29. Everly

Chapter 29

Everly

“ T hank you,” I call as I wave to my cashier and head out to the truck. Two big bags of groceries are on my arm, and a coffee is clutched for dear life because, good Lord, I need it today. Life has been busy but good. Too good. I’ve started to worry sometimes that the other shoe will drop, but I refuse to live like that anymore. I want life to be good, and I’m choosing the good stuff. Willow and I deserve the good stuff. That’s the mantra I keep telling myself, anyway. I smile as I feel the cool fall air on my face, and my boots squish the leaves beneath my feet.

I opened my truck door and put the groceries in the back. I turn to get in the driver’s seat, and Richie stands in my space. I jump, and my iced coffee pours down my front. He stands back and smirks .

“Found your shrimp,” he says, practically spitting with anger.

“Why did you do that?” I shriek as coffee runs down my front, silently thankful that it was iced and not hot. I look up at Richie in horror, and he just laughs and smiles with satisfaction.

I shake my head as I reach for napkins in the glove compartment, coffee dripping down my front.

“You deserve it. You know what you did.” He sneers and moves closer into my space.

I flinch and back up. “Get away from me, Richie.” I nervously scan the parking lot. People are starting to watch and talk, and a few people come closer when they see him.

“No, you listen to me,” he bites out and points a finger in my face.

I rear back at him and squirm to try to get away, and he moves in closer, pressing me between the seat and him like a vise. My stomach lurches from where his body touches mine. Fear clogs my throat, making my voice come out as a croak as I try to yell for help. My stomach cramps up with nerves. Richie is unpredictable and feels invincible, so there’s no telling what he would do to hurt me, witnesses or not.

Fear pulses through me. “Help!” I finally find my voice to yell.

He continues pressing into me and doesn’t back off as he demands, “You call McCreedy off. Tell him to stop coming to my dad’s work and threatening my dad and me. This arena is happening, and you’d better stay out of it. You hear me? I will take you to court and take custody of Willow. I’ll take everything from you. I will call in witnesses that will tell tales of you spending all your time in the pub just like your daddy and spreading your legs for every man in Cozy Creek. I will take her from you. You want that?” he grits out and adds. “Because I will do it.”

I glare at him, tears piercing my eyes, and say nothing. I know he doesn’t really want Willow, but I don’t think he’s bluffing. He will do this to me. He’s already tried to sabotage me in every other way. I don’t give him the reaction that he wants, so he continues.

“Why don’t you ask your little fuck boy about his little property investment company and his investments in the new arena? You think his hands are clean in all of this, but they’re not.” He smiles as if he’s proud of the ace card he just played. Just like he always does.

“Get away from me!” I scream at him. I see Kincaid come around the corner, and he gets between us.

Kincaid yells. “Get away from her!”

“You fucking him, too? Both brothers, huh? She wasn’t that good, man.” Richie sneers.

Kincaid raises a fist and rears back, and I watch as Richie looks triumphant like he’s about to win, and I yell, “No! He’s not worth it.”

Kincaid stops. He gets in front of me, blocking me from Richie.

Richie turns to leave and calls back to me, “See you in court.”

“What was that?” Kincaid asks as his arm is still in front of me. He pulls me in for a hug, and I realize I’m shaking and still covered in coffee.

“He was threatening to take Willow from me,” I say, hot tears streaking my face in embarrassment and anger as I look at people watching me.

“Where’s Nash?” Kincaid asks, searching my eyes, worried.

“He’s doing farrier work today. It’s okay, I’ll be fine. I just need to get these groceries home and get cleaned up,” I say as I look for my keys that had fallen on the ground.

“Okay, can I drive you?” he asks.

I shake my head. “I’ll be fine, really, but thanks.”

He watches me get in the truck and drive off and my hands shake as I pull up and park behind my house. I quickly put away my groceries and think about what Richie said. Surely, he’s lying. Nash wouldn’t lie to me about being involved in the library teardown. How could he? There’s just no way. I fume as I wring my hands and then think, I have to know.

Part of me wants to believe that Nash would never do that and lie to me about it. But he did lie to me about being Reed and owning my rental house. I know he had good intentions, but he did lie. Would he lie about this, too? And another part is telling me that things have been going too well, and now they are falling apart like they usually do for me, just like everything does in time. It’s like I can’t have anything good in my life. Everything will be taken away or destroyed, and I can’t be happy.

I need to talk to Nash and figure this out. I can’t keep going like everything is great when it isn’t.

Where are you?

Nash

Just got back to the pub and getting ready to take a shower. Want to join me? (wink emoji )

My stomach dips at this. I question how I could believe that he could have anything to do with the arena and the Sullivans. There’s just no way.

