Lick: Stage Dive 1(67)

“What?” I edged back a bit and he noticed, taking a step to the side to get closer to the door. Trying to maneuver me to the outer.

Ben just looked at me, his thick arm barring the way. “Mal said you’re nice and I’m sure you are. But she’s my sister. David and her have always been crazy about each other, ever since we were kids.”

“I don’t understand.” I flinched, my head shaking.

“I know.”

“Move, Ben.”

“I’m sorry. Can’t do that.”

Fact was, he didn’t need to. I held his gaze, making sure I had his full attention. Then I balanced my weight on one of my hooker heels, using the other to kick the door open. Since it had never been fully closed, it swung inward with ease.

David stood with his back partially turned toward us. Martha’s hands were in his hair, holding him to her. Their mouths were mushed together. It was a hard, ugly kiss. Or maybe that was just the way it looked from the outside.

I didn’t feel anything. Seeing that should have been big, but it wasn’t. It made me small and it shut me down inside. If anything, it felt almost oddly inevitable. The pieces had all been there. I’d been so stupid, trying not to see this. Thinking everything would be fine.

A noise escaped my throat and David broke away from her. He looked over his shoulder at me.

“Ev,” he said, face drawn and eyes bright.

My heart must have given up. Blood wasn’t flowing. How bizarre. My hands and feet were ice cold. I shook my head. I had nothing. I took a step back and he flung out a hand to me.

“Don’t,” he said.

“David.” Martha gave him a hazardous smile. No other word for it. Her hand stroked over his arm as if she could sink her nails into him at any time. I guessed she could.

David came toward me. I took several hasty steps back, stumbling in my heels. He stopped and stared at me like I was a stranger.

“Baby, this is nothing,” he said. He reached for me again. I held my arms tight to my chest, guarding myself from harm. Too late.

“It was her? She’s the high school sweetheart?”

The familiar old muscle in his jaw went pop. “That was a long time ago. It doesn’t matter.”

“Jesus, David.”

“It has nothing to do with us.”

The more he spoke, the colder I felt. I did my best to ignore Ben and Martha hovering in the background.

David swore. “Come on, we’re getting out of here.”

I shook my head slowly. He grabbed my arms, stopping me from retreating any further. “What the fuck are you doing, Evelyn?”

“What are you doing, David? What have you done?”

“Nothing,” he said, teeth gritted. “I haven’t done a damn thing. You said you trusted me.”

“Why do you both still wear the earrings if it’s nothing?”

His hand flew to his ear, covering the offending items. “It’s not like that.”

“Why does she still work for you?”

“You said you trusted me,” he repeated.

“Why keep the house in Monterey all these years?”

“No,” he said and then stopped.

I stared at him, incredulous. “No? That’s it? That’s not enough. Was I supposed to just not see all this? Ignore it?”

“You don’t understand.”

“Then explain it to me,” I pleaded. His eyes looked right through me. I might as well not have spoken. My questions went unanswered, same as they ever had. “You can’t do it, can you?”

I took another step back and his face hardened to fury. His hands fisted at his sides. “Don’t you dare fucking leave me. You promised!”

I didn’t know him at all. I stared at him, transfixed, letting his anger wash over me. It couldn’t hope to pierce the hurt. Not a chance.

“You walk out of here and it’s over. Don’t you fucking think of coming back.”

“Okay.”

“I mean it. You’ll be nothing to me.”

Behind David, Ben’s mouth opened but nothing came out. Just as well. Even numb had its limits.

“Evelyn!” David snarled.

I slipped off the stupid shoes and went barefoot for my grand exit. Might as well be comfortable. Normally I’d never wear heels like that. There was nothing wrong with normal. I was long overdue for a huge heaping dose of it. I’d wrap myself in normal like it was cotton wool, protecting me from everything. I had the cafe to get back to, school to start thinking about. I had a life waiting.

A door slammed shut behind me. Something thumped against it on the other side. The sound of shouting was muted.

Outside the dressing room door Jimmy and Adrian were still deep in conversation. By which I mean Adrian spoke and Jimmy stared at the ceiling, grinning like a lunatic. I doubted a rocket ship could have reached Jimmy just then, he looked that high.