Crazy Nights (The Barrington Billionaires Book 3) (16 page)

T
he pit
of Evie’s stomach was blazing with anxiety and motion sickness. The bus ride was nearly over, and while everyone next to her was probably dying to get off, she considered hiding under her seat and riding back to the bus depot for the night. Then she wouldn’t have to tell anyone she’d been fired from the movie set months ago. She wouldn’t have to face her mother and whatever downward spiral she fell into after leaving treatment.

“Isn’t this your stop?” the old man with the narrow sinking eyes asked her through his crooked smile.

“It is,” she said with forced cheer as she grabbed her bag and made her way down the narrow aisle. Stepping off the bus, she felt the difference in the air. She knew she’d be back here one day; she knew she’d have to face everything she was hiding from, but now that she was here it felt worse than she imagined.

Evie pulled the rest of her cash from her pocket and considered the best way to get home. She could grab a cab or call her brother. At least the cab would buy her more time of anonymity. She could hold her secrets a little longer.

“Evie?” a familiar sunny voice called from behind her. “What are you doing here?”

“Sara,” Evie said in a singsong voice as her oldest friend came barreling into her arms.

“Are you on a break from the movie?” Sara asked, pulling away and looking her friend over appraisingly. The bleary look in Evie’s eyes gave her away. “Are you all right?’

“No,” Evie admitted through a stifled cry. “It’s terrible. Everything is awful.” Sara led her over to a bench as she recounted how the last few months had unfolded. Retelling the sordid tale of all of her dreams imploding was more painful than Evie had expected.

“You need to go, Evie,” Sara said simply as she glanced around for any other familiar faces. “You don’t belong here. You never have. If you come back now you’ll end up working at the local diner for pennies and giving them all to your mother to help her get better. This place,” she gestured around and whispered, “it’s not big enough for someone like you. You can get right back on that bus and try again. But if you stay now, you’ll be stuck here forever. I just know it.”

“But my mother,” Evie said through tears. “I can’t just leave now and not help her.”

“You will do exactly what you intended when you left the first time. You’ll get wildly famous and have everything you need to really help her. If you stay, the sadness and the helplessness is going to suck you in and destroy you.”

“I thought maybe you’d be the first person in line to say I told you so,” Evie sniffled.

“Never,” Sara asserted. “I’ve always known you were going to do something great that would help your entire family. I thought maybe by now you and I would be walking the red carpet, photobombing celebrities, but I’m willing to wait.”

They laughed the way one does when tears are still in their eyes, that defeated type of chuckle that lets in a small ray of hope.

“Call him. What you told me about Emmitt, I have to believe he’s hurting as badly as you are right now. You don’t belong here in this dusty, shitty place. Think of yourself as a life raft. Don’t go back to the sinking ship, just go get help for the rest of us.” Sara playfully nudged her shoulder into Evie and tried to get her to smile. Evie reluctantly obliged, but her stomach still ached with worry.

“So I just turn back around?” Evie asked, gesturing at the bus. “Do I go to Texas? Boston? I don’t know where Emmitt was heading.”

“Go where your heart tells you,” Sara giggled. “I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true. If you need any more convincing, use this for motivation.” Sara reached into her bag and pulled out a name tag and pinned it to her chest. “Stay here and you can add this fancy badge to your outfit. You could stand right next to me and scoop ice cream cones for people who want a thousand free samples and stuff stacks of napkins in their pockets. Run now while you still have a chance.”

“Come with me,” Evie said, a rush of adrenaline pouring through her body. “Forget the ice cream shop and the bullshit here. Get on the bus with me.”

“You’re chasing your life and a guy you love. I already have a guy here,” Sara said, flashing her ring finger and showing a small gold band with a tiny diamond.

“Sara?” she gasped. “You and Marty are engaged?”

“We are,” Sara glowed. “No date set yet, but his parents are letting us use their time share in Florida for our honeymoon. Getting on that bus isn’t what I need, but it is what you need.”

“This feels crazy,” Evie said, covering her face with her hands.

“What’s the worst that can happen?” Sara challenged. “I can always keep an ice cream scoop ready for you.”

Evie nodded her head and accepted the tight hug from her oldest friend. “I’m sorry I didn’t call the last few months. You must have thought I was being such a pretentious jerk.”

“It crossed my mind,” Sara said with a blush. “But every time it did, I remembered the way you stayed home from the eighth grade dance because Billy stood me up. You were the same girl who showed me how to straighten my frizzy hair and told me my braces made me look cooler even though we both knew that was a lie.”

“I’m getting on a bus,” Evie said as though she were breaking the news to herself.

“Good girl,” Sara cooed as she waved a quick goodbye and headed in the other direction. “I can’t be late for my shift. Who will scoop the mint chocolate chip?”

