A Prior Engagement (38 page)

“Sorry for what?” Evie stopped with the mop in hand.

“For ruining things for you.”

Evie smiled. She had felt Tracy was a good person deep down and now she had proven it by apologizing. “You didn’t ruin anything. I did. I should have told him. I was caught up. I appreciate it though. I’m fine now and I never minded working hard. I was busy volunteering with a few charities I supported and hope one day I can get back to that in the future, but for now, I need to concentrate on school and paying bills.” Paying bills sounded foreign to Evie when she said it. Her life had changed so much over the last couple of weeks, and yet she knew it was all for the better.

When Evie got home, William was already there. She liked how affectionate he was, greeting her with a hug. “Good day?” he asked, his nose buried in her hair.

She smiled, nuzzling back. “Better now.”

They ate dinner, snuggled, and talked before falling asleep all wrapped up in each other.

Chapter 32

William arrived home just after four in the afternoon. Evie wasn’t due back for hours, so he pulled out his papers to grade when someone knocked on the door.

When he answered it, he was met with a very unhappy Richard Wright. “Mr. Ryder.” His greeting was formal.

William took a breath. “Mr. Wright, come in,” he said, waving his arm like he was gesturing to royalty to enter his small abode. The sarcastic gesture was not lost on Richard. “Your daughter is not home as you can see.”

Richard critiqued the small studio apartment then turned to William. “I’m here to see you. I’m well aware that Everleigh is working.” His tone was clipped and the words stung of distaste.

William took another deep breath then sighed as he exhaled. He didn’t like the surprise visit although he couldn’t think of a time that would be better. “I expected you sooner. It’s been over a month since she left.”

“I was waiting to see how this,” he said, referencing the apartment, “this played out—”

“You were waiting to see if she would leave me and come home to you.”

“Yes, I expected her home by now. She’s been raised in a very privileged lifestyle, including having money at her disposal.” A little stab toward William, but he could handle it and listened as Richard continued. “She’s never been concerned about necessities, but now, now by looking at this place and discovering she has to work to survive, it makes me question why she’s still here. You’re not able to provide for my daughter. Her own life is now full of challenges and obstacles. The exact things I’ve worked hard to insure her life wouldn’t have. And yet . . . and yet, here you are, bringing her down to live in rubble, Mr. Ryder.”

“She’s happy here. I know it’s hard for you to understand, but she likes it here.”

“She likes having a bed that doubles as a couch?” he asked, picking up a bowl o’noodles container. “She likes eating garbage for dinner. She was raised on the cooking of French-trained chefs and maids and shopping. The girl is going through a phase. You are a phase, Mr. Ryder. She’ll soon realize how much she misses her old life and what luxuries that life provides.”

William walked to the dining area, picked up a bottle of whiskey and two plastic cups, and poured two shots. He handed one to Richard then sipped his before speaking. “Let me ask you this. When she remembers how she woke up all alone and covered in blood on her bathroom floor, do you think she misses that life?”

“Mr. Ryder, you’re out of line—”

“Oh, you don’t want to answer that one? How about you ask yourself this, then? Do you hate your daughter so much, that even after knowing the truth, you continued to encourage her to go back to a man that had beaten her for years right under your own roof, right under your own nose?”

“I wouldn’t allow her to be with Tom Whitney again even if she begged me. I didn’t know about that until recently. But, she’ll miss—”

“She’ll miss what? Because from where I’m standing, you’re as bad as him. You buried your head in the Hamptons’ sand to avoid the reality that you were trading your daughter for a bigger piece of the pie.” William downed the rest of his whiskey and slammed the cup on the table not looking at Evie’s father. His rage was starting to get away from him, and he never wanted to be the cause of Evie losing her family. He would not be the one to cause her any more pain than she had already endured.

“It’s easy to stand in your shoes when there’s nothing to lose, Mr. Ryder. I love my wife and would never want anything bad to happen to her either. I suppose you feel strongly for my daughter, but will she always feel as strongly about you when you are struggling to get by? How will you support her?”

“I will do everything I can for her, but she wants independence as well. She wants to work after graduation. She wants to do a lot of stuff with her life, and I’ll be there supporting her instead of suppressing her.” He looked her father straight in the eyes and lowered his voice, deep and confident. “I’ll take whatever part of her life she’s willing to share with me because I love her that much. And if . . . if she decides she needs or wants her old life and to move back in with you, I’ll support her decision on that, too. But until that day, I will cherish every second I get the honor of spending with her.” William smirked. “I have to warn you, though. I’m not going away anytime soon. I’d like her to be on good terms with your family. I think family’s important, but your fate rests in Evie’s hands, not mine.”

“That’s a good point you’ve brought up. Family. Your parents have been married twenty-six years. Your dad has had the same blue-collar job for the entire time. Yes, he’s moved up in the ranks, but his pay is still measly—”

“He makes a good living, and he has a family that loves and respects him. Don’t drag my family into this.” It pissed William off that he had dug up information on his family.

“I want to make sure if Evie chooses . . .” He stopped to signal around the room again, “…this, that she’ll be taken care of.”

“She’s my top priority. I can’t guarantee her millions, or that I’ll be rich at all, but I can guarantee her she will never feel a lack of love from me and after that bastard is dealt with, she’ll never live in fear again.” William took a defensive stance and crossed his arms, standing and waiting for what Richard would throw at him next.

