Page 84 of Tattoo My Heart
“That’s all I want to ever do,” I assure her. “She’s become the most important person in my world. I plan on telling her that when she comes over this weekend.”
Dad’s eyes move over the yard.
“What’s up with all the special decorations?”
“This is what it looked like the very first time we talked back here.” That’s the only thing I am willing to share.
Liz shakes her head in confusion. “When was that?”
“After you guys got married,” I shrug. “About eight years ago or so.” I know the exact date when that happened.
Dad and Liz turn to look at each other in a synchronized move.
“Did something happen then?” Dad takes the lead to this part of the conversation.
“Not like you’re thinking,” I assure them both. “Anyway,” I exhale when the tension inside my body is just too much for me to contain. “Her friend Carrie is going to help a bit with this too. I just need a bit of time alone with Evie tomorrow night. I want to show her…”
Liz cuts me off. “She is on her way here now. In fact…”
As if on cue, we hear a car door opening and slamming closed. The sound echoes from the front of the house.
“That has to be her,” Liz whispers. “We’ll go inside, let you kids talk.” She turns around and rushes to go inside.
Dad remains in his spot, his eyes never wavering from my face.
“Be sure,” he warns me. I understand what he’s saying. If things between me and Evie get messy, our entire family would be thrown into the eye of the storm.
“I am.”
With that, my attention moves to the back door where I can hear voices coming from inside the house. Dad is now just inside the door as well. They take a few more precious seconds to all greet each other, and then, she is finally coming outside.
The moment she comes into view takes my breath away. It’s as if she is all I’ve been looking for my entire life. The fact that she’s been right under my nose for all these years is something I ignore.
I remind myself that we both needed this time to grow and learn what we wanted out of life. There’s nothing that could convince me that we’d still be together today if I ever took Evie up on her offer when she was a teenager.
“Cal,” she whispers, completely in shock, when she spots me in the backyard under the canopy of lights.
Even though it’s been a long time since the night that changed our relationship, I tried to remember as many details as possible. The strings of lights all around us along with the way the tables and chairs are set up, are supposed to be a replica of what it all looked like then.
My heart beats faster in my chest, wondering if she remembers any of it. The fact that I was able to come up with as many details as I have only proves to me that her very presence always affected me a lot more than I would’ve ever cared to admit.
“What is all this?” She pauses, then looks around the yard. “Do you know where everything is? My mother told me to come here…”
“I asked her to.” I finally let out the long breath I’d been holding.
Evie turns surprised eyes my way.
“You did? Why?”
I lick at my lips nervously, wishing that I could just grab her, kiss her, and make everything better between us in an instant.
“I’m sorry I went about things the way that I did,” I confess. I sound a lot more confident than I feel. “Hurting you was never even on my radar. In fact, I would kill with my bare hands anyone who dared to hurt you.”
Evie presses a hand to her chest. “Cal…”
“I know James got in trouble at home for telling me you joined theHolidatesapp.”
We both chuckle at that. I’ve been getting live updates on the situation James is in on the home front. It’s not pleasant.
