Work in Progress

Chapter 45: Let's Talk

*ELI'S POV*

"Evan." I look at the man right beside me. If I didn't know him, I would've thought he was just some lanky guy who didn't get enough sleep. But I knew that the bags under his eyes weren't just from insomnia. He was still in his twenties, only a few years older than me, but time isn't a concept when it comes to substance abuse. His once handsome face was now shadowed by the ghost of his choices. I can't even think how I was once on the same path.

I keep my voice calm and pretend that his sudden appearance doesn't affect me. "I didn't think you and Vanessa were still in town. The others with you too?" I wasn't sure if the other people they were with at the gas station being here also would make things better or worse. I just needed to say something.

"Nah. They went ahead weeks ago. V and I had some business in town." He confidently says, hands in his pockets, and a smirk my way.

"Business in this little town? That I haven't heard off?" I raise my eyebrow at him and laugh.

"It's the little ones that are least suspicious." He gives me a look and smiles.

A short pause followed between us. Then he spoke.

"I'd hate for anything to happen to your little friend over there."

I freeze in place. A second passes but it feels like an eternity.

"What do you want, Evan?" I glare at him, all pretense left behind.

"I just want to talk." He cocks his head at me with a manic grin then looks at Sam again. I could see her looking at her phone anxiously. Then she started looking out the window probably hoping to see me. I couldn't let her see me.

"Fine. But not here."

He motions for me to follow him, not once the smile fading from his face. That same smile that attracted me when I first met him. It was a smile that didn't have a care in the world, a smile that shone the warmest light to the people he considered his family. I soon found out that if you weren't part of this family, that smile was also the darkest, coldest, and most dangerous smile that could ever come your way. I was never afraid of that smile. But now I have a reason to be.

We get into a silver SUV that looks too good to be his and drive for about forty minutes all the while staying in silence. As stores were replaced by houses and replaced again by trees and the occasional gas station, my mind was racing on what we would possibly talk about. I know it won't be good.

Clearly, Evan couldn't let me go easily. I knew he didn't take me leaving well but as with the others who left before me, there was nothing we could do but accept that they were moving on to a better path. So why is he hung up on me? I'm not the first to leave the family in not so perfect terms so why am I any different? Maybe he wants to talk about something else? Yeah, like what? I don't know...

The car comes to a halt, pulling me from my thoughts. Evan gets out of the car and starts walking without looking back at me or waiting. I take this moment to send a quick text to Tera, 'Call Vanessa', then to Sam, 'I'll be fine'. I quickly get out of the car and follow Evan, hoping upon the universe that I still remember how to fight.

We were at some sort of abandoned lot just outside of town. There was only one building here -- if you could even call it that. It had no roof, its walls were like lego bricks randomly stacked together, iron poles still sticking out. It's like they were in the middle of construction and just decided to leave or maybe in the middle of demolishing and decided it wasn't worth the effort.

Evan stood in the middle of this ruin, his back turned to me. As I make my way closer to him, I take this chance to really look at him. His demeanor hasn't changed. He still held a faux relaxed stance: hands in his pockets, weight on one foot, head cocked to the side. But I couldn't let this act fool me. I know how easy it is to go from passive to wild in a matter of seconds.

Still with his back towards me, Evan begins to speak. "You know... I wasn't planning on talking with you. Even after you left Vanessa convinced me that you were better off without us. When we saw you again, she gave the same old speech about leaving you alone so you could continue living your second life. And I really was going to leave you alone. Never mind the constant what ifs running through my head. Never mind the sudden reminder of fun adventures we had. But then I also remembered that time at the hospital. Remember that--?" He suddenly turns to look at me, a manic smile on his face.

"When you said goodbye on your little hospital bed with your little flowers on the nightstand? I'm sure you remember. Do you know what else I remember that day? I remember thinking how lucky you were to be lying on a hospital bed with sheets as white as the walls while our brothers and sisters laid in boxes with nothing but dirty rags to stop their bleeding." The smile on his face quickly turns grim and a shadow casts over his eyes. I knew it wouldn't be long until talking wasn't enough for him anymore. If I'm going to survive this, I need to get closer to him as much as I can. Sounds stupid, I know. But if he has a gun, the only way I can dodge a bullet is even before he fires it.

I keep my face blank and inch closer, my hands coming up slightly to try and caution him. "I was just lucky. You know that. If I didn't have my aunt to run to I'd be right next to our brothers and sisters."

He scoffs at that. "Lucky. Yeah, you definitely were. Maaan, if I had a lawyer aunt that could get me treated for a bullet wound and clearly illegal drugs in my system with no questions asked... oh I would just like to imagine what else she could do for me."

"Leave my aunt out of this, Evan." I can feel my jaw tense. What angle is he playing at?

"Alright, alright, relax. I doubt I'd be able to get your aunt to do anything for me anyway. What I do want to know is what you can do. Or rather... what you didn't do."

I looked at him confused, which pissed him off. "WADER!" He suddenly shouts making me jump. "YOU WERE A CLEAN SHOT! WHY DIDN'T YOU DO--" He claps his hands in emphasis. "WHAT." clap. "I." clap. "TAUGHT." clap. "YOU." clap. "AND SHOOT THOSE FUCKERS IN THE FACES WHEN THEY GOT THE FIRST HIT." He pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes in concentration, trying to steady his breathing.

I knew he was waiting for me to answer. So I did. "You know I'd never kill anyone. You know why. I--"

"THEY WERE SHOOTING TO KILL!!!" He bursts out again. I notice his eyes are bloodshot now, sweat dripping down his temples, hands shaking. But he wasn't high. He wasn't going through withdrawal either. This was pure anger and hate. And as much as I wish that didn't affect me, it did. I was being reminded of all the blame and regret I drowned myself in when I walked out on them. Not at the hospital. But at the alley. I can't let myself go through this again. I blamed myself when my family died. I blamed myself for what happened at the alley. I can't drown in all this anger and hate again because if I do, I'm not sure I can come back.

"NOBODY DIED, EVAN!" I can't back down now. "I DIDN'T JUST UP AND LEAVE. I MADE SURE THAT THEY COULDN'T FIRE AT US ANYMORE. YOU'RE RIGHT. I'M A CLEAN SHOT. SO I FUCKING SHOT THEIR HANDS, AT THEIR SHOUDLERS, AT THEIR FUCKING NERVES TO PARALYZE THEM!!!" I was breathing heavy now but I wasn't finished. "I SHOT AT AS MANY OF THEM AS I COULD BUT IN CASE YOU FORGOT IN ALL THE CHAOS, I WAS THE FIRST HIT. SO EXCUSE ME IF I DIDN'T HAVE THE ENERGY OR THE BLOOD IN ME TO STAY ANYMORE. AND IF I FUCKING RECALL CORRECTLY, I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE WITH A GUN."

We were both breathing heavily, the only sound you could hear was our breaths coming out in ragged intervals. Our eyes were wide with anger and our hands were twitching to grasp who knows what. We stay like that for what felt like an eternity, each of us glaring holes into the other. That is until we hear footsteps approaching and Evan breaks eye contact to look behind me. He smirks and looks back at me, "You're right."

Before I could process what he meant, he was already pulling out a gun from behind him. The only thing that brought me back on my feet was the sudden shout of my name by a voice I never expected nor wanted to hear at this place. Evan's hand was moving in slow motion and I didn't want to wait to know who he would point it at. I don't know what happened next except that we were suddenly on the ground and the last thing I heard was a loud bang and a deafening shriek.