Stryker

“I did.”

“Wait? You have a cell phone?”

I smiled at her excitement. “Carter got me one.”

“I’ll save your number when we’re finished talking… Are you all right?” she asked, her tone tender.

“I’m hard as rock just listening to you.”

My blunt statement was followed by silence and then she giggled. “I wasn’t expecting that, but I like that I affect you with just my voice.”

“Everything about you affects me.” I closed my eyes and dropped my head to the wall in front of me, one hand held the cell and the other fisted on the wall. “Are you all right, Evie?”

“I am now.”

“You’re crying.”

The tears in her voice were easy to hear as her voice shook.

“I’m okay, really. It’s just everything’s getting to me. I keep trying to pin Patrick down, but it’s as though he has a sixth sense and knows what I’m going to say. I just don’t understand why he’d avoid the issue though. He doesn’t love me and I don’t love him. I never have.” She sniffled again, and added, “I just want to be with you, especially tonight.”

No matter how much I wanted her there, I couldn’t tell her that. Not while she was upset, but what should I tell her? I’ve never had a crying woman over the phone before.

At least now I felt as though I’d had a bucket of cold water tipped over me with things shriveled.

She continued to sob softly while I acted like an idiot.

“Evangeline, babe. Please stop. You’re killing me with your tears when I can’t hold you.”

“I’m okay.”

I actually smiled at that comment because she was anything but. “Who are you trying to convince, me or you, babe? C’mon, I need to hear your voice, knowing that the tears have stopped before I head down to the ring.”

“You’re fighting in a ring again? I thought you usually fought in the cage.”

More often than not they shoved me in the cage when it was a ‘no rules’ fight.

“Not here. When are you back?”

“Tomorrow.”

“You stopped crying?”

I could hear the smile in her voice as she said, “Yes,” then she sniffled, chuckled, “A bit.”

“Evie, if you need me, you call and tell me, okay? I’ll work out a way to get to you.”

“I don’t want you to be in any trouble because of me, which will happen if Patrick finds out about us. His father’s arrived not long ago, but luckily I was in the kitchen with my mom, so Dad distracted him. He always tries to talk to me. He’s more of a creep than Patrick, and I can’t believe that I never noticed how alike they were until recently.”

Warning bells rang in my head and I was worried as I turned and paced in the small area. “Just promise me you’ll call if you need me. Promise me, Evie.”

“I promise.”

“What—”

Bang. Bang. “Stryker, we gotta go.” Carter.

“Evie, babe. I have to go. I think they’re waiting for me.”