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“What do you think?” she asks. The main point is that we need Evie to go home with the guys. While she’s there, Laney can backtrack and find who was involved in the ambush by hacking the island servers. We would have time to clean house and secure the island so we could all finish out the year safely. It’s not a bad idea, but we would have to make sure very few people stay behind for the break to ensure no one is hiding out on the island. We would also have to have The Society do a full sweep of every inch of this place, and that will require a lot of convincing.
“It’s a good thing Evie got with those boys, or I would say there is no way in hell this shit would ever work.” Laney’s face falls at my response, “but,” I say, watching her perk back up, “those men will do anything for her. So.,I think we need to ask them.”
“You.”
“What?” I ask.
“You need to ask them. I don’t know if Evie has told them what I did but she won’t want me there. If they know what I did, then I’m a dead girl walking. So, it has to be you.”
I see her point, and she doesn’t seem to relax until I agree. I also need to come up with a way to get Evie to forgive this poor girl. I understand her hurt, but I also think she’s forgiven worse. She forgave me.
Besides, if anyone knows what it’s like to not be given a choice in this life, it’s Evie James.
???
A few hours later, I’m walking into the hospital heading to the room where we are all to meet. We now have a group chat thanks to Alexi. I stop at Evie’s room first though. Lev is lying in the bed with her, running his fingers through her hair as she looks at me. A soft smile graces her lips, and I will forever be thankful for the forgiveness this woman has offered me.
“Think we could chat for a minute before we all pile in next door?” I ask her.
She nods, but Lev makes no move to leave so I decide to just go for it. “Listen, I’m going to say this the only way I know how. It’s not meant to be rude or hurtful, but you need to hear it. Laney told me what she did.”
Evie’s jaw clenches and her nostrils flare, but she keeps the rest of her body relaxed and takes a deep breath. I take that as my cue to continue.
“And if anyone on this island can understand what she’s going through right now, it’s you. So, while you get to be hurt and you’re allowed to feel whatever the fuck you feel, you also need to get the fuck over it and forgive the poor girl.”
Lev looks between us like he might have to keep Evie from strangling me, and I honestly want to see her try. The past few days she has looked like she’s giving up, and I want to see that fight back in her spirit.
“What did she do?” Lev asks Evie, and I shake my head at them both.
“It’s not about what she did, it’s about who she is. I just sat in my room listening to the plan this girl came up with to keep your ass safe for fourhours. Do you know how hard it is to pretend you’re listening for four fucking hours?”
A slight smile tugs at Evie’s lips before they cast down again.
“Look, Evie, I’m not saying she didn’t fuck up. I’m saying that she wasn’t given a choice. But the moment she could choose, she chose you, and you sent her away. I thought you were the kind of woman, the kind of leader, who put yourself in other people's shoes and tried to understand. Fuck, what I wanted to do to you was so much worse, and you forgave me.”
Evie won’t look at me now, pointedly ignoring my presence. If she wants to act that way, then fine.
“I chose you too. Fuck my father and my family, fuck everyone who thinks less of us because we don’t have a big dick swinging between our legs. I thought you would choose us back. We fought for you, Evie. Are you going to fight for us?”
I don’t give her the chance to answer as I walk out, I just leave and go to sit patiently in the room next to hers until more people file in.
Chapter 11
“Care to tell me what happened?” Lev asks as soon as Nessa leaves the room.
I’m so angry I could hit something. I’m angry because she’s so fucking right. I curl into Lev and explain everything. In return, he just holds me tight as I cry. This damn crying is going to have to stop soon or I’m going to lose it. But the good thing is, I was finally able to pee by myself this morning without anyone helping me, so I feel like some things are getting better.
“Do you think you can trust her again?” Lev asks after I calm down. His fingers comb through my hair, and it’s everything I need so I don’t fall apart. This whole feeling weak all the time needs to stop. Doc thinks I can be detoxed enough by the time we leave in three days. I can switch to oral medication for the rest of the process, but the guys don’t all agree. If I could just stop crying and shaking, then maybe I’d feel like myself again and help convince them I’m ready.
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “But I want to. She’s my best friend. She told me the truth. I don’t think she’s hiding anything anymore. But the fact that she waited this long to say anything makes me want to break her nose.”
Lev snorts at my dramatics and when I laugh back, I find that it actually doesn’t hurt. I have to make sure not to lift anything for the next week, but hopefully after that I can ease back into my routine. All this lying around has me feeling antsy and out of control.
I want to forgive Laney. I want to be surrounded by this small group of people that I now want to keep. No matter how mad I might be at her, I still love her too. Nessa was right; they chose me. I need to make sure I choose them too.
???
I texted Laney, outside of the group chat, to come to the meeting. We are all set up in the conference room next to mine, and when she arrives, Arrow quietly waves her over to a seat by the door. I’m relieved she’s taking this slow and staying back because I still need time, but this plan can’t wait. We only have three days.
