Page 70 of Chasing Hope
The room falls silent as Crawford slowly reaches up and pulls the red panties off. He shudders and tosses them aside before fixing the team with incredulous eyes. “What the fuck is going on?”
Not wasting any time, Johnson points at Irving. “This little twat stole my clothes.”
Irving turns to Crawford with a shrug. “He needs help understanding what women go through.”
Crawford’s eyes slowly close. After a deep inhale, he opens them again and pointedly says to Irving, “Give the man his clothes back.”
Irving looks like a sad puppy as his shoulders visibly droop. “Okay, Cap.”
Before I can see Johnson get his clothes back, the sound of myphone vibrating in my locker pulls my attention away. Caleb’s name flashes across the screen. I quickly hit answer as I slip out into the hallway.
“Yo!” Caleb shouts through the phone.
Pulling it away, I grunt before putting it back to my ear. “Jesus, C, I can hear you just fine. Don’t scream.”
Cursing, Caleb softens his voice. “Shit, my bad. My hearing is fucked.”
Figures.
“Anyway, I gotta be quick. I’m on my way out but I just got off the phone with my mom. I don’t suppose you know why Evie is ignoring her, do you?”
I know I blocked her number…as for the reason behind why Serena is hurting her as much as she is…I wish I fucking knew.
“Can’t say I do. I’ve definitely noticed she’s not on her new phone as often, though. It might not just be her mom.”
That’s a lie, but that’s Evie’s business, not mine. If she isn’t opening up to Caleb, then I won’t either.
Something deep in my gut is screaming at me to protect Evie, to buy her more time. Time for what, I have no idea, but my gut has never led me astray.
Ever.
And right now, it’s demanding that I protect the woman whose hug quite literally melted my heart and spun my mind.
“Fuck, okay. I was hoping she mentioned something. I tried asking her before but she just dodged my questions. How is she doing? Is she doing better?”
“She’s doing better, C,” I say. “Slow progress but she’s getting there.”
Anger laces his tone as he all but spits, “That fucking asshole did a number on her.”
I’m not sure it was just him,I think to myself.
“Just think about the way I broke his nose and how Evie and I fucked up his car.”
A chuckle comes over the line. “That definitely lifts my spirits.” Rustling comes over the line before a muffled femalevoice floats in from the background. A second later, Caleb is back on the phone. “Sorry dude, I’ve gotta go. Chat later?”
Pushing off the wall, I begin to make my way back to the locker room to shower. “Yeah of course, no worries.”
“Take care of my sister!”
The line ends before I can say another word, before I can tell him that I’ll always take care of my Dove.
Chapter 25
Evie
From: Denver Dispatcher Academy
To: Evie Ellington
