Page 116 of Striking Range

What happened to him? Why didn’t he call? Is he okay? Does he love me? Why didn’t he come home?

My brain won’t stop. It’s creating scenarios and shooting them down, one by one, as I grow closer to him. With each slap of my sneakers against the concrete, my heart pounds faster until it’s sinking into the pit of my stomach.

I wish I could go back to Friday morning. I wish time would change and alter at my will, and I could be lying on his chest, feeling the beat of his heart and the puff of his exhales against my hair.

I wish I could save him from all the things that trouble him.

We stumble to a stop before his motel room, panting as we stare at the fading wood. Suddenly, Henry slams his fist against it. The frame rattles, and I can hear a soft curse resonate from the other side, yet he does not come to answer it.

Henry opens his mouth to speak, but Kelly clasps a hand over it and stares right at me, beckoning me.

I take a deep breath and then call out, “Evie? Open the door.”

It feels like déjà vu, this moment. I feel like him, waiting outside of my locked door as he pounded away manically.

Karma, I guess.

His approaching footsteps sound around us, but as they stop at the door, he still does not open it.

“Please,” I mutter. “Please let me in. I just… Let me in, baby.”

I feel Henry stiffen beside me, but I do not turn to take in their shocked expressions. Everett needs comfort right now, and though I don’t know the exact reason as to why, I will give it to him.

And it works—the pet name. Everett opens the door a moment later, his honey eyes landing on me immediately. Like a homing missile, he finds me, no matter where we are or what is happening around us.

“Hey, pup,” he whispers, and his cheeks are flushed, his eyes glassy.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, keeping my tone gentle and placating. “Why did you run away?”

Everett becomes suddenly aware of our current company, straightening his spine and clearing his throat. “Oh, uh… No reason. Just needed a break, I guess.”

“A break from what?” My gentle tone snaps, replaced by something agitated and startled.

Everett flinches, lowering his gaze. “N-not you. I… Fuck.”

He looks caught, as if we’ve found him doing something disgraceful, and it breaks my heart. Whatever has forced him to travel three hours from home was most likely not his fault.

He’s a wounded animal, lying on the side of the road and praying that someone will take him in and offer the slightest bit of compassion.

“Let us in,” I tell him, and Everett backs up, leaving the door open as he moves to stand on the opposite side of the queen mattress.

I spot his baseball duffel sitting on the dresser next to the TV.

“Sorry you guys came all this way. It’s probably best that you leave now,” he says solemnly.

He is telling us to leave, yet he opened the door for us to enter. I have learned over the past few months that Everett has a hard time being selfish. Before we had a tangible relationship, he would suffer in silence or make slight comments if I got close to someone else. He was willing to give me up if it meant that I would be happier with someone else.

And now, as he desperately craves support and company, he is sending us away. But not without showing us the path pointed toward him first.

“Why are you here?” I repeat. “Don’t tell me it’s nothing. Talk, Evie.”

“And we aren’t leaving,” Kelly interjects. “There are far too many secrets between this friend group, and I’m tired of sitting in the background of the Sky and Evie show.”

She doesn’t necessarily look upset, but her tone tells everyone in the room how serious she is. Kelly is done being lied to, and I can understand that.

But forcing Everett to come clean about his family? About us? I don’t know if that’s morally correct either.

Everett sighs, aiming his kicked puppy eyes toward the bed to avoid looking at us straight on.