As Evie watched her friend walk away she did the quick calculations to what was left in her bank account. If she was going to do this, she’d have to do it now. If she went farther into town, if she saw her brother or tracked down her mother, she knew she’d talk herself out of this crazy plan. It was now or never.

“
T
his is a very small airstrip
, so buckle up,” Emmitt explained to his father as he looked out the window at the arid land below.

“Where on God’s green earth are we?” Charles asked as he rolled the ache out of his neck and stretched his sore back.

“Not very green here,” Emmitt chuckled, considering how his father would react to finding out where they were. “We’re in Botswana, Africa. Or at least we will be when we touch down.”

“What?” Charles asked, leaning over to get a look out the window. “What in the hell are we doing here?”

“There’s no place to gamble here,” Emmitt laughed as he thought of the total seclusion they’d be in.

“Forget gambling, is there even a place to go to the bathroom here, or do we have to dig a hole in the desert?”

“Relax, it’s a luxury resort. Well, comparatively.” Emmitt had selected this location because of its seclusion. There was no cell phone service. Hardly any tourists ventured out this far. His father couldn’t get into any trouble here unless it involved a lion. And maybe that would mean the problem had taken care of itself.

“Africa?” his father asked again as he held the armrests to fight against the bumping and jostling of the small prop plane.

“There will be a woman here.”

“Nice,” Charles perked up but his hopes were quickly dashed.

“She’s a doctor who specializes in gambling addictions and behavior disorders. You’ll stay here until she gives you the clearance to leave. Don’t bother trying to pull one over on her either. She’s been at it for three decades; you won’t do anything she hasn’t seen before. So consider the crazy notion that maybe you actually try to get better.”

“Is it even safe here?” Charles asked, skeptically eyeing the short runway they were approaching.

“I’ve brought in some security. Don’t bother bribing them, they’re old military buddies of mine. They won’t fall for your shit either.” The plane skidded to a stop after a bumpy landing.

“When do you leave?” Charles asked, his eyes fixed on Emmitt, obviously trying to look for any change in expression. Emmitt was too smart to offer one.

“I’m staying a while.”

“Why? I have a doctor, it’s secluded as shit, and I know that security isn’t about protection, it’s making sure my ass stays here. I don’t see how you factor in.”

“Maybe I want to go on safari,” Emmitt quipped as he stared out the window and watched the new scenery pop to life in front of him. A dry rocky plain spread out all around them, darted with tiny flecks of green spiny shrubs. In the distance there were lights coming to life as the sun faded low.

“Hiding,” Charles said with a scolding shake of his head. “That girl isn’t going to wait around forever.”

“Her name is Evie, and I’m not expecting her to wait around.”

“Do you want to know the biggest tragedy of my life?” Charles asked, still furiously glaring at Emmitt to prove his seriousness.

“Can you really pinpoint one? I would think with the amount of things you fucked up, it would be hard to separate one mistake from the next.”

“I didn’t say mistake, I said tragedy.”

Emmitt rolled his eyes but didn’t interrupt. That was about the only form of invitation to talk he’d give.

“I fell in love with a woman who recently stopped loving me,” he said solemnly. “Not your mother. I know you probably wish it was her.”

“I’m glad you’re not in her life.”

“I know you are, but there was a girl I met when I was eighteen. It was before all this gambling and bullshit. She loved me right away. She told me. And she showed me all the time. She was kind and caring and forgiving. All the things a man like me needs. I was too busy fighting with my demons; they were different then but they were still there. For two years she loved me, knowing I didn’t love her back. Then I fell in love while she was walking away. She left and I finally understood. But it was too late. I’d lost her. Of everything I’ve ever known in my life, I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy. It’s like walking through the desert, holding a canteen full of water and when you finally need it you realize it’s been leaking a little at a time and now it’s empty. You had it right there in your hands, but it slipped away.”

“Evie believes everyone can be saved.” Emmitt exhaled in frustration. “She believes people get a million chances no matter what it costs her. I can’t live up to that, and she’ll spend her life watching me fail her. I’m not the guy a girl like her can love for a long time. I’m a speed bump, a detour. Girls like Evie just date me long enough to realize who they should be dating. I’m the guy who leads a girl to her husband. But I’m not the husband. I’m not a man she can love for long.”

“You could have done a lot with me,” Charles sighed, looking unconvinced. “You could have tossed me in some cave in one of the hells you were deployed in. You could have had me put in prison somewhere. This doctor you have on retainer is probably costing you a fortune. This resort in the middle of nowhere isn’t free. Do you think I can get better out here?”

“How should I know?” Emmitt shrugged.

“Do you hope I will?”

“Hope?” Emmitt scoffed. “I’m not a fairy. I’m not a twelve-year-old girl. I don’t hope things. I either make them happen or I walk away.”

