Closing Books (32 page)

“You sure you’re all right? I know the cage and everything…”

“I was scared. But something in me…a voice actually, kept telling me that you were coming, that I just had to keep him talking.”

He grinned and placed his arm over her shoulders. “I’m just glad that you weren’t hurt.” Dan leaned in and kissed her lightly on her lips.
 

“Dan?” Evelyn said between kisses.

“Yes?”

“Would you marry me?”

Dan straightened and looked right at her. “Did you just propose or was that a question like would I someday marry you?”

That wasn’t the reaction she was hoping for. “Depends on your answer.”

“No.”

“No? You don’t want to marry me?”

“No. No, because that’s my question to ask, not yours.”

She scowled at him.
 

“You haven’t even met my parents.”

“Oh, I have. Your mom tried to slap me, remember?”

Dan laughed, but his laughter only irritated her further. She looked away and saw the silver beamer pulling up.
 

“Kate’s here. And I’m done talking to you.” She pushed herself off the ambulance and hugged her best friend. “Look who finally showed up.”

Kate stepped out of their hug and twirled her around. “Not a scratch,” she said, with tears brimming in her eyes.

“Not a scratch.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that. I know it must be horrible.”

Evelyn shrugged it off. At the moment, she was consumed with indignation at Dan.

“Are you all right?” Kate asked.

“Yeah.” Evelyn smiled. “Don’t cry, I’m fine.”

Wiping off the tears hanging on the corner of her eyes, Kate sniffed and said, “I expected you to be happier than this, or maybe upset. But why do you look angry?” Kate narrowed her eyes and stared at her. “What’s wrong?”

“Later.”

“Okay then, let me fill you in.” Kate hooked her arm around hers and walked toward the silver beamer. “We were with Detective Allen. We showed him the video and he got a warrant to search the house. We’ve got proof, more than enough, to keep David Morgan away for a long, long time.”

“Perfect. What about the older Morgan?”

“What older Morgan?” Kate asked.

It was Evelyn’s turn to fill her in.

“There was nothing on the videos to indicate that anyone else was involved,” Kate said.

“So he’ll be freed?”

“I’m sure Detective Allen will do everything he can.”

For now, that was good enough. Though David Morgan committed the horrible acts, she was sure Richard Morgan was behind it all. He was the ultimate mastermind, and it wasn’t fair that he was going to get away.
 

Then again, that’s life.

Evelyn turned to look at David Morgan and found space in her heart to pity him.
 

She used to think that Amy got off easy. After what Amy had done to her, Amy’s only punishment was counseling. Now, she realized it wasn’t Amy’s fault. Perhaps it wasn’t just self-preservation. Perhaps Amy was simply yearning for the acceptance that none of them ever had as a child.

She sighed and pushed the thoughts from her mind.
 

For now, the chapter with the Morgans was over.
 

Her mind went on to brood over how blatantly Dan had rejected her. Wasn’t he the one who wanted a proper relationship and a family? She was giving him what he wanted, wasn’t she?

Then, the self-conscious voice that she hadn’t heard in a while dropped an idea in her mind.

Maybe she wasn’t the one he was looking to have all that with.

“You know what? I’m so tired. I’m going home.”

“Eve, are you all right?”

Evelyn smiled and gave Kate another hug. “I’m fine. I’m just…tired.” She saw Kate reaching for her necklace. “Kate, I’m fine. I swear.”

“All right, but call me if you need anything.”

“Right now, I need you to go home and get some rest.”
 

Dan pushed the heavy glass door open and entered the store with the rest of the guys. Instead of having bright spotlights around the store, it was set in a low yellow glow. Spotlights were only found in the display cases, casting off brilliant sparkles.

The contrast between the dim lightings of the store and the display only emphasized the dazzle of the diamonds.
 

“Good evening, sir. Can I help you?” The sales assistant clad in his well-pressed suit and white gloves smiled politely at him.

“I’m looking for an engagement ring.”

“Ah…” The sales assistant’s brows rose. “Right this way, sir.”

