details.”
“Ok.” I look awkwardly toward the door. I’m still a little overwhelmed by the day and need to get out of here and decompress. Between the news that Avery and Zoe would like me as their surrogate and then meeting Evander, I’m exhausted. And while part of me doesn’t want to leave the man, a larger part of me knows I need to.
Evander seems to understand this because he hands my phone back with a smile. “Alright, I’ll let you go. It was really nice meeting you.”
The feeling in my core is back again. “It’s nice meeting you, too.” Not knowing what else to say, I stick my phone back in my pocket, wave awkwardly, and run toward the door. I have no idea what these feelings when I look at Evander are, but they are leaving me unsettled, and I just need to get out of here.
ELEVEN
EVANDER
“So he just ran away? That’s fucking weird, man,” Logan tells me as he shoves a piece of steak in his mouth.
I glower at my best friend. I have no idea why, but I have this irrational urge to protect Lake, even if he doesn’t need it. “It wasn’t weird. I think he was just overstimulated.”
One of the other editors I work with sometimes is like that. After a long meeting or when we have a particularly demanding client, Lizzy needs to just step away and decompress by herself. I’ve worked with her long enough to know the signs, and Lake has a similar vibe.
“Why, I thought you two just talked?”
I roll my eyes at Logan. I love the guy, but he can be totally clueless. He’s the kind of guy who just lets stress roll off his back. He’s a beast in any type of dangerous situation, and I’d never want to hurt someone he cares about, but once the dust settles, he’s immediately back to his carefree self.
“Yeah, but I told you he was with friends. They had an important conversation before I interrupted him, so I’m pretty sure he was already overwhelmed and I just added to it.”
Logan tilts his head in interest. Just then, my dad and Lucy walk onto the porch where Logan and I are talking. For years, Sunday dinners were just Dad and me, but at some point, Logan joined, and even Lucy has been to the last two.
Lucy is holding a tray of drinks, water bottles, refills on our beers, and a pitcher of a dark-purple drink filled with fruit.
“Lucy made us sangria,” Dad says happily as he follows her out, also holding a tray. I know he loves how these dinners evolved. Even if it’s been twenty years, I know a part of him still feels like he has to make up for the beginning half of my childhood, and knowing that my friends feel like his home is a second home for them, too, even as adults, eases that guilt slightly.
“Oh sweet, you’re the best, darling,” I say as I stand and take the tray from her. Logan rises from his seat to take the tray my dad is holding, his mouth still full of food. It looks like my dad brought out a couple different types of salad, corn on the cob, and watermelon slices.
