Evan Farrington's Confession | ✔️

twenty-four

The black Mini slowed as it drew up next to her. Evan took one look at the driver before turning away, shivers racing down her arms. Not him; not now. She picked up her pace and the car sped up. If she could just keep walking. She didn't care if William drove alongside her the whole way.

What difference would it make?

He already knew, he could read the confession as well if he very well wanted to. Suzanne was the only person who mattered anymore. She had to read it.

Evan broke into a run and the car's engine revved as it caught up. She had to get home, she was so close. The window was rolling down.

"Evan!" William yelled, his curly hair being blown about by the wind. "Evan please, just wait for a minute!"

She stopped suddenly and turned to face the car, looking as irritated as she could while catching her breath. William parked the car and got out.

"You need a haircut," Evan told him, deadpan. He didn't react.

"Evan listen to me. I haven't phoned the police."

Evan let out a shriek of laughter. "Fine. You want it that way, fine by me. Let me just get home and give something to my Mum then I'll phone them for you. Okay?"

"No, not okay. I'm not going to let them take you Evan, I..." he paused for a second with his eyes shut tight. "It wasn't your fault. I know it wasn't, I could see them behind you when you were walking."

Evan wished she could cry. "I just want them to leave me alone," she said. It sounded somehow even more pathetic than it would have if she had been weeping.

William looked on the verge of tears himself. "I know Evan. I know."

"Now leave me alone," she said. Evan tried hard not to feel sorry for him; his face had shrivelled at her words. "Please, William?"

He inhaled loudly through his nose and wrapped his arms around his chest. He cleared his throat. "Can you at least let me drive you home?"

Evan fought to keep her face impassive. Her legs ached to keep walking and the night chill was seeping into her bones. "I think I'll just walk," she said. "I'm almost there."

"I'm not leaving you, Evan."

Evan pulled off William's jacket and thrust it into his arms. "Fine. You can drive me."

She got into the passenger side, slammed the door a little harder than necessary and listened to William get in the other side. Her arms tingled as they warmed up inside the heated car. Evan leaned her forehead against the cool window and closed her eyes. Her entire being ached distantly.

The drive home was too short. She knew she had to give the confession to Suzanne but she hadn't thought it all the way through. Her mind had been focused on everything else: the sky, the road, the forest.

The shoe.

Would there have been any point in taking it with her? One fewer piece of evidence? One last chance to be clever? No point. Maybe save her a phone call.

She would have to give the confession to her mother. And stand to watch her read it? Watch as her face wrinkled in confusion, her hands shivering around her wine glass as she took gulp after gulp. Maybe she could just leave. How long would the police take to arrive? She could phone them now, give Suzanne the confession and be taken away before she had a chance to react.

Evan reached into the pocket of her cardigan for her phone. The screen glared in the darkness of the car, drawing William's eyes away from the road for a split-second.