“Do you have any design in mind?”

“No, he doesn’t have a clue,” Ryan answered for him.

He shot Ryan a glare.
 

Though it was absolutely true, there wasn’t a need for Ryan to announce it to the world.
 

He hadn’t dared to entertain the thought of proposing to Evelyn. Even when she’d proposed after the incident with David Morgan, Dan had thought she was merely reacting to the scare she went through.
 

Besides, Evelyn never brought up that subject again. He assumed she recovered from the episode and was glad that he hadn’t taken it seriously.
 

He had even half-expected Evelyn to move back home the moment David Morgan was arrested, and when she didn’t, he’d concluded that Richard Morgan was the reason why she was still there.

Then, he received that crazy phone call from Kate where she went on ranting without even explaining to him what was going on. He simply allowed her to continue, and it was a good ten minutes into the call before he realized it was over Evelyn’s proposal and his flat-out rejection.
 

Once he got over the initial surprise and disbelief, he started planning. The proposal was the easy part; the specifics of the ring were what he had no idea of.

Dan turned back to smile at the assistant. “I want something special. Not like the normal bands you see.”

Stopping by a section, the sales assistant nodded. “Let me see.” The sales assistant studied the rows of rings and pulled out several of the display trays, laying them on top of the clear glass.

All the guys bent over the trays and stared at all the bling. They continued staring for a minute without anyone offering any suggestions.

He should have brought Kate instead, but he didn’t really have a choice. He needed Kate to distract Evelyn with some shopping so that he could plan his surprise.

Standing there with the guys who had gone mute, he realized he should at least have brought Marianne.
 

He turned to them with a raised brow and noticed that Tyler wasn’t with them. Looking over his shoulders, he noticed Tyler over at the earrings section. With all the time Tyler had on his hands, he had to choose this moment to buy something for Kate.
 

Dan turned back to the rings, still completely clueless.
 

The sales assistant must have noticed. He smiled and asked, “Does your girlfriend prefer simple or slightly flashier designs?”

“Simple.”

Reaching below the shelf, the sales assistant pulled out an empty tray and set it before Dan. He picked a few of the rings and slotted them into the empty tray. “Then I would suggest solitaire or trinity rings without any side diamonds on the band. And if you’re looking for something special, this one has a unique band.”

Dan grinned the moment he saw the last ring being placed into the tray. He took it in his hand and turned the ring to scrutinize it.

The square-cut diamond was set in a band that curved away from each other, twisting the square diagonally.

“This is nice,” Joseph said.

“Yeah, I think so, too,” Ryan added.

Dan was certain they would agree to whichever ring he picked up. “When it’s your turn, I suggest you guys bring Marianne or Kate.”

“Right, we know you’re actually grateful for our wise insight,” Ryan joked.
 

Dan couldn’t stop himself from shaking his head. He was tempted to take a photo of the ring and send it to Kate, but it was too risky. Kate was such a bad liar, and she rarely checked her phone.

Placing the ring back onto the tray, Dan gave the other rings another look. He liked the first one he’d picked, but he wasn’t sure.

“This one looks good,” Tyler said, pointing to the ring Dan had just placed back.

“You’re done choosing Kate’s present?” Dan couldn’t hide the frustration in his voice.
 

“They’re wrapping it. This is good.” Tyler picked up the ring. “It’s different.”

“Just like her,” Dan continued. “But I thought bands were supposed to be one complete round, like…I don’t know…together forever kind of thing?”

Ryan and Joseph became mute again.

“Kate would say that it’s like two different people on different paths coming together to become a family,” Tyler said after a while.
 

Dan looked over at Tyler. He wanted to tell Tyler that Kate was the best thing that happened to him, but instead, a corner of his lips sneaked up. “I love Kate.” He knew that would irritate the hell out of Tyler.

“Everyone needs to stop loving Kate.”

That brought about a round of laughter from the rest of the guys while Tyler went off to pay for the pair of earrings he had picked out.
 

