Page 202 of Chasing Hope
Matteo wraps an arm around me as we make our way to the front of the building. “I’ve gone ahead and booked a cabin for us in Grand Lake. We can check in—” Matteo’s words cut off mid-sentence as he pushes open the front door of the station and we’re thrown into a frenzy of people.
At first, I’m worried we walked into a protest. It’s the only thing that makes sense as to why so many people are congregated at the front of the station, why police officers rush out from behind us and begin to push them away from the steps.
But that’s when the flashes start.
The blinding white flashes.
And then come the questions hurled not at my brotheror my boyfriend, both of whom have been in the spotlight and media for years, but atme.
“Evie! Evie!”
“Did you give the police a statement?”
“Why did your father press charges against your brother?”
“Are you going to take him to court?”
“Are you his only victim?
“Would you like to make a comment in regards to your father saying you’re ill and need help?”
“Evie, is it true that you were a troubled teen growing up?”
“Is this just a cry for attention?”
“Evie, over here!”
The words assault me, drag me down into a pit of despair I thought I had already faced and conquered.
It takes us all a moment to realizewhat, exactly, is happening, but Matteo is faster than Caleb.
He wraps one arm around my waist, hefting me up as he uses the other to shield my face, turning my head in toward his chest. He carries me down the stairs and through the throes of the press.
Caleb’s hand lands on my back, making me flinch before I realize it’s him as he growls, “Get that fucking camera out of her face!”
Suddenly, a flash comes from the side of my face, blinding me even in the darkness of Matteo’s warmth. His entire body grows still, and he stops just long enough to say with deadly calm, “Step back before I break your fucking hand.” His tone drops another octave as he growls, “And keep my girlfriend’s name out of your goddamn mouth, you spineless fucking vulture.”
The press around us grow eerily silent, not able to recover from their shock quickly enough before a door opens and Matteo is dragging me inside an SUV. He doesn’t let me sit beside him. Instead, he places me firmly in his lap, his hands shaking as he holds onto my hips, his breathing so measured and controlled I know it’s taking everything in him right now to regulate his emotions.
Caleb jumps in beside us, urging the driver to takeoff quickly.
“Who the fuck leaked our whereabouts to the press?” Matteo barks.
“Probably the same sick fuck that pressed charges and had me arrested,” Caleb sneers, running a hand through his disheveled blond hair.
The boys keep talking, wondering what happened, but all I can hear is the one thought that repeats on a loop in my mind.
They know.Everyoneknows.The worldknows.
Chapter 58
Evie
CALLING FOR A HOT DISPATCHER
ANGEL
we’re here for you Evie
