Page 40 of On Broken Wings

“I had friends, but I don’t think I was part of the popular crowd, why?” His mouth turned down as if he was really thinking about it.

“Did you have a girlfriend?” I attempted to look over his shoulder, but he shifted so he was the only thing I could see.

“Yes.” He gave a quick nod.

“Was she pretty?”

“I thought she was. I was really in to her. She wasn’t so in to me though. She cheated on me with my best friend.” He got a sour look on his face.

“Did you love her?” I pressed.

“I don’t think so. I don’t really think I knew what love was then. At the time I probably would have said yes, but looking back now I’m gonna say no. What crowd were you a part of?”

I took a deep breath. Do I tell him the truth? This will change everything between us. “I was an elite gymnast in high school. I didn’t have a lot of time for friends or dating,” I mumbled. “My best friend, Kenzie, understood. I had a boyfriend, Darrin, who said he understood.”

“But he didn’t?” Evan’s breathing picked up slightly.

“No. He broke up with me because I never had time for him, and I wouldn’t sleep with him. He started screwing one of the cheerleaders a week after we ended. I thought I meant something to him.” I stared off in the distance as the sounds of the diner seemed to melt away. “There was this guy in my calculus class. He was on the football team, popular, good looking, every girl in school wanted to date him.”

“Except you.” Evan shifted again. He had this look on his face like he was trying to figure me out, but wasn’t sure he wanted to at the same time.

“Right. Except me. I ignored him as much as I could, but he wouldn’t leave me alone. It was as if I was a challenge to him, and the more I said no, the more he wanted me. I blew him off, and he kept showing up. He’d bring me things, buy me things, call me out of the blue, message me, want to study.” The more I talked, the more Evan seemed to realize he’d done the same thing. It was all starting to click for him, and his eyes widened.

“I finally gave in and went on a date with him. He was the perfect gentleman. The rumors that I’d heard about him seemed to be just that, rumors. I ignored my instincts and started dating him. I thought he really liked me. We went to parties, hung out at school, and I was beginning to feel like me again. He asked me to homecoming, and that night at the dance changed everything.” I turned to grab my phone out of my purse. After everything happened, I’d saved a copy of the video to remind myself that I was stronger than that. It’s been part of the healing process, and now I can look at it, and see it for what it was…a way to hurt me. “He did this.” I flicked open the video section, and clicked on it before handing the phone to Evan.

I watched as his eyes darted from the screen to me, and back to screen several times. “Now I want to kill that fucker even more,” he growled.

“That was on every social media site out there. I couldn’t show my face at school without someone commenting on this. I ended up dropping out, and finishing my GED at home. Mason helped me.”

“You’re not broken, Jenni. That guy didn’t break you. You need to know that.” Evan’s eyes started to fill with tears, and I watched him blink them away.

“Yes, he did.” I pulled my hands from his. I took a few deep breaths to work up the courage to do what I was about to do. My hands shook and my fingers trembled as I loosened the laces on the left cuff. “He broke me in so many ways.” A sob bubbled up as I slipped my hand out of the cuff. “More ways than you ever expected.” I turned my hand so my wrist was exposed. “I wasn’t trying to die, Evan, but I was in so much pain.” The tears I’d been holding back began to stream down my face.

Evan pulled me into his arms and held me against his chest. I cried. I cried for everything I’d been hiding. I cried for the girl that I lost. I cried for Evan. He shouldn’t be dealing with this version of me, but most of all I cried for all the others who’d suffered this fate.

“You’re not broken,” he murmured over and over as he slowly rocked me from side to side in the booth. “You have no idea how strong you really are, Jenni.” Evan held me until the tears stopped, and when I pulled back, our food was sitting on the table. “Feel like eating still?”

“Can we get it to go?” I smiled a watery smile.

“Yep.” He lifted his hand and Maggie nodded.

“You come here a lot, don’t you?” I laughed as I wiped my nose with my napkin.

“Eh. Maybe.” He grinned. “I meant what I said. You’re not broken.” He narrowed his eyes as he stared into mine. “I’ll prove that to you no matter what it takes. I’m not going anywhere.”

I nodded as he paid our bill and boxed up our breakfast. As we made our way out to the car, I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted. Evan was different. He didn’t run, and that fact right there made me believe that just maybe he was a good guy after all.

Chapter 18

Jenni

It’s been a few days since I told Evan everything. Not much has changed between us, and I keep asking myself why I’m so afraid to trust him. He didn’t run when he had every right to. Each morning when I’ve shown up for work, he’s been standing outside with a cup of coffee. He’s usually in gym clothes, but today was different. I almost didn’t recognize him when I walked up. He was leaning against the corner of the building in a dark fitted shirt, and black jeans. He had a hat pulled down, shading his face. When I approached him, there was a haunted look in his eyes.

“Hey.” I smiled. “You ok?”

“Morning.” He handed me my coffee.

“What’s with the burglary attire?” I giggled as I flicked his shoulder.

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