“I’ll take this.” Dan said, his heart already pounding with excitement. The moment he made the choice, he could see Evelyn wearing the ring.
 

She would love it. That was if she still wanted to marry him.

Evelyn’s phone vibrated as she dropped her shopping bags onto the chair. The cafe was abuzz with customers and she was glad there were still seats available. Her feet were aching from all the shopping, and she desperately needed to rest them before they fell off her.

She took a glimpse of her phone and handed it to Kate who was just settling into her seat.
 

Evelyn was sure her number was second on Tyler’s speed dial. Whenever he couldn’t get Kate, which was quite often, he’d call her.

Kate took the phone from her. “Sorry,” she said when she saw Tyler’s name on the screen and answered the call.

“Chamomile tea?” Evelyn mouthed.

Kate nodded. “Thanks.”

Evelyn moved toward the counter, checking out the menu hung on the wall. She didn’t want to be drinking coffee so late at night, but the aroma of it was so strong and tempting that she gave in to it.

When making her way back after the purchase, Kate was off the phone and was staring at her engagement ring.

Evelyn sighed quietly as Dan’s rejection came back to mind.

After Dan had rejected her proposal, she had convinced herself that it was for the best. She wasn’t in her right mind when she had asked him, probably the result of impulse.
 

Dan seemed adamant about putting her question behind him as well. He hadn’t brought up her proposal since that day.

His silence on the topic brought about waves of insecurities, and the thought in her head soon dropped into her heart. She wasn’t the one Dan wanted all the relationship stuff with. He’d tried it out with her and realized it wasn’t what he wanted.

Or maybe she was too late.

Maybe she’d pushed Dan away so many times that he didn’t think they could ever move beyond their current status.
 

“Do you think I should move back home?” Evelyn asked as she set the tray down on the table.

“No.”

“I moved in because of the whole David Morgan issue, now that David Morgan is locked up and—”

“And Richard Morgan?”

Evelyn placed Kate’s tea and her coffee onto the table and handed the tray back to a staff passing by. “Thanks.”
 

The evidence they had on David Morgan was enough for the judge to deny him bail, but they didn’t have much on Richard Morgan and the district attorney was reluctant to charge him.

Turning back to Kate, she smiled. “I was just asking. Just a thought.”

“And does that thought has something to do with your question to Dan?”

She took a sip of her coffee and shrugged.

“He isn’t having second thoughts, Eve.”

“And how would you know that?”

Kate reached for her necklace, and Evelyn continued. “See, you don’t know that. You’re just trying to make me feel better.”

Dropping her hands, Kate scowled at her. “I didn’t reach for my necklace because I was guilty, it’s just a habit.”

“Right.”

“When David Morgan got you, I saw how worried Dan was. He went after you, he didn’t let you down.”

Evelyn leaned her head lazily against her hand, but said nothing.

“You knew he would come for you, and that kept you sane. It gave you enough strength to keep yourself from falling apart.”

She did know Dan would come for her, and that did give her strength to hang on, to keep herself calm and hold her wits together.

She wasn’t in complete control, though. She had a little help. “There was a voice that I kept hearing. I…”

“I know, Dan told me.”

“You know I don’t believe in miracles, angels, or ghosts, then I see your necklace…” Evelyn said as she thought about the encounter that Kate had with Tyler’s parents.

Kate had told everyone what happened when she was trapped in the fire. She explained how Tyler’s parents, who had been dead for over twenty years, helped her out of the fire and gave her the necklace.

Evelyn would’ve brushed the story aside, thinking it was the lack of oxygen that gave Kate her hallucination. But the necklace Kate was wearing on her neck proved she wasn’t imagining things.

Marianne had sworn that Tyler’s mom never took off the necklace, and despite much effort, his grandfather couldn’t find it.
 

Now, the necklace was around Kate’s neck.
 

“It doesn’t matter what you believe; all I care is that you’re safe, and you’re going to keep staying at Dan’s. Or, I’m not going to accept the baby crib you’re making.”

“That’s not fair.”

Kate smiled sweetly and fluttered her eyelids. “I know.”