I grabbed the keys and my purse and head to the pub. The only way to know is to confront him and get this over with.

“Where’s Nash?” I ask as I come into the back of the pub and shut the door. I round the front of the pub, where only a few patrons are playing pool in the corner.

Nash looks over, his hair still damp, and his face freezes when he sees mine. “What’s wrong?”

“What did you do to the Sullivans?” I ask as I fold my arms and wait for him to answer.

He looks confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Did you go into Richard’s office and threaten him?”

His jaw hardens. “Yeah, I did.”

“Why did you do that?” I ask, my voice shaking. “He’s making things even worse for me. I didn’t need you to go in and go commando on them.”

“I did what I had to do,” he says as he crosses his arms.

“What you had to?” I bite out. “You didn’t have to do anything. You don’t have to play the big bad wolf and try to save me from all my woes. I never asked you to do that!”

He glares, and his eyes narrow. “What’s this about?”

“I don’t need you to fight my battles for me,” I continue .

“I…” he starts to say.

I hold up my hand. “And you lied to me.”

“I didn’t lie,” he says, looking confused. “What did I lie about?”

“You know what? I was crazy to think we could make this work. I shouldn’t have trusted you. You’re just like them,” I say, my voice breaking.

“Just like who?” he asks, now looking concerned and less angry.

“You’re not who I thought you were, Nash,” I bite out, angry and confused. “This was a mistake. You are not a nice guy.”

I say these words, and once they’ve left my mouth, I know I can’t take them back, and they’re coming from a place of self-sabotage. I let Richie get inside my head, and I hate myself for this right now, but I can’t take this back. I’m already feeling so far gone at this moment with anger, frustration, and helplessness. These emotions are rioting through me, and I need to get out of here. Step back from all of this and protect myself and Willow.

Now Nash looks pissed. Really pissed. “I never said I was a nice guy, sweetheart. But I have always been who I am, and that’s okay because I’m a good guy. I’m fucking whiskey, not tea. And if I recall, you like your whiskey. And when you’re ready to hear me out and really listen, maybe you will let me explain things to you and stop assuming shit you hear from your asshole ex-husband.”

I stand back and swallow and shake my head and turn and storm out. He’s freaking impossible. I look back through the doors and tremble as he leans on the counter, watching me intensely while looking like the sexy asshole that he is. Deep down, I want to think he wouldn’t screw me over, too. Just like my dad and Richie. I won’t let myself be hurt again like they hurt me. I can’t take it. Not from him. I have to stop this before that happens.

I leave the truck and walk to the library, swiping angry tears along the way. The library isn’t open, but I need to be there because it’s my safe space. I slip my key in and am relieved that it’s empty and quiet.

I find Anne Marie in the back going through paperwork, her glasses perched on her nose when I walk in. “Hey,” she calls as she comes around her desk and pulls me in for a hug.

“What are you doing here?” I ask as I take a seat across from her desk.

She sits back down. “Just missed being here.”

“I think everyone misses it,” I say sadly.

“Let’s talk about why you’re crying, missy,” she says as she scoots her chair across from me and waits for me to talk.

“Nash. He butted in and messed with the Sullivans about the library, and now Richie is threatening to take Willow from me. He said that Nash was involved in the library arena project. I know you know he has a property management company,” I say, and she doesn’t look surprised.

Unlike me, she waits until I’m finished because she’s a good listener. Probably comes with wisdom and being older.

She takes her glasses off, and they dangle on their chain, and she says, “I do know about his property management company, but I didn’t know he had anything to do with the arena, and that surprises me. I can’t see him being a part of anything like that. Our town means a lot to him, and he wouldn’t do something that would hurt our town.”

I wait for her to continue. See? I can practice listening.

“And since your boy toy went commando on the town board, things have been quieter. I think they’re realizing that we’re not going to just lay down and take it. We might win this, Everly. He might have done some good with that,” she says softly as she looks at me, making me realize I overreacted.

“I don’t want to believe either that he’d get involved in demolishing the library, but he did lie in the beginning about owning my dad’s old property that we live in.”

“You need to talk to him, honey. Give him a chance to explain. Why didn’t you give him a chance to explain?” she asks as she searches my face for answers that I don’t have to give.

“Because I didn’t want him to hurt me like they did,” I whisper.

It’s stupid, I know. I self-sabotaged myself so that he couldn’t hurt me, too. I close my eyes and realize what I’ve done. It was immature and stupid.

“Everly, he’s not like your father or Richie. Nash isn’t perfect, but he’s a good man who loves you very much. Anyone can see that. Why can’t you?”

“Because if he hurts me, I don’t know if I can come back from it. He is…he’s the love of my life. And I need him not to hurt me. I need someone to not hurt me,” I say with a tremble.

