All Eyes on Me

Chapter 16

"Hey," Evan mumbled sleepily into the phone.

"Hey, Evan," Ben began. "I just wanted to let you know that...." He trailed off, leaving Evan a bit confused. "That, um, Samson wants to speak to you."

Evan heard the phone move around on their end, assuming he's now on speaker. "Hello?"

Though he couldn't see them, his captain was in fact standing by the desk of his colleague.

"Calligan, good to hear your voice. How're you and Miss Ryerson holding up?"

"Um, we're doing okay, I think. Good as can be expected. To what do I owe the pleasure this morning, sir?"

"Well, I wanted to tell you the good news myself, given everything that maniac put you through. He's going away for life," Evan knew this, so that wasn't really a surprise. You couldn't kidnap anyone, much less a cop, and not get charged, especially once you attack them. Therefore, he wasn't quite sure why his superior wanted to tell him this information.

He was so lost in his own head he hadn't heard anything else that was said.

"Evan, you still there?" He finally heard Ben's voice come in over the line.

"Yeah....sorry, what?"

"Mr. Walker is going away for life, in solitary, over 24 hour watch." Samson reiterated, that extra piece of info Evan assumed to be the reason why he was the one announcing it.

"That's, well, hell, that's just...very fitting," he said, seeming content with that answer. "Thank you for letting me know, Captain."

"Of course. Now you rest up, and we'll see you back here soon."

"Yessir."

He had ended the call just as Maci woke up, or at least, was starting to wake up. He saw her blink her eyes a couple of times, her mouth still pouty. She started to come to, he thinks, as she hummed in her usual sleep-ridden voice.

"Well good morning," he said, chuckling at the current image in front of him. She was still wrapped up in his sheets from last night, but her hair was strewn all over the place on the pillows, not to mention her lips now held a slight frown.

"Hi," she said, still waking up. "Is it bad I don't wanna get up? What time is it anyhow?"

Evan glanced at his homescreen. "It's like almost 11am."

Maci yawned, propping herself up on elbows to look at him. "Oh man, I haven't slept that long in a little bit."

"Well, we did have quite the exhausting night..." Evan teased, resulting in Maci's signature eye roll.

"Uh huh."

He reached out from under the covers and tucked his good arm around her shoulder. She leaned her head against his chest, simply listening to his heartbeat. It was steady, even, and most importantly, happening. He was alive, and she couldn't believe she'd almost lost him. The thought made her eyes well up a little, but she pushed it down. She tried to refocus on the warmth she felt being with him, but instead, all she saw when she closed her eyes was that horrendous ordeal. And even worse, the man who committed it: Trent.

She definitely felt the tears come now, and she couldn't stop them this time.

"Hey, hey..." Evan said, ever-so-softly. "Maci, what is it?" He laced his good hand into the one of hers not on his torso.

She looked up at him, really wanting to say 'nothing,' but instead what came out was: "I'm sorry." She watched his eyebrows knit together, obviously confused by her admission to what seemed to be nonexistent guilt.