Evan's Addiction (77 page)

     Her brow puckered deeper and she stabbed her fork into the bun on
her plate. “You probably need to get back to work, so we can set up another
time to talk.”

     I could tell she was using the excuse of me having to return to
work rather than dwell on her own thoughts on the matter. And that was fine
with me. I think she needed a break from the woman.

     I searched for our waitress and spotting her I tried waving her
over, but she was speed walking and not paying attention disappearing around a
corner.

     Leaning over I kissed Shaw on the forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

     Sliding out of the booth I strode towards where the waitress vanished
and realized she’d went through a swinging door leading to the restaurants
kitchen. Leaning back against the wall I decided to wait for her to come back
out because I wanted to get this bill paid and get Shaw out of here.

     The restaurant was loud but my ear caught and honed in on a conversation
happening on the opposite side of the wall I was resting against.

     “Try rephrasing some of the questions if it seems like they don’t
want to answer. Or leave that line of questioning and come back to it later.
Sometimes people get uncomfortable talking about what happened to them. If you
move onto a different topic for a little while they relax, and then when you go
back they forget why they didn’t want to answer your question.”

     I straightened as a different, but familiar voice spoke. “It’s her
boyfriend. She looks to him to answer some of them and I can see he’s holding
back. He’s been looking at me suspiciously the whole time. I need to try and
meet with her without him.”

     “Yeah, maybe your right. The guy works for Dan McKay so he has to
have some brains on him, and I could tell through the bug we have set up at the
table that there’s something he’s covering up about what happened in that
house. But finding out that he was the one to find out where the girls were and
that he and his friends saved her is news worthy gold. No one knew this. The
cops must have been keeping it under wraps; either because the guys really
didn’t want attention, or the cops wanted to take all the credit for it. Hell,
either way this a major scoop.”

     “Well, I’m not going to get anything further from them today
because you heard what he said about paying the bill. He’s pressing her to
leave and she agreed. Hopefully next time I can get her to meet me alone,
without him.”

     Son of a fucking bitch but this was going to devastate Shaw.

     I’d listened long enough. Fury burned through me ready to
incinerate the two people on the other side of the wall. Stepping around the
corner I took in the two people sitting in the booth; a middle aged brunette
female, and the bitch claiming to be Shaw’s mother. I wanted to fucking kill
them both, but I wanted one of them to be long and painful.

     At the sight of me alarm washed over their faces.

     “Shit!” The brunette spat in frustration.

     I tore my murderous gaze from the redheaded bitch and locked gazes
with the brunette. “You don’t even know the meaning of the word.” Bending
forward I slammed my hands down on the table causing them both to jump in fear.
I bent by elbows flexing my arms, adopting a menacing air. “If you print,
upload, or talk to anyone about what you recorded or heard today I will rain so
much shit down on you that everyone you know, and don’t know, will give you a
wide fucking birth so as not to have any of your stench rub off on them. And
then I will take both of you for everything you have or will make.” I pointed
my finger at the brunette. “You must be one fucking stupid glob of funk on the
bottom of my shoe. What you just did was completely illegal, and don’t think
you can use the justification that we are in a public restaurant to get around
what you did. McKay’s lawyers will have you in court for years sucking you dry,
and then you’ll have the added bonus of paying their fees.”

     I swung my head from the about-to-shit-her-pants brunette, to the
what-have-I-gotten-myself-into bitch redhead. “And you…you fucking disgust me.
The pits of hell must have coughed you up because even they couldn’t deal with
your type of evil. I don’t know whether your Shaw’s mother or not…

     “I am,” she unwisely interrupted, her voice squeaky with
trepidation. “And though this may look bad I’m sure Shaw, my daughter, will
understand once I explain…”

      I got in her face, my blood boiling. “Shut up.” She jerked back
in fear. “The only thing you’re going to be telling her is that you are not her
mother. I don’t give a shit if you are; she doesn’t need someone like you in
her life. That woman has pulled herself up from nothing to become one of the
strongest and most amazing women in the whole fucking world. All you will do is
fuck her all up. I can tell you are the type of person to suck people dry. I
wouldn’t be surprised if that’s why your parent’s have distanced themselves
from you. They’ve probably had enough of your crap-laced lies.”

