Page 71 of Ache
“How much more can he possibly take?” she snaps. Her anger is warranted. What Gunner did was monumentally wrong. What her mother did was worse because she allowed it. “You know what? I don’t care what’s in that box. I don’t care about Gunner or my mother. Let her come after me. Let her try and force my hand. I’m not scared of her. She won’t intimidate me. I won’t let her.” Ever shoots to her feet. “Alec, give me your phone.”
Alec stares up at her, confused. “For what?”
“I need to call my mother.”
“Ever,” I interject.
“Tage,” she bites. She isn’t having it. “I’m going to tell her to fuck off once and for all.”
“As much as I admire your tenacity right now” — Alec reaches for her — “I don’t think telling her off is going to do much.”
“It will make me feel a hell of a lot better. Phone. Now.”
Alec flat out refuses. “You’re poking the snake with the stick.”
“I don’t care,” she huffs.
Alec looks at me. I shake my head no.
“Dammit, you two.” Ever stomps her foot. “I have to stand up for myself at some point. I’m tired of hiding in a hole. I’m tired of her thinking she can do what she wants to me. That she can threaten me and the people I love. Alec, give me the fucking phone.”
The room is soberingly quiet. The last thing I want is Everly contacting her mother in any way, shape, or form. But on the flip side, I wonder if Vicki will back off with a threat from her daughter.
“Give it to her,” I direct Alec. “Let’s see what happens.”
“Tage,” Alec argues.
“Do it.” I push.
Begrudgingly, Alec hands over the phone.
“It’s locked,” Everly gripes.
Nice try, Alec.
Alec presses his thumb on the circle, unlocking what may be the worst decision the three of us have ever made.
Everly squints as she scrolls through Alec’s calls. She can’t see well without her glasses, but she manages to find what she’s looking for. Heaven help us all.
She stomps into the center of the room with Alec and I hawking her every move. Everly paces the bright, sunny space as the phone rings.
Then she pauses, and my heart ceases to beat.
“Mom,” she growls, and not like the adorable puppy she is, like a fierce wolf about to rip someone’s throat out. “Listen carefully, ’cause I’m only going to say this once. Leave me the fuck alone. I’ll never give you what’s in that box out of spite alone. I would cut off all my fingers and feed them to a dog before I let you have it. Stop stalking me, stop threatening Alec, and fucking drop dead.” She hangs up and chucks the phone back at Alec. He has good reflexes thankfully, if not, he would have ended up with a black eye.
Everly is heaving by the time it’s all said and done. I’m unsure what to do next. Should I get up and hug her, or pour her a strong drink?
“Ever, you okay?” I ask delicately.
She looks over at me and Alec still seated on the couch. I have never seen that look in her eyes before. It is beyond ferocious.
“No, Tage. I am not fucking okay.” Her words are eerily calm.
Then she’s walking. Alec and I both stand. “Where are you going?” He follows her, as concerned as me.
“Back into the tub, to drown myself.” Her statement is more facetious than anything, but still underlying alarming.
Alec and I stalk Everly into the bathroom. She already has the water running and her robe dropped. Stepping into the nearly empty tub, she sits down, curls herself into a ball, and cries.
