“I don’t trust him, Joey.”
“Dammit.” He sighs. “Mom and Dad want to have a serious talk with you.”
Crap. “I can’t do this anymore. Having to explain my every action… I need out.”
“What do you mean?” Quiet. Resigned. I think he knows what I’m about to say.
“I need to move out.”
This time the silence stretches far longer.
“Evie…” He grunts, and I hear a sound as if he’s kicking something. “Will you be careful?”
“I’m always careful,” I say. “I didn’t cause the accident. You know that, right? It could have happened to anyone.”
He sighs again. “I know. Can’t help worrying about you, sis.”
This makes me smile. “I worry about you, too. Hey, did you finally ask that brunette out yet?”
“What brunette?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know who I’m talking about, Joel Kingsley. The girl working on campus, in the library. Ethel?”
“Ellen.” He chuckles. “No progress on that front.”
That’s my brother. I missed him. Before Blake and the accident, things were always like this between us: easy.
“I’ll talk to Mom and Dad,” I say. “After work today.” I tug on the sleeve of my jacket. “Will you be there?”
“Maybe.” He tsks. “What will you give for me to be there?”
It startles a laugh out of me. “You’d extort your own sister?”
“To get you to bake me those chocolate brownies of yours? You bet. At least two dozens, sis.” He’s still chuckling as he disconnects the call.
Bastard. But I’m grinning as I head to work, patting down the new jeans and blouse I bought yesterday with Cassie. I refuse to acknowledge the swarms of butterflies in my stomach.
This is me, getting my life back. Finding happiness. Finding me.
***
“Micah works at Damage Control?” Cassie’s cheeks flush. “Really?”
“Yeah.” To say she’s reacting strangely is the understatement of the year. “Why?”
“Oh nothing.” The blush turns crimson. “Nothing.”
“Who else works there?” I lean toward her, curious in spite of myself.
“Just this guy I’ve met a few times when I go out with the girls. His name’s Jesse.”
“And he’s hot, huh?”
She giggles, then claps a hand over her mouth. “Oh God, this is so stupid. He doesn’t even know I exist.”
“Then talk to him.”
“I can’t.” She fans herself. “He’s got girls all over him, like, every night. He’s just cute, that’s all. Now stop talking about Jesse and tell me about Micah!”