     I took note of the flash of emotion that crossed her face at my
remark. Yeah, there was more there than what she’d been telling everyone. This
woman was a snake pit of lies. I would find out everything she was hiding, but
it was going to have to be later. Shaw was waiting.

     “You are going back to that table and say goodbye with that fake
smile you’ve been using all afternoon, and then you will call her tomorrow and
tell her you are sorry but you’ve been lying this whole time; you are not her real
mother, and you only came forward for the attention, but knew the test would
prove you a liar.”

     A mulish expression briefly took over her fearful one.
“Whatever…It’s not like I came forward to claim her as a real daughter. I
didn’t want her twenty years ago and I don’t want her now. I thought she might be
my ticket to some quick and easy cash. I’ve received a few thousand, but I
guess I’ve reached the end of this cash cow.”

     I stared at her in disgust, and even the brunette looked faintly
revolted by her. There was no way Shaw shared this woman’s DNA. The two might
share a few similarities but maybe she got most of her genetic material from
her father.

     “Were you telling the truth about Shaw’s father?”

     “I have no idea if he’s dead or not. He was a guy who was in town
for a short while. He got what he wanted from me and I never saw him again. I
don’t even remember his name.” She said, looking off to the right of me.

     My eyes narrowed at her confession. “You better not be lying to
me, because I can find out if you are. I’ll have someone dig so far up your
ass. Question everyone that knew you back then. And I will find out every
single person you spent any time with in that month you got pregnant. Don’t
think I can’t.”

     “I’m telling the truth.” She spat.

     I straightened. “First fucking time. Let’s get this over with.” I
pointed to the brunette. “Expect a call in ten minutes.”

     She shook her head. “I won’t…”

     I cut her off. “I don’t want to hear it. You can talk to my
lawyers. Let’s go.” I waved impatiently for the bitch to get moving. “Smile
happily.” I growled, trying my best to plaster on my own fake smile.  

     My smile slipped off as we neared the table though, because Shaw
wasn’t there.

     I had a sick feeling in my stomach that my plan to conceal this
shit-fest just went down the toilet.

CHAPTER
THIRTY-EIGHT

SHAW

     My phone rang and I pulled it from my purse. I knew it was Evan.
I’d been expecting his call, and while I couldn’t answer it, I wasn’t going to
leave him hanging and worrying about me. He’d probably end up calling the
police.

     Declining the call I texted:
I heard everything and now I need
a little time to myself.
 

     I ran through the parking lot adjacent to the restaurant we’d eaten
at and dashed around the side of the building of the pet shop next door to it. Breathing
harshly, I leaned against the cinder-block wall and slid down onto my ass. My
hands fell between my bent knees and I stared at my phone in numb shock and
bewilderment. 

     Did I seriously hear what I thought I heard? I don’t know how much
of that conversation I missed, but I did hear Rebecca say she had no desire at
all to form a relationship with me. I’d been concerned this woman was a fraud
coming forward for attention. Instead, she was my actual mother coming forward
for easy money.

     She didn’t care a flying fuck for me.

     It had niggled at me how she was almost entirely focused on asking
questions about my kidnapping…and bypassed all interest about my life. I’d been
trying to push it aside, blaming it on my ingrained pessimism, but I’d been
right to be skeptical. All she cared about was learning the details of my
abduction so she could sell them. Now I wanted to smack myself for overlooking
it.

     It was because of those fucking sentiments; hope, dreams, and
wishes.

     That lost, needy child inside me had remembered her deepest hope
of having a mother ride in on a white unicorn carrying a bag of wishes making
all her dreams come true. She would then make up for all the love and hugs the
child had missed out on and fix everything wrong in her life.

