Page 13 of Chance
“So you’re Everly’s other half,” Mila commented, taking a thirsty swallow of her margarita.“It’s going to be so much fun having another set of twins to cause mayhem.It gets way too quiet around this town, if you ask me.”
“No one asked you,” River told her dryly before giving me a smile.“It’s nice to meet you, Evie.Your sister is the angel we were desperately in need of to help with WomanLand.After only a few hours of working with her, I can tell you that she is already an asset.”
Hearing the affection in her voice, I settled in to get to know everyone a little more.Evy liked her job, and I hoped we could both make friends.She rarely mentioned childhood friendships.It didn’t take much to guess that my sister hadn’t gotten close to anyone growing up.Her life had been as lonely as my own, and that broke my heart for her.
Mila was fun to be around, just like the rest of the group.Seeing her with her twin was a new experience for me, though.I’d never met another set of twins.And they had a triplet brother.I had a dozen questions I wanted to ask them, but I didn’t.
You’re so stupid, Evelyn.
Nothing.
Less than nothing.
“What are you studying?”Nishia asked, adjusting her glasses up her nose before taking a sip of her margarita, a welcome reprieve from William’s voice in my head.“I’m taking a few office management classes at Trinity.Mostly evening classes so it doesn’t interfere with work.With Sammy now a partner, Barker & Reid Construction has been swamped.I swear I hear that phone ringing in my sleep.”
“Social work.I only have a few required classes left to take before I’ll be done with my degree, but I’ve been thinking about pursuing a Doctor of Social Work later.”
Her blue eyes brightened.“Have you lined up an internship yet?”
I tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear and shook my head.“We’ve been so busy getting settled in before classes started that I haven’t applied anywhere yet.My adviser has suggested a few places, though.I plan on making inquiries this coming week.”
“You should apply to Sanctuary,” Nishia suggested.“Trust me, you’d learn a lot working there, and we can always use more help.I’m not sure how much the pay is for interns, but I can talk to Gracie about it.”
“What’s Sanctuary?”
“It’s a women’s shelter, privately owned by my mother-in-law.Our focus is primarily on victims of domestic violence, but we take anyone in need.Right now, we have three social workers, and they are amazing.”
Goose bumps popped up along my arms while a ringing started in my ears.A women’s shelter that catered to domestic violence victims.Working with women who had survived evil people, who needed someone to guide them through the new journey of their lives, that felt like a calling.
Throat constricting with emotions, I gripped my glass tighter.“Do you think I could come by next week?Maybe if Sanctuary doesn’t need a social worker intern, I could volunteer.”
Something.Anything.All I wanted to do was help, make a difference for people facing some of their hardest moments, no matter how small.
“Yes and yes,” Nishia assured me with a huge grin and handed over her phone.“Give me your number, and I’ll pass it along to Gracie and Jack so they can reach out.”
After plugging in my number, I texted myself and then gave Nishia her phone back.I was adding her information to my contact list when the energy in the bar suddenly shifted.A shiver raced down my spine, sending little electric currents rushing through my body.
Evie
Turning my head,I spotted Chance walking through the crowd.He had on one of the leather vests like a good portion of the other men in the bar wore.My breath stalled in my lungs, my body momentarily forgetting how to breathe.I’d convinced myself that my reaction to him earlier was something I’d made up.No way I’d been so instantly…everything.But I was wrong.So, so wrong.
Without so much as glancing my way, he walked straight toward the bar, his focus locked on someone.Instinct told me it was Evy.I bit my lip, wondering if he thought she was me.Or if he would even care one way or another.A face was a face; a body was a body.In the few months since Evy and I had been reunited, most men reacted a certain way when they saw us.
If Chance was like that, I wanted to know now.
He stopped a short distance from my sister, and she turned, her drink and a jug of margaritas in her hands, nearly crashing into him.He steadied her, his head dipping.They were too far away that I wasn’t sure I could have heard anything they said, even if the place had been empty.With the noise of the bar like a barrier between us, I had to watch their body movements to figure out what was happening between them.
Evy looked up at him and tensed, her nose scrunching up in that way that told me she was annoyed.She said something, and his head snapped up.His back was turned to me, making it impossible to see his face, but whatever was going on between him and my sister had the people nearest them cutting off their conversations.
Like a wave, the volume of the noise began to lower while the tension grew and grew, all eyes going to the two of them as they had an obvious argument.Over what, I still had no idea because I couldn’t hear anything they said.From Evy’s facial expressions alone, however, I knew she was getting angrier and angrier with each passing moment.
Heart pounding, mind racing, I debated bolting out the door.Fresh air, feeling the breeze on my skin, looking up at the night sky, that was what I needed.Evy would understand.She would come find me when she realized I was gone.
Only, I was stuck, trapped in my head, eyes glued to Evy’s face and Chance’s back.
He rubbed the back of his head then down to his neck, squeezing hard as he answered whatever question my twin had thrown at him.I suspected he knew we were twins now and she was scolding him.Evy wasn’t timid.She didn’t go looking for confrontations, but she didn’t back away from them either.Whereas I would hide from them, either by walking away or disappearing inside myself.
Something Chance said caused Evy to throw her drink in his face.I heard gasps from the other women at our table, a few snorts and giggles while I sat there, unable to even blink.
