Evan doesn’t even comment when he puts the phone on speaker and holds it on his lap.
“Man, I’m sorry I couldn’t call last night. Been held up with my parents. Mom’s got the virus and she isn’t doing well. Dad was losing it but this afternoon she seems to be in brighter spirits.”
“Fuck bro, I had no idea. I’m sorry man,” Evan sympathizes.
“Sucks. She’s on day five and it seems to go up and down. The doctors are hopeful she’ll come through it fine but of course now Dad, me, and Brent are at high risk. We’re all quarantined and taking our temperatures daily but it’s only a matter of time.”
Jesus. That has to be the scariest thing in the world. To not only have your mother be down with a virus we know very little about, one that has no vaccine or well-known method for treatment, but to also be almost assured that you are going to get it. I curl my body even closer to Evan and rest my forehead on his mighty shoulder.
“I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have texted if I’d known, but that woman in the picture is the woman who drugged me that night of the party.”
“The one who dragged you to bed?”
I can’t help the full-body stiffness that comes over me. Evan sighs and wraps his arm around my back, forcing me to put my head against his chest. Hearing his heartbeat instantly soothes the ugly green monster slithering around my mind.
He sighs. “Yeah, man. Do you know her?”
“I do. Kinda. Seeing this picture, I just put the two together. When I met her the first time, she was more of a brunette. And I was trashed. It was sometime last year…I think after we won against The Bolts in LA. Met her at a club. Took her to my hotel. Spent a fun night with her. Shit, can’t remember her name.” He sounds as though he’s trying.
“Mindy,” Evan states flatly.
“Yeah, yeah, that was it. I think I have her number. Hold up.”
I sit straight up and scramble for my notepad and a pen.
“Yeah Mindy Goode with an E on the end.”
Guess the Mindy Be Good Insta was closer than I originally thought. Levi reads off the number and I write it down.
“She the one that set you up?” he asks. His voice sounds a little tortured. Why, I don’t know.
Evan lets out a long breath. “I think so, yeah.”
“Shit, brother. I’m sorry I didn’t put two and two together until you sent this pic. Honestly, I didn’t really remember much of what happened that night myself. I’ve got to lay off the sauce. It’s doing me no favors. After being here, helping Mom fight, watching my Dad eaten up as though his whole world is crumbling down with every coughing fit she has, I’ve come to realize I need a change. A big one.”
Evan cups my cheek and smiles softly. “Yeah, I’ve made a few changes in my own. Life-altering ones.”
“Does it have anything to do with the spectacular blonde I saw you with plastered all over the rag sites? Sadie Walsh the romance writer?”
“Yep. She’s my world, man. Fell ass-over-tit in love with the woman. During quarantine, no less. She’s Jake’s neighbor.”
Laughter rings through the phone. “Leave it to you to find the woman of your dreams during a pandemic.”
That has Evan chuckling too. “Fate, I guess.”
“You never so much as thought twice about keeping a woman. What’s so special about this one?”
Evan licks his lip and stares into my eyes. “Besides the fact that she’s so damn beautiful it’s like looking into the sun. Almost hurts. She’s also incredibly witty, makes me laugh all day every day.”
“Someone who can do that during this shit. Fucking priceless.”
“Yeah and she’s talented. I’ve read her books.”
“You? Read a romance novel? Shut the fuck up!”
His surprise has Evan laughing hard and I enjoy watching his face change from worried to happy. “I was hard up to know about her. Thought it could teach me more. All it taught me was she can tell a story and has a filthy mind!” He waggles his eyebrows at me in that silly manner that makes me giggle.
“Hell, yeah. That’s a bonus, buddy.”
Evan grins wickedly. “That it is. Well thanks for getting back to me. Having a full name and a number helps tremendously.”
“Hey, I hope you find her and get the deets on what went down.”
“Me too.” Evan rubs at his forehead. “Keep me posted on your Mom and how the rest of you are doing, yeah?”
“Got it. Thanks, brother. Hope this all gets worked out, this virus disappears, and we can all go back to normal.”
“God willing,” he agrees.
“Definitely. Later,” Levi says.
“Later. Be safe.” Evan hangs up the phone, tosses it on the table, leans his elbows on his knees, and puts his head in his hands.