Something turned in that instant. The tone of the conversation changed. Richard Wright’s expression changed almost as if he believed William.

Opening his wallet, Richard pulled two one-hundred dollar bills out and set them on the desk. “My daughter apparently loves you, my other daughter raves you’re a good person, my wife misses her daughter, and she wants us to make amends. So I’m here. William, I hope it’s all right if I call you that?” He offered his hand. As William hesitantly shook it, Richard added, “I needed to see her living arrangements with my own eyes. I’m not thrilled with this set up, but my daughter seems to be and I care about her despite what you choose to believe.” He took a breath as regret colored his expression. “I don’t apologize for my actions or decisions. I never have, which is why I’ve been successful, but I didn’t believe my daughters. I took Mr. Whitney’s word over my own children and not only did they have to pay the price, especially Everleigh, but now I am. I’ve lost her trust.” Richard gulped. “So to repair my relationship with her, I will apologize to her and I want you to know that Mr. Whitney won’t come near her again.”

“How can you promise that? I’ve been by her side as much as possible and I can’t promise that. She lives in fear of him. He threatened to take her if she didn’t come back.”

“I’m handling Mr. Whitney. That’s all you need to know.”

Richard Wright’s words sounded so final, that for a brief second an image of that bastard with cement blocks being dumped into the Hudson came to William’s mind.

“Please stay true to your word and take care of Everleigh.” Richard pointed to the money on the desk. “And take her out for a decent meal.”

William nodded and opened the door for him. Her father stopped just outside the door. “Everleigh knows where to find me if she ever needs, well, if she ever needs anything. Thank you for your time.”

* * *

Lying on the bed holding a plastic cup on his chest, William watched as Evie came through the front door an hour later. Their eyes met, and she instantly knew something was wrong. He didn’t greet her as he normally did or even say hello, so she set her purse down and noticed the whiskey bottle on the floor next to the bed. She couldn’t gauge his mood and his silence made her nervous. She walked to the bed and sat down next to him. Holding the cup to her nose to verify its contents, she asked. “Are we celebrating?”

He took the cup from her and emptied the remaining drops into his mouth. Looking around the room, she searched for clues, hesitant to ask straight out what was wrong. She saw two one-hundred dollar bills on the desk, which was odd and stood out. Directing her eyes to his face, she pushed the hair off his forehead. “You want to talk about it?”

“I need to know if something bad happens—”

“We’ll handle it together.”

“If something happens to me, you won’t go back to him. I could never rest in peace if you went back to him. I’m sorry I can’t give you more and I don’t have a bigger apartment with a proper sized bed in it, and you have to eat apples instead of tartlets and other fancy French foods.”

Evie’s mouth dropped open as she realized the base of all of William’s fears.
Rest in peace? Back to Tom?
“I would never go back to him, ever, William. I don’t need anything else. Only you. I love this twin bed and now wonder how I slept in a queen all alone for so many years. This place is my home. It’s what I picture when I think of the word home. And, did you ever think that maybe I like noodles and fruit?”

“I don’t want to be a phase. I don’t want to be a novelty.”

She stopped breathing while he spoke, but through her own pain she could clearly see his. With a need and no thought behind hit, she straddled his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning her forehead against his. She whispered, “Where did this come from?” She sighed. “I love you, William. You are not a phase. You are my life. Don’t ever cheapen my feelings for you.”

He took her face in his hands and kissed her. Their eyes watered as their lips parted. “I will love you, forever, Evie. I will do my best to make our life together happy.”

“I know you will,” she said without hesitation. They kissed again. “I will too,” she quickly added, but then rested her head on his chest, so he couldn’t see her face.

“I know it’s hard for you sometimes, maybe all the time to open up, but I need you to open up for me.” He stroked her cheek with his hand. “I need to know what you’re thinking, how you feel.”

When she lifted her head, a tear slid down her cheek. “I’ve been locked inside myself for years. I don’t mean to keep anything from you. I try to show you when the words don’t come. I don’t want to lose you. I’m scared I will.”

“You won’t lose me. Trust me, Evie. Please trust me.”

“I do, or I wouldn’t be here. I’m here because I want to be, because I want to be with you.” Feeling the weight of the scales of her heart tipping to the side of love, she chose to love him openly and freely, to trust him and to not keep anymore secrets. She kissed his lips, soft and gentle, a promise to trust in him and their love. “So why are you drinking?”

Now it was William’s turn to look away, his gaze distant. “Your dad showed up.”

She sat upright, still straddling him, but staring down at him.

He sat up with his hands on her hips as if she would fly away at what he had to say. “He stopped by to talk to me. You know, ‘a protective father making sure his eldest daughter is being looked after properly’ kind of check-up.”

“He called you a phase, didn’t he?” She gulped, glancing over at the money.

“He was surprised you hadn’t moved back home yet, if that’s what you mean.”

“I am home. As long as I’m with you, I’m home. Don’t—”

“He knows you’re working.”

“Don’t let him ever make you doubt what we have together—”

“I don’t.”

“Ever, William! Don’t let them taint us. Don’t let them ruin us.”

He cocked an eyebrow up at her and smirked. He loved when she got feisty and it reassured his soul to witness her strength and passion about them. To spite all odds against them, he had no more doubts. “I won’t. Never.”