Her hand comes over and covers mine. “Honey.”

I look over at her, and she says, “Talk to him.”

I nod and stand, and she gives me a big hug. The kind of hug my soul needs, and I let her hold me extra. “Love you, honey,” she says.

“Love you, too,” I tell her, exhaustion filling me with the emotions of the day.

“Call me when you get home and settled,” she says as I head out.

I need to talk to Nash since I reacted and not well. I need to fix this, but now I’m wondering if I can. This fight reminded me of that night I turned him down and left.

I get myself together and get Willow.

If you wondered if this day could get any worse, well, it can. Willow was happy to see me, and we headed home. As soon as I got in the door, I started heating dinner. I flip through the mail and see an official letter and open it. I scan it quickly and mutter, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

I have a letter saying that I missed jury duty and now I face a possible one thousand dollar fine and 90 days in jail, depending on the judge.

What the hell? What jury duty?

I look at the clock and realize I have a few minutes before city hall closes. I quickly called to ask, hoping this is a mistake.

Kathy Wilson answers, and I say, “Hey, Kathy, it’s Everly.” I explain everything to her, and she listens.

Then she says in a condescending tone, “We take jury duty very seriously here, Everly. That was very irresponsible of you. I hope you have arrangements for that sweet daughter of yours if you must serve jail time.”

I hang up on her. She’s a monster just like they are. Richard did this. I can tell. When will they leave me alone? What’s next?

I want to call Richie and scream at him, but that’s what he wants. And I don’t want to give him any sort of reaction. I hate him so much. Even worse now.

I slump against the counter, defeat filling me. Come and arrest me, do your worst. I’m done. I can’t take anything else today.

If you wondered if this day can’t get any worse, well, it can…

“Mom! The bathroom is full of water!” Willow yells from down the hall.

My eyes widen, and I dart down the hall. “No…”

I rub the bridge of my nose. I don’t want to call him, but I know I have to. I pick up my phone and go to text Nash but then scroll down and click on his property management number and text that number instead. Because I’m not ready to face Nash yet. I’m going to keep it professional and show him that I just need him to be the landlord, and that’s it. I’m still getting pummeled by life, and I can’t take him not forgiving me and accepting that I’m a train wreck.

The bathroom is flooded, and I need help.

Reed

I’ll be right there.

I let him in and disappear into my room while he fixes the water heater leaking in the closet next to the bathroom. I hear him talking to Willow, and she asks if he’s staying for dinner. She’s excited and tells him that tonight’s soup is her favorite, and he has to try it.

I don’t hear his response, but they continue talking like nothing happened.

I busy myself in the kitchen, and he comes down the hall, his flannel rolled up at his forearms looking hot, and I look away.

He stands in the doorway and says, “It’s all fixed.”

I don’t look him in the eye because I know I won’t be able to keep it together, and today has just been so much. So much. I just want to go to bed and cancel today. I want him, and I want space. I don’t even know what I need right now. I need to not be sent to jail by my daughter’s asshole father.

He looks over at Willow and says, “I have to get back to the pub, but I’ll see you another time, kiddo.”

She looks disappointed and nods as she goes back to her room with her head down. I hear her door shut, and I look over and he’s watching me.

“I’m dealing with a lot right now.”

“What are you dealing with?” he asks.

“Things that aren’t your problem, Nash. I can take care of myself.”

“I know you can,” he says firmly. “But why should you have to?”

I hold tight to these tears, not letting them loose. I keep them tight and tucked away just like I’m used to doing to protect myself.

“I have your back, Everly. Always have. You don’t have to turn around to see if I’m ever still here. Because I’ve always been here and always will be.”

I say nothing because I’m a coward and don’t know what to say without crying.

“Jesus, Everly, even your kid gets it. When will you?” he says quietly. “I’m not them. I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not going to screw you over or hurt you.”

“People like me don’t get to have people like you in our lives. I’m the person who takes care of other people. I am a mom. I have to take care of my kid and protect her and me. I’m all she has now. I can’t let her get hurt the way I’m used to getting hurt. It’s not fair to her.”

“That’s complete bullshit, and you know it,” he says, his voice cracking. “You know none of that is true. You’re just pushing me away, and it’s not fair.”

I look away and blink back tears. “Yeah, well, life’s not fair. Not for me. You should go.”

When I finally look up, he’s closing the back door. It clicks quietly, and he’s gone.

I don’t deserve him, and I can’t risk what I had with him going to shit, so it’s probably safer if I just end it now. It’ll protect me , I think as I look at our now cold soup and wonder how did my life get to shit like this so fast. Richie destroys anything good in my life. I’m also mad that I took a chance with Nash and let myself hurt him again. I need to get my crap together.