Until June (Until Her 2)

Coming up with a pair of cheap, black-handled scissors in the last drawer, I move to the door, press my ear to it, and adjust my towel. I can’t hear anything, nothing; it’s silent. It takes everything in me to open the door, my scissors my only weapon, and as soon as I do, I run through the house without stopping and head for the front door. As soon as I’m there, I swing it open and run as fast as I can across my lawn and up JJ’s porch, pounding on the door. It doesn’t take long for it to open, and as soon as it does, I fall inside.

“What the fuck?” Brew, JJ’s husband, hisses, shutting the door.

“Th—” I pant, dropping to my knees and clutching the scissors to my chest.

“June,” I hear JJ whisper, but I can’t answer. I can’t even breathe.

“Get my phone, baby,” Brew calls, and I try to catch my breath to tell them that someone was in my house, but I can’t do either. “I’m gonna get you off the floor, darlin’,” I hear muttered, before I’m pulled up and being moved and settled onto a couch.

“June, honey, you need to calm down and breathe for me,” JJ soothes as her hands wrap around my jaw and she pulls my eyes to meet hers. Nodding, I try, I really do, and then a large hand pushes down on my back, forcing my face low toward my lap. I absently hear Brew on the phone, but I can’t really make out what he’s saying, because JJ is whispering in my ear to breathe. Eventually, my breath comes back, and I lift my head and meet her gaze.

“Thank fucking God.” JJ wraps her arms around me, and I feel tears gather in my eyes as she hugs me. “What the fuck happened?”

“I… I took a… a bath. There… there was a guy… a guy,” I whimper, burying my face against her neck. Her body goes solid, and I feel a current of something dangerous weave itself through the room. Lifting my head away from her neck, my gaze collides with Evan’s. His big body is statue still, his eyes enraged, his energy so dangerous I feel it seeping into my pores from across the room.

“Brother, cool it,” Brew growls, stepping between Evan and me, cutting off our connection.

“Let’s get you some clothes,” JJ says, and I nod. Clothes are good. Actually, they’re great.

“Move out of my fucking way, Brew, before I move you myself,” Evan rumbles, and then he’s in front of me, his hands holding my face gently as his eyes scan me. “Are you hurt?” he asks, moving his hands from my face, running them over me. As I shake my head, he pulls my hands from my chest and pries the scissors from me, tosses them away, and then gathers me against him. He buries his face in my neck, holding me so tight that my breath leaves on a strangled whoosh.

“Ev,” I breathe against the skin of his neck.

“Fuck, baby. Jesus…” His hold on me tightens. I feel tears sting my nose for an altogether different reason. There is no way, not right now, that I can deny my love for him, that in his arms, I feel safe.

“Let me get some clothes on her. The cops are pulling up,” JJ says softly, and Evan’s arms loosen as he leans back, looks over his shoulder at JJ, and nods once. Then his eyes come back to me. Panic starts to creep through my system at the idea of Evan leaving me, and without even thinking, my hands latch on to the front of his shirt in a death grip. His eyes drop to my hands then move up to meet mine and his face goes soft.

“I’ll be right here, baby. I’m not going anywhere. Go with JJ and get somethin’ on.”

“I’m okay. I don’t need to,” I whisper, feeling my hands start to shake.

“He can come with us, honey,” JJ says, placing her hand against my cheek and gaining my attention. Looking back at Evan, he nods at me then takes my hands from his shirt, kissing both before helping me up.

JJ’s house is a completely different layout from mine. Her living room opens up to the kitchen, and all of the bedrooms are down a hall in the back of the house—two on one side with a bathroom in-between, and one on the other. Leading me into the master bedroom with Evan at my back, I follow her into the closet.

“Take your pick, honey, then come back out front. I’m gonna make sure Brew doesn’t scare the cops away.”

“Thanks,” I whisper, and her hand comes up once more, holding my cheek, then she’s gone, leaving Evan and me in her closet.