     It was all one huge pile of fetid bullshit. Just like my life.

     I was stupid to think everything was starting to turn around for
me. I’d been jinxed since birth and it wasn’t going to change. That bitch-witch
of a female probably was the one who jinxed me.   

     My deadened gaze hadn’t moved from my phone, a phone that had been
pinging constantly with texts from Evan. I turned it off without bothering to
look at them.

     I loved him so much I ached with it, but right I wasn’t sure how I
was feeling concerning his part of the conversation. He’d been sticking up for
me, looking after my interests, tried to protect my feelings, but he’d also been
making plans to lie to me.
And
he was witness to a humiliating scam my
own mother attempted to pull over on me proving how stupid I’d been, how
unlovable I was.

     I needed space from him because I was confused, livid…and hurting
so very badly. Was love really in my destiny?

     A gust of wind blew over me and it felt extra cold on my face.
Bringing my hands up I rubbed my cheeks to warm them and realized they were wet.

     Shit, I was crying. Out in the open. Where anyone could see.

     I wiped at my face angrily but the tears weren’t stopping. Shit,
shit, shit! I hadn’t cried like this since the wedding fiasco. The time before
that had been years ago.

     Turning my phone back on I called for a cab. While I waited for it
I tried my damndest to stop the incessant tears but I couldn’t put a lid on
them. The cabbie gave me wary look when I climbed in but thankfully kept his
opinion to himself. I gave him the address to the campus apartment; Carrie had
class and then had to work tonight so I knew I’d be alone there. 

     Twenty minutes later the cab pulled up in front of my apartment. I
threw some money at the driver, along with I don’t know how much for a tip, and
stumbled from the vehicle. Angrily slapping away the tears on my face I ran up
the steps, but stopped dead at the sight of Evan sitting in front of my door.

     How did he know I’d end up here?

     Seeing me he jumped up and rushed forward, his expression
strained. “God, Shaw, you can’t disappear and not answer my calls or texts like
that. It was like your kidnapping all over again.”

    He made to take me in his arms but I backed away with my arms up to
stop him. “Evan, I texted you to let you know I was okay and that I just needed
some time. Just…give me some time alone.” I declared tearfully.

     His expression turned agonized. “God, Shaw. That woman was a
complete bitch and she doesn’t deserve you. Don’t…”

     “It’s not just her, Evan. You found out what she was doing and you
made plans with her to hide it from me. It’s like you were working together to
deceive me.” I yelled as I tried to push around him.

     His face became more tortured and he gripped my arms in
supplication. “No, no, I only wanted to stop you from getting hurt. If you believed
that bitch was just some random woman then I thought maybe it wouldn’t hurt as
much.”

     “Well, all I know right now is that it hurts real fucking bad,
Evan.” I howled and slapped him away like a damn baby.

     Disregarding my attempts to keep him from me Evan pressed in and
pulled my rigid body into a tight embrace. “I’m sorry, but please, don’t push
me away. Don’t make me leave you after what you just found out…while you’re
upset like this.” 

     The feel of his warm, strong arms surrounding me felt so good, and
I wanted to tell him to squeeze me tighter, but at the same time I wanted to shove
him away. It made me even more confused.

     I settled for staying rigid in his arms. “Evan, really…I just need
some time alone to process everything.” I whined, and shit did that make me
want to yank out my voice box.

     His nose and mouth nuzzled in the crook of my neck as he squeezed
me tighter…just like I wished he would just a second ago. “I can’t, Shaw. I
can’t leave you alone to deal with this. You can go into that apartment and
leave me out here, but all I’m going to do is sit outside your door, because
you know what, you’re not alone anymore. I’m here for you. Maybe I messed up
trying to keep their deception from you, but I never claimed to be perfect. I
only claimed to love you with everything I am, and I guess that comes with
stupid decisions in my efforts in protecting you.”