"I thought you said that they were dead." I mumbled, managing to tear my shocked gaze away from the doorway long enough to look at Evelyn. She wasn't moving, her muscles were locked tight as she stared back at them.

"Evelyn?"

She turned finally, meeting my eyes with her own. My chest constricted when I read the pain and self-loathing in her eyes. The soft gray I'd become used to seeing was nearly gone, turned black with fear. I was frightened, having never seen her like this before.

"Ah," Evelyn's sister, who's name I just learned was Larieli, spoke as she stepped further into the room. "That's because she treated us as such for the better part of six years." My brows shot into my hairline as I raked my gaze over the group. It was eerie, each face had drastically different but also the same facial features. I concluded one thing though, they all shared the same jawline and the same piercing gray eyes. "Why would she do that?" I whispered, half turning and directing my question to Evelyn.

She didn't move for a long moment. "Because my actual parents really are dead." Out of the corner of my eye I saw the family flinch at her open hostility. I wondered what had put it there. Evelyn was not a hostile person. Sure she had a lot of walls you had to break through, but she was kind and loving. I didn't know what to make of this change in her.

Larieli noticed my expression and smiled sadly at me, shaking her head slightly. I knew she was telling me to let it go. But I couldn't do that. I had to figure out what Evelyn's behavior meant. It was kind of a big wake-up call. I realized then how little I knew about her.

"Well," Evelyn's mother spoke, seeking to break the tension I guessed. "My name is Lucille, but you may call me Luce, or Mama or whatever makes you the most comfortable." She grinned at me and I automatically grinned back. She was very pretty, and lively. I could practically see the happy vibes radiating off of her. The tall man standing next to her offered a smile as well. "And my name is Collin." He shot his wife a mock glare before covering half his face in a stage-whisper to me. "Luce here has been stealing my thunder for the past twenty years."

I laughed when she scoffed and smacked him on the arm before sauntering over to me. "Ignore that old bat, lets talk about where you'll be staying."

My brow furrowed in puzzlement. "What do you mean?" I assumed I'd be headed back home after this. Lucille must've seen this in my expression because a soft smile lifted her lips. "Honey, even after you're released from the hospital, you'll need to be monitored carefully. And I, for one know how hard it is to take care of a rambunctious child when you have stitches in your stomach." I felt the frown on my face deepen as I pondered her words. Beside me, Evelyn tensed even further.

This whole situation was so very strange.

"So, what exactly are you proposing?" I inquired quietly, searching their expressions carefully. Even though these people seemed bright and lively, something had happened to make Evelyn nervous around them. And that's not something I took lightly, so I was extremely wary of them.

"We want you to come stay with us. At least until you're well enough to get back on your feet."

My mouth dropped open in surprise. I'd half-heartedly guessed at what she was going to say, but still, hearing it first hand was a shock. "I can't accept that! I have a daughter and I'm sure you guys already have a full house and-" she cut me off with a stern shake of her head. "You might as well stop there, sister. Nothing you say is going to change my mind." She glanced at her husband and he nodded eagerly.

I gnawed on my bottom lip as I fought with my choices. My eyes drifted to Evelyn beside me. Her figure was still incredibly tensed up beside me, further knotting up the already tangled knot in my stomach. "What do you think?" I asked quietly.

Her silver eyes met mine, searching. I knew she saw the questions I had. She never looked away when she spoke to her family. "I need a moment with Scout."

I glanced worriedly at the family, hoping they weren't too hurt by her attitude. Mrs. Thorton just smiled and elbowed her husband in the gut, prompting an oof out of him as she shoved him out the door. Larieli nodded at me once, but only glanced fleetingly in Evelyn's direction as she left the room, shutting the door softly behind her.

I turned immediately. "What is going on?" I demanded, determined to understand what was wrong with her.

But I was stopped as she put up her hand, signaling for me to wait a moment. For a second I was immaturely hurt, but then I understood that seeing her family for the first time after six years had to be startling. Evelyn cleared her throat sharply, before meeting my gaze again. Something in her eyes reminded me of myself. She had a haunted look about her.

"Evelyn?" My voice shook slightly.

Whether it was the use of her name, or the sound of my voice that did it, I don't know. But Evelyn crumbled. I sat there dumbfounded and watched big fat tears roll down her cheeks. She buried her head in her hands and sobbed. Her shoulders shook with the force it. My shock lasted a second before I leaned over and immediately wrapped my arms around her, gripping a handful of her soft hair in my fist as I cradled her against me. "Shh. Babe, what is going on?" I was partly terrified and partly satisfied that she broke down in front of me. Sometimes it really made you feel inadequate when only one person seems to be struggling. It was nice to know I wasn't alone.

She shook her head and leaned into my chest, her breathing labored. I suspected that she'd held these feelings in for far too long. So I just held her, while she cried into my hospital gown. My heart broke, feeling her pain. She finally pulled herself together enough to lean away from me, dabbing furiously at her eyes. I leaned forward and cupped her face, stilling her movements. "Let me." I whispered.

Her hand dropped slowly as she watched me, her eyes filling with love. My thumbs rubbed soothing circles into her cheeks, removing all excess tears. She hadn't been wearing makeup, not that she needed it anyways, but it made this much easier to handle. Her beautiful eyes were slightly bloodshot and puffy from crying, and I could tell she was a little embarrassed at her outburst.

"I'm-" I cut her off, immediately sensing what she was about to say and not liking it at all.

"If you are about to say I'm sorry, you can choke that shit back down because you have nothing to be sorry for." I narrowed me eyes on her, challenging her to argue.

But she just shook her head, a soft smile on her face. We sat there for a long moment, and though I was bursting with questions, I didn't want to push her for information. She looked to the ceiling and released a long sigh. "I suppose I have some things to explain."

I raised a brow at her. "That would be nice." I admitted slowly.

Her eyes found mine again and she leaned forward, lacing her fingers and propping her head on them. Her eyes stared off into space. My heart constricted, knowing she was visiting a place that hadn't been pleasant for her. "When I was about a year old, I was placed into foster care. Lucille was unable to care for me, and Collin was away fighting fires. Lucille had me right out of high school. She was a partier, a heavy drinker, having never to be able to live out the party phase she always dreamed of when she was with me. She was obviously not fit to be a mother, so she placed me in foster care. Collin, who was just as unmotivated for life, didn't care what happened to me or not." The anger had returned, lighting a fire in her eyes.

"I didn't bounce from foster home to foster home quite so much, but there were a few I wish I hadn't had to experience. The worst of them was my final home. It pretty much started out nice, I landed that foster home when I was about 7, and stayed there until I was 18. There were three of us living in the home, as they didn't have another child. It was quite nice, living in a gated community. Until one night." I sucked in a sharp breath, preparing myself for the rest of her words.

"I had come home, having stormed out hours earlier after a fight with them. I came home to their murder." She stopped suddenly and cleared her throat.

I couldn't stop the gasp that left my lips. My hand automatically came up to cover my mouth. "I loved them." She whispered quietly. "They were the only people who really ever understood me." She waited a long moment until she continued. I waited quietly, but reached over and grabbed her hand. She sent me a soft smile and squeezed it in thanks. She fixed me with her sharp gaze, the darkness in her eyes right then sending chills down my spine. I knew she was about to tell me something very, very bad.

"The murderer was still in the house when I got home."

I was right.

😉😘😊