“You haven’t walked away from me,” Charles countered smugly. “Using your own logic means you intend to make this happen. You will fight until I’m better. You’re giving me a chance I haven’t earned. Even if it costs you. That sounds a lot like the way you described Evie.”

Emmitt opened his mouth to counter, but no argument came. He wouldn’t say out loud that he
hoped
his father would recover. It would take every torture tactic known to man to get him to say those words. But in the tiny quiet spaces of his mind, he had to admit it was something he couldn’t bury completely. He had an image of his father sitting on the couch with him, watching an old cartoon. They each had a bowl of cereal in their laps. It must have been a simple Saturday morning where nothing else mattered, and the world outside their living room didn’t exist. Even if he wouldn’t say it out loud he wished that man was still in there somewhere.
Was wished better than hoped? Fuck, probably not.

“Don’t stay here,” Charles pleaded. “Don’t fall further in love with her as she figures out how to fall out of love with you.”

“We’re meeting the doctor in fifteen minutes,” Emmitt said, clearing his throat as he brashly changed the subject.

“You said she was a behavior therapist?” Charles asked with an arrogant tone. “Maybe she’ll make an appointment for you too.”

E
vie underestimated
how much courage it would take to beg for a job. But Sophie Barrington had made it fairly painless. And that woman had some impressive contacts. Before she knew it Evie was working with a small acting company who performed at many charity events centered around children. It was silly work, fun and distracting, and it was almost enough to forget how much her heart hurt.
Almost.

The best part about the job, besides the free food that came after the fancy galas, was the connections she was making. Many recognizable actors and actresses volunteered with the charities when they were in town, and Evie was managing to make connections she didn’t think possible with her history. She swapped stories with some seasoned professionals about horror stories they had with various directors or producers, and even though she wasn’t getting any huge offers, she felt better knowing she wasn’t alone. They’d invariably tell her to
hang in there
or
don’t give up.

“Tonight should be cute,” a kind faced waitress said as she spread a crisp white tablecloth over one of the thirty-five tables spread across the banquet hall.

“We’re going to be doing a really good show for the kids tonight. I think they’ll love it.” Evie grabbed the other half of the tablecloth and helped straighten it.

“You don’t need to help set up,” the waitress laughed. “There’s a hierarchy around here, and trust me I’m at the bottom.”

“I’ve got nothing but time,” Evie joked as she started unstacking the chairs. “If I’m not here, I’m at home thinking about how bad my life sucks. That’s why this job’s been so great. Nothing gives you perspective like sick, hungry, or homeless kids. It’s hard to feel bad for yourself when faced with that reality.”

“You’re right about that.” The waitress laughed. “I’m Lilly and I do appreciate the help in case it sounded like I didn’t.”

“I’m Evie and I hope I didn’t sound too depressing.”

“Not at all. I’m the queen of sitting home and being miserable. Some people sew, some people cook. I like to drink wine and complain about all my old boyfriends. I consider it a good night if I don’t drunk text someone.”

“I’ve been locking my phone in a drawer at night.” Evie giggled, happy to find a kindred spirit tonight. “I put sticky notes on it to remind myself why I shouldn’t call him.”

“Like what?” Lilly asked, looking fully engrossed in her techniques.

“The most obvious reason not to call is that he hasn’t called me.”

“How long has it been?” Lilly asked, empathy pouring from her eyes. “Is it a pretty fresh breakup?”

“About a month,” Evie said, still not believing it had been that long. But some things had begun falling into place. The money she was saving had been enough to get herself settled into a tiny studio apartment over an Indian restaurant. She’d been in contact with her brother and managed to send him enough money so he could quit one of his jobs and repair his car. Next on the list after a couple more gigs was to start her mother in a halfway-house program that did not address her addiction but first stabilized her living arrangements. The cost was manageable, and Evie was hopeful if things kept going in the right direction, it would be settled in a few weeks.

“Maybe after this we should go hit the town and forget our guy troubles,” Lilly offered as they spread another silky white cloth across a table.

“Maybe.” Evie shrugged. “I’ve never been very good at letting loose.”

“Me either,” Lilly admitted as her cheeks grew pink. “I just figured that’s what people do. How about friends, do you have many in the city? Your phone has chirped like ten times since we started talking. You must know someone.”

“Just some people I met in Texas. I owe them a phone call. Friends of the ex-boyfriend. I was trying to stay low key about it, but I guess they aren’t taking the hint.”

“Sometimes it’s just better to call them back and tell them straight out,” Lilly suggested. Evie nodded her agreement and tucked her phone into her pocket. After her job tonight she would call Jessica back. Enough time had passed, and she felt like she was standing on her own two feet again.

“I will call her back,” Evie said confidently.

“Can it wait until after we set the tables? You’re really good at this.”