Shape of You (+18)

Chapter Forty-Five

▬▬▬▬ Joel's POV ▬▬▬▬

"You're pacing again."

"I am?" Dammit. I am.

"Calm down, son," my mother said, rubbing my back to try and stop me from walking back and forth in her kitchen. "I know you're nervous about this, but it's got to happen."

"I know it does, and I want it to. I've been pushing for this since Everly could talk," I sighed, rubbing my hands down my face. "I don't know why I'm freaking out like this."

"I wondered that same thing at every one of your milestones. You're a parent. It's sort of a non-negotiable thing."

"Jesus, and you still go through this? Even now?" When she nodded in confirmation, my eyes widened. Fucking hell. I couldn't imagine growing old if this was what I had to look forward to for the rest of my life. This kind of stress and worry? I'd be lucky to make it to fifty, and currently this was all over a simple fucking phone call. What would it be like when she started dating?

Fuck it, I'm locking her in a tower.

"You're doing great, kiddo. It's when you stop worrying like this that you're doing something wrong." Patting me on the back, she headed toward the living room where Ev was. "Evvie, are you ready?!"

"YESSSSSSS!" she screamed with overwhelming excitement. Running all the way to me, she jumped in my arms without warning.

"You sure you're ready, princess?" I asked, to which she beamed a smile at me, nodding her head vigorously. "Okay then."

Sitting her down at the dining room table, I took out my phone and waited, knowing Jared would be calling any second now. After visiting him yesterday, specifically to make sure he wouldn't chicken out like a little shit, I told him to call me at noon and that I would have Everly waiting. I could tell she was anxious, wiggling in her seat, unable to sit still, her legs kicking back and forth with her hands clasped in her lap. She had a smile on her face, but her brows worried the longer she stared at the phone.

He was late making the call. Not by more than two minutes, but fucking hell, those minutes felt like hours as I watched Ev try not to worry. Each time a new minute passed, she'd stare at the phone, looked up at me for reassurance, and then back at the phone. I was so fucking relieved when it finally rang.

After accepting the charge to take his call, I put the phone on speaker and stepped back, watching intently, protectively. My mother squeezed my shoulder, and that's when I realized how tense I was, but I couldn't relax. Not until this was over and Ev was still okay.

"H-Hello?"

I saw the way Ev's eyes widened, hearing Jared's voice live for the first time. She blinked a few times, those brown eyes darting up at me. She was nervous, too, but strong, determined. Pushing past her nerves, she leaned in closer to the phone and softly replied, "Hi."

***

"So, how did it go?" Rick asked as soon as I walked through his front door, hours later.

"It went as well as I could hope for their first time talking. A little awkward, but Ev can't wait for their next call, so I'm happy with that result."

"Yeah? That's great. Ever since I told Sandy she's been anxious to hear that everything worked out."

Nodding my head I followed him to the living room where Dom and Sandy were. They wanted all the details but I kept things short, not really saying much other than that Ev asked Jared about a billion questions. I didn't mention the hiccups, the times when she pried into sensitive topics. The times when I could hear the hesitance in Jared's voice, sense the distress on his end, worried what the right thing for him to say was. I didn't bring up that I had to step in twice to keep things on a safe track, sway her questioning in a harmless direction, but those specific  questions now stayed heavy on my mind.